Simple Tips for Seasonal Flu Prevention

BY Melissa Toye, ACHS Student, Associate of Applied Science in Complementary Alternative MedicineEvery year, thousands of Americans become ill from the virus caused by influenza. Influenza is a respiratory virus that can affect individuals in any age group; the very young and very old are most susceptible.Each year the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the influenza vaccine for every American over six-months of age; however, this vaccine will only protect an individual from three strains of the flu, and many individuals do not feel comfortable with vaccinations. With more than 30 types of influenza in the environment, how can the public better protect themselves? Luckily, there are some things that can easily be done to help keep families healthy.1. Contain the SpreadAccording to...

ACHS Graduate Kristi Rimkus Launches iApp and eBook Series Cooking Light Done Right

“I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction when people tell me they've tried a recipe and they were pleasantly surprised that ‘healthy’ food could taste good,” says Kristi Rimkus, American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) graduate. “It's even more fun when they tell me how they improved my recipe to meet the tastes of their family. To me, this means they are finding the fun in cooking, and that's what will keep them cooking at home, instead of heading through the local drive through.”Rimkus, who graduated from the ACHS Certificate in Holistic Nutrition Consulting and Certificate in Wellness Consulting programs, recently launched an iApp...

Honey Recommended over Sugar for Type 1 Diabetic Patients

Anectdotally accepted for years, now encouraging confirmation that honey is better than sugar -  even for diabetics...Honey and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Source: Type 1 Diabetes - Complications, Pathogenesis, and Alternative TreatmentsInTech Open, November 2011 Aim of the StudyThe aim of this work was to compare the effects of honey, sucrose and glucose on plasma glucose and C-peptide levels in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.IntroductionType 1 diabetes mellitus is by far the most common metabolic and endocrinal disease in children (Peters & Schriger, 1997). The major dietary component responsible...

Honey: The 'Bee Penicillin' That Could Even Beat MRSA

a well-researched author with concise references to the latest discoveries of the benefits of honey...Honey: The 'Bee Penicillin' That Could Even Beat MRSABy Gloria Havenhand, Daily Mail (UK), 11/19/2011It is often hailed as a natural, healthy sweetener – but in most cases, honey bought from supermarkets today is simply sugar syrup with no nutritional value at all. To reap the true benefits of what was dubbed ‘the food of the gods’ by the Ancient Greeks, you have to look for the raw variety. Perfectly clear honey has usually undergone a process of ultrafiltration and pasteurisation, which involves heating and passing it through a fine mesh, to...

Download How to Bridge Potential and Profit Teleconference with Michelle Pippin

How can the four simple words, "I can help you," revolutionize your holistic health practice? In our November 22 teleconference, How to Bridge Potential and Profit, marketing expert Michelle Pippin answers this lingering question for you! She also outlines what she thinks are the top five commonly made mistakes when building a holistic health business. In case you missed the live event, the American College has posted the recording for free download. >> Click here to download the recording How to Bridge Potential and ProfitBe sure to leave a comment and your follow up questions for Michelle! How will you use these holistic marketing suggestions...

Bee Venom May Help Treat Parkinson's Disease

Clinical trials are currently ongoing in Parisian Hospitals using Bee Venom in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease... Bee Venom Protects SH-SY5Y Human Neuroblastoma Cells from 1-Methyl-4-Phenylpyridinium-Induced Apoptotic Cell DeathBrain Research, 2011 Oct 6Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Recently, bee venom was reported to protect dopaminergic neurons in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine induced mice PD model, however, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The objective of the present...

A Happy Thanksgiving Message and Savory Tomato Soup Recipe to Spice Up Your Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the American College of Healthcare Sciences. We hope that you have a healthy and happy holiday filled with love, light, and joy.We're thankful to be part of such a wonderful community, and invite you to share your own Thanksgiving message with our ACHS family online here. Please note, the ACHS offices will be closed Thursday, November 24, in observance of the holiday. We look forward to speaking with you when we return on Friday.Thank you for being part of our family. Again, Happy Thanksgiving!Warm regards,Dorene Petersen, ACHS PresidentP.S.Here's a savory recipe for Spicy Tomato Soup, which makes a colorful,...

Four cups of coffee a day could help keep womb cancer at bay

Research has linked regular consumption with lower odds of endometrial cancer, the most common form of the disease. Women who drank four or more cups a day over many years were 25 per cent less likely to develop the disease than those who limited themselves to less than a cup daily.Both caffeinated and decaffeinated varieties seemed to help ward off the disease, although tea had no effect, the 26-year study of almost 70,000 women found.Drunk regularly, coffee may help lower levels of hormones believed to fuel the cancer, the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention reports. Endometrial cancer affects 6,400 British women a...

