Feature Focus
by Kathi Pines
The Navan Foods Story: How
Come learn and play
the MY GYM way!
a Virginia Beach woman took
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6 weeks to 13 years
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matters into her own hands
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sports, games, song, dance and more
W
hen Virginia Beach resident, Jennifer own solution,” she said.
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Elizondo’s son Vaughn was only 18 Elizondo left her comfortable job as a
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months old, doctors diagnosed him with government contractor and the couple 6 8 0 0 ( 5 & $ 0 3
multiple severe food allergies. opened Navan Foods in the heart of Virginia MY GYM
HAMPTON ROADS
“He was allergic to wheat, eggs, soy, Beach during the summer of 2008. “I wanted 188 Arthur Way
Newport News, VA 23602
peanuts, and tree nuts. Almost everything to create a one stop shopping location for
mygymhamptonroads@gmail.com
that’s in the stores has one or more of those families like mine, where foods could be
(757) 344-7123
ingredients. So, at first we didn’t know where purchased with the full confidence that the
to turn.” said Elizondo. products have been researched.”
Elizondo and her husband Sergio, already At Navan foods, all the products are shelved
had two other children with no food allergies in an easy to read icon labeling system that
and were not previously exposed to these indicate healthy options; which ingredients the
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www.mygym.com
issues. “Food shopping immediately became product does not have; and if it meets any
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a major challenge for my family.” other special dietary needs.
Elizondo said that in order for her to find “In addition to the icon system, I also strive
safe foods for Vaughn to eat, she found hard to keep up to date on the latest special
herself spending entire days traveling between diet information and am constantly checking
multiple grocery stores on a weekly basis. with each manufacturer to see if their formulas
“I had to spend a lot of time reading labels have changed so I can keep my customers
and doing internet research because even informed,” said Elizondo.
when we found safe foods, there was a lack “I know what these families that come in
of knowledgeable personnel to educate me my store are going through. As parents, we
about the products,” she said. all want to protect our children from any type
After going through this process for some of harm. When it’s the food they need to stay
time, Elizondo and her husband grew weary of alive that could potentially hurt them, it can
this routine. “It took a lot of time and effort. We be overwhelming. I just want to help provide
were willing to do it because of our love for a source of normalcy in the lives of those
Vaughn, but we realized that there were likely affected by these food sensitivities.”
other families struggling with this problem as
well. It was then that we decided to create our
July/August
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