Skip to main contentA quick trip to a neighborhood health-food shop is a great way to kick off your journey to an improved body and mind. But the road to Wellville can get a bit rough once you start trying to figure out the difference between acidophilus and ascorbate. Willamette Week, in an effort to help you cut a path through this good-for-you jungle, has created its very own Wellness SWAT Team to undertake Operation Enduring Free Radicals. Working tirelessly night and day, the team has assembled a diverse A-to-Z list of easy-to-find items (as well as their claimed uses) you might encounter when shopping the wholesome and holistic shelves. So stop the excuses and start brushing up on your vocabulary. These words are good enough to eat.
APPLE DETOX DIET: It came to Edgar Cayce (the psychically gifted "Sleeping Prophet") in a trance but is now available to those of us with only five senses, too! For three days, eat organic red delicious apples; at night, slurp down two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Can you say whoosh?
BATES EYE METHOD: Optometrists, beware! This is a natural way to improve your vision without lenses through relaxation and movement exercises, as featured in William Horatio Bates' The Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. But do you really want to get rid of those cool frames that took you forever to find?
CARROT SEED OIL: Try Burt's Bees complexion mist, with sandalwood, patchouli and rose oil along with the carrot seed to hydrate dry, mature and sun-damaged skin. But bee-ware! Some little stingers might just want to sit on your kisser.
DEHYDRATOR: Use this clever device to preserve essential food enzymes and nutrients, most of which are lost if food is heated over 116 degrees. And, as everyone knows, fruit leathers make the party.
EMU OIL: Please send Jimmy Carter some of this on his next peace mission. Obtained from the fat of an emu (an ostrichlike bird), rub emu oil on your skin to treat rashes, insect bites, poison ivy and hemorrhoids.
FOOT REFLEXOLOGY: Uses pressure on points of the foot, corresponding to certain areas of the body. Not quite like having superpowers, but master this practice and you're getting close. To help you along, try purchasing a foot-reflexology massager/tapper.
GLUTEN-FREE FOODS: Many people are intolerant of gluten (the protein within wheat and other grains) and don't even know it. If you have unexplained chronic fatigue, diarrhea or dermatitis, it may do you good to try a diet sans wheat. Or quit taking Paxil.
HAWTHORN: Hawthorne-ites who think that they are not eating "meat" when they stuff themselves with eggs might try this herb to help lower cholesterol levels. Combats high blood pressure and circulatory disorders, too.
IRON: Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. Symptoms include lack of energy, anemia and hair loss. Iron is found in millet, wheat, spinach, broccoli, nuts, kale, oysters, liver, lean red meat, poultry, tuna, salmon, dried beans and eggs.
JOJOBA: This oil is excellent for moisturizing and nourishing your hair and skin. Just a couple of drops is all you need. They'll hate you because you're beautiful.
KAVA KAVA ROOT: It's long been used by Pacific Islanders for its relaxing effects. The FDA's investigating European reports that kava may cause liver damage, though some say the link is largely unsubstantiated.
LABELING: If you're concerned that your food's DNA never existed until last year, read the label of the products you're buying. While the FDA has yet to require a declaration of the presence of GMOs, many companies proudly display the absence of Franken-gredients.
MELATONIN: A naturally occurring chemical thought to promote sleep. Isolated, it can be taken in pill form without morning drowsiness.
NADH: A miracle compound now being used to treat sleep deprivation and fatigue. Some scientists report that taking NADH can replace a whole night's sleep!
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS: The "good fats" are thought to decrease the likelihood of heart disease and cancer. They can be found in oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. In one study, eating fish two times a month decreased the risk of cardiac arrest by 30 percent; once a week, by 50 percent!
PEDOMETER: Health-care professionals recommend taking 10,000 steps per day to maintain an optimal level of physical fitness. This device uses a pendulum system to measure electronically how many steps you're taking.
QUARTZ: As in the mineral. In an array of colors, each possessing its own healing qualities. Famous for helping relieve everything from migraines to sexual disorders.
RAW FOODS: Fruits and vegetables should be eaten raw as often as possible. All enzymes and most vitamins are extremely sensitive to heat and are usually destroyed in the cooking process.
SHARK CARTILAGE: Pulverized shark skeleton that acts to suppress the development of new blood vessels. This fishy powder is valuable in fighting a number of disorders and diseases, from cancerous tumors to diabetic retinopathy (unwanted blood vessels within the eye that can cause blindness).
TESTOSTERONE: An essential hormone for sexual desire in both genders, it also supports the skin, muscles and bones. While it's available in both natural and synthetic versions, too much of the fake stuff can produce side effects.
UVA URSI: Also called bearberry, Uva ursi promotes the excretion of fluids, fights bacteria and strengthens the heart. Good for treating disorders of the spleen, liver, pancreas, and small intestine. Also useful for combating bladder and kidney infections, diabetes and prostate disorders.
VINEGARS: Herbal vinegars can serve as both medicines and salad dressings. Simply add your favorite herbs to raw apple-cider, balsamic, rice or malt vinegar. After four days, press through a straining cloth and bottle in a dark glass container.
WOOD BETONY: Stimulates the heart and relaxes muscles. Improves digestion and appreciation of food. Good for cardiovascular disorders, hyperactivity, nerve pain, headaches and anxiety attacks.
XANTHOXYLUM: The botanical name for prickly ash bark, this spelling-bee buster is good for circulation, among other things.
YOHIMBE: Who doesn't benefit from this one? Increases libido and blood flow to erectile tissue. May increase testosterone levels. A "must have" for the minuteman in your life.
ZINC: Chances are you've heard the news about the latest "cure" for the common cold, or at least a supposed way to shorten the duration of your sniffles. While the docs quibble over lab tests, they do seem to agree that zinc is useful in the body's immune system somehow. Try it yourself by sucking down some lozenges the first day you feel a cold coming on.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Spa Slumber Party
Class Act - change your life by changing your workout routine
Staying Fit in the Freezer - winter workouts
Treat Yourself - spas
Life Savers - health clubs are for everyone
WWeek 2015