This is Wellness Emporium

Look out, a new health mecca has opened in Elwood to keep you feeling nurtured and nourished: mind, body and soul. Considered to be Melbourne’s first health and wellness emporium, This is Life Wellness Emporium is a family-friendly haven from the fast-paced and stressful lives we lead. Their wholefood cafe is grounded on serving organic, seasonal and ethically sourced food, which is bursting with nutrients and colour. 

Husband-and-wife team Ashley Campbell-Bird and Michaela Menichelli’s mission is to create a culture of positivity, healthy living and sense of community. The fit-out of hardwood benches, white walls, natural light, leafy greenery and calming hues of blue work together in harmony to create an atmosphere of tranquillity and inner-peace. 

In all respects, it is one of Melbourne’s healthiest eateries with a curated menu that caters to paleo, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and low-FODMAP diets. Cate Robertson – known from her gigs at The Point and The Press Club – heads up the kitchen and is dedicated to producing dishes for people with food sensitivities and intolerances. 

The easy option would be to recommend the entire menu, but here are our stand-outs. The Beetroot Waffles (vegetarian and gluten-free) come with three pieces and are made from beetroot and teff – a type of grain similar to quinoa – topped with crushed green peas and avocado, roasted tomatoes, and dressed with cashew cream cheese and finger lime. Or the Happy Gut bowl of brown rice, featuring Asian greens, house-fermented vegetables, avocado and wakame furikake, dressed with a ginger sesame sauce, which would make Buddha himself smile. For those playing at home, wakame is a brown seaweed that is a great source of magnesium. 

However, the real game is their range of smoothies. They vary from the safe, Naughty & Nice (acai, natural peanut butter, banana, rice milk) to the zany, Immunity Glow (carrot, pineapple, cashews, tumeric, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut milk and coconut water). I opted for somewhere in the middle and grabbed the Antioxidant Powerhouse (dragon fruit, maqui berry, banana, bee pollen, mixed berries and coconut water). It was a truly refreshing and flavoursome choice. 

Alongside their cafe, This is Life has an in-house chiropractor (co-owner Campbell-Bird), clinical nutritionist and physiotherapist, as well as children’s yoga and wellness workshops. After chatting to Michaela, she informs us that bloke’s yoga is soon to join the rank of classes on offer. 

We all deserve the chance to disarm from the burdens of life and enjoy wholesome food, allowing us to reconnect with our minds, and blossom. This is Life Wellness Emporium is the perfect place to find the best version of yourself. 

This is Wellness Emporium 
109 Brighton Road, Elwood
Open Tuesday to Sunday, Tuesday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 3pm
thisislifewellness.com.au