Viroqua Food Co-op Blog

Supplements are a great way to maintain health, especially if we have become depleted in particular nutrients, which can happen for a multitude of reasons. With some education, forethought and planning it is possible to boost our health and immunity through foods. Personally, I prefer eating to supplement swallowing. The following is a brief listing of some qualities in foods that you may find helpful for maintaining your health. By all means do some research and continue your education on health and nutrition.

Spring is coming and with it comes the desire to “get in shape and get healthy.” Below are some suggestions to help you do just that.

Naturally, the very best option to avoid the cold or flu is to keep your immune system in prime condition by healthy diet and healthy lifestyle. But alas, there are many variables to life and occasionally we need to give our immune system a supplemental boost. There are numerous options to avoid a cold or flu, as well as options to treat these conditions. Below are a few of those possibilities that we keep in stock at the Viroqua Food Co-op.

Mary Kehoe,


Herbs & Spices Buyer

Ayurveda originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and is considered by many scholars to be the oldest healing science. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “the science of life”.

Saturday September 17th

Chris Braddy will be in the store demoing Barlean’s Fish & Flax oils, Natural Factors Whey protein and Oxylent multivitamin/minerals.

More than seventy-five years ago, scientists declared magnesium to be an essential mineral for our physical health. In 2006 the World Health Organization re-declared the prime importance of magnesium to health. And yet, due to modern farming practices and present day food processing procedures, this mineral is largely depleted from our soils and food supplies.

I am pretty sure we are all happy to be enjoying the warmth and sunny days of summertime, but perhaps are not so thrilled with the accompanying return of the insect population. Insects are an annoyance at best and a source of serious health concerns at worst.

Ticks are a major concern here in the Coulee Region because they are carriers of Lyme disease and its co-infections. Many herbal insect repellents include Rose Geranium, as it is known to repel ticks. At the Co-op you will find these repellents which contain essential oil of Rose Geranium: Badger Balm Anti-bug Shake & Spray, Bite Blocker, Buzz Away Extreme and All Terrain Herbal Armor. Melissa Farris of Veriditas Botanicals recommends Rose Geranium essential oil as the only safe and effective oil to use on your dog for ticks and fleas, (for small dogs under 20 lbs, 1 drop between shoulder blades 1-3 times per day depending on exposure (woods, high grass) for medium dogs of 20-60 lbs use 2 drops and for large dogs of 60-100 lbs use 4 drops applied as recommended above). More is not better and do not use on cats.

Essential oils which are useful to repel mosquitoes, gnats, flies and no see-ums are lemongrass, lemon eucalyptus, citronella, peppermint, rosemary, clove and cedarwood. I have never met a no-see-um in Wisconsin, but if I do I am heading straight for the repellent as no-see-ums have a knack for taking the fun out of being outdoors especially at dusk. Should you decide to make your own insect repellent, we have most of the essential oils needed.  Essential oils should be diluted in a base of a carrier oil such as sweet almond, jojoba, castor oil or grapeseed, also available at the coop.

A new item at the Co-op is a plastic wrist band impregnated with Peppermint oil. They come from Canada where the mosquitoes can be quite an issue and are reported to work very well. The band can be placed on belt loop, stroller or backpack as well and work up to 120 hours and is non toxic.
As always read the ingredients to make sure you are getting the repelling properties to target your insects of choice, and use according to directions.

Carol Willis, Wellness Manager

In the VFC Wellness department we have several new cosmetics, skin care products and some reformulated and improved sunscreens.

by Carol Willis, Wellness Manager