Taking care of your body is like being in a relationship with somebody—you can’t treat somebody badly and wonder why they left and didn’t tolerate ill treatment.
Catherine Manna-Taylor recently opened the Garden of Eden Vegan Organics, a storefront in East Trail, an action that stems from overcoming health problems.
“There’s one thing you can’t buy, and that’s your health,” explained Manna-Taylor.
“If you’re not healthy, you’re not happy at all—no matter how you look at it and I know because I’ve been there.”
Previously Manna-Taylor’s doctor suspected that she suffered from Crohn’s disease and Colitis, which triggered a major change in her lifestyle and diet.
“When I was a stay at home mum, I took a course on natural food consulting,” she said. “But sometimes you need a wakeup call, like getting sick.”
The Garden of Eden sells vegan products, health books, organic supplements, dresses and flower arrangements. But she’s more than happy to give cooking advice or share information about diet with visitors.
“I’m not a doctor and you don’t have to be a doctor to share information,” she said alluding to the wealth of knowledge she has gained over several years.
“It’s great if I can make a sale, but most people come into a store like this because they want to talk. If I wanted to make a ton of money, I’d be in a different business.”
In addition to holistic health care, Manna-Taylor stocks dresses from a company called Sacred Thread and she orders plants from Vancouver and Kelowna, arranging flowers is a skill she grew with.
“I’ve been doing this flower business since 1974,” she said. “My parents owned two flower shops out East in Mississauga, Ontario so I picked up floral design as my first trade, you could say.”
For more information about the store, visit it at 1438 McQuarrie Street in Trail, near Safeway, or visit her Facebook page.