Health Genie

Note: These articles are not meant as a substitute for proper medical advice. Please consult with your medical practitioner before using any type of remedy, herbal or otherwise.

By Wendy Neville, Wellness Buyer

Have you started your spring cleaning yet? The sun is out and the snow is melting - let’s put the winter behind us!

Spring inspires us to shed our layers, change things up, move out the various winter supplies from our homes, and do some cleaning. But maybe you’re not inspired quite yet? This can be a daunting and messy task, kicking up dust, mold, and more. And it’s usually just not that fun. You’d rather be playing in the mud, right?

So why would you want to make your own room sprays? Well, aromatherapy can boost your mood so that you are focused and enthusiastic, as well as refresh your space like new.

Note: These articles are not meant as a substitute for proper medical advice. Please consult with your medical practitioner before using any type of remedy, herbal or otherwise.

By Anna Wiens

Whether it’s the smell of a freshly brewed cup of coffee, the warning odor of a skunk, or the first flower bloom of the spring, scent has an impact on our mood and behavior.  Out of all of the five senses, smell is the only one whose neurons bypass the integration and sorting centers of the brain and instead are connected directly with the brain’s limbic system.  The limbic system is responsible for memory, emotions, and hormonal control. Therefore, smell is directly and uniquely linked with our memory and mood.  That is why a scent can trigger a sense of nostalgia or impart a distant feeling.  The sense of scent is said to be as much as 10,000 times more sensitive than the sense of taste.  In fact, most of what we perceive as taste is actually produced by smell. That is why you can’t taste much of anything when you have a stuffy nose. Modern science is just catching on to the traditional notion of using scent therapeutically.  Here we will explore some scent profiles and their traditional uses. We will explore three different scents used to calm, uplift, and focus. 

Note: These articles are not meant as a substitute for proper medical advice. Please consult with your medical practitioner before using any type of remedy, herbal or otherwise.

Dear Health Genie,

It’s mid-winter, it’s cold, and my skin is taking a beating!  What can I do to help it through until spring?

Thanks,
Tracy L.

Dear Tracy,

Are you experiencing thirsty skin this winter? Do you have cracked hands and fingertips, red flaky skin or dandruff? Here at City Market, we have numerous customers experiencing the harshness of Vermont’s winter.  Some seem desperate for a solution.  Here are some ideas to help keep your skin hydrated from the inside and out!

Note: These articles are not meant as a substitute for proper medical advice. Please consult with your medical practitioner before using any type of remedy, herbal or otherwise.

By Anna Wiens, Wellness Buyer

Western medicine has provided invaluable emergency medicine, created potent pharmaceuticals, and developed sophisticated diagnostic tests.  There is no doubt that the science of the west has helped many people, and it continues to progress in both research and drug development.  Even though a lot of good has come from western healthcare, it still has its limitations and downfalls.  Many people turn to other healing modalities after western medicine fails them.  Here we will look at one of the longest standing holistic healing modalities on the planet: Ayurveda.

Note: These articles are not meant as a substitute for proper medical advice. Please consult with your medical practitioner before using any type of remedy, herbal or otherwise.

By Anna Wiens, Wellness Buyer

As the days are getting shorter and the temperature drops, the wool socks, winter jackets, sweaters, and boots come out of storage. There is no doubt winter is coming. If you are wise, you have already started to prepare you home and body for its arrival, but what are you doing to prepare your mind and spirit for the long haul of winter?   Here are some simple and helpful tips to start incorporating into your daily routine to help regulate your mind and body.  Don’t wait for the winter blues to creep in! Take these proactive measures to keep your spirits high throughout the cold months to come.

Note: These articles are not meant as a substitute for proper medical advice. Please consult with your medical practitioner before using any type of remedy, herbal or otherwise.

By Anna Wiens, Wellness Buyer

Dear Health Genie,

With Thanksgiving soon to be upon us, I’m dreaming of the feasting to be had.  But I’m wondering – is there something I can or should be doing to help my body digest all this good food?

Thanks,
Betsy D.