DMV health food stores and herbal shops for natural wellness

By Deborah Bailey
AFRO Contributing Editor 
dbailey@afro.com

So, you’re cleaning up your diet, your exercise routine is finally consistent and you’re thinking now is the time to start adding nutritional supplements, natural herbs and products to take your healthy lifestyle goals to the next level. 

But where do you start?

The Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area (DMV) hosts a wide range of natural health food stores and herbal shops to get started on a natural wellness journey that is right for you. 

The first thing to think about is the kind of store you feel most comfortable exploring. Smaller shops, like D.C.’s Dynamic Health and Wellness, can offer specialized service and an individual connection with experienced staff, who are linked with both the community and herbal health. People like Evette H., one of the specialists at the small store on its H Street location. 

“We’re headed into the cold and flu season. Everybody’s starting to move inside and not getting enough vitamin D3,” said Evette. “So that’s a good place to start, along with the right magnesium.

“Elderberry and vitamin C are also good places to begin,” Evette added. “Most of us are always in need to strengthen the immune system, and good quality, basic supplements offer a good start.”

Evette is a fan of sea moss, a plant she says is one of the healthiest for overall health. 

“People from the Caribbean and other nations have always known about sea moss, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, it began to be more popular with Americans,” she said. Dynamic Health and Wellness has sold the raw plant for more than 15 years but sells the supplements as well. 

The nationally regarded Cleveland Clinic indicates that although sea moss and its supplements have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, they are safe for consumption. The Cleveland Clinic considers sea moss as a “superfood,” helpful with immunity, gut health and blood sugar management. 

Blue Nile, located on Georgia Avenue near Howard University, is another dependable Black-owned herbal shop serving D.C.’s Shaw community with natural remedies for close to 50 years. The unassuming yellow and blue sign outside the small row house belies the abundance of herbs, remedies, teas and tinctures inside.  

Blue Nile staff member and health enthusiast Ramon Thompson is especially concerned about lower levels of immunity against illness affecting many Black people.  Like Evette, Thompson agrees that Black Americans usually need higher levels of B3.  He also has other helpful hints for everyone using natural remedies to remain in optimal health while getting ahead of cold and flu season.  

“I normally tell my clients to get started in August, before cold and flu season has set in. But if you are just getting started, supplements or teas like echinacea and pine needles can boost your immune system,” Thompson said.

Thompson also recommends that clients brand new to medicinal herbs stop by between 4-6 p.m. to discuss specific health concerns and wellness goals. 

“There’s a natural way to address most of our health issues. We just need to take the time to prioritize wellness,” he added. 

The DMV is also a great place for health food co-ops, stores owned by members instead of corporate investors. GLUT, a health food co-op in Mt. Rainier, Maryland, just blocks from the northeast D.C. border, is the granddaddy of DMV health food co-ops. 

Anyone who has ever walked up 34th street in tiny Mt. Rainier has seen the huge carrot outside of GLUT’s building. 

“Many people come to us looking for herbal remedies. We want all our co-op members to start their search for herbal remedies by being informed,” said Steve Smallwood, GLUT staffer. Smallwood has been part of the GLUT community for 15 years.  

Smallwood recommends the book “Prescription for Herbal Healing” by Phyllis Balch to co-op members as they begin to explore the world of herbal remedies.  

Although Smallwood is not a licensed herbalist, his years with GLUT have given him experience with many common wellness concerns people come searching for herbal cures to address, including organ cleansing, prostate issues for men and hormone balance for women. 

‘’If you are interested in an organ cleanse, start with the colon,’ Smallwood says to customers asking about cleansing other organs such as the liver and kidney. “A basic colon cleanse will help other cleanses to be more effective.

He added, “Learning to fast is also a basic healthy practice for persons seeking to take their wellness journey to the next level.”

The co-op employee’s final advice was that not all cures fit all.

“Every remedy is individual, based on the client’s health profile,’’ he said.