October 2022 Newsletter
New Addition to the iLevel Team | New Brands | Featured Brand | Article: Skin Deep | CHFA NOW East 2022
New Addition to the iLevel Team
GTA ACCOUNT MANAGER
Stephanie Craig
Please help us welcome Stephanie to the iLevel family. Lisa Venetas is no longer with iLevel and we wish her well as she moves on from iLevel.
Stephanie has a passion for the organic, natural, and eco-friendly lifestyle and has worked as a manager and buyer for over 10 years at various health food stores. Stephanie started her journey towards a natural lifestyle in the late 90's, early 2000's. In 2006 she studied to become a Holistic Health Care Practitioner at Transformational Arts College in Toronto. Upon completing the program she started working at a local health food store and found that sales and promotion of the products/ brands within the industry were more suited to her and thus turned her focus towards working her way up the retail sector eventually achieving the management/buyer level.
Stephanie is excited to join the iLevel team as Account Manager for the GTA and share her passion with our clients. In her spare time Stephanie loves to read, especially historical fiction, breathe new life into old furniture by restoring with chalk paint thereby diverting it from landfill. She also loves gardening and golfing with her husband and son.
Contact Stephanie At:
scraig@ilevelmanagement.ca
(416) 721 1931
New brands at iLevel
Habibi’s Mediterranean Foods Ltd. And iLevel
Management are partnering up!
Canada, July, 2022 – Habibi’s Mediterranean Foods is pleased to announce their partnership with iLevel Management, Inc. iLevel Management will be acting as Habibi’s sales broker to Natural Health Food stores, Mass Retail, Food Service and Drug Stores in Canada. Habibi’s needed to find their match and we believe we have in Jimmy Vaid and his team. Habibi’s is a family owned and operated business and we like to partner up with like-minded individuals that understand and appreciate a business like Habibi’s, that will be able to take on the challenges and guide us through them and support us while we grow our business across Canada. We believe that iLevel Management is the perfect fit to take Habibi’s to the next level.
About Habibi’s www.habibis.ca
Habibi’s started out as a small but very popular Vegetarian restaurant in Vancouver on West Broadway. As soon as it opened its doors it became the neighborhood's favorite restaurant and place to go and had line ups down the block. The original owners of Habibi’s approached us and asked if we would take over the company and keep the momentum going. At that time, they had a few stores they would deliver their hummus to, and this gave us the idea to relaunch Habibi’s as a food production company since we didn’t want to go into another restaurant venture. That was 2008 and we have been going strong ever since! Until this day the customers of Habibi’s restaurant still praise it and have the fondest memories of going there to eat. We take pride that we carried on the name and have been able to keep it going and growing for the last 13 years.
Habibi’s will stagger a roll out over the coming year new products including but not exclusive to tahini spreads, falafel patties, and pesto's. Habibi’s recently launched five shelf stable and plant-based garlic sauces (also known as Toum) Original, Ranch herb, Garam Masala, Spicy Buffalo and Shawarma style. These will accompany our well-known line of 6 hummus flavors (with 3 of those flavors offered in 2 size options), Tzatziki, and Baba Ghanouj.
New brands at iLevel
Sweet & Friendly Co. And iLevel Management are partnering up!
Canada, August 2022 – Sweet & Friendly is pleased to announce its partnership with iLevel Management, Inc. iLevel will be acting as S & F’s sales broker to Natural Health Food stores, Mass Retail, Food Services, and Drug Stores in Canada.
The team at Sweet & Friendly is excited to be working with the iLevel Management team to continue our growth in the alternative sweetener category. Our brand expansion is rapidly evolving and continues to address consumer needs in various areas where conventional sweeteners are used bringing tooth-friendly and healthier options to an assortment of categories.
S & F is a natural product and sweetener company, that brings together industry leaders to provide the best in natural food innovation.
With a combined 75 years of experience in food, confectionery, biotechnology, and manufacturing innovation, we know how to bring the best to all to our clients and retail consumers.
Sweet & Friendly does not compromise on quality or high standards when developing its products. S&F products have been developed to meet all lifestyles.
Our Sweet and Friendly erythritol zero-calorie sweetener provides benefits such as no added sugar, low net carbohydrates, and dental health.
In addition, since erythritol has a low GI rating, it allows diabetics and people following low glycemic diets to enjoy our products without worrying about raising their blood glucose or insulin levels.
One of the greatest benefits is S&F tooth-friendly confectionery treats and the ability to help reduce plaque and help to prevent dental caries making these candies and mints a perfect lunch box snack.
