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The Haelan Centre Policy Statements
The Haelan Centre is business, which is based on a range of principles
concerning healthy living and supporting sustainable, ecological and ethical
businesses. In many ways, we are not your "everyday health food
shop," to understand the reasons why, read the policy statements
below.
The ideas that developed into wholefood eating arose in the early seventies,
as a result of concerns expressed by doctors, scientists and other health
care professionals about the increase in chronic disease in the twentieth
century. The probable link was felt to be the deteriorating quality of
people's eating habits. Food was becoming more highly refined and processed
as a result of the application of food technology in the pursuit of profit.
The consequence of this unfettered pursuit of profit in the area of food
provision has resulted in enormous add on costs in health care.
It is now common knowledge that the consumption of highly refined foods
in excess will lead to health problems. Such problems may be short
or long term. Refined foods have much of the natural nutrients stripped
away in the process of making them whiter and supposedly more palatable.
This is why some foods are required by law to be fortified with chemical
vitamins, to replace the natural ones that have been taken away. Such
vitamins are a poor substitute for the real thing. The only food we sell
which is fortified in this manner is non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
as it is a legal requirement.
The foods that are sold at the Haelan Centre are chosen with certain criteria
in mind. Basic foods should be as close to the natural form as possible.
For example: if grains are processed, they should be in such a way as
to maintain as much as possible the original nutritional value of the
food. All processing techniques should be of a type that has a low impact
on the environment. We avoid stocking products that have been milled using
modern high-speed roller milling techniques. Therefore all the flour that
is sold here is 100% whole grain and stone ground. These same ideas are
applied to all products that we sell. We sell one stone-ground, organic
white flour bread ("Pan de Campagne"), as an exception to this
rule. This bread is made using sourdough, which we believe has compensating
health benefits.
Compound foods (those containing two or more ingredients) must not contain
any artificial sweeteners, colourings or preservatives, those
additives that are used, should also be as close to their original form
as possible. Some products contain "natural flavourings," we
are aware of the limitations of this description (often they are not natural
at all). We tend to judge each product that contains "natural flavourings"
on taste. There are many products (particularly herbal teas), whose flavourings
do not taste natural at all. We do not stock these. Some "natural
flavourings" are present in fruit yoghurts but they are are used
to enhance the flavour of the real fruit contained within the product.
Flavourings of all types trick the body into eating foods that are unhealthy
to excess, simply because the strong flavour is craved.
The modern diet contains too much salt due to overuse by the food industry
of refined salt as a food additive. We believe that sea salt is acceptable,
but ordinary refined salt is not. Our products will have much lower levels
of salt than comparable mass produced products.
The Haelan Centre originally did not sell sugar or any products containing
sugar. Since Rapadura (dried sugar cane juice, known as jaggery in India)
became available, this policy was relaxed, and we started selling Green
and Black's chocolate too (which contains raw cane sugar). We now have
a policy of allowing organic raw cane sugar in sweet products, but not
in savouries (so we will not sell pasta sauce with sugar in it).
A good range of natural sweeteners is available, which can be
used in recipes at home as well as being acceptable ingredients in our
wholefood products. Syrups of brown rice, malt, date, and maple make good
mineral rich sweeteners. Agarve syrup is an excellent natural sweetener
which produces less pronounced blood sugar spikes.
We are completely against the use of artificial sweeteners (aspartame,
ace-K, saccharine and sucralose). A common misconception is that it healthier
to use these products. If good dental hygiene is observed, a small amount
of raw sugar is far safer than regular consumption of artificial sweeteners.
It is best to avoid them totally - particularaly so for children, older
people and those who suffer from headaches. Concentrated sweeteners (maltose,
dextrose etc.) wood alcohol sweeteners (mannitol, zylitol etc.) are less
problematic, but we do not allow them in any of our products as they are
too processed to qualify as wholefoods.
Green and Black (now owned by Cadbury's) still produce the delicious Maya
Gold, yet it is the only product in their range to be Fairtrade. We encourage
you to try the other fairtrade organic chocolate products (the Rapunzal
chocolate is sweetened with Rapadura) as an alternative.
Organic farming addresses many of the issues that concern the Haelan Centre.
We actively encourage the production and processing of food using independently
verified organic guidelines. As a result of this policy, most of the
food sold here is organically grown and processed (all of the fresh produce
is organic). We offer non organic products only where we feel the
price of the organic version is much higher, or where an organic version
is not available.
