Once every two weeks Yaroslav Haladzhy, a 40-year old designer living in Kyiv, makes a rather expensive grocery run. He pays up to Hr 500 for a small bag of simple food cereal, eggs, tea. The reason behind the high price is simple all the items are sold as "organic".

The healthy lifestyle trend came to Ukraine around four years ago. It sparked new interest in fitness centers, low-fat products and organic food. With the growing demand, organic food shops sprung up drastically. Haladzhy started eating organics five years ago. His devotion to it doubled his groceries budget. He says its worth it. I trust my body and it gives me clues that I should continue eating organics, he told Kyiv Post while shopping at the Eco Club stores - a popular Kyiv organic store chain, one of many. In Ukraine, eating organics means having to pay at least Hr 40 for 10 eggs instead of the regular Hr 15, or buy a kilo of sausages for more than Hr 200, while regular sausages are half of that price. Ukrainians average wage is just around Hr 3,000 per month, but the boom of organic stores and farms shows that many families are ready to increase their food budgets to make the menu healthier. Kyiv now has at least three organic grocery chains and multiple organic farms. The chains sell both Ukrainian and imported organic goods. The biggest chain, Eco Lavka, was launched around three years ago and opened 36 stores in Kyiv since then. It also sells organic food online and provides delivery to any part of Ukraine. Their competitor Eco Club chain has three stores, but claims to make most sales online. The assortment of our store is 30 percent Ukrainian and 70 percent imported. Although, we never had goods from Russia and Belarus, says Vira Artemenko, a shop assistant at Eco Club store. Artemenko claims to save 30 percent of her food budget buying organics, because organic food is quite filling and you never overeat. According to the Federation of Organic Movement of Ukraine, in 2012 there were already 164 organic food producers in the country. However, the Ukrainian organic food market is still dragging behind in comparison to Western Europe. According to the Organic Data Network, EU organic market resulted in 20.9 billion euros profit in 2012. Top giants of European organics are Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, and Netherlands. In comparison, Ukraines organic market was five million euros in 2012. The biggest share of the EU organic market goes to vegetables and fruits. Dairy products make the first runner-up. Organic eggs are selectively popular and meat products usually have high prices compared to the conventional products, hence the demand for them is the lowest. In Ukraine, the organic market was not legally regulated till January, when the parliament adopted a law that defines the organic products. Still, it failed to set clear rules on the procedure of certification of organic products, thus complicating the export of Ukrainian organic products. The State Statistics Service of Ukraine does not differentiate organic food from other agricultural products yet and doesnt give any market statistics for it.

Organic stores in Kyiv: Eco Shyk http://www.ecochic.com.ua Eco Lavka http://www.eco-lavka.com.ua Natur Boutique http://www.natur-boutique.ua Semero Kozlyat http://www.7koz.com.ua Villa Roz http://www.milk-shop.com.ua Eco Club http://www.ecoclub.ua Komora http://www.e-komora.com.ua Dyvolayf http://www.divolife.com.ua Vega Market http://www.vega-market.com

Kyiv Post staff writer Bozhena Sheremeta can be reached at sheremeta.bozhena@gmail.com.

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Organic food fad hits Ukrainian consumers

McDONALD'S myths are easy to come by and we all know that fresh, organic food is not only healthier but tastes much nicer, right?

Wrong - at least according to Life Hunters' YouTubers Sacha and Cedrique.

Scroll down for video (turn on subtitles)

The pair visited the annual food convention in Houten in The Netherlands, where they asked unwitting gastronomic experts to taste samples of McDonald's food and offer their opinions on this "new, organic alternative to fast food".

"Delicious", "fresh", "tasty" and "firm" are just some of the adjective used by the food critics in a video posted on YouTube.

"It's nice and firm, it has a good bite," says one.

Another adds: "It rolls around the tongue nicely; if it were wine I'd say it's fine."

The foodies were then cajoled into making a direct comparison with McDonald's. Asked how the "organic" fare shapes up in comparison to the fast food giant, one individual says:

"It's definitely a lot tastier than McDonald's, you can just tell this is a lot more pure."

And another replies: "It tastes a lot better, and the fact that it's organic is definitely a good thing. It's just better for you. The taste is a lot richer."

