Mom and pop go au naturel

Bob and Linda Johst have been in the business of educating the community for almost four decades. Their areas of expertise range from mathematics to good cookin' and using all-natural supplements to do the body good.The couple opened Country Naturals on Stanford Ranch near Victory Drive just over three years ago and although busy has been slow, their ties to the community are deeply rooted.Bob, a retired educator, taught at Granite Oaks and Spring View Middle Schools for more than 30 years. His last his classrooms are now the sophomores of Rocklin High, a couple hundred feet away from the storefront.The twosome spends the majority of their days keeping the shop fully stocked with natural diet supplements and keeps a scratch deli."We're a true mom-and-pop operation," Linda said. "You just don't see them that often anymore."Bob and Linda said they are very meticulous to provide the best quality products to their growing list of regular customers, many of which are high school students walking home."They pile in here sometimes after school," Linda said, "and sometimes we feed them pretty well. We just want to be the friendly neighborhood store."Bob, a former baseball coach himself, said he tries to work with the local high schools to provide nutritional supplements for the teenaged athletes.The writer of the pair, Linda puts together a substantial newsletter chock full of healthy tidbits on different subjects of interest to her customers. She has done series on heart health, weight management and covered specific diet supplements like fish oils.The owners of Country Naturals said their background and knowledge is why customers enjoy coming back to their store."The discount in large chain stores just can't compete with our kind of service that we provide," Linda said.The locals are noticing the Johsts' attention to detail."They've got good food," said Ray Knapp. "It's handy, my office is right next door. If I have a question about it, they know the answer."Some of the more popular products this time of year for any supplement store, Country Naturals included, are products that lend a hand in controlling springtime allergies.Linda suggested supplementing a healthy daily diet with nettles or quercetin; these products strengthen cells that line the airways to prevent reaction to irritants.One of the Johsts most popular product lines year round is MegaFood. The company makes nutrient, herbal and vitamin supplements with at least 70 percent whole foods. This ratio makes for higher absorption rates in the body.