ACHS now offers six graduate certificates for specialized CAM training

July 23, 2009--The American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) has launched six new graduate certificate programs in the field of complementary alternative medicine (CAM). These new certificates impart graduate-level specialized training with less time and financial commitment found in the more traditional master’s program. ACHS graduate certificates provide healthcare professionals with more in-depth knowledge of holistic health and wellness protocols and the ability to better serve the health needs of their communities.

ACHS graduate certificates require 12 credits of study, or four 16-week courses for completion, and are available in the fastest growing integrative healthcare modalities. ACHS graduate certificates include: Graduate Certificate in Nutrition, Graduate Certificate in Anatomy and Physiology, Graduate Certificate in Complementary Alternative Medicine, Graduate Certificate in Aromatherapy, Graduate Certificate in Herbal Medicine, and Graduate Certificate in Botanical Safety.

Today, more and more people are turning to preventative care as a solution to rising healthcare costs. The healthcare industry needs professionals trained in holistic health and wellness protocols, as well as botanical safety and drug and supplement interactions. With an ACHS graduate certificate, healthcare professionals can:

• Enhance their employability and job growth with each specialized certificate.
• Train to meet the growing demand for educated and trusted CAM professionals.
• Learn botanical safety.
• Increase ancillary services offered, thereby increasing clients and income.
• Educate others about wellness and complementary alternative medicine.

Students who enroll in a graduate certificate program will benefit from the same amenities as ACHS Masters of Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine students, including access to the extensive Natural Standards and Natural Medicines databases, full text, online journal resources; instructors who are industry experts; highly interactive online classes and instructor-led discussions; and training from the industry-leader in accredited, online holistic health education.

The ACHS graduate certificate programs are open to new students, as well as current ACHS students, and can be completed while pursuing a Masters of Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine. For more information and detailed course descriptions, visit www.achs.edu or call ACHS Admissions at (800) 487-8839.

American College of Healthcare Sciences is the only accredited, fully online college offering degrees, diplomas, and career-training certificates in complementary alternative medicine. Founded in 1978, ACHS is committed to exceptional online education and is recognized as an industry leader in holistic health education worldwide. For more information about ACHS programs and community wellness events, visit www.achs.edu, call (800) 487-8839, or stop by the College campus located at 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland OR 97239.

Grow your own garden herbs in a few easy steps

You don't have to have a big garden to grow your own fresh herbs. For those who live in apartments, don't have a backyard, or only like to garden small-scale, most herbs can be grown in ceramic planters.

If that's good news, you'll like what Master Gardener and ACHS Senior Vice President Erika Yigzaw had to say Saturday, May 9, at the ACHS From Your Garden to Your Kitchen Open House.

Although each herb is different, most are fairly easy to grow and use at home. There are just a few key things to remember. 1. Unless otherwise specified, herbs like full sun. 2. Herbs potted into planters should be watered about once a day. 3. Don't over water. As a general rule, water herbs so that the soil remains moist approx. one inch from the top.

Once your herbs are potted, what can you use them for? Most easily, herbs can be used on a meal-by-meal basis and either cooked into hot foods or eaten raw in salads. You can also use fresh herbs to make your own herbal teas and infused oils for cooking and/or body care, as well as herbal medicine infusions and tinctures.

Click here to download free information about making your own herbal remedies, herbal teas, and organic gardening.

Additional tips for growing your own herbs include:

• When planting in peet pots, break up the peet and roots before planting.
  
• Do not plant above the base of the plant. Adding a top layer of soil can cause fungus.
  
• To keep bugs from your plants, include a decoy plant in your garden like artichoke.
  
• Before harvesting, find out the best method for that herb (for example, rosemary likes to be plucked, but peppermint can be snipped).
  

Click here for more information about dried herbs and herbal medicine classes.

Hydroxycut recall begs stricter controls for dietary supplements?

