Making the Switch to Natural

How do you go about shopping for natural foods?

Pretty much the same way you regularly shop for groceries. But, in North County, shoppers have an opportunity that many people do not, said Bettina Yelman, a holistic health practitioner in Del Mar. The area’s climate and proximity to fertile farmlands allow shoppers to be a little more choosy about some of their vegetables and fruits.

“Talk to the people at the (roadside) produce stands or at the grocery store and ask them if they use pesticides,” Yelman said. “Get as close as possible to the good sources and be in touch with that energy.”

For the uninitiated natural foods shopper, some doubts may persist. Is there really any difference between produce that’s grown organically and commercially?

“There’s no question about it,” Yelman said. “If my mother grows beets, and I buy beets at the store, I know which ones are going to taste better.” If the difference is not immediately apparent, it will become so, she said.

“As you refine your diet and eat closer to nature, you’ll find that your taste becomes refined, and you’ll be able to tell the difference. You develop your own sense of what’s right for you,” she said. “It’s a matter of raising your consciousness.”

Other tips from Yelman:

* Foods that come in their own “wrappers” are least likely to contain toxic chemicals: bananas, citrus, beans, peas, nuts and eggs, for instance.

* If you do buy processed food, always read the label carefully. If you don’t recognize an ingredient on the label, don’t buy the product.

* When possible, avoid granulated sugar, white flour, chemical additives and processed meats.

* If you take vitamin supplements, make sure they are food-based--Vitamin C from rose hips, for instance, rather than Vitamin C produced in a laboratory.