Organic farming holds a healthy respect for the environment and all life
that lives in it. Synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides are
avoided. The industrialisation of food production has had devastating
adverse effects on the environment. Large scale farming leaves little
room for the species that can thrive in the hedgerows and fallow fields
of sensitively managed small scale farms. In the long term, large scale
farming depletes the soil of minerals, so that less and less are available
for the crops to take up each year. This results in food with lower nutritional
value, one of the reasons why it has become necessary to supplement our
food with extra mineral and vitamins. The threat to the environment is
more acute, now that genetically modified
organisms are being released into the environment.
To read more about the aims of Organic Agriculture and Processing visit
the Soil Association Website.
The end of the twentieth century has seen an unprecedented increase in
the production, sale and demand for organic goods. Yet this growth, although
encouraging, has its pitfalls. Organic food is not necessary wholefood
- and therefore not all organically grown or processed products are acceptable
to us. Even white sugar is available organically grown and is increasingly
being used by companies anxious to jump onto the "organic" bandwagon.
Refined and highly processed food, even if it is organic, is not included
in our range. Our aim is to try to ensure that everything we stock
is beneficial to your health in some way.
Bio-dynamic farming is a method of farming based on the principles of
anthroposophy - the philosophy of Rudolph Steiner. "Anthroposophy integrates
precise observation of natural phenomena, clear thinking and knowledge
of the spirit." Whilst organic farming holds a healthy respect for the
environment, biodynamic farming may be said to have a deep reverence for
Mother Earth. Whilst organic farming techniques halt the destruction
of the environment, biodynamic farmers go one step further and actively
heal the environment. The understanding of the land (how it is affected
by the people and animals that dwell there, the weather, seasons, moon,
planets and stars) is very much deeper. Bio-dynamic preparations, or "medicines
for the earth", have been formulated and are used in conjunction with
very careful composting, to bring the living soil back into balance so
that it may yield its natural mineral content to the plants that are grown
in it.
To read more about Bio-dynamic farming visit biodynamics.com.
We are delighted that more farmers are choosing to farm organically in
the UK. We are now able to source our organic fresh produce nearer to
home more easily, although not as readily as we would like to. This is
because the supermarkets (having jumped on the organic bandwagon) have
signed UK organic farmers up to exclusive deals for products like apples
and pototoes, thus many of these products are unavailable to us.
We have an excellent fruit and vegetable wholesaler, but rather than being
able to pick and choose as we like, we are dependent on what produce they
can procure. Due to the impact of transport on the environment, we
do our best to avoid selling produce imported from distant parts of the
world.
We are delighted that all the staff that work in the natural remedies
section of the shop are qualified health practitioners, or at an advanced
stage of training in a natural health discipline. Our dispensary is staffed
by a fully qualified herbalists from Monday to Saturday. You can
be assured of safe, professional and appropriate advice on your health
condition at the Haelan Centre. Please be aware that our staff are only
able to give advice about minor health problems on the shop floor. In
the interests of your own health you will be referred to a practitioner
and/or GP where this is appropriate. Alternatively the practitioner may
find it appropriate for you to attend a drop
in clinic.
When advice is given, it is as comprehensive as is possible in the short
time available. We try to focus primarily on helping the customer to look
at their dietary and lifestyle habits, prior to considering what herbal
or other remedy will be of use. It is all too easy to feel that popping
a pill (herbal or otherwise) will sort out our health problem - it is
rarely that simple. We particularly recommend the Bach
Flower Remedies to address underlying emotional conditions, which
might be contributing to the physical problem. Bach Flower Treatment Bottles
are available for £3.50 per bottle (advice on the remedies is given
Monday
Reference literature is available in the Haelan Centre which customers
are free to consult in order to make their own choices as to what herbal,
homeopathic or nutritional remedies will be of benefit to them. The
Remedies section of our website goes into some depth about common
health concerns and how they may be addressed in a holistic manner. This
information is offered in the spirit of increasing awareness of natural
health care for everyone, regardless of income.
Remedies are chosen on the basis of provable functionality;
quality and wholesomeness of ingredients; and closeness to nature.
The vast majority of our supplements are vegetarian (with the exception
of a limited range of very carefully chosen fish oil supplements and glucosamine
- derived from shellfish). Where possible we avoid unnessessary binders
and fillers and sugar coatings.
Many new customers will be surprised at the absence of the usual nutritional
ranges such as Solgar, and BioCare. We are unique in that we are a
health food shop to sell only Food
State Nutrients. This is in keeping with our wholefood principles
and our efforts to offer only those products that are as close to nature
as possible. This is a clear example of how adherence to our principles
overrides the profit motive. We also stock and recommend potent natural
foods such as wheatgrass and spirulina. Such food, commonly known as superfood,
offers a completely natural and easily assimilated supplement to the diet.