The voluntary recall of 14 Hydroxycut products by Iovate Sciences has people talking. Should there by stricter controls on dietary supplements?

The Hydroxycut recall was triggered by a consumer warning by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued May 1. In response, Loren Israelsen, executive director of the United Natural Products Alliance and a member of Nutrition Business Journal’s editorial advisory board said in a Nutrition Business Journal, “This is a big deal for the dietary supplement industry because it will inevitably invite comparison to the ephedra AER [adverse event reporting] episode, and critics of the industry will no doubt call for some review of DSHEA [the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act] as a result."

Ongoing problems with Hydroxycut and similar products have people wondering if supplement regulations should be firmer, which does not seem like a priority for Congress right now. And, until it is, how can consumers protect themselves?

According to Nutrition Business Journal, "consumers bought $1.67 billion worth of weight-loss pill-form supplements in 2007, and Hydroxycut was the top-selling weight-loss supplement brand sold at supermarkets, drug stores and mass merchandise outlets (excluding Wal-Mart). Weight-loss supplement sales have been hurting since the 2004 ephedra ban, and this event is likely to take a hefty toll on 2009 sales."

In other words, we know there is no "quick fix" or instant solution for health challenges, yet, people continue to buy the products. Perhaps consumers can best protect themselves by asking the question, "Why?" Why, when we know so much about the many successful applications of alternative medicines and holistic health do we buy pills? Why do we continue to support "short-term fixes" instead of long-term health when studies show that these choices may, in fact, be hurting us more?

Will this recall of Hydroxycut products influence consumer purchases? Should there be more supplement regulation to protect the consumer? Tell us what you think....

Click here to read the full article in the Nutrition Business Journal.

ABC Executive Director’s Editorial Emphasizes Published Clinical Trials Supporting the Therapeutic Benefits of Leading Herbs

(April 23, 2009) The March/April issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine features a guest editorial by ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal, in which Blumenthal addresses one of the primary inaccuracies promoted by some critics of herbal medicine: the myth that clinical trial evidence shows many popular herbal preparations to be ineffective.

In his editorial, titled “Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Support the Efficacy of Numerous Popular Herbs and Phytomedicines,” Blumenthal discusses how the public perception that certain herbs do not work has been misled by highly publicized randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with negative outcomes. These include RCTs of preparations made from herbs such as St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) to treat symptoms of mild to moderate depression, and echinacea (Echinacea spp.) to deal with upper respiratory tract infections related to colds and the flu.

Blumenthal goes on to cite numerous recently-published systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs in which the above-mentioned herbal preparations were significantly more effective than placebo. In addition, he points out that some trials found herbs to be as effective, and safer, than conventional pharmaceutical medications used for the same purposes. Also included in this discussion are reviews of RCTs of garlic (Allium sativum) for lowering blood pressure, Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) for erectile dysfunction, and hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) for aspects of congestive heart failure.

Blumenthal concludes the essay as follows:

All too frequently, however, glaring exposure in the media of one high-profile negative trial becomes “the conversation,” with the larger body of clinical research, as well as highly relevant epidemiological and other non-RCT-based data, being relegated to a cognitive Twilight Zone. Even critics of CAM and herbal medicine in particular, frequently fall into the trap of taking refuge under the high-profile negative trial in attempts to dismiss an entire herbal category and, by extension, all herbal preparations in sweeping generalizations that would never be countenanced in a freshman-level course in logic, much less the “evidence-based” practice of medicine.

Click here to read a PDF of the editorial is available on the Alternative Therapies website.

Reference
Blumenthal M. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses support the efficacy of numerous popular herbs and phytomedicines. Altern Ther Health Med. 2009;15(2):14-15.

Make aromatherapy herbal body care and culinary oils

Natural health tips and recipes for making your own aromatherapeutic, healing body care and culinary oils.*

BY: Dorene Petersen, ACHS President

Plants provide us with a rich array of therapeutic ingredients known as active constituents. Many aromatic plants are packed with specialized cells containing essential oils, as well as other constituents that provide healing qualities. Usually these aromatic materials are distilled, which releases the essential oil from the specialized cells.

