RETURN TO HEALTH PAGE

Healthy Shopping 101

By Mary Kent Hearon

With names like Earthfare, Planet Organic, and Fresh & Wild, the WHOLE health food store craze is going bananas. It's now a proven fact that we are in the midst of one serious, healthy revolution! If you're not already taking part, we say it's time to join the club. Why? Because there is something incredible about being in a health food store that brings about instant health gratification! Maybe it's the placebo or the kid in the candy store effect, but we're thinking otherwise. Every time we're health food shopping, we immediately feel at home, happy, and excited about being alive. Stores like Tesco, Harris Teeter, and the Piggly Wiggly just don't do it for us! Though a health food store can be confusing to figure out in the beginning, once one speaks the lingo it makes shopping a dream come true. Just remember basic words like organic, dairy, wheat, and gluten free, and you're on your way.

We put together a list to make your trip to the health food store quick and easy. Whether you're a first time shopper or a regular health food junkie, this list is just for you! We say print out the following and take it on your next shopping adventure:

1. Rolled Oats
2. Agave or Brown Rice Syrup
3. Goat Yoghurt
4. Apples
5. Kale
6. Rice Chips
7. Carrots
8. Hummus
9. Coconut Oil
10. Brown Rice
11. Lentils
12. Quinoa
13. Organic Free Range Eggs
14. Wild Salmon
15. Rice or Almond Milk
16. Aduki Beans
17. Green Tea
18. Almond Butter
19. Bragg's Liquid Aminos and Apple Cider Vinegar
20. Reverse Osmosis Water

One trick to remember when health food shopping is that not all products are created in the name of health! Sounds kind of odd, right? Well, most products found in health food stores are, but unfortunately there are still a few that contain unrefined white flour and white sugar. Be on the look out for foods and drinks containing high fructose corn syrup and evaporated cane juice. Those are simply code names for SUGAR!

It's time to make your next shopping spree a healthy one! Shop healthy!!!
 

Mary Kent Hearon is founder of Dragonfly Wellness (www.dragonflywellness.com)  and a board certified Nutritional and Holistic Health Counselor through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). She is the author of the acclaimed, on-line magazine The Weekly Beet (www.weeklybeet.com)  that reaches thousand of people around the world. The Weekly Beet covers the world of alternative medicine in an easy, hip, and fun format. Her work has received worldwide and local press coverage in Tatler, Gotham, Elle, Vogue, Vanity Fair, New York Daily News, and The State.

RETURN TO HEALTH PAGE