Welcome to The Local Wellness Connection with Dr. B.J. Hardick 🌿

This month, I’m bringing you a mix of global insights and local inspiration to fuel your wellness journey. With the 2025 Food Revolution Summit Docuseries about to begin, you’ll have a last chance to hear from some of the world’s top health experts, a rare opportunity to gain empowering knowledge at no cost.

Closer to home, I’m taking you on a walk through two very different grocery stores right here in London to show how I navigate choices for fresh produce, pantry staples, and better proteins. And as always, you’ll find practical takeaways you can apply on your very next shop.

Finally, don’t miss our invitation for family chiropractic screenings — a simple way to support the health and resilience of those you love most.

Let’s dig in. 👇

In My Routine

What’s in My Cart? - Navigating London’s Grocery Options

A Walk Through Two Stores

On the corner of Richmond and Fanshawe, I have two very different shopping options right across from each other: Loblaws, a large chain grocery store, and Goodness Me!, a smaller (but growing!) all-organic market. Both play a role in how I shop for healthy living in London. One offers scale, selection, and long-standing natural food aisles. The other is entirely committed to organics, with unique offerings you won’t find anywhere else. Let’s take a walk through what ends up in my cart — and how I decide where to get it.

Produce: Clean 15 vs. Dirty Dozen

When it comes to produce, not everything needs to be organic. That’s why I use the Environmental Working Group’s Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen lists as my guide.

Dirty Dozen: Produce with the most pesticide residues

Best to buy organic:

Spinach
Strawberries
Kale, collard & mustard greens
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Nectarines
Pears
Apples
Blackberries (new in 2025)
Blueberries
Potatoes (new in 2025)

Bell and hot peppers and green beans were also flagged for high pesticide toxicity, even though they ranked slightly lower overall.

Clean 15: Produce with the fewest pesticide residues

Safer to buy conventional if needed:

Pineapple
Sweet corn
Avocados
Papaya
Onions
Frozen sweet peas
Asparagus
Cabbage
Watermelon
Cauliflower (new in 2025)
Bananas (new in 2025)
Mangoes
Carrots
Mushrooms
Kiwi

These rankings are based on over 53,000 USDA produce samples. About 60% of Clean 15 samples had no detectable pesticides.

👉 How I shop: At Loblaws, organics are mixed in with conventional, so I check the Dirty Dozen list and prioritize organics there. At Goodness Me!, the entire produce section is organic, so there’s no guesswork.

Pantry Staples: No Sugar & Better Oils

One of the biggest health upgrades is swapping out refined sugar and bad fats aka damaged oils.

At Loblaws, you’ll find Mother Raw salad dressings made with pure olive oil — I love this brand.
At Goodness Me!, there’s a broader variety of niche items — for example, Live Organic Raw spicy sweet potato crackers.
Both stores now carry sugar-free treats such as Zevia, Cove Soda, Lily’s chocolate bars — and my go-to mayo by Chosen Foods (made with avocado oil).

Lily's chocolate is sugar-free and sweetened with Stevia

👉 Rule of thumb: If it’s a pantry staple, Loblaws often has better prices and rewards points; if it’s something very unique and truly artisanal, I find it at Goodness Me!.

Mother Raw Salad Dressings made wiht Extra Virgin Olive Oil and nothing artificial

Animal Products: Where to Be Picky

This is the area where I lean most heavily on Goodness Me!.

They carry organic rotisserie chicken, nitrate-free deli meats, and a reliable selection of wild-caught and higher-welfare animal products.
At Loblaws, I’ll still pick up eggs (if they’re pasture-raised or free-run) and wild fish when available, but the selection is more hit-and-miss (conventional meats dominate at Loblaws).

Grab & Go Organic Rotisserie Chicken from Goodness Me

👉 Rule of thumb: Prioritize animal products from Goodness Me!, where standards are consistent. At Loblaws, you can still find decent options, but you need to read labels carefully.

Special Finds & Grab-and-Go

One of the things that sets Goodness Me! apart is its grab-and-go section. Organic bone broth served fresh, made-from-scratch soups, and ready-to-eat meals make it easy to eat well on a busy day. That’s not something you’ll find across the street.

Loblaws shines more in volume: a bigger natural value section, a wide array of gluten-free and lower-sugar products, and some staples that are now mainstream enough to be carried reliably.

Takeaway

Living in London, we’re lucky to have choices. My cart looks different depending on where I shop: at Loblaws, I fill it with pantry staples and affordable organics from the Clean 15. At Goodness Me!, I prioritize all produce, meats, and unique healthy items I can’t find elsewhere. Together, these stores — plus Healthy Planet and other long-standing health shops around the city (can’t forget the classic Quarter Master Natural Foods in Wortley) — make it easier than ever to live clean and well in London.

Starting tomorrow: Join the food revolution with me!

It’s almost time… Your last chance to watch the entire 2025 Food Revolution Summit Docuseries starts tomorrow!

>> Have you signed up yet? You can join from anywhere for free.

When you join, you’ll get science-backed tools to boost your energy, improve your sleep, and confidently choose foods that keep you and your family safe.

Everything is at stake: your health, your loved ones’ health, and even the planet’s health.

The world needs a food revolution more than ever, and it starts with us.

WE can be part of the solution. YOU can be part of the solution.

By the end of this docuseries, you’ll be empowered with this year’s most impactful insights on disease prevention, nutrition, and longevity — straight from 45 of the world’s most trusted food and health experts.

Are you in? This is one of my favourite summits and it has changed and evolved to be even more knowledge packed and filled with resources and expert voices.

This is your last opportunity to watch the entire series at no cost (with urgent new live content every day!), so don’t miss out.

You deserve to know the latest game-changing discoveries that could transform your health and your future.

Save your seat Now

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This information is provided for non-diagnostic and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. This information should not be considered complete, nor should it be relied upon to suggest a course of treatment for a particular individual. Dr. B.J. Hardick is a Doctor of Chiropractic and is not a Medical Doctor. You should not use this information or information on Dr. Hardick’s website to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, or to determine your need for medication or treatment. Always consult your healthcare professional before adjusting any diet, exercise or medical regimens.

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