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Editorial:
Health food stores were founded on Advocacy!
Are Health Food Stores at a crossroad?
The original health food stores and many of their suppliers, were built on Advocacy.
Life Stream Natural Foods, at the corner of 4th and Burrard, Vancouver, founded by Ratana and Arran Stephens, had the largest, freshest, best selection of organic foods in Canada, with great people who felt they made a difference. First vegetarian restaurant I ate, was in Lifestream, ‘73.
Ratana and Arran, were early pioneers/advocates for organic foods, and went on to found one of the most celebrated organic brands, Natures Path.
Golden Bough Herb, 4th and Yew, in Vancouver, sold herbs, like fo ti tieng, gotu kola, ginseng, et al, based on ancient herbal wisdom for a long life and energy for mind, body and spirt. GB were strong advocates for the healing property of herbs, very well educated, Golden Bough, now a supplier, has maintained this service to the present day, if they do not have the herb, you are looking for, few will. I never met who founded GB, but, WELL DONE!
Back to Eden – Up 4th avenue from Lifestream, this store was dedicated to the Anne Wigmore Hippocrates philosophy, they were advocates of wheat grass juice, raw foods, fasting, colonics, food equals mood, and such. Was a fun place to shop and have shot of wheat grass juice, served by staff with very clear eyes and skin.
Croft Woodruff – 12th and Granville
There may not have been a more loyal, dedicated, ready to take on government health officials advocate, than Croft.
He had a 1200 sq ft store which at the time seemed huge! Mainly supplements. He had a radio show which had guests speaking on the benefits of natural foods and medicine while denouncing big pHARMa, this show influenced the entire Vancouver region and was a great place to advertise as a supplier.
Discount Vitamins – Billy Calderwood
Discounting is far from new, in 1973, Billy had a discount vitamin and protein shop, huge sign in window, lowest prices on earth, juicers, muscle building supplements, right across the street from Arran Stephens, Lifestream. Billy had loyalty cards, well-educated staff, advocates for the benefits of high dose supplements, many went on to have very successful careers in the industry, Billy was a cowboy retailer, extremely strong for his size, pictures of himself all around the store bending nails, was entirely different experience than the other stores.
I founded a small chain of discount vitamins stores, late 70s, based on Billy’s model.
All around the Vancouver region there were early Ma and Pa stores, founded because the owners had nowhere to turn except natural foods and medicines to be well, every store owner and their few staff were advocates for the benefits of living a natural health lifestyle.
As traditional health stores endlessly, serve, order, sell, clean, hire/train, do the books, expand, manage meetings, manage time, report to owners, who has the effort or time for advocacy, who has time to check every order to ensure they do not contain the countless new bio-engineered foods, like canola, entering the food system?
Health Food is at a crossroads!
Should health foods stores sell a product because it makes the consumer healthier, or sell it because of the climate change story, which is based on ‘sustainable’ for the planet, so it does not matter if the ingredients are clean, inflammatory, toxic, cell damaging, to the consumer, if it sells?
Happy Sales,
dp
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QUOTE:
FADING BERRY BOOM Elderberry had to come back to earth at some point, and that point was 2021. The elderberry market was growing well before the pandemic, with sales increasing by 69.2% in 2019. That growth figure shot up to 112.8% in 2020, fueled by pandemic-driven concern around immunity. The rocket ship ride ended last year when sales retreated by 22.4%, but the descent looks steeper in 2022, with NBJ projections calling for a 40.1% decline.when sales retreated by 22.4%, but the descent looks steeper in 2022, with NBJ projections calling for a 40.1% decline. NBJ Report
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Great video about vegetable oils and how toxic they can be. Environmentally harmful #GMO crops are typically used to produce canola, soy, or corn oil (vegetable oil is generally a mix of these). We should swap out these oils in #restaurants & food production for healthier options
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Will the plant-based movement redefine physicians' understanding of chronic disease?
The world is experiencing a cataclysmically increasing burden from chronic illnesses. Chronic diseases are on the advance worldwide and treatment strategies to counter this development are dominated by symptom control and polypharmacy. Thus, chronic conditions are often considered irreversible, implying a slow progression of disease that can only be hampered but not stopped. The current plant-based movement is attempting to alter this way of thinking. Applying a nutrition-first approach, the ultimate goal is either disease remission or reversal…
Read the full article
Schwab’s WEF is now pushing to implant Tracking Microchips in Humans as part of The Great Reset agenda https://expose-news.com/2022/11/12/wef-great-reset-tracking-microchips/
[this is not new just it is finally making it to mass market, in the early 70s, when bar coding started to appear on consumer goods, personal tracking of every aspect of your life, became a given, Dirk Pearson and Sandy Shaw authors of Life Extension, predicted late 70s, soon people will have chips in their brains to access far more information, latent talents and creative ability.] |
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 The Greatest Threat to Big Pharma is the Natural Health Industry
“If people do not use the system the pharmaceutical industry owns, it makes every attempt to eliminate all forms of competition in its pursuits of global dominance.”
