Mysterious Looks in the Supermarket. by Menachem Lubinsky

A woman with Celiac disease is intently looking for products without wheat or
perhaps get lucky with products clearly marked “Gluten Free.” A young man
who is diabetic probes for something sweet that is low in sugar and
carbohydrates. An elderly gentleman is scouring the ingredient panel of a low-
fat Swiss cheese for the amount of sodium. His doctor clearly warned that
keeping a low sodium diet would keep his blood pressure down and prevent the
possibility of heart disease and stroke. It seems never ending in any
supermarket. People looking for products that will maintain or perhaps improve
their health. Should this intensive searching be done in 2024? Isn’t there an
easier way?
Many people who have celiac disease have not even been diagnosed and may
never be, but they know to stay away from certain products because it creates
such gastric discomfort. They may be amongst the estimated 2 million people in
the United States who have celiac disease. When people with celiac disease eat
gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley), their body mounts an
immune response that attacks the small intestine. The common advice to them
is to read the “contains” allergen statement at the bottom of the label. If wheat
is listed in the “contains” statement, the product is not gluten free. If wheat is
not listed in the “contains” statement, there is still the possibility of wheat
starch and rye. Frustrated the woman turned to fruits and vegetables, beans,
seeds, legumes, and nuts in their natural, unprocessed forms. Then there are
always eggs, lean, unprocessed meats, fish, and poultry.
Like many diabetics, the shopper went through a number of products before
opting for natural foods and those that said Sugar Free or were low in carbs. He
and so many others find shopping challenging especially since Covid when so
many people have shifted to on-line shopping. For the on-line shopper, the on-
line experience is even more daunting. Ingredients are hard to read and specific
claims like Gluten Free are hidden from the camera.
Ess Gezunt is a definitive website on specialty foods. Essentially they list
products that have already been vetted. The listings include information on
what the product contains which is precisely what people with special foods

need. Ess Gezunt is a one-stop shopping mall on-line for specialty foods. The site
has many other features including blogs, news, recipes, meal ideas and health
tips.
Ess Gezunt is an idea whose time has come, certainly for the health and
wellbeing of so many.
ESS GEZUNT! It’s Your Health!