Area business tries to combat SAD diets Store owners encourage healthier diet with natural, organic foods BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer SCOTT FRIEDMAN Top: Owner Ash Madhok (r) scoops some mango gelato while Food Service manager Alex Rodriguez prepares a fresh sandwich at the Stamp of Health holistic and health food store in Commerce Plaza on Route 1 south in North Brunswick. NORTH BRUNSWICK- Three North and South Brunswick residents are trying to put their stamp on the health food market. Ash Madhok, his wife Meenu and his partner Raj Gulati opened the Stamp of Health store in Commerce Plaza on Route 1 south about nine weeks ago, trying to provide residents with organic and all-natural foods and products to encourage a healthier lifestyle. Theirmission is to combat the Standard American Diet (SAD). "I think a lot of ailments are due to the gross neglect of what we put into our bodies," Madhok said. "There is no substitute for your physician;…however, ancient wisdom cannot be ignored." Madhok said the store is broken down into four components. The first area is everyday food consumption, which is a fullscale, full-service area complemented by indoor seating. The deli area features panini, soups, burritos and quesadillas. The sandwiches were designed by a nutritionist and the breads are all natural. There are lettuce wraps, hummus, tofu and vegetable selections. The dietmeats are free of antibiotics, nitrites, gluten, casein and growth hormones. The smoothies are made in front of the customer, using fresh juice and organic milk, and feature wheat grass, which has the highest amount of chlorophyll content, which energizes, oxygenizes and fights free radicals, according to Madhok. The gelato, which is healthier than typical ice cream because it is made with lessfattening cream and more milk, without preservatives or artificial colors, comes in the flavors of maple ginger snap, pumpkin spice, cardamomsaffron, pistachio, fig and cheesecake. The dairy- and cholesterol-free sorbet has a 70 to 80 percent fruit content and comes in cranberry orange, pear, pomegranate, passion fruit, blueberry, banana and coconut. For those looking for something warmer, Green Mountain organic coffee pots are in the front of the store. The second portion of the 2,000-squarefoot area is the grocery section. "We are all malnourished," Madhok said. "In the modern-day world we are all in a hurry. There is not enough time to cook. That's another reason our food is not nutritious anymore." Therefore, there are separate areas for gluten-free, nut allergies, low-protein, lowpotassiumand low-glycemic products to accommodate the needs of special diets. There are a variety of healthy chips, bars, chocolate, nuts, dried fruits, cookies and cereals. The boxed and canned items feature polenta, tomato sauce, rice, taco shells, potatoes, pasta, spices, tea, baking products, crackers and noodles. There are also grab-and-go freezers and coolers stocked with yogurt, cheese, tofu and beverages, as well as vegan selections of dairy and meat substitutes. The frozen organic products include pizza, lasagna, breakfast items, breads, fish sticks, salmon burgers, ice cream products, chicken nuggets and berries. The back refrigerator has sodas, drinks, soy and rice milk, soy pudding, organic eggs, salami, dressings, mayonnaise and pickles. Madhok even stocks his shelves with organic pet products and baby food. "I have been able to convert so many people to feeding organic baby food. Babies consume 10 times more food than their body weight so they are more susceptible to pesticide metabolites," Madhok said. Concerning beauty products, Stamp of Health carries soap, lotion, hair dye, moisturizer, scrubs and serums, dental care and shaving cream. There are also vitamins, cold remedies, homeopathic herbs, sleep aids and muscle creams. Environmentally friendly household cleaning products are also available. Madhok said the third area of the store is the multivitamin and supplement section. He said most people are misguided or misinformed about the nutrients people actually need to consume. "Agoodmultivitamin is a foundation for good health. A balanced diet and exercise are very important," he said. "The immune system is the body's natural defense and people don't take care of it which is why there is so much disease in this world." The fourth component of the store is the educational aspect, through the use ofmultiple televisions featuring infomercials, educational side shows and the capability of Web conferencing. He already had a speaker from California speak about weight loss to a group of residents. He also has a nurse practitioner available on Thursday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. "It's not just about going in and buying your groceries," Madhok said. Madhok said the inspiration for Stamp of Health came froma 1998 study that converted him to organic products, in which Chensheng Lu of the Pesticide Exposure and Risk Laboratory of the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, Ga., studied children ages 2 to 5 in Seattle. A urinalysis showed that pesticide and insecticide residue was prominent in children from the metropolitan area vs. from a farm drift, showing that the chemicals came from the food itself. "It was an eye-opener for most people and was an eye-opener for me," he said. Madhok said further studies proved that consuming conventional food was harmful to the human body. Thus, he, his wife and Gulati, who also owns Welsh Farms in Hidden Lake, opened the business about two months ago because there is no other health food store of its kind in the area. Madhok had previously been in medical education for 18 years, his wife is in advertising and Gulati has been in food service for 15 years. "I've always been a believer in the wholeness of life and holistic systems. I feel it has to be comprehensive. The body,mind and spirit have to work in unison for us to be healthy. That's why I wanted to create an establishment that cares about day-today needs and take-home foods as well as education," Madhok said. Stamp of Health is located at 2313 Route 1 south. The hours of operation are: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (732) 297- 8484 or e-mail Contact@StampofHealth. com.