Natural Medicine Cabinet: How Healthy Eating Supports Brain Health

Did you know that the human brain shrinks and becomes less "nimble" in old age? Though not entirely avoidable, we may be able to slow the process, according to a new Oregon study. How? Healthy food!

A study from Oregon Health Science University and Oregon State University has, "identified mixtures of nutrients that seem to protect the brain, and other food ingredients that may worsen brain shrinkage and cognitive decline," as reported in the December 28 Oregonian article"Some diets protect aging brains, others accelerate harm, Oregon study suggests."[1]

Diets high in trans fats (in general, foods high in trans fats can include baked goods, chips, crackers, dips, and spreads), "stood out as posing the most significant risk for brain shrinkage and loss of mental agility."

Older adults whose diets included ample amounts of vitamins B, C, D, and E "consistently scored better on tests of mental performance and showed less brain shrinkage than peers with lesser intake of those nutrients." (In general, foods high in vitamins B, C, D, and E include green, leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, oily fish, fish oils, nuts, and seeds.)

Another great reason healthy nutrition is our natural medicine cabinet!

Which foods are "must-have" in your kitchen? Spinach? Kale? Fresh, seasonal fruits?

Reference
Rojas-Burke, J. (2011, Dec 28). Some diets protect aging brains, others accelerate harm, Oregon study suggests. The Oregonian. Retrieved from http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2011/12/some_diets_protect_the_brain_o.html

What Are the Health Benefits of Eating Seasonal Foods?

You may have heard the terms "seasonal foods" or eating "in-season" used by holistic nutrition experts, but what do they mean? Why are seasonal foods so important?

The seasons provide diversity, and changes in conditions from spring to summer or fall to winter, for example, are essential for balancing the ecosystem. We've been taught to expect the same foods to be available in our supermarkets year-round; however, we pay the price for this availability, both in nutrition and ecological terms.

According to the National Resources Defense Council, most produce grown in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles before it gets sold. A grape traveling from Chile to California travels approximately 5,900 miles!

Seasonal produce is fresher, may have higher levels of beneficial nutrients, often tastes better, is more likely to be grown locally, and can often be purchased from local farmers, reducing the transportation time and associated costs, while supporting your local economy.

To find out what's in-season in your area, head to your local farmers market or check out the National Resources Defense Council Eat Local Guide.

For November, commonly found in-season produce includes: apples, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, corn, eggplant, kale, mushrooms, okra, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin, rhubarb, snap peas, spinach, and squash.

What are your favorite in-season foods for this time of year? Have some great tips for how to locate seasonal foods in your local area? Feel free to post your suggestions and comments here! Plus -- we're always looking for new recipes. We look forward to hearing from you.

>> To learn more about holistic nutrition and eating for health, find more information about the American College Certificate in Holistic Nutrition Consulting online here.

Lipstick for Dogs: An ACHS Fundraiser Benefiting the Oregon Humane Society

ACHS is hosting a fabulous fundraiser on July 27. We hope you can attend! 



Lipstick for Dogs is a fundraiser benefiting the Oregon Humane Society.

35% of retail sales and 15% of preferred client sales donated with a minimum $250 donation

!

Lipstick for Dogs features Arbonne vegan cosmetics, skin care, and nutrition products. Events include a raffle, free makeovers, and more!

July 27 from 5-8 pm, PST at the Apothecary Shoppe Store, American College of Healthcare Sciences, 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland Oregon.

For more information, call (800) 487-8839 and "Like" the American College of Healthcare Sciences on Facebook for more information: facebook.com/ACHSedu

For directions, visit our website at http://www.achs.edu/about/campus-tour.aspx?id=15

Help Us Build a List of Favorite Colorful and Nutritious Foods for National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month and the theme is "Eat Right with Color!" An easy way to start improving your nutrition is to include a variety of color on your plate, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy.The American Dietetic Association further suggests Americans "take time during National Nutrition Month to look at their eating patterns and begin to make the small improvements that, over time, add up to significant health benefits."

We asked our ACHS Facebook fans to help us build a list of favorite colorful and nutritious foods. If you're looking for some new ideas and to add some variety to your diet, our fans suggest: yellow sweet peppers, kale, cabbage, broccoli, red tomatoes, red (orange) lentils, bell peppers, lemons, blueberries, purple potatoes, onions, garlic, spinach, collard greens, parsnips, turnips, beets, carrots, and rutabaga.

