Committed to Excellence: We have handpicked every item in our collection to ensure the highest levels of quality and integrity.  The products we offer you are the very ones we use ourselves.

 

Passionate: At Essentially Organic, we are motivated by a deep passion to help our customers achieve a healthy and balanced lifestyle that nurtures the body, mind and spirit.

 

True to Tradition: Back to basics is our key concept.  Essentially Organic, farm to table fresh and nutritious cuisine.  Our products  offer an array of natural and organic products that are made from the finest ingredients to help you build a foundation for healthy living that is simple to follow and easy to incorporate into your everyday life.

 

 

Essentially Organic,. offers a fine collection of naturally organic products with an environmentally conscious perspective.  Formerly Chelsea Lee Enterprises (est. 1991), Essentially Organic has developed its business concept by making the responsible choice to offer healthy cook and quality products that are beneficial to both our customers and global community.  We have taken great care in the selection of products that offer you a healthy alternative to aid in living a natural, organic and green lifestyle.

 

We support community sustainability, fairtrade and recycling.  These movements inspire social responsibility and are vital elements in the green revolution.

 

Natural

We use the term ‘natural’ to describe food, health care products and other goods that are created as Mother Nature "naturally" would herself.  Natural health is comprised of a variety of alternative medicinal and herbal methods and remedies that look to the natural healing powers of the body to improve and restore your physical wellbeing, emotional health, and wellness.

 

Organic

“Nature may have been the sole contributor in the seed to harvest process, but it is only through a particular level of human supervision that a plant can become ‘organic.“

- Like Your Labels?" by Michele Field, Gastronomica – The Journal of Food & Culture

 

Organic farms and businesses limit or eliminate the use of synthetic materials during production.  Organic growers do not consume or release synthetic pesticides into the environment, preventing these potentially harmful chemicals from negatively impacting the soil, water, and local wildlife.

 

Because of this, organic farms are more successful than conventional farms at sustaining diverse ecosystems.  They also use less energy and produce less waste in the production process.

 

Fine Selection

Essentially Organic prides itself on using a fine selection of natural and organic products.  The word fine represents excellence in quality, form and appearance.  It is used to define products that are refined, pure, free from dross or extraneous matter; delicate, subtle, keen and fastidious. 

 

Fair trade

The main goal of the fair trade movement is to create greater equity and partnership in developing countries by providing improved trading conditions and supporting sustainability within communities.  For a product to be certified fair trade, it must meet the standards set forth by FLO International.  The aim of fair trade is to reduce poverty in struggling nations by offering consumers a socially and environmentally responsible choice when purchasing products.

 

Sustainability

“Environmental sustainability is development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” – World Commission on Environment and Development.  Our Common Future. 1987.

In general terms sustainability is the capacity to endure.  In ecological reference, it describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time.  For humans, it aims for the long-term maintenance of our well being through the preservation of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources.

 

 

Liz Lee, Founder & CEO

 

Liz Lee is an organic chef with a plant base certification from Rouxbe Cooking School.  Rouxbe is the curriculm base for major culinary schools.  Liz is the CEO of Essentially Organic . (dba Chelsea Lee Enterprises).  A single mother of three, Liz made the decision early on in her life to practice healthy living and provide organic, wholesome food to her children and loved ones.

A Southern California native, Liz was never far from stores such as Mrs. Gooch's Natural Foods Market, Follow Your Heart and Lassen Health Food Markets; stores that helped support her decision to buy healthy groceries for her family.  Rooted in a desire for healthy living she learned to appreciate the information provided on nutrition labels and understand what it meant to support organic and natural products.  She established family meals as an everyday ritual and used this time as an opportunity to teach her children about how food affected their environment and health and the benefits that eating organically and locally had on both.

 

During the past 24 years Liz has been encouraged by the lectures and lessons of her mentors; prominent doctors and health specialists such as Marcus Laux, N.D., Jesse Hanley, M.D. and Hyla Cass, M.D.  David Villarreal DDS, Currently, she is working under the professional advisory of Stephen Danielsen, N.D., Edie Resto, D.C. and Bruce Parker, D.C.

 

Through these mentors she has absorbed a wealth of information on health, herbal remedies and the benefits of eating organically and mindfully.  The concepts of innovative modalities, organic and natural foods, nutritional supplements and exercise, along with a sense of nurturing oneself and those around you, had a lasting impact on her.  It was these lessons that inspired Liz to pursue her own career in the health food and supplement sector.

 

In 2002, during a family vacation in Yosemite, Liz sustained severe injuries after falling 35 feet from a waterfall.  Despite extensive surgery, her injuries left her unable to walk for nearly a year.  During her healing she was dedicated to healing her body during her recovery with the use of natural, homeopathic medicines and innovative modalities such acupuncture, infrared lasers and water therapy.   While healing Liz became even more inspired in formulating the concept  to start Essentially Organic, so that she could use her wealth of information on nutrition and nurturing to aid others in caring for their bodies, minds and spirits.

Seven years after her accident Liz returned to the active lifestyle she loves, practicing yoga, biking, skiing, kayaking, swimming, organic gardening and especially cooking organic in her kitchen and sharing meals with family and friends.  Her focus on Organic, Gluten- free, alternative natural sweeteners in her original recipes brings out the flavors of natural ingredients with nutritional value in nurturing ones whole body.

