When you say ‘holistic’ what comes to mind? Many people think organic food and natural remedies, which is not wrong. For herbalist and nutritional practitioner, Saïda Ilaqua, she summarizes her approach to holistic wellness as ‘a whole person’; the mind, body, and spirit being interconnected without favouring one part to the next. When it comes to holistic wellness, Saïda not only practices, but shares her passion by teaching the benefits to the body when nourished as a whole.
Having lived the cottage lifestyle in Sauble Beach for many years, she sought to give something back to her beach community, while also pursuing a passion. Growing through her own health challenges, she found it difficult to find nourishing options while at the beach; and so, with some help from her friends and her mom, The Wellness Refinery was born in 2018.
The journey of The Wellness Refinery began with a simple concept: offer a place for beachgoers to go that was both healthy and fun. I mean, who doesn’t love a smoothie on a hot day? They’re super tasty and packed with nutrients.
Little did Saïda know, her ‘simple’ business would quickly evolve; it soon became apparent her beautiful space offered the potential for so much more than just a smoothie bar and has since curated a menu that offers a unique blend of holistic food, bevvies, and a variety of wellness products, in addition to a community that educates about holistic products and wellness.
From her spot on Main Street, Saïda expresses to me that “Many people immediately assume holistic means becoming vegan, or that it may be intimidating because people think it’s different;” however, she believes that the key to wellness is to enjoy it rather than be burdened by it. As such, she developed a space and menu that would appeal to the Sauble community rather than overwhelm it. TWR’s current menu embraces the everyday consumer options while adding a bit of a twist; items include coffee, teas of various flavours, espresso, mushroom coffee, matcha lattes, smoothies and smoothie bowls, soups, and desserts like brownies, muffins, and even waffles.
Saïda’s menu favourites include anything with matcha, and hojicha roasted green tea (a sister to matcha, with a more roasted, earthy flavour). You’ll even find TWR-branded food items like their house superfood granola, house salad dressing, and hot honey. In her spare time, Saïda also crafts small batches of products that can occasionally be found on the retail shelves.
Beyond the tasty treats, this hip lifestyle boutique offers everyday products that relate to wellness, including various facial/cleansing products, nourishing ingestibles, incense, candles, kitchen products, and herbs. Saïda has meticulously selected brands to support her mission at TWR, especially wholesome products that utilize organic materials.
Her philosophy as an entrepreneur has always reflected her own journey with health and wellness, specifically using her experience to impact others. She is a firm believer in leading with your heart and following through with your mind, giving her passion permission to take charge and letting her education support her intentions.
“If you live life each day without intention, your subconscious mind will take control and lead your life,” she says. “It is a full-life objective, and it is so much more important than drinking a green juice”.
For Saïda, her decision to study nutrition years ago truly paved the way for her personal well-being and the ethos of TWR, “I realized that I was not just healing by repairing my relationship with food only”. For well over a decade, she has taken a deep dive into all aspects of wellness, including herbalism, reiki, life coaching, clinical detoxification, applied human endocrinology, nutrition, mental health, and personal training. She loves combining her studies to offer clients services like one-on-one wellness consulting, intuitive readings, and even personalized programs for clients including customized products to support their personal wellness.
“I have been shown time and time again that I am supposed to work with people, and the Wellness Refinery has been such a portal for me to be able to do so,” says Saïda. “I want to keep nurturing it and growing it into so much more than it has already become.”
TWR does occasionally host events, such as retreats for yoga and wellness learning, and hopes to develop a Women’s Circle in the near future. Saïda truly loves the transient community that Sauble Beach embodies, with the grounded aspect of the locals who have become regulars, but also the diversity of beach-dwellers who come and go as the years pass by.
Her greatest teacher has been the relationships she has shared with her team – they’ve taught her to lead, encouraged her to make better decisions, and challenged her to be her best self. Since TWR began, Saïda is most grateful to have been able to inspire the next generation regarding health and wellness, specifically those who have chosen to continue the study.
Saïda’s message to our readers and her community is simple: “Stop in and introduce yourself to something new, something healthier, and maybe something scary; it might just change your life.”
Words and photos by Ashley Winters
