Special Diets

If you have a unique dietary plan, we can help

We Have Information on Gluten-Free and Several Other Unique Diets Available For Your Family.

Gluten Free

What does following a gluten-free diet mean? That you're embarking on an easy diet with a wide range of health-promoting effects. Instead of dwelling on what you’re giving up, consider that you’re going to enjoy a whole new world of delicious food options to meet your special dietary needs. You’ll be eating seasonally, choosing more fresh fruits and vegetables, focusing on meats, seafood, poultry, legumes, lentils, corn, and rice, and discovering fascinating ancient grains such as quinoa, amaranth, and millet. You’ll be able to eat potatoes, eggs, most cheeses, even chocolate (!)—and enjoy them without guilt because you’ll be taking good care of your body. In fact, you’ll probably end up eating—and feeling—better than ever!

Visit this page for more information about living Gluten Free

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We carry a large variety of gluten free items, the brands listed below represent just some of the offerings we carry

Raw Foods

“Raw” is all the rage these days, but what does it mean to eat raw? And is it possible to get enough protein and other nutrients while following a raw diet?

Raw foods are those that have not been heated above 108°F to 118°F

Raw, defined

Most raw foodists eat only plant-based (vegan) foods, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and seaweed. Raw foods are those that have not been heated above 108°F to 118°F, depending on who you talk to. The logic behind this is that many of the nutrients in foods are extremely sensitive to heat. This is especially true of the water-soluble vitamins, like the B-vitamins, folate, and vitamin C. As Katie McDonald, a raw food chef and certified Holistic Health Coach in Rhode Island puts it, “The more you do to a food, the less it does for you.”

Raw food advocates also look to the enzyme content of raw foods, saying that cooking destroys delicate enzymes that could otherwise go toward improving the digestion of the foods you’re eating.

Read up on Raw here

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In addition to our always fresh produce, we carry many more raw foods throughout our stores. Look for these brands and our Raw Foods section for more.

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Research Explores Calcium and Heart Health

Depending on its source, calcium may affect heart health differently. Research from 2016 found that, while high calcium intake from food may reduce the risk of coronary artery calcification (CAC, a risk factor for coronary-artery disease), calcium intake from supplements may increase the risk of CAC. Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study included data from 5,448 adults, aged 45 to 84, without cardiovascular disease. The participants answered food frequency questionnaires and submitted a medication inventory, which the researchers analyzed for dietary and supplemental calcium intake. The researchers also tested the participants for CAC at the beginning of the study and during a ten-year follow-up. They found that:

  • Participants with the highest total calcium intake (1,454 mg per day or more) had a 27% lower risk of CAC than those with the lowest total intake (435 mg per day).
  • However, the use of calcium supplements was associated with a 22% increased risk of CAC compared with those not taking supplements, suggesting that only calcium from food was protective.
  • Further analysis revealed that participants with the lowest risk of CAC were non-supplement users with the highest total calcium intake, and participants with the highest risk of CAC were supplement users with the lowest total calcium intake.

Why the difference between dietary and supplemental calcium? The researchers think that excess calcium in the blood due to calcium loading—taking an excessive amount of calcium in one dose—might end up being deposited in tissues throughout the body, including blood vessel walls. They also noted that the highest calcium intake (2,157 mg per day) was nearly double the recommended daily allowance, and that while calcium is an essential nutrient, this may be an example of too much of a good thing. On the other hand, other studies have confirmed the safety of calcium supplementation, so more research is needed to substantiate the latest findings. In the meantime, no one doubts the importance of adequate calcium intake through food.

Source: Journal of the American Heart Association

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