Village Squire, 1980-04, Page 9alternative for the couple to open a store.
She and her husband alternate duties --one takes care of the
store while the other cares for the baby at home.
The name "Jana" represents their names. The "J" stands for
Judi, the middle letters for "and." The last letter stands for Art.
The three stores charge reasonable prices. Spices can
represent a large saving. Most prices are comparable or less with
those of the supermarket. However, some items, such as the oils,
may be more expensive. Vivien Dawson explains "The oil you
buy in the supermarket has everything taken out of it so it won't
go rancid. It's heated and bleached. It's in a state which the body
finds difficult to handle.
"My unrefined oil is only pressed. It has natural preservatives
in it such as vitamin E so it will keep for months."
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Vivien Dawson says we don't know too much about how the
body is nourished, but she does think natural foods are good for
the body. She explains, "Headaches, menstrual problems, and
difficulty in sleeping are abnormal. 1 think a lot of it is related to
food we eat. If all people ate well, billions of dollars would be
saved in medicare.
Vivien believes people want to learn about nutrition and
healthy eating habits. She makes information available. She has
set up a small library corner in her store. She gives lectures and
she is starting a parents group for good nutrition. Next year she
hopes to complete her Masters in Psychology where she will
study the effects food has on people's behavior.
Vivien insists a small change in' the diet can help dramatically.
Cut out sugars and refined food. She admits it may be necessary
to make the change gradually, but she says people are changing
either for health, financial or behavioral reasons. She goes on,
"Food we can control more than the air we breath. It's the place
to start --with food.
Vivien Dawson, manager of Gentle Rain in Stratford in
her natural food store opened 15 months ago.
(photos by Drummond)
"Until you've experienced optimum health, you don't realize
what a difference it can make in your life. It affects your energy
and enthusiasm."
Viven Dawson herself exemplifies the very optimum health
which she describes.
Whatever attracts the consumer to the health food stores --
whether it's unadulterated food, good nutrition, unusual variety,
or reasonable prices, the natural food store is responding to
people's needs.
And it's store owners like Vivien, Mary, Judi and Art who are
making it all possible.
VILLAGE SQUIRE/APRIL 1980 PG. 7