Potent Antibacterial Components of Honey Reviewed

Honeybees continue to perplex medical researchers with something as pure and natural as honey... Antibacterial Components of HoneyIUBMB Life, 2011 Nov 17The antibacterial activity of honey has been known since the 19th century. Recently, the potent activity of honey against antibiotic-resistant bacteria has further increased the interest for application of honey, but incomplete knowledge of the antibacterial activity is a major obstacle for clinical applicability.The high sugar concentration, hydrogen peroxide, and the low pH are well-known antibacterial factors in honey and more recently, methylglyoxal and the antimicrobial peptide bee...

Reduce Stress During the Holidays and All Year Long

Many of us live from day to day, not thinking about our health or body until it begins to ache, a joint twinges, a headache starts. Then we try to remedy the problem. But-- wellness is a cumulative concept.In our view, stress is one of the most harmful issues our bodies have to deal with in the modern world. Stress has been shown to affect our cardiovascular, immune, and endocrine systems, and increases our risk for heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and the common cold.So this time of year -- when there are lots of seasonal germs on the loose and ample seasonal stressors with upcoming holidays -- taking control of your stress is essential.Feeling...

MONSANTO'S MINIONS: The White House, Congress, and the Mass Media

Hamlet Act 1, Scene 4Marcellus:'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark'There's a reason he says "state of Denmark" rather than just Denmark: the fish is rotting from the head down—all is not well at the top of the political hierarchy. Fast forward a few hundred years and substitute USA for Denmark. For those readers interested in the close links between President Obama, his administration and Monsanto the following paras give the details - at http://www.naturalnews.com/031263_Monsanto_organic_consumers.html. The United States is rapidly devolving into what can only be described as a Monsanto Nation. Despite Barack Obama (and Hillary Clinton's) campaign operatives in 2008 publicly stating that Obama supported mandatory labels for GMOs, we haven't heard a word from the White House on this...

Lamp Shades- Beautiful Varieties to Brighten Your Home

Lighting is an important aspect that creates a beautiful ambience. Different colors of lights can be used to create various moods. Ever since olden days, lamps have been lit to create an aura of magnificence and serenity. Today different types of lights are being used to enhance the décor of a room. To further accentuate the aura of lights, lamp shades of various varieties are being used extensively in homes, restaurants and corporate offices. Different Types of Materials Used For Lamp ShadesLamp shades have the power to transform any ordinary appearing light to a magnificent decorating accessory. These shades are available in a huge variety...

Most Important Industrial Uses of Glass Bottles

Glass bottles have a wide range of utilities compared to the other packaging products. Glass recycling and reuse has a number of environmental advantages. There are a huge number of industries which use bottles made of pure glass for packaging different types of products. In comparison to plastic and other materials, glass is one of the safest and purest forms of storage material which hardly contains any type of chemicals.Various Uses of Glass BottlesUnlike the earlier days, glass bottles are used for a variety of useful purposes. Today there are over a hundred industries which use bottles for packing and storing products. The advantageous qualities...

Basque Propolis Has Strong Activity Against Microbial Strains

Exciting new results of propolis antimicrobial and antifungal action against Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Salmonella enterica ...The Antimicrobial Effects of Propolis Collected in Different Regions in the Basque Country (Northern Spain) WorldJournal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Nov 2011The antimicrobial activity of 19 propolis extracts prepared in different solvents (ethanol and propylene glycol) (EEP/PEP), was evaluated against some bacterial and fungal isolates using the agar-well diffusion method. It was verified that all the samples tested showed antimicrobial activity, although results varied considerably between...

Easy DIY Green Cleaning Tips and Recipes from ACHS and Metro's Caran Goodall

Do you know the difference between chlorine bleach and other whitening agents? How about natural ways to get streak-free windows and a sparkling kitchen?To learn these tips and more, check out our YouTube video Safe, Simple Recipes for a Clean Healthy Home presented at American College of Healthcare Sciences in Portland, Oregon, by Caran Goodall from Metro.Have you tried these recipes for soft scrub and general cleanser? Or, perhaps you have perfected your own recipes? Let's do a green cleaning recipe exchange! Feel free to post your comments and feedback about the recipes in Safe, Simple Recipes for a Clean Healthy Home and your tried-and-true green cleaning recip...

Bee Venom May Help Target Symptoms of Dementia and Depression

Apimen is a primary bee venom toxin and with the many other components in bee venom, make it a very sought-after honeybee product, such as its anti-inflammatory action in anti-aging skin creams...Scientists Discover How to Design Drugs That Could Target Particular Nerve CellsHealthCanal, 11/10/2011The future of drug design lies in developing therapies that can target specific cellular processes without causing adverse reactions in other areas of the nervous system. Scientists at the Universities of Bristol and Liège in Belgium have discovered how to design drugs to target specific areas of the brain.The research, led by Professor Neil Marrion...

