This small-ish, upmarket-ish health food store recently changed its name from Millennium to the…read moreslightly groovier ID it now bears. Stock has remained pretty much the same though, apart from the fairly significant addition of MBTs (Masai Barefoot Technology trainers). Not sure that I would come-in here to buy those but they do stock a very comprehensive range of quality supplements, health foods and beauty products. Worth a visit, if you're in the area and need healthy supplies.

I have been to this store when it used to millenium, and I visited last year when it had already…read morebecome Panacea wasn't much impressed until recently that is. Apparently it is under new management or new ownership (not sure) but there were lots of new products and they were handing out freebies. I bought great new skincare and some supplements (thanks to a very helpful lady who is a qualified nutritionist apparently). So all in al I was impressed by the changes and will definitely go back!

I think Julian Graves needs to shake up its image a bit, at least in the Kingston branch. I don't…read moreknow how they look in the other branches, but this place looks a bit tired and old hat; health food shops are the new meccas, they can be cool if they try, but dear old Julian Graves looks a bit like it's still 1974, when the only people who shopped in health food stores were geography teachers and Tom and Margo from The Good Life. Also, I get slightly confused by what kind of shop it actually is. I have always associated it with health food, but it sells nougat, chocolate buttons and the kind of sweets you would find in a Woolies pick and mix. Of course, it sells the huge bags of dried fruit and nuts that it is known for, and has plenty of special offers. I pick up yogurt mixes here - I am making my own yogurt - just like Tom and Margo, but that is usually it. I tried the goji berries here once and they were not as good as other goji's that I have tried, so for now, I will give it a Must Try Harder grade.

Julian Graves is a bit of a strange one. Ostensibly it appears to be very much a healthy food…read moreoutlet but look a little closer and many items are definitely more naughty than nice on the good nutrition front. I was surprised to find that otherwise healthy soya nuts had several (unnecessary) additives, including MSG. It is a handy place to shop for larger bags of herbs and spices which offer better value than tiny supermarket jars. Also good for a wide range of seeds and nuts. If you can be bothered and want to avoid additives, it's worth checking labels here and visiting regularly as they often have good offers that make their prices more competitive.

Another one-off market, held in celebration of the Kingston Food Festival, this Fairtrade-focused…read moreevent took place on Sunday 14th September. It was a real pleasure - on many levels - highlighting local foodie stars including Riverside Vegetaria (who produced the most delicious aubergine dip, as an introductory taste experience of their restaurant delights);Montezumas also did a roaring trade with white and dark chocolate samples to tantalise the sweet-toothed visitor. Neighbourhood allotment growers were on hand to inform, inspire and offer tastes of their freshly-picked produce. I spent a happy time exploring (and sniffing-out) the wonderful fresh herb stall, with myriad varieties (rare and mainstream) for cooking and medicinal purposes. The chocolate mint and lemon balm were especially fragrant I left with some wonderful oregano, and a pretty chilli plant, to enhance my autumn dishes and add to my herb garden repertoire.

I was quite disappointed with my trip to Yogo. I am a sucker for any healthy, juicy, smoothie kind…read moreof place where I can create a weird and wonderful concoction, so I was excited when I walked into Yogo, which opened up in Kingston a few months ago. The premise is simple, a place which serves fat free frozen yogurt, and an optional topping of your choice. I had just returned from LA, where I had been introduced to the famous Pinkberry store, which operates on the same principal. I had loved what I had ordered there, and found it very good value for money. I had hoped for the same thing with Yogo, so ordered a small pot with an extra topping. This came to £3.00! the small serving is extremely small, and there was not a huge choice of toppings - about 15 or 16 different types of fruit and a few sweet things like granola, mixed nuts and coconut shavings. It just seems so expensive for something so small. a large serving with a couple of toppings will bring it up to about £5.00. Who can afford to spend this much on frozen yogurt? I went off feeling a bit short changed. I still had my pot when I walked into the health food store around the corner, and the guy behind the till asked my opinion of the place. I told him my gripe, and he said that a lot of people have made the similar complaint - that it is just too expensive. The fact that this place seems quiet when I have gone past echos this; I hope that the prices can be amended, because in principle it is a good, and healthy idea.

Hooray! the weather is smiling, you're out-and-about and craving a healthy snack Yogo recently…read moreopened their first UK branch in Kingston; inspired by images of Paris Hilton in LA, eating frozen yogurt topped with fruit, they spotted a gap in the market. When I first saw their logo and chanced upon this place I thought it was a new yoga venue with a 'clever' name Since my first visit and having discovered more I'm not sure the Paris link is a major selling point but I am a fan of frozen yogurt and theirs professes to be organic and pro-biotic, with just 94 calories in a 100g portion. It's refreshing on a summer's day and a healthier alternative to traditional ice-cream; try it au naturel or go further and up-the-taste by adding a virtuous fresh fruit topping (berry, banana, kiwi or mango), if you're in an indulgent mood add-in chocolate chips, coconut, granola or mixed nuts. (The basic product tastes just like what it is - frozen natural yogurt without a huge amount of flavour.) Then again, you could simply come in here for an organic Fair Trade tea or a reviving Brazilian guarana-fruit bar. It's not the cheapest snack option around (a small portion starts at £1.85) but if you're looking for something cool, healthy and satisfying, it fits the bill in a relatively guilt-free way. You can take a break from your shopping exertions or riverside wandering and eat-in here at one of the simple white table settings or just purchase to-go. Staff are enthusiastic, helpful, patient and happy to offer suggestions or wait while you make your choice. I guess it will be the first in a line of several branches.