Clarks Nutrition and Natural Foods Markets

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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PUFAs May Help Reduce Teen Allergy and Asthma Risk

Allergies and asthma often surface during childhood and adolescence, but there may be a way to dodge that bullet. According to some research, high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs, in childhood could help reduce the risk of asthma and allergies in teens. PUFAs are found in foods such as nuts and seeds, vegetable oils, oily fish, poultry, and eggs. The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and included data from 940 children participating in a Swedish study that followed participants from birth to identify factors associated with allergies. Blood samples were taken when the children were 8 years old to measure levels of PUFAs, including the very long-chain omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), as well as the very long-chain omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA). The researchers evaluated the children at ages 8 and 16 for allergies and asthma via questionnaires and levels of IgE antibodies—a marker of the immune system’s allergic response and found:

Higher levels of very long-chain omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs at age 8 were associated with a lower risk of asthma, hay fever symptoms, and sensitivity to airborne allergens such as pollen, animal dander, and dust mites at age 16.
Higher levels of AA were also associated with a greater chance of asthma and hay fever symptom remission between ages 8 and 16.

Some of these findings are supported by other research indicating an association between higher levels of very long-chain omega-3 PUFAs and a reduced risk of asthma in preschool-aged children; however, this study goes a step further and examines these relationships into adolescence. While it’s still unclear exactly how PUFAs affect the development of asthma and allergies, some theorize that their anti-inflammatory and complex immune-regulating effects may help reduce the immune system’s response to allergens. To ensure your child maintains adequate PUFA levels, make sure they eat a well-rounded diet and serve fish two to three times a week.

Source: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

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