Propolis Shows Anti-Inflammatory Action in Intestines

As usual, Propolis proves its functionality in a mucuos environment with anti-inflammatory activity. I wonder if CAPE will also exhert its anti-tumor properties at the same time...Catechols in Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester are Essential for Inhibition of TNF-Mediated IP-10 Expression Through NF-κB-Dependent But HO-1- and p38-Independent Mechanisms in Mouse Intestinal Epithelial CellsMolecular Nutritional Food Research, Oct 31 2011Scope: Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active constituent of honeybee propolis inhibiting nuclear factor (NF)-κB. The aims of our study were to provide new data on the functional relevance...

Honey Reduces Growth & Virulence of E. coli

Honey has to be mankind's best food and medicine... even at low concentration it kills resistant bacteria...Low Concentrations of Honey Reduce Biofilm Formation, Quorum Sensing, and Virulence in Escherichia coli O157:H7Biofouling, 2011 Nov;27(10):1095-104Bacterial biofilms are associated with persistent infections due to their high resistance to antimicrobial agents. Hence, controlling pathogenic biofilm formation is important in bacteria-related diseases. Honey, at a low concentration of 0.5% (v/v), significantly reduced biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 without inhibiting the growth of planktonic cells. Conversely,...

Antibacterial Strength of Honey Outperforms Artificial Honey

It's best to set the record straight - natural honey is better than manmade honey...Effect of Honey on Streptococcus mutans Growth and Biofilm FormationApplied & Environmental Microbiology, 2011 Oct 28Because of the tradition of using honey as an antimicrobial medicament, we investigated the effect of natural honey (NH) on Streptococcus mutans growth, viability and biofilm formation compared to an artificial honey (AH). AH contained the sugars at the concentrations reported for NH. NH and AH concentrations were obtained by serial dilution with tryptic soy broth (TSB). Several concentrations of NH and AH were tested for inhibition of bacterial...

Honey Prevents Oral Mucositis

Honey is an all natural humectant, keeping 'things' moist, like skin, hair, face, throat, even baked goods like cupcakes!Effect of topical honey on limitation of radiation-induced oral mucositis: an intervention studyInt'l Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Dec 2010The effectiveness of radiation therapy for oral cancer is often outweighed by an adverse effect mucositis, a painful inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes lining the mouth. Drawing on research indicating that honey may promote wound healing, three scientists at Manipal University in Mangalore, India, studied its anti-inflammatory properties to see...

Winter Celebration Featuring ACHS Graduates November 30 in Portland

Kick off your holiday season with the ACHS Winter Celebration!Enjoy learning how to make natural gifts for your loved ones. We'll feature how to make: Delicious holiday room sprays you can use all year long!Winter Blahs Bath Salts Peppermint Foot Scrub With the cold and flu season upon us, come learn about winter wellness tips including how to make: All-natural, herbal cough syrup Gentle, Peaceful herbal tea We'll also feature a range of herbs for winter wellness!Space is limited, so RSVP today. To RSVP, call (503) 244-0726, email registrar@achs.edu, or RSVP here on Facebook.Can't join us? Check out our full range of Do-It-Yourself gift kits online at http://goo.gl/D9bEM. And, be sure to check out our great educational videos highlighting how to make your own natural gifts below! Subscribe...

Sigh! Flu jab... here we go again. Flu Vaccine Rebranding job to make lots more pennies

Consumer products, particularly branded products, need 'refreshing' from time to time to make sure that the client base doesn't forget them or get bored with them. As we all know, a salesman's nightmare is not having any new story to tell those he needs to sell to, to convince them to stock his product. Pharmaceutical drugs are no exception, many of them having the added problem that when their patent period expires generic competitor manufacturers will pile in with a cheaper "me too" version. Sometimes the efficacy of the old product therefore has to be downplayed, or even trashed, to tell a convincing story which will pump up the attractiveness of the new refreshed product. Remember the pronouncement of Dr Allen Roses of GlaxoSmithKline, in Dec 2003 the worldwide vice-president of genetics...

ACHS Graduate Emily Stein Named 2012 DETC Outstanding Graduate of the Year

American College graduate Emily Stein says her goal for enrolling in the ACHS Diploma in Holistic Health Practice was to learn about wellness, to improve personal health, and to help others. Over the course of her studies, Stein says, she has learned that the body is an intricate machine requiring a balance between physical and mental health, best maintained by proper nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction.We're proud to announce Emily has been named ACHS 2012 DETC Outstanding Graduate of the Year! The Distance Education and Training Council is recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...

Propolis Takes the Sting out of Mouth Ulcers

Propolis heals wounds, especially in the mucous linings of the body, which is a very complementary addition to any treatment protocol.  In fact, products are trending towards phyto-apitherapy formulas for even greater appeal...Bees Take the Sting out of Mouth UlcersScienceDaily (Nov. 17, 2010) The healing properties of propolis -- a mixture of resin and wax made by honey bees to seal and sterilize their hives -- have been known for many years. But its use in medicine and food supplements has been limited because the sticky substance is not water soluble and has a strong, off-putting smell.Now researchers at the University of Bradford's...