Glossary
Acid-Alkaline — This is the pH scale of the residue ash that forms when a
particular food is oxidized.
Acupuncture — The Chinese practice of inserting fi ne needles into the
body at specifi c points, to energize, unblock, or reroute subtle energies,
known as chi.
Agribusiness — Generic term referring to the business of agriculture and
its associated politics.
Alkaline — see Acid-Alkaline.
Allicin — The active component of garlic.
Antioxidants — These substances, found commonly in high-chlorophyll
plants, especially those high in fl avonoids, protect cells from free-radical
damage.
Antispasmodic — A herb that limits, corrects, or prevents excessive invol-
untary muscular contractions.
Aphrodisiac — Any herb that increases sexual desire and potency. Some
herbs are gender-specifi c, and some are shared.
Ayurveda — The healing modality of ancient East India, based on the com-
prehension of constitutional typing into three basic dashas (or dispositions):
pitta (fi re), vata (air), and kapha (moisture).
Carminative — A herb that expels gas from the gastrointestinal tract through
excitation of internal peristalsis.
CFCs — abbreviation of chlorofl uorocarbons, any of various usually gas-
eous substances, commonly used in refrigeration, thought to be harmful to
the ozone layer of the upper atmosphere.
Detoxifi cation — This is the general term indicating a systematic cleansing
of the body and mind in total or specifi c systems.
Endocrine System — Glands that govern and regulate bodily functions,
comprising pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, adrenals, liver, pancreas,
testes, and ovaries.
Enzymes — Substances secreted in the body, and present in live foods, that
aid digestion.
Estrogen — This is the female hormone whose production in the body is
lessened during menopause.
Fecal — Pertaining to the physical material of the stool.
Fibroids — These are nonmalignant growths that form from muscle and
connective tissue.
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