Natural Bliss, part 1

Those of you who know me may think I am kind of obsessive about living a “natural” lifestyle (yes, I even bought chemical free mattresses – they are made out of cotton and wool, and covered in organic cotton!). I figured the Northern part of the country would be a really good fit, since there is less pollution, less congestion, and a much greater emphasis on nature. All of this is true, but the one thing I really miss is a good natural foods store (depending on the day, this might mean Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, the Buford Farmer's Market, or even SuperTarget!).

So, to put it mildly, I have been searching for the best way to find all the staples I like to keep in the house. First, I asked around and discovered that there are three health food stores in Teverya. This sounds so encouraging – I mean, a relatively small city, and enough people eat healthy to support 3 separate health food stores! Yay! What more could I ask for?

I found my way to the first one I heard about – a store across the street from Kever HaRambam (Maimonides' gravesite). (This store has some generic name like Chanut Teva.) I walked in, and discovered a store about the size of my walk-in closet in Florida. I seriously have more shelf space in my kitchen than this store has in its entirety. The proprietor smiled, and asked if I needed help; I told her I just wanted to look around first. I was disappointed in the selection and even more disappointed in the prices. I walked out without filling up my reusable grocery bags...

p.s. for those of you who are looking for an online health food store option check out the Organic Wholesale Club! They are based in the U.S.A., but they do offer international shipping! (Just watch out for customs limits...)