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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Supplement Basics: Amino Acids

Why does the body require amino acids?

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.
Amino acids combine in different ways to make many different kinds of proteins.
Protein from the diet is broken down into its individual amino acids; they are then used to create the proteins needed by the body.
Muscle, skin, hair, fingernails, antibodies, many hormones, and enzymes are made from proteins.

What are the essential amino acids?

All of the different proteins in the body are built from 20 amino acids.
The body can make some amino acids. These are called non-essential amino acids since they do not necessarily need to be in the diet.
There are eight essential amino acids that the body cannot make: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
The essential amino acids must be provided in the diet for continued good health.
Histidine is semi-essential since the body does not always require a dietary source for this amino acid.

Balancing intake of amino acids

Muscle tissue is broken down if the diet does not provide enough protein.
The average diet provides more protein than is needed by the body.
Too much protein can be a burden on the kidneys.
Foods of animal origin, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, contain all of the essential amino acids.
Plant sources of protein include beans, peas, and grains.
The need to combine plant-based proteins (such as beans and rice) is an outdated belief; in an average diet protein deficiencies rarely occur. Those following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet may need to be more vigilant in their protein intake.

Learn more about TraceGains, the company.

Information expires December 2025.