Holistic Earth Fair by La Holista

The start of 2016, I decided on a theme instead of listing down my new year’s resolution. Resolutions never worked for me anyway and this way, I could really zone in on what I want my 2016 to be. So I decided on “Choose Wellness“.

Well, I guess it was the fact that I am not getting any younger and the big 4-0 is just around the corner (NYAR!). Losing weight has been a rollercoaster ride for me. Seriously. I love to eat too much. But what the past 10 months has taught me is that it can be done, I can choose to be healthy and that yes, I can keep an exercise routine. The pounds may not be shedding as fast as I would want it, but I know that I’m making healthier and better choices now.

So when La Holista tapped me to promote their upcoming activity, Holistic Earth Fair that promotes health and wellness, I couldn’t say no. Chiara Squinzi, founder of La Holista, health coach and yoga teacher, filled me in on the details of the fair.

Hello Saigon: Tell us about La Holista.

Chiara: La Holista is a Health & Wellness international company based in Ho Chi Minh City, founded in 2014. I manage it together with Pascale Fioretti, an Executive Coach with 12 years experience in hospitality. It was established in 2014 in Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Our mission is to educate our followers about healthy eating and healthy living — mainly through truly wholesome and healthy snacks, meals and spread, workshops and cooking classes for adults and kids.

HS: What motivated you to establish La Holista?

Chiara: The passion to teach what truly healthy eating means; there are many lies about food out there and we should be more informed about it. Also, the lack of good snacks and cooking aids for people who prefer a wholesome plant-based diet. Anything you can find in the stores is either refined or have plenty of preservatives.

HS:What’s the story behind the name?

Chiara: La Holista is derived from the word, “Holistic”. Holistic means being healthy is more than just what we eat. How we relate with others, our career, our exercise routine and our spirituality — are all parts of our lives that influence our overall happiness.

You cannot be truly happy and healthy if any of these parts is out of shape. This is the message I want to send out. A good friend of mine helped come up with a name that would represent my Italian origins and contained a powerful symbol, the flower of life on which our logo is built on.

HS: What programs do you have?

Chiara: We offer one-on-one or group health coaching and cooking classes, International Schools after school cooking classes, F&B consulting for restaurants or drink producers, and public talk related to health and plant-based nutrition and company consultation for healthy living and eating at work.

But our main area is provision of healthy snacks like our famous Oat Cookies, Energy Balls & Protein Sport Balls, Meal Replacements Bars & Ice-cream, Hummus & Vegan Cheese, and probiotic-rich Kombucha & Kefir.

HS: What is the Holistic Earth Fair and what does it aim to achieve?

Chiara: This is our first big community project we have realised in collaboration with Eton House International Pre-school Thao Dien, Humane Society International and Green Mondays Vietnam. It’s a fair for all the HCMC based Holistic practitioners (acupuncturist, yoga and Pilatesaigon teachers and studios, chiropractors, sport promoters, juice companies and organic farms like Organik Dalat).

The aim is to educate the participants about the possibilities of curing oneself with alternative medicine and how to stay healthy with better quality food/drink and the right type of exercise.

All the proceeds of the fair will go to Charity Lin, so the main purpose is to offer them a support to create amazing charity activities.

HS: What are the activities/programs during the Holistic Earth Fair?

Chiara: We have many! We will have a bike ride from D7 to the fair by Bike Life, and a run around Thao Dien by Runclub.vn. Both these activities will have a stretching session by Suzanne Vian.

There will be QiGong and Yoga, Chiropractors and Acupuncturists talks and demo and two healthy eating talks by us and another, more popular Vietnamese Health Coach. Plenty for everybody!

Check out the Holistic Earth Fair on October 29 from 9am to 3pm at Eton House (42, Street 10, Thao Dien, District 2). Those who would like to join from D7 are invited to join the bike ride to Eton House by Bike Life starting from 83 Pham Thai Buong, Phu My Hung at 8 am.