Distilling essential oils requires specialized equipment. For this reason, most people are not able to distill their own essential oils at home. However, infused oils are a good alternative. Though less concentrated than essential oils, infused oils require much less botanical material than distillation and are well suited for making massage oils, as well as culinary and bath oils.

To make infused oils for personal use at home, you need very little equipment. To prepare an infused oil, you heat a base oil with your botanical material (or herb) over hot water. It is important to pick the best base oil for your infusion, because many base oils have active constituents that can enhance the therapeutic benefits of the infusion you are making.

Base oils, also called fixed oils, are made primarily from the seeds or fruits of plants. Unlike essential oils, however, base oils are non-volatile. (Essential oils are called “volatile” because they readily vaporize when heated at a low temperature; base oils — like almond or avocado oil — do not.)

When making infused oils for personal use, cold-pressed, organic base oils are preferable, because they retain more of their natural elements than heat-extracted oils. Heat destroys antioxidants, which are naturally occurring in oils, and which help prevent the oils from spoiling when they come in contact with air. By contrast, cold-pressed oils already contain vitamin E, a naturally occurring antioxidant that prevents spoiling.

Base oils include:

• For massage infusions, almond Prunus amygdalus var. dulcis, aloe vera Aloe barbadensis, and camellia Camellia japonica oils work well.
• For bath infusions, apricot Prunus persica, grapeseed Vitis vinifera, and wheat germ Triticum aestivum oils work well.
• When making culinary infusions, however, olive Olea europaea, peanut Arachis hypogaea, and sesame Sesamum indicum oils are good base oils. (People with food allergies to nuts should avoid contact with peanut oil.)

To read the full article, including recipes, CLICK HERE.

* The article below originally appeared on the website BlogCritics.org.

ACHS widgets stream up-to-date holistic health news to your site

Automatically download the latest in holistic health news and events with ACHS widgets--otherwise known as blidgets. We'll take care of the updates. To keep your readers coming back for me, all you have to do is add an ACHS widget to your blog, homepage, Facebook or MySpace page.

For the latest in holistic health news, events, recipes, health tips, articles to watch for, and research developments, download ACHS widgets onto your home page. CLICK HERE to install ACHS widgets:

Aromatherapy Education Blog
Holistic Health Tips
Holistic Health Education
Holistic Health Career News
AltMed Education News

Juice therapy: spring cleaning from the inside out

Before you plant a new spring garden, you prepare the soil. You make sure the soil is healthy, full of nutrients, aerated, well hydrated, and so on. Well, just as we prepare our gardens for the optimal harvest, our bodies benefit from a little spring clean up, and clean out too.

Juice therapy—or juicing—is an all natural, easy-to-use, and affordable way to flush leftover wastes sitting sedentary in your body, dragging you down. Juice therapy helps to flush these toxins from the body, which improves major body functions, as well as overall vitality, energy, healthy skin, and heart health, to name a few benefits.

Here are some common juicing fruits and vegetables, and their potential functions.

Apple: general cleanser, fights infection, and stimulates digestion
Apricot: blood builder, constipation, and skin problems
Lemon: gout, arthritis, laxative, and sore throats (always dilute)
Cabbage: obesity, antiseptic, duodenal ulcers, and constipation
Celery: all arthritic disorders, builds blood, and diuretic

Juice is a relatively mild cleanse and can be done at home daily. One 8-oz glass would be a healthy addition to the daily diet. Why juice? First—when made into juices, fruits and vegetables have concentrated amounts of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants. Second—juicing increases the bioavailability of these nutrients. (Bioavailability is the rate at which a substance, in this case the health properties of the juiced fruits and vegetables, are absorbed by the body. In general, juiced fruits and veggies are absorbed by the body at a faster rate than when eaten whole or cooked.)