For as long as I can remember, while being in the natural health industry, the greatest threat our industry faced was from the pharmaceutical industry. You would think they would be happy since they run the entire show; they educate the young doctors in training at medical schools and continue the relationship once in practice. They heavily lobby all levels of government and as a result most health plans cover all or a percentage of the prescription fees and in some cases, such as vaccines, they have no liability. They get government grants for research while the same luxuries as above are not given to naturopathic medicine which is tolerated but not respected on the same level.
Did you know that most countries outside of Canada, the USA and some Commonwealth Countries do not have health food stores and most products we currently find in health food stores are sold as prescription drugs? There is a section of society that prefer following the non-drug approach concerning their health by eating healthy and taking vitamin supplements. The pharmaceutical industry hates this uncontrolled group: for one, there is no drug dependency, and if the person stays healthy, they lose the potential revenue. If people do not use the system pharmaceutical industry owns, it makes every attempt to eliminate all forms of competition in its pursuits of global dominance. If pharma is successful in claiming a natural health product as a drug, the price will jump anywhere from one hundred to one thousand times the price once patented. But do not just take my word on it; there are many others who see the problem as well. This year, Dr. Joseph Mercola wrote the following in his article: “The pharmaceutical industry wants nothing more than to put an end to one of its biggest competitors – vitamins and supplements. They’ve been trying for years to do it, but now they’re pulling out the stops to make it happen." This could come in a number of forms: premarket approval for dietary supplements, banning or reclassifying certain supplements or buying up supplement brands.
Continue Reading...
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“The # 1 way for a natural retailer to compete against the mass market, is to be seen as the trusted ‘expert/advisor’ for natural foods and medicines in their community!” dp
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Continued growth in alternative delivery formats: we have been reporting since 2019 that non-pill format sales now eclipse pill format sales for supplements (at 60.8% of total sales in 2021), and we saw continued innovation and science for non-pill formats being promoted by companies across the supply chain. In 2021 another record was reached with gummy supplement sales rising to the top single format at 21.3% of total supplement sales, and companies are both growing and launching to meet this industry demand for the format.
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5 Own Your Own Business Myths You Should Reconsider:
Entrepreneurship and owning a business can be wonderful, however the myths attached to the entrepreneurial lifestyle and business ownership are steeped in misconceptions.\
Owning a business is a licence to print money! I just shake my head when I hear people who work in government, healthcare, or industry and don’t have to worry about where their next paycheck comes from, tell me that people who own businesses have it easy and have a licence to print money. These people have no idea that the 60% of business owners either lose money or are making a marginal income. In other words most business owners would be financially better off if they got a real job that had regular pay, benefits and a retirement plan. Yes, owning a business can be profitable, and can lead to financial freedom, but the risk and the costs are many.
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Black Cohosh for Menopause
From the Natural Path Newsletter
by Linda Woolven M.H., R.Ac & Ted Snidera
What We Knew
Black cohosh is probably the most important herb for menopause. A 2017 meta-analysis of research published up until 2013 certified it as safe and effective for menopause ( Wien Med Wochenschr 2017;167(7-8):147-159). The official 2018 monograph of the European Medicines Agency gave black cohosh a positive benefit-risk ratio.
Black cohosh is better and safer than hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Several head-to-head comparisons have shown black cohosh to be superior to HRT ( Gynecology 1982;1:14-16; Med Welt 1985;36:871-4; Therepeutikon 1987;1:23-31; Gynecol Endocrinol 2005;20:30-5).
Black cohosh is also more versatile than HRT. It is effective against the vaginal thinning and dryness of menopause: a problem HRT has little effect on ( Therepeutikon 1987;1:23-31; Planta Med 1991;57:420-24). Black cohosh is also better than HRT or valium for alleviating the depression, anxiety, irritability, nervousness and sleep disturbances that menopause can bring ( Gynecoogy 1982;1:14-16; Med Welt 1985;36:871- 4; Therepeutikon 1987;1:23-31). And it is also better than HRT for bones ( Maturitas 2003;44:S67-77).
Black cohosh is not only better than HRT but, importantly, it’s safer. Because black cohosh is not estrogenic, it not only does not stimulate breast tumours, it actually inhibits them and may even prevent breast cancer ( Arch Gynecol Obstet 1993;817:18; Breast Cancer Res Treat 2004;84:151-60; Int J Cancer 2007;120:1523-28; Menopause 2007;14:89-96), making it safe even for women who are at high risk for breast cancer ( Cancer Invest 2004;22:515-21).
What’s New
For anyone who still doubts that the natural treatment is the best treatment, a newly published systematic review of all the placebo-controlled research on black cohosh looked at one earlier meta-analysis and 35 studies, 16 of which were randomized, controlled studies ( Climacteric 2021;24(2):109-119). Put together, there were 43,759 women in this huge and important new analysis.
All of the studies consistently showed that black cohosh is better than placebo and as good as estrogen or the drug tibolone. They also showed that black cohosh is remarkably safe: as safe as placebo and much safer than tibolone.
Black cohosh was significantly better than placebo for both physical and psychological symptoms. For psychological symptoms, black cohosh worked even better when it was combined with St. John’s wort. St. John’s wort has been shown to help with both the depression and the hot flashes of menopause ( Complement Ther Med 2019;45:109-13).
