At the first sign of the sniffles or a cough, many of us call the doctor in search of a prescription for an antibiotic. Our over-reliance on antibiotics has led to the development of super bacteria that are more resistant to the prescription drugs we have available.
Dianna Richardson, a wellness practitioner and owner of Health, Wellness & Nutrition Center, LLC, on Dix Road might suggest a plant or herb-based tea to clear up a congested head at its onset.
Richardson, who has a Doctorate in Naturopathy, treats a range of clients from children to her oldest patient who’s 89. She runs many diagnostic medical tests, too, and then suggests a remedy. In no way is she trying to replace medicine, she just offers another, more holistic option.
“If I have a heart attack, get me a cardiologist, but there are many other ways to deal with stress, which can lead to many health problems,” she said.
The day I visited her she took my temperature, which was normal, and offered me a cup of creeping crud tea for my congested head. The mixture included fenugreek, peppermint, Echinacea, ginger root, wild cherry bark for my cough and rose hips, which she said is the purest form of Vitamin C. Milk thistle and marshmallow root, an herb indigenous to the Midwest that she has growing in her front yard, was thrown in too and helps thin mucous in the lungs.
“Seep this mixture in a tea ball for four minutes and drink it,” she said.
As I sipped my tea, I found out more about her background. She graduated from Naturopathic School in Bastyr, Washington, outside of Seattle, in 1996 and has spent time studying and finding plants in Colorado and the Appalachian Mountains. She also has a Bachelor of Health Science in Health and Wellness and a Master of Science in Public Health Education. She opened an office in Brazito and practiced from there until she set up her current office in July of last year.
Richardson checks Suzanne Luther’s ears. Richardson will perform a variety of procedures for her clients, including blood pressure, listening to their lungs, and others.
The shop includes her office, treatment rooms and a retail section where clients can purchase various herbs, spices, supplements and organic and gluten-free food products. Victoria Hanraham teaches yoga classes there and another specialist offers massages, becoming a one-stop shop where health and wellness, alternative medicine and nutrition counseling is intertwined.
Richardson and Luther during a session.
Suzanne Luther, who retired from teaching last December, took yoga at the center and would check out the shop before her classes started. One day, she had an infection and decided to seek out Richardson’s input.
“I got the crud tea too and I did feel better and eventually I made another appointment to deal with my allergies, joint pain and some minor skin conditions,” she said.
She started keeping a food journal and Richardson advised that she was eating too many empty calories and needed to change that, and add more vitamin B12 intake for energy.
“If you ran into her on the street she’s so unassuming and homespun that you might not understand what a vast background she has and that she’s a wealth of information without being polarizing,” she said. “She is definitely part of my health advising team.”
by Shelley Gabert | photography by Leah Beane
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