Juice fresh. Don’t juice, then store for later consumption. Doing this can lead to a loss of minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. You can make juices from fruit combinations or vegetable combinations, but do not mix fruit and vegetables. The combination of fruit and vegetables impairs digestion and limit the assimilation of nutrients.

For more information about a holistic approach to nutrition, CLICK HERE.

Homeopathy for personal health: World Homeopathy Awareness Week

Spring is here! In some parts of the country, that means plants are starting to bloom and the sun is shinning for the better part of a day. But in other locals, like here, in Portland, Oregon, the ratio of rain to sun still feels about 90-10. It can be difficult to fight that blah! feeling when all you want is a little quality time with vitamin D out of doors.

So, when is feeling blah! something more? According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression varies in intensity and duration, and can appear at any stage of life. Symptoms vary, but can include: “changes in mood, with sadness, indifference to things that are usually pleasure, decrease in the usual level of functioning, and often, there are changes in functioning of the function of biological processes like sleep, appetite, energy, and sexual functioning. At times these functions decrease, at other times they will increase. Some people will have increased sleep and/or appetite; others, or at other times, will have decreased sleep and/or appetite (American Institute of Homeopathy).”

There is no single cure or remedy for depression. But—there are homeopathic remedies for people who are suffering with depression and, as fundamental to homeopathy, those particular symptoms of depression are part of the whole picture. In other words, homeopathy is a powerful holistic health protocol because it address the whole person, not an individual symptom or experience.

April 10-16 is World Homeopathy Awareness Week. If you want more information about how to integrate holistic and allopathic health care, now is the time. World Homeopathy Awareness Week is about bringing awareness to a 200-year-old natural health practice.

Events for World Homeopathy Awareness Week will take place in more than 45 countries worldwide. The theme for 2009 is homeopathy for allergies. For information about how to use homeopathy for personal health, or if you are interested in career training, CLICK HERE.

Trilliums in Tryon Creek State Park: A Sunday Hike In The Rain

This is one of the main trails in Tryon Creek State Park. You can’t tell from the photo, but at the moment it was taken, freezing rain was falling. Moments after setting foot on the trail, I spot the first trillium.

Trillium is an easy plant to identify. It has a single succulent stalk and three leaves. In spring it bears a large white three petaled flower which turns slightly pink as it matures. Finding the flower is not so important to an herbalist, who will appreciate the blooms is spring, but seeks to harvest leaves, stems and roots in the fall. Trillium can be found in moist old-growth of the Pacific Northwest from the Redwoods of California, the coast of B.C., either side of the Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington, the northern part of Idaho and the mountains of Alberta, Montana and Wyoming. According to Michael Moore in Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West, “Find a creek starting in the forest, follow it down through the trees to where it begins to broaden out, and you will usually find some trillium.

Trillium, often referred to as birth root, is a member of the Liliaceae family. It is a mild remedy with minimal chronic toxicity. It has historically been used to astringe uterine bleeding, and has been used in treating fibroids. It has many uses according to Peter Holmes. It resolves mucus, damp and congestion and stops discharges and bleeding. It can harmonize menstruation and menopause (it increases progesterone), it can stimulate the uterus to promote labor and delivery. As a ‘cough root’ it is used as an expectorant to resolve thick phlegm in a difficult and dry cough. The fresh root (rhizome, actually) is best to use in a decoction or tincture. Washes and compresses can be used for sores and inflammation. Roots well worth learning about if you live in the Northwest.

What else did I see?

In the same area, I also found coltsfoot, cleavers, salal, Oregon grape, and usnea. No doubt there is much more I did not notice. After all, I was only looking for trillium flowers.

About the Author
Scott Stuart, L.A.c., teaches herbal medicine for the Australasian College of Health Sciences, and practices Oriental Medicine at Outside/In, a Portland, Oregon, social service agency.