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24 | October 6, 2016 | The Mokena Messenger Life & Arts
mokenamessenger.com
Health Nutz throws unconventional grand reopening
Jason Maholy
Freelance Reporter
Health Nutz co-owner Kris Geigner talks with customers during the health food store’s grand re-opening held Sept. 24.
Photos by Jason Maholy/22nd Century Media
Tammy Spatola and Kris
Geigner did not know what
to expect when they decided
to hold a vendor fair in conjunction
with the grand reopening
of their health food
and products store.
So, to see a dozen or so
vendors’ canopies occupying
a good portion of the parking
lot outside the establishment
on Sept. 24 was a bit of a
surprise even to them.
The unexpected has, however,
been the norm for the
co-owners of Health Nutz
since they purchased the
place at 19844 S. La Grange
Road last December. The acquisition
of the store itself
was a departure from the
women’s plan to venture into
the retail health and wellness
industry.
“We thought we had to get
a place on [Route] 30, near
the [New Lenox] Walmart,
where all that traffic is,”
Spatola said. “Kris called
me one day and said Health
Nutz is for sale, and four
weeks later we were here.”
The networking between
the local businesses from
which the women benefited
was also unexpected – “fascinating,”
according to Spatola
– and inspired them to
invite area businesses to be
part of what is typically a
personal occasion; not many
establishments hold the symbolic
opening of their doors
with competitors camped
just outside, promoting their
own products.
The grand reopening – the
concept for which Spatola
said came about from “just
sort of a brainstorm” – was
nearly 10 months in the
making. Spatola and Geigner
opened the store in January
but had to spend much
of the time since then simply
getting the place functional
enough for such an event.
“It took us a while,” Spatola
said, noting the previous
owner hadn’t exactly kept
the shelves stocked as she
approached retirement. “It
was hard to have a fair when
you have nothing to work
with.”
They were working Sept.
24 with more than 15 other
businesses while tending to
a continuous stream of shoppers
who came to see what
all the fuss was about.
The journey to this point
has been every bit as exciting
as it was for the women
to get their own store.
“It’s just been a ball,” Spatola
said. “Kris and I are so
excited because every day is
a new adventure here. You
never know what to expect
every day, but it’s always
good. We couldn’t have
asked for something better...
It’s not work when you love
what you’re doing.”
What they’re doing is selling
natural and largely organic
health foods, supplements
and other products.
Among their goals, Spatola
said, is to educate consumers
on the benefits of naturopathic
medicine and preventative
maintenance.
“We want people to be
convinced this is where it all
started, it starts with plants
and food, and our nutrition
is what makes our health,”
she explained. “Our lifestyles,
how we eat, how we
live – there’s only so much
we can control. I’m offering
a product that I hope will
bring wellness to somebody
and prevent somebody from,
further down the road, having
a terminal condition or a
condition that changes their
lifestyle or decreases their
value of life.”
Proactively taking control
of one’s health and wellness
was the theme of the day
among vendors and the visitors
who browsed the store
and made their rounds amid
the booths outside.
Vendors included Tinley
Park resident Nancy
O’Connor, who has developed
her own collection of
nine gluten-free cake mixes;
and Frankfort resident Mike
Nastepniak, who took up
beekeeping practically by
accident five years ago, discovered
a passion he had
no idea existed within him,
and now produces his own
honey, lip balm and cream
honey spread.
Mokena resident Tracy
Sendra and her daughter Sarah
Raycroft have both taken
steps to adjust their diets by
eliminating what does them
no good. Sendra was diagnosed
seven years ago with
celiac disease, and changing
her lifestyle when it comes
to what she puts into her
body has been a slow process.
The greater availability
of gluten-free products over
the past few years has helped
her, she said.
“Now it’s so much easier,
Mike Nastepniak,
owner of Bee
Humble Bee Farm
in Frankfort,
gives visitor
to his booth
at the Health
Nutz grand reopening’s
health
fair samples of
organic honey
made by the bees
he began raising
on his property
five years ago.
restaurants are really starting
to be more conscious of gluten-free
people because so
many people have problems,
and everybody is becoming
more aware of health than
ever before,” Sendra said,
adding that she feels “100
percent better” compared to
several years ago. “Because
now that I know I have to
stay away from it. It’s different
if you ‘should,’ than
if you ‘have to.’ Everything
that you put in your body is
going to affect you.”
Raycroft has made changes
for the benefit of not only
herself, but her 8-year-old
daughter. She has eliminated
alcohol from her diet, has
significantly reduced her
sugar intake, eats more organic
foods and cooks dinner
as often as possible.
“I want to show her, too,
what is the healthy way, and
not eating junk and get her
back on track,” she said. “I
want to feel good about myself
mentally and physically.
It’s evolving, going from not
really caring what you’re
eating to completely changing
over. It’s a different lifestyle,
but I feel better.”