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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Stress

“Stressed out” is a common phrase these days. While some stress is healthy, unwanted stress can be harmful. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful.
Stress: Main Image

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About This Condition

The popular idea of stress in relation to human health is often described as an unpleasant mental or emotional experience, as when people say they are “stressed out.” This expression relates primarily to the idea of prolonged or sudden and intense stress, which can have unpleasant effects on the body, impairing the ability to function, and even harming health.1, 2, 3 However, the biological concept of stress is much more broadly defined as any challenge (physical or psychological) that requires an organism to adapt in a healthy manner. In other words, responses to stress can sometimes be of benefit when the organism is strengthened by the experience. The discussion below focuses on reducing the effects of excessive, unwanted stress.

Symptoms

Symptoms may include anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, stomach problems, sweating, racing heart, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, and irritability. Many health problems have been associated with various kinds of sudden or long-term stress, including alcohol abuse,4asthma,5chronic fatigue,6, 7erectile dysfunction and male infertility,8fibromyalgia,9 headaches,10heart disease,11, 12, 13high blood pressure,14, 15immune system dysfunction,16, 17, 18indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome,19 mood disorders such as anxiety and depression,20, 21peptic ulcers,22pregnancy complications,23, 24, 25rheumatoid arthritis,26 skin diseases,27 impaired wound healing,28 and others.29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 Problems with recovery from surgery and impaired workplace performance are also associated with excessive stress.35, 36, 37, 38

Healthy Lifestyle Tips

While cigarette smokers often describe their habit as relaxing, smoking is associated with increased stress levels,39 and stopping the habit eventually results in reduced feelings of stress.40

Drinking alcohol can reduce feelings of stress,41 but using alcohol regularly in response to chronic or repetitive stress can lead to an unhealthy dependency.

Exercise has long been thought to have potential benefits to mental health and stress reduction;42, 43 however, exercise can also be stressful when it is intense or competitive.44, 45 Many preliminary studies have found that regular exercisers score better on measures of psychological well-being and perceived stress,46, 47, 48, 49, 50 and that people who improve their exercise habits develop changes in their mental attitudes that are associated with better resistance to stress.51 A controlled trial found that a single session of aerobic exercise reduced the anxiety associated with a subsequent experience designed to be psychologically stressful.52 However, studies of overall aerobic fitness have found that people with higher fitness levels are not different from those with lower fitness in their resistance to stress. One preliminary study gave aerobically fit and unfit women a mentally stressful test, and found no differences between them in physical or psychological measures of their stress reaction.53 Another preliminary study found that while physical activity was associated with reduced stress symptoms, having high aerobic fitness had no influence.54 This may mean that effects other than improved aerobic fitness, such as an improved self-image or the social support from belonging to an exercise group, are responsible for the benefits of exercise on controlling stress. A preliminary study in Thailand found that postmenopausal women who completed an aerobic exercise program consisting of 40- to 50-minute sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks had improved scores on a questionnaire designed to measure psychological stress.55 In a controlled trial, cancer patients hospitalized for chemotherapy who exercised for 30 minutes daily until discharge had significant improvement in several measures of psychological distress, while a similar group who did not exercise showed no change in these measures.56 In a controlled trial, 10 weeks of aerobic exercise resulted in healthier responses to acute mental stress in college students compared with students who did no exercise.57

Holistic Options

Mind-body medicine is a branch of healing that focuses on the role of thoughts and emotions on physical health. Many techniques used in this healing system, including biofeedback, relaxation training, tai chi, yoga, and meditation, which affect the nervous system in ways that could theoretically help people cope with stress.58 In a controlled trial, tai chi practice, meditation, walking exercise, and quiet reading all resulted in similar biochemical and psychological improvements in the response to a stressful experience.59 Meditation, practiced for spiritual reasons, for relaxation, or as part of the treatment of a disease, has been reported helpful for stress reduction in preliminary studies.60, 61, 62 A controlled study found 15 minutes of meditation twice a day reduced measures of stress in adolescents during two experiences designed to produce stress.63 Other controlled studies have found reductions in reported stress and related psychological measures after a program of meditation.64, 65

Stress reduction programs involving combinations of group counseling, instruction in coping skills and problem-solving, relaxation training, meditation, or other methods are effective for reducing stress and helping to prevent or manage health problems relating to stress, according to preliminary and controlled research.66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71

References

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The information presented by TraceGains is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Self-treatment is not recommended for life-threatening conditions that require medical treatment under a doctor's care. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2025.