Rastafarians Leading Healthy Food Movement in Crown Heights

the nostrand park website? you shouldn't need to create an account...


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RASTAFARIANS LEAD HEALTHY FOOD MOVEMENT IN CROWN HEIGHTS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 AT 3:00PM


This piece is actually still a work in progress. We accidentally published it before it was complete, but since it's up, we decided to keep it up. Look out for an updated version later in the week!

As local leader, Mark W. Griffith pointed out FOOD JUSTICE. However, Crown Heights probably does not get enough credit for the healthy food options available around town. Thanks in large part to the Rastafarian culture practiced by many residents, with its focus on "ital" (meaning healthy, natural or vegetarian) living there is actually . From Wikipedia:

The primary goal of adhering to an Ital diet is to increase Livity, or the life energy that Rastas generally believe lives within all of us, as conferred from the Almighty. A common tenet of Rastafarian beliefs is the sharing of a central Livity among living things, and what is put into one's body should enhance Livity rather than reduce it. Though there are different interpretations of ital regarding specific foods, the general principle is that food should be natural, or pure, and from the earth; Rastas therefore often avoid food which is chemically modified or contains artificial additives (e.g., color, flavorings, and preservatives). Some also avoid added salt in foods, especially salt with the artificial addition of iodine, while pure sea or kosher salt is eaten by some. In strict interpretations, foods that have been produced using chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizer are not considered ital.

Some local health food shops owned/managed by Rastafarians and/or Afro-Caribbeans include:

Imhotep - 734 Nostrand Avenue (near Park)
Punch Line Juice Bar - 701 Nostrand Avenue (at Park)
Ital Shak - 780 Nostrand Avenue (btwn St. Johns and Sterling)
Nature's Organic - 776 Nostrand Avenue (btwn St. Johns and Sterling)
Maroc - 741 Park Place (btwn Rogers and Bedford)
ST JOHN'S JUICE PLACE
Rawstar - 687 Washington Avenue (btwn Prospect and St. Marks)

When we spoke to Tonde, the Namibian owner of Imhotep, he boasted that his is the oldest operating health food store on Nostrand. In fact, sources suggest that it is the oldest in Brooklyn.

Now this is not to say that we could not use more fresh fruit and veggie options at our local groceries, but fortunately our neighborhood is in a better position than similar neighborhoods (for example neighboring Bed-Stuy).

FREAKY COINCIDENCE NOTE: So the same day that I had completed my first draft of this story, someone had published a very similar story! And here I was thinking I was being all clever. Needless to say, that's the last time I'll edit my piece on an unsecured Wifi network :-).

Subject: fair play

glad to see that if you hit the link that the burger place on Franklin is part of the Rasta news.

Subject: Re: fair play

xlizellx wrote: [quote=catwalkertexasranger]glad to see that if you hit the link that the burger place on Franklin is part of the Rasta news.

you mean at the bottom? the "you might like" thing? they are all food-related news stories they have recently done. they suggest other articles by themselves on related topics...

no. while reading the story you see new burger joint on Franklin twice with text and pictures.

The people at Punchline are wonderful. Their juices and smoothies are fabulous and very reasonably priced.