Lydia has been a part-time member of Terry's health squad for nearly 2 years.

You might recognize her for her energetic, cheery, and charismatic personality! Lydia loves customer service because she is a natural teacher and enjoys answering your questions. She also loves to learn and share what she learned with the rest of us - she's easily fascinated by new information!

"I get my certification to become a yoga teacher trainer on the 28th this month. So I'll be teaching yoga classes with a license! I consider myself somewhat of an herbologist; that's what drew me in the door. I'm a musician, and I spin fire in my free time!" 

There are many ways that our increasingly toxic environment can damage our bodies, yet our bodies are resilient and provides us with ways to not only survive, but thrive. In this blog we will explore the function of antioxidants to aid us in thriving.  

Free Radicals

Before we explore what antioxidants are and why they are essential to life, we have to define what "free radicals" are.

Free radicals are atoms that contain an unpaird electron. They are reactive and unstable molecules that need to bind to another electron to become stable. They are produced by our own bodies. Certain types of free radicals can be useful to the body. They can aid our immune system and help us break down nutrients to give us energy from what we eat. The trouble is, we can also take in free radicals from our environment. What we consume and breathe in from the air add to the load of free radicals in our bodies. When we have too many of them in our bodies they can cause damage. 

Lonna is the Store Owner! She has owned Terry's since January 1st, 2012, for 9 years!

You might recognize her voice from our radio and TV commercials, or for her cheerful and friendly presence in the store! She is a real go-getter, always creating and planning, and always leading the way in our North Dakota community. 

Lonna is also the owner of Peace Garden Hemp. 

"In 2018 I created Peace Garden Hemp, which is another company, a trade name, under Terry's Health Products. We specialize in hemp seed hearts and hemp seed oils grown in North Dakota and we also have a Hemp Extract line with 16 different products." 
​
"I'm married with a 6 year old in kindergarten. My husband is a retired air force veteran who is a professional pilot. My family is very important to me, so being a driven business person and finding the right balance can be tricky.  Luckily my husband is very supportive. I love the sun. I love the beach. If I could be anywhere in the world I'd probably be laying on beach somewhere. 

​Take a deep breath slowly through your nose. Focus on what you smell. Focus on what your lungs feel like once inflated. Now slowly exhale it.  

Let's talk about indoor air pollution, how it affects you, and what you can do to improve it. 

Spring cleaning doesn't have to only mean dusting, wiping down, and organizing your space. It can be a commitment to making cleaner and non-toxic choices in what products you choose to buy. It can also be a choice to choose products that source ingredients with clean, sustainable, and ethical practices too. Toxicity isn't just about how harmful an ingredient is to your body. Toxicity also accounts for how unhealthy our environments and industrial practices are. From planting the seed to sealing the box, the agricultural methods to the conditions people and animals involved in the process are in, there are many stages of production to be conscientious of. One of the most impactful ways average consumers can choose to help detox our industries, and therefore our world, is to buy products that support, not harm. 

When you shop at Terrys, go ahead and read the label and take notice of the certifications on the product. This blog is going to break down some of the most common certifications and labels on food, supplements, and products that aid you in choosing products that meet a higher standard for health, safety, ethics, sustainability, and stewardship. When you purchase products with these certifications, you can feel good that you voted for a cleaner and less toxic world with your dollars. 

​Jessica has been working hard for Terry's for 5 years, and she is our Store Manager. She oversees all store operations, including managing the Health Squad and the sales floor.

You might recognize her as the one the rest of us call on for assistance, her constant smile, and her genuine interest and curiosity for all things. Her favorite part about working at Terry's is her love for the team, environment, and store culture. ​

"I have a son, his name is River, he's a year and half old. He's my entire world!"  Jessica is very passionate and careful about what products she uses on her son, and so she has taken a special interest in all products for infant care. She is the person to talk to about food, supplements, and skin care for your child!

March is Spring Cleaning month!

Before we get started with the cleaning, let's talk about cleaning up our cleaners.  That's right! If you're cleaning with conventional cleaning products, chances are you're just trading dust, dirt, and germs for toxic chemicals. Is your counter really cleaner because you left endocrine disruptors, lung and skin irritants, antibacterial agents, and neurotoxins on it when you wiped it with a cleaner?

Grab your bottles of cleaners and read the ingredient labels, even your "natural" and "green" ones. Do they contain these ingredients? 

Cory has been a vital part of the Terry's Health Squad for 1.5 years!
​He is our Grocery Manager! 

You might know him for his fun-loving attitude and his passionate excitement about food. He is always a joy to talk to!
"I've been in the natural food industry now for almost 4 years total. I fell in love it unexpectedly because I love to eat food - good food, and because this industry has lead to me to making connections with so many unbelievably good whole-hearted people."

If you wish to discuss special ordering or selling grocery items through Terry's, ask for Cory! 

Hormones in our bodies play such a strong role that they are behind how we look, feel, and act every day. So what happens when chemicals foreign to our bodies invade our bodies and act like hormones? They have the power to affect how we look, feel and act! The trouble is, we're living in a society full of these invaders and we might not realize how much we're influenced by them. We're eating them, drinking them, breathing them in, and putting them on our skin daily. They're called Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals or Hormone Disruptors, and they're synthetic chemicals that are usually made from petroleum. Don't panic! It is possible to avoid these chemicals and manage your health to reduce their effect on you, but the first part of this blog will explore what they are.

This blog is going to focus on one type of Endocrine Disrupting Chemical: Xenoestrogens (meaning "foreign estrogen"). They're also known as Oesterogen, Xenobiotics, Estrogen Mimicking Chemicals, or Fake Estrogens. They are persistent ubiquitous chemicals that bioaccumulate in the environment and do not biodegrade, which makes them particularly challenging. This blog is not addressing a different natural source of estrogens from our environment, called phytoestrogens, which are from plants (although the topic is related.)

Yes, these fake estrogens act like estrogen in humans and animals, in addition to the natural estrogen we already have. This accumulation of xenoestrogen in our bodies creates a condition called "Estrogen Dominance," and your doctor will not see it on a lab to test for your estrogen levels because they are not true estrogens. Estrogen Dominance is a common root cause behind many reproductive and endocrine medical conditions. While these xenoestrogens are not the only root cause of these conditions, studies have shown that they are linked. There is also evidence that these conditions may improve when xenoestrogen exposure is reduced.  In women they have been found as a factor in Endometriosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, uterine fibroids, infertility, and breast and uterine cancer. In men, breast growth, prostate and testicular cancer, and infertility. Thyroid conditions, early puberty, obesity, acne, and diabetes have also been linked to xenoestrogens. There is also evidence they are linked to infertility in animals, such as in this case in Florida about infertile alligators (click this sentence to read about this case.)

Alex has been with Terry's for 1 year, and he is our Hemp Buyer and Manager! 

You might know him for his friendly and warm demeanor, good listening skills, and eagerness to help! Alex came to Terry's after his time in the military:

"I was a military police officer for the US Army, active duty. I was stationed in South Korea for a little over a year. Then I became a type 1 diabetic when I was 20, so I had to change my diet plan, my activity, restrictions, and just had to become more aware of what I was doing for my generalized health. So working at a health store has greatly helped improve not only my health, but my awareness of what certain products do for what. It just helps strike a passion and a know-how for a lot of different aspects of not only my health, but everyone else's health, and what they can do to greatly improve." 

Ask for Alex if you would like to discuss our Hemp Extract offerings!