Black cohosh was shown in studies to help all symptoms from hot flashes, sweating and vaginal atrophy to sleep problems, depression and anxiety. Studies showed the herb to be the equal of estrogen and tibolone.
Black cohosh was safe for women on tamoxifen. There were no negative cardiovascular effects; however, it did positively affect both HDL and LDL cholesterol. Black cohosh had no liver toxicity and did not affect liver function. It also did not affect hormone levels, including in women with breast cancer, gynecological tumours and endometriosis. Black cohosh not only seemed safe for breast cancer, it was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer and a reduced risk of recurrence.
The study found that larger doses may work better. Women in the early phase of menopause may benefit from taking 120mg a day instead of 40mg a day of the extract.
To Increase Your Sales by Educating Your Customers, Start Giving The Natural Path Newsletter to Your Customers Today!
The Natural Path is a natural health newsletter specifically designed to help Canadian health food stores increase their sales by educating their customers. The Natural Path contains no advertising and never mentions a brand name.
Contact Ted Snider at tedsnider@bell.net or at 416.782.8211.
For comprehensive natural help with your health, make an appointment to see Linda Woolven now. Linda’s clinic is now open for virtual appointments. Linda is a master herbalist, acupuncturist, reiki practitioner and solution-focused counsellor with a practice in Toronto.
Linda is also an artist whose paintings hang in galleries and private collections across North America. You can see some of her painting here.
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Benefits of NAC
- Improved immune health. There aren’t many studies on NAC and the immune system, but current research suggests that it and glutathione may help to improve your immune function.
- Healthy Brain Function. NAC helps to replenish glutathione levels in the body. It also aids in regulating glutamate. These functions may help to improve brain health and benefit people with conditions such Parkinsons.
Improvement in Fertility. NAC may help to improve fertility in both men and women. One study found that men supplementing with both NAC and selenium experienced an increase in semen quality. NAC may also help to improve fertility in women with PCOS.
Why grocers are adding shoppable videos to their own websites and apps
Top Five Natural Antiviral Agents
Are you looking for ways to ward off viruses so that you can stay healthy in these uncertain times? Mother Nature’s got your back with five of the most potent natural antivirals that can help keep viruses at bay
While much of the world is in lock-down mode over potential coronavirus infection and global drug manufacturers fast-track a risky vaccine, nature has provided us with an array of powerful virus fighters that can boost overall immunity and help protect against viral infections.
Best of all, these all-natural health boosters are easy to source, economical and have minimal risk of adverse effects. In short, they are a logical first line of defense against health threats from near and far. Best of all, you don’t need a doctor’s prescription to begin reaping the benefits of these super-supplements.
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Rachel Parent
@RachelsNews
RT @GMOFreeUSA: Fifth Estate interview with Drs. Shiv Chopra and Margaret Haydon: The two Health Canada scientists had serious concerns abo…
RT @OrganicConsumer: "Agrochemical application can distort floral cues and modify behaviour in pollinators like bees, study confirms."
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Business News
“The best sales reps are those who stay informed, so they are considered advisors, by their customers” dp
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Job Opportunities – from CHFA News
Looking for a position in the natural, organic and wellness industry? Our job board is filling up with new career opportunities from across the country! Here are a few of our most recent listings:
Bilingual Customer Care Representative, Harmonic Arts
Account Executive, Vitality
Purchasing Manager, Purity Life Health Products
Natural Foods Clerk, Fortinos
Account Executive, AHK Naturals Inc.
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Why Blueberries Are Key for Manufactured Food Sales
Factory Farms Spew Manure Into U.S. Waterways — Why Doesn’t the EPA Stop Them?
Beyond Meat (BYND) Photos, Reports Describe Pennsylvania Plant's Dirty Condition - Bloomberg
https://archive.ph/2022.11.21-202024/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-21/beyond-meat-bynd-photos-reports-describe-pennsylvania-plant-s-dirty-condition?sref=xuVirdpv&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&utm_content=business&leadSource=uverify%20wall
Produce prescription, nutrition incentive programs receive $59M
For food industry to reach climate goals, COP27 highlights areas of improvement
Precision Fermentation Market Risks and Readiness
Food tech: Two simple words create a buzz phrase zooming into the collective consciousness through the media, stores and fast-food chains. But what does it mean to the natural products community today? What entices (or frightens) consumers? What do natural products brands and buyers want to see—or not see—in products?
In our new report, we look to answer these questions specific to the presence of precision fermentation in food. Through an in-depth survey of hundreds of natural products manufacturers and resellers, and 1,500 consumers, we probe deeply into the market risks and readiness around these products and ingredients. And what we find, by and large, is that the natural products community is not ready to embrace precision fermentation. But it’s complicated
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Weather
“may be a controversy in natural food industry'” dp
I am a Climate Change Denier however a Patented Weather Modification Believer, I have serious concerns as any Climate Activists,
Best source for WM, Dane Wigington @ www.geoengineeringwatch.org,
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