As healthy eating becomes an increasingly important public health issue, Marjie Andrejeiw says it’s time for us all to “get back to real food.” And the owner of Marjie’s Gluten Free Pantry located off Leroy St. in Downtown Fenton knows what she is talking about. “We live in a society with a broken food supply,” she says. As one who is intolerant to gluten, dairy and corn, she understands how challenging it can be to find foods free of those ingredients. Marjie suffered with an autoimmune disease due to her food intolerances, but is now recovered, and her journey inspired her to help others recover their health, as well. Her store offers a large selection of gluten- and dairy-free foods, as well as health-care products, supplements and environmentally sound cleaning products. Also a food co-op, the pantry shelves are filled with more than 30,000 different products hand-picked by Marjie that are delivered weekly to the store.
Marjie is a Holistic Nutritional Counselor with a master’s degree in Holistic Nutrition from Hawthorn University. In her practice, Circle of Life Nutrition, LLC she specializes in chronic illness with an emphasis on autism, and says the store is an expansion of her practice. “People like me are needed to help others get back to eating real food,” she says. Also, the high-quality supplements sold at her store do not contain artificial colors or sweeteners. Her gluten-free products are very popular, as many people are gluten-intolerant or have food sensitivities. Marjie explained that gluten is a protein found in wheat, spelt, rye, barley and kamut, but the gluten we eat today has been altered from its original from. Gluten is also hidden in many products such as condiments and even shampoos. “Something that was once so nourishing to humans is now hard for our bodies to digest!” she exclaimed.
Symptoms of gluten intolerance include digestive issues, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disease, hormonal imbalance, inflammation, mood swings, dizziness, weight loss or weight gain, to name a few. What’s Marjie’s advice to those dealing with food intolerance or sensitivities? “The answer is a balanced diet,” she says. She advises her customers to eat three to five small meals throughout the day to balance blood sugar. She also recommends avoiding anything that contains high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners and colors. Marjie strongly believes that anyone can improve their health through diet, lifestyle choices and supplements.
The co-op at Margie’s Gluten-Free Pantry is a retail buying club with approximately 400 members and 900 people on the monthly newsletter mailing list. Through the co-op, members are able to purchase healthy, earth-friendly and affordable products through a natural and organic food distributor. The Pantry’s goal is to buy and sell foods and products of high nutritional value. “You can purchase good quality food and save money,” Marjie says. The co-op also offers a variety of health and nutrition information.
Stocked with an assortment of healthy products, Marjie says her pantry has the most extensive list of such items in Genesee County. “It’s the only store like this in Michigan!” she exclaimed. “We work hard to keep it stocked.” All of the meat sold at the Pantry is pasture-fed and free of preservatives and harmful ingredients, including hot dogs that contain no filler or nitrates. Shoppers can find a wide assortment of healthy snacks and even a variety of ice creams made from coconut milk. A sampling of products includes Dandy Blend coffees, organic fair-trade teas and coffees, quinoa pasta, vinegar, gluten-free flour blends, raw honey, and Namaste Bread Mix, just to name a few. Fresh baked bread is delivered every Friday from Sami’s Bakery in Tampa, FL. “In our opinion, this is some of the best-tasting gluten-free bread available,” Marjie says. “It’s not only free of gluten and dairy, but also egg- and yeast-free!” A full list of the products Marjie offers can be found on her website.
While she’s happy to have a loyal customer base, Marjie says that what is most important to her is watching people improve their health by shopping in her store. “I provide them with a source for healthy products and feel really blessed to be able to do so,” she said with a smile.
PHOTOS BY TRACI TURNER
