The folks at Le’ Khaime Health Food Store and Sandwich Cuisine in Estate Little Princess feel "your health is your wealth."
"You can spend your money on healthy food and really enjoy eating," says Cleyah Daniel, the store manager, "or you can spend money on doctors and lying on your back. Nothing is more important than your health."
The community at large is generally not healthy, Daniel says.
"There is a lot of obesity here on St. Croix," she says. "There are too many overweight children eating sugary snacks. Some feel there is no hope and give in to it."
Le’Khaime is here to help people change, improve their diet and learn how to eat healthy.
One of the best ways to get healthy is to eat uncooked, live foods, Daniel says. Le’ Khaime means "to life" in Hebrew.
"The cooking takes away the nutrients," she says. "We serve a live food-salad platter that is really nutritious."
That platter may be made up of their shredded carrot supreme, bean curd, quinoa grain, garlic tofu, wakame seaweed and egg-less salad. The business serves soups such as creamy potato and vegetable. The vegan deli sandwiches and subs have catchy names such as No Loney and No Hami.
"We want people to think of us as the vegan alternative to Subway," Daniel says.
People don’t have to wait for the fair or festivals to get their favorite local drinks, which are served daily at Le’ Khaime. They include peanut punch/sea moss, sorrel, tamarind, mauby and ginger beer. Le’ Khaime makes fruit coladas and shakes and serves fresh-squeezed juice. The store makes fresh pastries daily, as well as sugar-free lollipops and gum for people with a sweet tooth.
The store opened in July 2008 and has been steadily picking up, according to Daniel.
"People have been very supportive of us," she says. "People like live food and the packaged organic products we have."
The variety of food runs from natural brown sugar from Guyana to unroasted raw cashews. Le’ Khaime carries oodles of organic products such as canned baby food, potato chips and beans. For people who have an intolerance to gluten, they have a number of gluten-free products such as bread, cereal and pasta. For those who like a smooth, creamy, guilt-free treat, they have soy and rice ice-cream products. There is every kind of tea imaginable, from catnip to dandelion root containing beneficial properties.
Daniel, who has been in the health-food business since 1994, keeps a log and lists of benefits of what specific products may be used to help certain health issues.
Beyond food, the store also stocks casual and elegant traditional African clothing made under the Divinely Yours label from Ghana, West Africa.
Le’ Khaime is more than a store and restaurant. It is also a multi-purpose social center with a Social Sedar held the first and third Friday of every month, beginning at 7 p.m. The public is invited to read poetry, read words of inspiration or sing.
"We are continually adding more," Daniel says. "We will have an evening of meals and live entertainment that we are going to start on Thursdays. Yoshea and Djah from Culture Vibes Production will be doing reggae, soca and jazz."
The store will open a dining area for luncheons that seats 40 people. Le’ Khaime also caters special events and offers takeout.
The store is located between St. Croix Rescue Center and Foodtown supermarket. The hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more about products and to place restaurant orders, call 718-0033.