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WATCH: Food critics tricked into reviewing McDonalds

This relaxed midcentury residence sits among tall bamboo on a desirable lot of nearly half an acre in Brentwood. Stone pathways wind through tiered landscapes that include a koi pond, a Japanese teahouse and waterfalls, set off by a blanket of ferns and other flora. Inside, the ambiance is furthered by period accents such as Japanese tansu cabinetry and Brazilian mahogany countertops.

Location: 13258 Chalon Road, Los Angeles, 90049

Asking price: $3.695 million

Year built: 1961

House size: 4,040 square feet, four bedrooms, three bedrooms

Lot size: 0.48 acres

Features: Gated, koi pond, Japanese teahouse, waterfalls, stone pathways, pool, two offices, private patio, loft, chefs kitchen with Japanese tansu cabinetry, formal living room, dining room, sun room

About the area: 147 homes sold in the 90049 ZIP Code over the last 90 days at a median price of $1.3 million, according to Redfin. The median list price for that area is $2.29 million.

Agent: Robert Radcliffe, (310) 454-0080, Sothebys International Realty

To submit a candidate for Home of the Day, send high-resolution color photos via Dropbox.com, permission from the photographer to publish the images and a description of the house to neal.leitereg@latimes.com.

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Home of the Day: Zen-ful midcentury in Brentwood

Local businesses come together to raise Zagorochorias profile

By Vassiliki Kerasta*

The Zagori Excellence Network, or ZEN, is a modern initiative that aims to promote Zagorochoria, an area encompassing 45 villages in the Pindus mountain range in Greeces northwestern Epirus region, in Greece as well as abroad. It is a collaborative project involving tourism, catering and outdoor activities businesses that have seen revenues decline as a result of the ongoing debt crisis.

The project started in Ano Pedina, a village in Central Zagori and was the brainchild of Yiannis Skordilis, the owner of Amaryllis guesthouse. In a way, however, the network had already begun to form before its founders realized. Those of us who got together [via ZEN] mostly knew each other through our customers, says Vassilis Katsoupas. A customer would walk into my restaurant in Vitsa and say, You were recommended by Papaevangelou in Papingo. I did not even know Papaevangelou back then. So in a way we founded a network that was already there, Katsoupas added.

We chat over a red Zagori wine on a quiet evening in the restaurant of the Pirrion hotel in Ano Pedina. We also get to meet other members of the network: Our friendly hosts Eleni and Xenofontas Trakis and Nikos Petsios from Zagori Suites in Vitsa. Alexis Stratsianis, 35, moved to the village two years ago to take over the family guesthouse, Primoula. He is one of ZENs biggest supporters. If I want to advertise my guesthouse abroad, then I am going to need a huge budget. But if instead we promote the region as a whole, the number of visitors who come here will gradually grow and my own guesthouse will benefit as well, he explains.

Zagori is indeed endowed with an abundance of natural beauty. No less important, it has preserved its traditional architecture with the regions characteristic slate roofs. Here lies the breathtaking Vikos Gorge, the clear waters of Voidomatis River, the peak of Astraka. The members of ZEN are also connected by their love of nature and respect for each other as tourism professionals.

Achilles Papaefthimiou of Alpine Zone, a company that specializes in outdoor activities, has 17 years of experience. He has worked with tourist offices for a number of years but has chosen to join ZEN because, as he says, it represents a hallmark of excellence. You can better support your business when you belong to a group of outstanding businesses. Sure, attempts were made in the past to set up clusters, but teamwork is not Greeks strongest point. Wed rather each wave our own flag, he says.

Dionysis Stefanou, who runs a taverna called Riza in Elati, adds, You will never experience economic growth if you only care about filling your own hotel or taverna. A delicious-smelling savory pie (for which the region is well known), roasted eggplant and some amazing-looking lamb prepared by Stefanou lie on the table waiting for us to tuck in. The food leaves no question about the quality one of ZENs key ingredients.

We have to keep the balance, says Alexandros Kallatzis, another member of the network. His hotel, Kipi Suites, has enjoyed two strong consecutive seasons. Only 15 percent of the bookings were made by Greeks while the rest were comprised Australians, Germans and Israelis.

If a visitor liked my shop but not Zagori, well thats not good enough, he says. It is important that the whole region becomes more attractive. One key problem that we are facing, for example, is that there is no airport in the area. Meanwhile, locals have to deal with less challenging but crucial problems like the lack of ATMs in Zagorochoria.

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Local businesses come together to raise Zagorochorias profile