 

 

Mentors

 

Hyla Cass, M.D.

Dr. Hyla Cass is one of the country's foremost authors and speakers on the subject of integrative medicine.  A former Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine, she has incorporated nutrition and natural health techniques into her practice for more than 20 years.  She completed her pre-medical and medical education at the University of Toronto, School of Medicine in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  Her residency training was fulfilled at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California in child and family psychiatry.  Her board certification includes Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

www.cassmd.com

 

Stephen Danielson, N.D.

Dr. Stephen Danielson is a graduate of National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) in Portland, Oregon.  He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.  After graduation from NCNM, he spent two years practicing in Lake Oswego, Oregon in his own clinic, Lakeview Natural Health Center, a name now used for his practice in Thousand Oaks, CA.

www.lakeviewnhc.com

 

Garnet Du Puis, Ph.D

Garnet Dupuis has his B.A. and is a graduate of the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy and the University of Windsor, Canada.  He has professional and teaching experience in the Middle East, India, Japan, Korea, Ecuador, Canada and the USA where he currently teaches at the Massage School of Santa Monica.  He was previously the Director of the International Sports Medicine Institute and the Chinese Life Force Institute as well as the co-founder of the Burke Williams spa.

www.massageschoolsantamonica.com

 

Jesse Hanley, M.D.

Dr. Jesse Hanley graduated from medical school at the Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago.  Simultaneously she studied Oriental Medicine and acupuncture at UCLA Medical School, integrating both models into her in-depth nutritional and herbal knowledge.  She is the founder and former Medical Director of the Malibu Health and Rehabilitation Center where she was in private practice for many years.  Her book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause (Warner Books January 1999), co-authored with John R. Lee, M.D., has sold over a million copies around the world.  Dr. Hanley specializes in women’s health, utilizing natural replacement hormone therapy.

www.jessehanleymd.com

 

Bruce MacFarland, M.D.

Dr. Bruce MacFarland is the founder of Emerita, a provider of women’s healthcare products.  He is also the creator of the progesterone cream Pro-Gest, as well as an innovator in women’s hormone replacement therapy.

www.emerita.com

 

Marcus Laux, N.D.

Dr. Marcus Laux is a licensed naturopathic physician.  He earned his doctorate at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) in Portland, Oregon where he served on the staff as a clinical professor.  He has been clinically trained in acupuncture, homeopathy and physical medicine, among other healing modalities.  He is also the co-author of Natural Woman, Natural Menopause(Harper Collins, 1997), the former editor of the newsletter Naturally Well Today and been seen by millions on his network television series The Natural Health Show in Europe, Wellness Watch, a daily news segment in Canada, and Fox News MD TV in the U.S. during the late 90's.  He currently offers his own line of supplements through the website www.drmarcuslaux.com

 

Jill Lawson, M.Ed., ACSM, CYT

Jill Lawson received her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Exercise Science, completed the Health and Fitness Instructor certification through the American College of Sports Medicine, taught undergraduate Exercise Science classes and became an assistant athletic director.  She began practicing yoga in 1999.  The next year she took her first yoga teacher training workshop.  In 2004 she went to the Bahamas to immerse herself in the yogic life of the Sivananda Lineage.  Since then she has taught high-altitude courses for swimming, had several articles published in Yoga Magazine, participated in many workshops, classes and conferences and continues to learn and grow as a teacher.
www.jilllawsonyoga.com

 

Bruce Parker D.C. (chiropractor in Malibu)

 

Larry Payne, Ph.D.

Dr. Larry Payne is an internationally respected yoga teacher and back specialist.  The Los Angeles Times named Payne "One of America's most respected Yoga teachers".  He co-authored Yoga Therapy Rx, Yoga for Dummies and The Business of Teaching Yoga.  Payne is founding president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, founder of the Corporate Yoga program at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the first Yoga teacher to offer Yoga classes at the World Economic Forum, co-founder of the yoga curriculum at UCLA’s School of Medicine, and the founding director of the new Yoga therapy certification program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.  He earned a Master’s degree and a Doctorate in fitness education with an emphasis in Hatha Yoga from Pacific Western University and has also completed graduate work in Physical Therapy at Cal-State University at Long Beach.

www.samata.com

 

Edie Resto, D.C.

Dr. Edie Resto is a Licensed Chiropractor and a graduate of Bastyr University; the leading school in Naturopathic medicine.  Dr. Resto maintains a holistic practice, incorporating chiropractic care, nutritional/herbal medicine and body-work in the USA.  She also designs and monitors cleansing and detoxification programs for individuals and families, which helps with the following: improving general health, treating acute and chronic illness, strengthening the immune system, and increasing overall energy.

www.dredieresto.com

 

Tara Klamath

Ms Tara has 25-year professional background in bodywork, movement, and bioenergetics, Tara has taught yoga since 1998.  She is certified to teach both Larry Payne's therapeutic "Prime of Life Yoga", and the Vinyasa Krama method of Srivatsa Ramaswami, thirty-year student of Sri T. Krishnamacharya.