For 13 years the brick buildings on the corner of North 45th Street and Burke Avenue North remained vacant, the owner adamant about not renting to anybody - a mystery that no one seemed able to solve.
That is, until just under two years ago, when local Wallingford residents Jehan Strouse and Patty Bradley, who had worked together at the Mari Don Healthway store across the street, decided it was time to open their own store and inquired about the building's history.
"The neighborhood was devastated when [Mari Don] closed its doors after 37 years of business, and we knew that we had to do something. We loved the community and loved what we did," Strouse said.
"We began inquiring with some maintenance guys that did work over there, and they forwarded on our request to the landlord of the building, and it just worked out. The timing must have been just right," she explained.
The business that became their Bee Well Vitamin Shoppe opened July 10, 2004, and its adjoining organic health-food and smoothie haven, Juice Goddess, followed a year later. The store's bright-yellow front can't be missed by passers-by.
Strouse, who operates the Bee Well Vitamin Shoppe, works in collaboration with Bradley's brother Victor, who handles the homeopathic merchandising, while his sister manages the Juice Goddess.
"What I love about Bee Well is that it has that boutique-y vibe that most traditional vitamin stores don't," Strouse said. "While we do sell a variety of homeopathic remedies and supplements, we also have a selection of natural beauty products and handmade soaps (many of which Strouse makes herself)."
The naturopathic approach
A current student of Bastyr University's nutrition program, Strouse moved from San Diego four years ago to attend the renowned naturopathic university, whose clinic has long been a Wallingford destination for those in search of alternatives to traditional health care.
Naturopathic medicine and homeopathic remedies are, therefore, no newcomer to the Seattle medical scene, but rather part of an ongoing revolution in holistic health care.
The idea behind naturopathic medicine is treating illness with natural remedies and addressing the afflicted individual from a holistic standpoint. This includes evaluating a person's diet, exposure to sunlight and psychological condition.
While naturopathic medicine is more of a philosophy, homeopathy borrows on the same ideals of holistic mind-body treatment but differs in that it has its own comprehensive system of medicine.
A homeopathic spa
Around the corner from the Bee Well Vitamin Shoppe at 4426 Bruke Ave. N., is the medical spa SPAhT.
Run by Bastyr graduate Dr. Tolle Murphy, SPAhT is a homeopathic medical spa where people can come to regain and maintain their health through a process of natural treatments that have their roots in a mind-body approach. Raised in the Quinault rainforest of the Olympic National Park, Murphy grew up very interested in naturopathic medicine.
After earning her four-year, post-graduate degree at Bastyr, she had the good luck of hearing about an opening in Wallingford, where the owners were interested in leasing to a naturopathic physician.
While her degree is in naturopathic medicine, Murphy decided to specialize in homeopathy rather than practice the former: "I thought to myself, there are already a great number of naturopathic physicians in Seattle - how can I be different?
"I think that homeopathy is our strongest, most powerful tool as naturopathic physicians, and that is where I have seen the most amazing results," she said.
Patients at SpahT are encouraged to participate in a free, 15-minute consultation for their first visit, during which they can discuss their ailments and then decide whether to schedule a first, constitutional, homeopathic interview.
The interview lasts up to an hour and a half and consists of a personal, one-on-one account of a person's health and family history. This can include a complete autobiographical timeline of a person's health, a list of concerns, a description of the person's everyday diet and life-style habits and a list of the things or characteristics that the individual feels makes him or her unique.
"I believe in treating people from the inside out. I think modern science and medicine is incredible, but I also feel that many times it may not be addressing the roots of what [a patient] is looking for," she explained. "I treat people with their health and beauty goals by addressing as much about an individual as possible."
SPAhT also offers a variety of specific programs ranging from weight loss and detoxification to flu prevention and aging gracefully.[[In-content Ad]]