Featured Brand
Say When
Say When Beverages is a proudly Canadian company based in Vancouver, BC. We have been handcrafting an array of chai concentrates at our state-of-the-art microbrewery since the early 2000s. We believe in taking time to brew the chai, so you can take your time enjoying it. Every brew of chai is created in small batches, using the highest quality of organic ingredients, natural sweeteners, and purified British Columbia Mountain water. The result? The best dang chai this side of the Himalayas.
Say When offers 3 unique retail-specific SKUs, that appeal to all types of chai drinkers - from the beginner to the more adventurous - in 946ml Tetra Pak cartons. Our Organic Spicy Chai is a feisty blend of cinnamon and cardamom, ginger, black pepper, and nutmeg that comes alive in our premium black tea. The perfect pick-me-up is our Organic Dirty Chai which features organic coffee, spiced chai, and a touch of warm cocoa. For a bright and rejuvenating option, our Organic Golden Chai is comforting with punchy ginger, and vibrant lemon myrtle and sweetened with a touch of honey.
Our brand modernizes how people see and share chai, with its bold and eye-catching packaging to its ease of preparation. These chai blends are part of our CORE series which have a 1:1 concentration ratio, making it ideal for consumers. Whether you want a bolder flavor, or want less sugar, or can't have milk - you can easily adjust the amount of concentrate, use a milk alternative, or make it on the rocks (who says chai is only a fall drink?). With Say When, enjoy your chai, your way. We believe that great things can begin with a heartwarming cup of chai. Strangers can turn into friends, and friends can become family. No matter the occasion, the place, or even the season...just Say When.
SKIN DEEP
Beauty is more than skin deep. Of course, there are millions of creams, lotions and potions designed for anti-aging that feel good and do arguably produce good visible results, but there are also natural ways to get better looking skin, which will not only make you look good on the outside but feel better on the inside too! Nutrition, hydration, and mental health are all vital to staying young and feeling great. As we age, in fact, every single year, cells dye off leaving the skin to appear a little bit dryer, maybe wrinkled, dimpled, and even sagging. Though aging is inevitable, there are ways to slow things down and rejuvenate our system and our skin naturally.
The human body is a wonderfully designed system made up of cellular processes to keep things running at optimal performance- skin, our flexile outer tissue, is no exception. Collagen is a protein produced by the body to develop strength and support tissue, while Elastin, another major protein we produce, allows tissue to stretch and relax. This balance combined with Hyaluronic acid - a natural substance that lubricant joints and tissue in the body, and vitamins A and C, (nutrients with growth stimulating and antioxidant properties), are all part of a biochemical process made to give us a youthful glow. There are easy ways to support the skin by what you put in your body and also how you think, that will have you looking and feeling better no matter what your age.
Nutrition
You are what you eat! Keep this in mind for a youthful appearance. Eating foods high in protein like chicken, eggs and fish are a great way for proteins to be easily bioavailable for cell maintenance and can help build lean muscle mass. Drinking Bone broth is an excellent way to create collagen production, not to mention the immune system boost and digestive heather benefits. Vitamin A and C rich foods like dairy, leafy greens and bell peppers, or fruits like strawberries and papaya are a great way fend off dryness, reoxygenate those cells and maintain healthier bones and teeth.
Hydration
If you want younger looking skin, drink more water. Drinking water helps maintain skin’s elasticity among so many other benefits for health. On average, 55-60% of the human body is made of H2O. Drinking water increases oxygen and nutrients in the blood, keeping blood pressure in a good range and boosting kidney function. Drinking water also removes toxins from the body, protect your organs and tissue, while cushioning your joints. Staying hydrated helps aid the body in all of its processes, from regeneration to elimination. It is an essential part of maintaining good health and good skin. Drinking water helps with preventing dryness, wrinkles and scaring on the skin’s surface -Water is life.
Mental Health
Mental health certainly has impact on the aging process inside and out. A healthy happy brain may not be what you think you can see on the outside, but its impact is big. When mental health is not at its best, hygiene, nutritional and wellness habits can start to slip, drinking water might be a forgotten priority and the body will not be able to function at optimal levels. It’s important to recognize that a happy active mind is one that can prioritize emotional wellbeing, balance, and self awareness. Having good social connections, keeping your mind sharp by learning new skills and keeping healthy routines that include exercise and regular sleep schedules, are all important for the mind body connection. When you have a happy healthy mind, you will have a happier healthier body- and it will show!
CHFA NOW East 2022
CHFA Now Toronto was a great opportunity to build new and strengthen already existing relations between iLevel Management and its partners. It is great to see the continued strength in the Natural food industry. The iLevel section was full of interactions with old friends and new connections!
We had some fun team building at the party after the show, hosted at Hockey Hall of Fame, by our company along with a group of other liked minded independent brokers. We played, we laughed, we made new friends! Thank you for sharing this experience with us!
Independent Broker Alliance
