This is going to sound a bit odd, and I'm not entirely sure if this is a normal reaction to have in relation to a Heath Food Store, yet it was odd in a good way.
Upon entering The Great Vine I felt as though I were Devon Sawa in "Idle Hands," not that I inexplicably had the urge to stab a bottle in a friends forehead or throw a circular saw blade in anyones direction, ( this reference will be lost on anyone lacking the privilege of having seen this cult classic). Merely that I had the insatiable, almost uncontrollable urge to touch everything in my sight. TGV has a plethora of ointments, vitamins, clothes, frozen goods, spice blends and other assorted trinkets that one could quite easily spend the better part of an afternoon sifting through. If you have problems with sleep, digestion,alertness or virtually any other malady known to man, they have the right elixir or magic pill for whatever ails ya.
I had a fantastic experience with Katherine the resident apothecary who answered all my questions with ease and confidence. I don't want to get too descriptive here, but I have suffered from some digestive problems in recent years-some of which may definitely be due to my inhuman affinity for Franks Red Hot and others....well Indian food at 2am is never a good idea, yet is self truly inflicted and will never generate any sympathy points.
Regardless, after assessing my digestive sensitivities Katherine explained the need for good bacteria vs. bad bacteria and introduced me to PB 8 which is described as a friendly intestinal flora that promotes intestinal health. Now I had nary a clue as to what this actually meant but she kindly broke it down for a health neophyte such as myself and explained that we need good bacteria in our intestinal tracts to break down proteins and aid in digestion. Exactly what I needed. BUT wait she went a step further and recommended an additional digestive aid. In case anyone is interested. Lily Of The Desert produces a fantastic inner fillet Aloe Vera gel. This stuff works incredibly well in relation to heart burn and indigestion but is absolutely horrendous and in all fairness to Katherine she did alert me to this minor detail prior to purchasing. Here is what baffles my senses though. The directions on the bottle state to "drink 2 to 8 ounces per day as a refreshing beverage." have not a single Lily Of The Desert employee ever consumed a drop of this stuff? I can barely stomach it or smell it without my innate gag reflex kicking into high gear.
This however has absolutely nothing to do with Katherine and her sound advice. Since taking PB 8 and and the dreaded Aloe gel and trying to avoid Indian food in the wee hours of the morning I have felt markedly better. Funny that. Thanks Katherine. read more
