Plain words
Glossary
Health can come with big words. Here are simple, friendly meanings for terms you'll see around RemedyRank — no jargon, just clear language.
- Antioxidant
- A helpful substance found in colorful fruits and vegetables that protects the tiny parts of your body's cells from everyday wear and tear.
- Anti-inflammatory
- A food or habit that helps calm swelling and redness in the body. Many plants, like ginger and turmeric, are gently anti-inflammatory.
- Decoction
- A way of making a strong herbal drink by simmering tougher plant parts — like roots or bark — in water for a while, instead of just steeping them.
- Digestion
- The way your body breaks food down into pieces small enough to use for energy and building blocks. It starts in your mouth and continues in your stomach and gut.
- Electrolyte
- Tiny minerals — like sodium, potassium, and magnesium — that help your muscles and nerves work right. You lose some when you sweat, so water and whole foods help replace them.
- Essential oil
- A very strong, concentrated oil pressed or steamed out of a plant, like eucalyptus or tea tree. Because it's so strong, it usually needs to be watered down (diluted) before use.
- Fiber
- The part of plant foods your body can't fully break down. It keeps your digestion moving smoothly and helps you feel full. Fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains are full of it.
- Herb
- A plant — or part of a plant, like a leaf, root, or flower — used for flavor, food, or gentle health support. Peppermint and chamomile are common herbs.
- Holistic
- Looking at the whole person — body, mind, and spirit — instead of just one symptom. RemedyRank takes a holistic view of health.
- Hydration
- Giving your body enough water to work well. Good hydration helps your energy, skin, digestion, and almost everything else.
- Immune system
- Your body's built-in defense team. It fights off germs and helps you heal. Rest, good food, water, and sunshine all help it do its job.
- Inflammation
- The body's natural response to injury or illness — like redness, swelling, or heat around a sore spot. A little is helpful for healing; too much over time isn't good for us.
- Infusion
- A gentle herbal drink made by steeping soft plant parts, like leaves or flowers, in hot water. A cup of herbal tea is an infusion.
- Mineral
- A natural building block your body needs in small amounts, like calcium for bones or magnesium for muscles. Whole plant foods are full of them.
- NEWSTART
- An easy way to remember the eight laws of health: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunshine, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust in God. These simple habits support your whole self.
- Plant-based
- Eating mostly or only foods that come from plants — fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds. It's the way of eating we encourage on RemedyRank.
- Probiotic
- Friendly tiny living things (good bacteria) that help keep your gut healthy. You'll find them in foods like plant yogurt and sauerkraut.
- Remedy
- A simple, natural way people try to ease everyday discomforts — like sipping ginger tea for an upset stomach. On RemedyRank, remedies are for small concerns, not serious illness.
- Temperance
- One of the eight laws of health. It means balance and self-control — enjoying good things in healthy amounts and steering clear of what harms us.
- Topical
- Something you put on the outside of your body — on your skin — rather than swallow. Aloe gel on a sunburn is a topical remedy.
- Vitamin
- A natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C from fruit or vitamin D from sunshine. Whole foods are the best source.
- Whole foods
- Foods that are close to how they grow in nature, with little or no processing — like an apple instead of apple candy. They keep more of their natural goodness.
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