Fortify yourself with therapy and food

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/03/2021 (1904 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Amid the pandemic, many of us have started giving more thought to our health and that’s a good thing. Being proactive brings a much-needed, renewed sense of hope and well-being, especially during what continues to be a challenging time.

With that in mind I took a walk in the neighbourhood on the weekend and stopped in at a place I’ve been wanting to explore for a while.

Fortify, located at the corner of Marion Street and Taché Avenue, is a one-of-a-kind venue featuring a health-focused eatery, a wellness shop, and a space for complementary medicine. Six practitioners offer medical services in naturopathic medicine, IV nutrient therapy, intramuscular vitamin injections, acupuncture therapy, nutrition therapy and dietetics and massage therapy.

The space in the heart of St. Boniface shines a bright light on well-being, provides a wide range of wellness practices, and features an eatery with a satisfying selection of quality plant-based and vegan whole foods and beverages.

I had no idea that this place offered so many services. I just knew there was delicious plant-based food to be had. Now I know better.

Fortify opened in October 2019 and,even through the roughest pandemic months, the excitement of this unique venture continued. Clients and staff adapted to virtual visits when possible, and appreciative customers ordered take-out food.

You can feel the values of the place when you walk in. It’s friendly, warm and welcoming. There’s a level of care that sadly isn’t always that common in a lot of places these days.

This is a space of intentionality, where care for customers and clients is priority. Carefully chosen beauty and skin care products are available, as are supplements. Made Strong apparel shares a message of hope and strength that we are created to do hard things. You can find T-shirts and sweatshirts in two colours to live and spread that message. For those who’d like to find out more about the medical services, free 15-minute consultations are available with all practitioners.

Now back to the food part of the story. I can tell you that the latke breakfast bowl, thrive smoothie and lemon coconut square were nourishing and outstandingly tasty. It’s the kind of fresh food that involves preparation the old-fashioned way. Everything is made in-house and what can’t be is sourced locally.

Other than enjoying the walk to Fortify, I’m thankful to have learned more about it. It’s so important to look after ourselves, in every way. If you’re in St. Boniface, check out this gem of a place. And don’t leave without sampling something from their menu. Visit: www.thisisfortify.com

Janine LeGal is a community correspondent for St. Boniface.