| Health food stores are emerging at a rapid rate | | | | goods made with sugar or white flour. But Herb |
| across the country. They are expanding their | | | | Ferleger, who owns "Food for Thought" as well as |
| numbers increasingly. Many health food stores are | | | | "Capitol Health Foods" on New York Avenue in |
| worker owned cooperatives and consumers' | | | | Huntington, has a different attitude. The health-food |
| cooperatives due in part to their growth of popularity | | | | pastry's greatest claim to superiority is that it is, |
| during the counter culture movement of the 1960s | | | | according to the label, ''sweetened with fruit juice,'' as |
| and 1970s and the ability of cooperative buying | | | | if that were better than sugar, corn syrup or honey. |
| power to bring lower costs to the consumer. | | | | They don't taste very good, especially if you've |
| Products | | | | come off of a standard Western diet high in refined |
| Regulators need to consider regulations to better | | | | sugars, refined carbohydrates, white flour, and so on. |
| protect vulnerable patients from incurring significant | | | | "The main thing you want to look out for in juices is |
| costs due to their purchasing of natural health food | | | | that you are getting a lot of true juice and not a lot |
| products lacking evidence of benefit and of | | | | of sugar. Some things disguised as juice can have |
| questionable safety. GNC has its own line of | | | | quite a lot of sugar," Anderson warns. Health food |
| homeopathic products as well as natural herbs. The | | | | stores are notorious for disguising sugar with many |
| recent boom in health food stores has provided an | | | | fancy-sounding names like cane juice and cane syrup |
| enormous variety of high quality products that are | | | | and honey -- these are all sweeteners and are no |
| heads above the processed junk loaded with | | | | better than sugar. |
| preservatives currently sold in today's super markets. | | | | Research |
| In addition to the wider array of health food | | | | Researchers posing as typical consumers found |
| products, health food stores are often a good source | | | | employees of these stores readily giving information |
| of milk substitutes, cruelty-free cosmetics, bulk | | | | and product recommendations. The researchers |
| grains, nuts and seeds, organic fruits and vegetables, | | | | found that, health food stores are recommending a |
| non-toxic cookware, vegetarian meat substitutes, | | | | variety of products. Early research suggested that |
| non-dairy cheese alternatives, fat-free natural | | | | antioxidants could be helpful in preventing heart |
| pastries, and fast-food delis. | | | | disease, but newer research has called that theory |
| Organic | | | | into question. He emphasized patients should also |
| Don't assume that chickens or eggs in health food | | | | take responsibility for researching how other |
| stores are raised on pasture or are fed organic feed. | | | | remedies could affect their treatment. |
| It is more labor intensive on pasture and organic feed | | | | Vegetarian |
| costs twice as much. Therefore, many suppliers use | | | | Health food stores often offer foods that attract |
| wording that gives the impression of pasture or | | | | people with special diets, such as people with wheat |
| organic to increase their sales and selling price. | | | | and gluten allergies, diabetics, vegans, vegetarians, |
| Supplements | | | | and raw foodists. In addition to the wider array of |
| A health food store is a type of grocery store that | | | | health food products, health food stores are often a |
| primarily sells organic foods, local produce, and often | | | | good source of milk substitutes, cruelty-free |
| nutritional supplements. The employees in health food | | | | cosmetics, bulk grains, nuts and seeds, organic fruits |
| stores differ widely in how much they know about | | | | and vegetables, non-toxic cookware, vegetarian |
| supplements and what they can do. A health food | | | | meat substitutes, non-dairy cheese alternatives, |
| store might also sell herbal supplements, dietary aids, | | | | fat-free natural pastries, and fast-food delis. A lot of |
| body care items and many more products that might | | | | health food stores have special products for |
| help you lead a healthier lifestyle. | | | | individuals on special diets, such as gluten-free diets |
| Sugar | | | | as well as vegan and vegetarian food. "Being |
| Most health-food store owners would steadfastly | | | | vegetarian is not necessary, but if you choose that |
| refuse to carry coffee, regular tea and chocolate | | | | lifestyle you can get a lot of benefits. |
| because of the caffeine and would not sell baked | | | | |