Dr. Angela Agrios, ND
My very talented Naturopathic Doctor
She treats a wide variety of conditions
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Los Angeles, CA (Pacific Palisades)
Health Food Store Shopping Organic Food for Quality and Flavor Interview with Sarah
Sarah Buys Organic For Hummus, Salads & Smoothies I started shopping at a health food store about five years ago because I started to do research about the pesticides in our food and the commercial way of producing products, and it really started to scare me. So I wanted to know where my food was coming from and what was going into it. When I first started shopping at a health food store, I basically experimented with products that I had seen either online from different blogs or heard about from friends. It was kind of a trial and error process. And as far as produce went, I just went with what I used to buy conventionally and I’ve gone from there and I’ve grown. My list has grown over the years.
The way I justify spending more money at a health food store is because you know that it’s good for your body, and since I’ve started shopping at a health food store, I’ve become significantly less sick so less trips to the doctor – that’s great. And also I split it up 50/50. I buy the products that I know I can't get anywhere else here, and then if there’s something that isn’t on the dirty dozen list or whatnot, you can buy it at maybe a Trader Joe’s or something a little bit less expensive. But there’s definitely a way to make it work.
I mainly eat a vegan diet, but again, I don’t like to call it that. I just try to avoid dairy and eggs just because of the research, again, that I've done – and meat, of course. And health food stores are great because I can find things that taste delicious and I never feel like I’m sacrificing anything.
When I’m at home, I’m a creature of habit, so lots of hummus and organic vegetables, salads, smoothies – pretty simple stuff because when you're cooking for one, it’s the easier the better. When I’m home with my family, though, back in New Hampshire, I whip up all different kinds of concoctions and just try different healthy recipes that I find online, my main source of new ideas. For recipes, I find that blogs are the best way to share information with each other and find ideas, and to see what other people are experimenting with.
One thing I discovered once I started shopping at health food stores, is that I love coconuts. You can't usually find those at regular grocery stores, and there’s nothing better than a young coconut – drinking the delicious water and scooping out the meat. I love Tom’s Natural Toothpaste. It’s like, the best stuff ever. I can't really use Crest anymore because it tastes too sweet because they add sugar to it.
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To get over your fear of a health food store, grab a friend, find the closest one nearby and just walk around. Everyone is usually pretty nice, including the customers. People are excited about sharing their information, so if you ask people, they're usually more than willing to help you out and tell you they’ve tried something or… Whatever your questions are, don’t be afraid to ask, and that’s the best way to break the ice.
