A growing number of Prince Edward Islanders are buying - quite literally - into Rosa Agustsdottir's way of life that traces back to her Icelandic homeland.
Agustsdottir, 33, of Charlottetown emigrated from Iceland to P.E.I. with her common-law partner Jon Osmann in 2006 with the couple's two young children in tow.
Osmann was first to find fruitful employment, working with Ocean Choice International, first as a consultant and later as director of operations. Today he is on his own, brokering and consulting in the fish game.
Now Agustsdottir is also busy cutting her way into potentially lucrative fishy business that simply grew out of a consistently healthy lifestyle.
When Agustsdottir was a child growing up in Iceland's capital Reykjavik, her daily spoonful of fish oil with breakfast was simply part of the daily routine for herself and her family.
Over 70 per cent of Icelanders ingest a daily dose of Omega 3 derived from fish oil, in liquid or capsule form. Statistics collected and collated by the United Nations rank Icelanders as the happiest, healthiest and longest lived people in the world.
As well, Omega 3 has become the hottest nutritional dietary supplement on the market, available in liquid or gelatin capsule form.
On P.E.I., Agustsdottir and her husband, continued to give their children, Rakel, 5, and Agust, 3, daily Omega 3 and soon found that their new Canadian friends were curious about the benefits of fish oil.
"They began asking us to bring some to them every time we went back to Iceland on holiday," she said.
And that's when the idea of setting up a business of distributing Icelandic-processed Omega 3 products throughout Canada first began to take shape.
Agustsdottir went to the source of most of the Omega 3 refined, processed and exported from Iceland - LYSI, founded in 1938 by two brothers to supply cod liver oil to an American pharmaceutical giant.
LYSI now ranks as a world leader in the refining and processing of fish oils, with scientific contracts the world over. LYSI exports 90 per cent of its refined fish oil to more than 70 countries.
Last year Agustsdottir negotiated exclusive Canadian distribution rights for LYSI products to be sold under the brand name Iceland Purity. Her products are available in pharmacies in P.E.I. and in Manitoba or through online orders placed through the company website.
"We know our products are very good and the purest you can find on the pharmacy shelves," she said. "We know they can be of benefit to all Canadians, just as they have helped Icelanders improve their health for many generations."
Derek Tweel, director of operations with Murphy's Pharmacies, says the product is a hit. Three types of the Iceland Purity product have been carried in all eight of the Murphy's Pharmacies on a trial basis for the past month, but it appears the products will become a mainstay on the shelves.
"It's doing quite well," said Tweel. "Every once in a while you get one of those products that is timely and peaks people's interest and this is one of them."
Scientific evidence supporting the need for Omega 3 in the diets of North Americans has been mounting.
Agustsdottir sees great potential for growing her business, which is currently a one-woman show that she operates out of the family's Charlottetown home.
"I think I see myself on a national level in some way with the product," she said.
In addition to maintaining a healthy diet, Agustsdottir puts in a daily run of eight to 10 kilometres.
Growing up the oldest of three children in Reykjavik, she was more than simply fit. She was a well-toned athlete.
Starting gymnastics at age six, Agustsdottir had a very successful run in group gymnastics as a member of a team that was Icelandic champions for many years. She also won several medals in individual apparatus competitions. She ranked 10th in the world in sports aerobics - a high-conditioning sport that includes jumps and push-ups - while in her mid-20s.
She also coached gymnastics, but now she is determined to make a good business out of coaching people to buy into the benefits of her fish oil products.
"We are just beginning our business, but we want to make our products available all across Canada," she said.
"It's very nice to know you are doing something to help people live happier and healthier lives."
On the Net:
To learn more about Iceland Purity products, go to www.icelandpurity.com.