From the earliest days of the Haelan Centre, we always stocked a
very wide range of herbs
and spices. None of our herbs or spices has been treated with any
chemicals during processing as far as we are able to discover. Because
so many of them come from distant parts of the world, it is very difficult
to give guarantees. Therefore, we decided that wherever possible we
would stock the organic or wild form of the herb or spice as long
as world production was great enough to maintain year round supplies.
These standards are particularly important for the healing herbs and spices.
The loose herbs are in self service jars (you can smell and see the herbs
for yourself); their status as organic, wildcrafted or cultivated is clearly
labelled with a colour coded system. In addition to a wide selection of
loose herbs and spices, we also supply a comprehensive selection of herb
tea bags; most of which are from organic sources.
The herbal dispensary has been open
since 2002. We offer a huge range of organic and wild crafted herbal tinctures,
fluid extracts, macerated oils and cream bases. The prices are the lowest
in the country as part of our mission to improve access to natural health
solutions for everyone. You can purchase up to two single herbal tincutres
at a time over the counter, although you the dispensing herbalist may
suggest a more appropriate alternative treatment. We also have a range
of ready made herbal blends which cover a range of everyday ailments.
Advice on dosage and contraindications are given on the labels of these
preparations.
There is also a large selection of organic herbs in the form of tinctures.
Ultimately the selection of food products sold at the Haelan Centre is
a compromise between strict adherence to healthful dietary principles
and the pleasures of an enjoyable life. Within this framework, we hope
to supply a range of high quality products that are both healthful and
enjoyable. We were the first shop to sell both wholefood crisps and
natural sugar-free soft drinks. In and of themselves, even these products
are not necessarily healthful but they are enjoyable. They are produced
with healthful principles in mind and are sold within an environment where
a wide variety of wholesome foods are available, thereby giving the customer
a wide choice. This policy is also very helpful for parents who want to
bring up their children more healthfully, in that it enables them to offer
to their children products similar to those more generally promoted to
children, but that are less damaging to a growing child's health.
As with certain other foods and drinks, both tea and coffee are
not considered to from a part of a healthful lifestyle. In fact, for many
people who are highly stressed and dehydrated the consumption of caffeine
is not recommended. We encourage customers to try alternatives
(some lower in cafeine, some without caffeine) to ordinary tea (rooibos,
sencha, bancha) and coffee (dandelion root coffee, WakeUp, Bambu). Many
people can tolerate caffeine well and find that it improves levels of
concentration and alertness; as long at caffeine is not overindulged it
can enhance the pleasure of life. For this reason we stock organic and
fairly traded tea and coffee.
We only sell products that are not tested on animals and that are made
as much as possible using plant based ingredients. A limited amount
of chemical preservatives are used in some body and skin care products,
some ranges use more natural preservatives such as silver sulphate, alcohol
or grapefruit seed extract. We are aware of the main chemical ingredients
in cosmetics to avoid and are able to give advice to customers with sensitive
skins as to the most appropriate products. Some products such as hair
colourings, contain many chemical ingredients, we have chosen to stock
these as they offer a safer alternative to standard hair colourings. We
hope that customers will be tempted to change to the totally natural henna
and plant based hair colours that we offer.
For many years we helped to raise the awareness of our impact on the environment
due to the use of household cleaning products. Such products are used
by people to maintain a clean personal environment - what wasn't so widely
known was the adverse ecological impact that they have on the wider environment.
To help remedy this situation, a movement formed to promote the development
and use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable household cleaners.
All our household cleaning products are biodegradable.
Books are one of the key tools available that enable us to widen our knowledge
and deepen our understanding. With this in mind, we sell books and magazines
related to many of the issues and ideas put forward by the Haelan Centre
as well as books on diet, cooking and healthcare.
At the Haelan Centre we endeavour to recycle as much of our waste as we
can, given the limited space that we have. Unfortunately, we are currently
unable to find a recycling waste collection company who will pick up on
a daily basis. Currently we recycle glass, 20% of our cardboard waste
is recycled and office paper is reused for scrap. We keep back our vegetable
waste to local gardeners who use it for compost.
The herbal dispensary accepts empty tincture bottles for recycling and
we also encourage customers to bring in their unwanted carrier bags, which
we offer instead of new plastic bags. We encourage regular customers to
purchase one of our jute shopping bags which offer an environmentally
friendly alternative to paper and plastic bags - they are a bargin at
£2!
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