> See the complete list on ACHS Facebook and add your favorites!

Natural Diet and Lifestyle Tips to Help Improve Health and Wellness

Live your life as if your health depends on it…because it does! Making healthy lifestyle choices is a conscious act. That means, everyone is responsible for the choices they make. Health does not happen automatically or because someone else wants you to make changes. We make healthy choices when good health is something we want and value.

How, then, do we promote good health once we recognize it as a priority? Here are three tips to get you started:

1. Food provides energy for performing the activities of life. Eating is not just something you do when you're hungry. Food fuels our bodies, because within the food itself (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) are the components our bodies use to generate energy, to grow and repair, and to fight invaders like toxins.

2. Balance your plate. Finding a healthy balance of food (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) may be easier than you think. Split your plate into three sections. Then, fill half your plate with vegetables and salad; fill one-quarter of your plate with your protein (poultry, fish, beans, etc.); and fill the rest of your plate with whole grains (barley, pasta, etc.).

3. Eat frequently. Skipping meals can lead to increased production of hormones that cause muscle loss. Eat frequently. Three small meals and 2-3 snacks daily are recommended.


To read the full-length article, Natural Diet and Lifestyle Tips to Help Improve Health and Wellness, click HERE.

7 Food Storage Tips to Help Retain Nutrients

Fresh fruits and veggies are packed with phytonutrients (organic components of plants thought to promote human health) and vitamins. But fruits and veggies can quickly lose these valuable nutrients if they are not stored properly. It's the perfect time to take stock of your fruit and veggie larder.

Did you know that in some instances, frozen veggies may actually have more vitamins than fresh veggies that have been sitting on a store shelf for a week or more. How long have your perishables been sitting? Next time you head out for groceries, consider your local farmer's market first. Fruits and veggies at the farmer's market are often harvested and sold the same day.

Here are 7 food storage tips to help retain nutrients in your fruits and veggies:

1. Keep veggies covered and chilled.
2. Don’t soak your veggies.
3. Don’t keep food hot for too long, as vitamin levels will start to fall within a few minutes.
4. Store your fruits and veggies at the bottom of the refrigerator or in a cool, dark cupboard.
5. Store bananas away from other fruits, which will help keep them from ripening too fast.
6. Don't sore bananas in the refrigerator.
7. Refrigerate prepared juices and store them for no more than 2 or 3 days.
   

Do you have food storage tips to share? We'd love to hear from you. Post your best tips as a comment and on the ACHSedu wall here http://www.facebook.com/ACHSedu.

Soup Swaps Provide Healthy, Nutritious Meals and Community Interaction

Now that fall is here and the weather has turned a bit crisp (it seemed all of a sudden here in Portland, Oregon), average salad intake seems to decline. In cooler weather, many of us crave warm comfort food. Well, there’s no reason to abandon your commitment to your daily serving of fresh veggies. Homemade, veggie-packed soups are a nutritious and flavorful solution.

The good thing about soup …. A few hours in the kitchen can yield several meals. But we know, not everyone is excited about leftovers. Not to worry. We have a solution. Plan a soup swap!

Soup swaps are a great way to ensure you and your family are eating healthy, nutritious meals without having to reinvent the wheel every day. Invite a few of your friends, family members, neighbors, or coworkers to make a batch of their favorite soup (about six individually packaged quarts). Then meet at a central location to swap. The benefits: Soup swapers get to share their favorite recipe and every one leaves with about a week’s worth of healthy, prepared meals. What could be better!

To help plan your first soup swap, check out the article “Soup swaps help stock your freezer and foster friendships” from The Oregonian.

Then, DOWNLOAD your ACHS Wellness Guide for holistic nutrition tips to help you plan your soups.

Have great recipes? POST them here! We’d love to start a soup swap cookbook everyone can share.

If you like this post, help us spread the word. Post a link to your Facebook. Digg it. Stumble it. Tweet it. And ... thanks!

World Food Day 2010: Sign the Petition to End Hunger

World Food Day 2010 is this Saturday, October 16.

A worldwide event to raise awareness about hunger, World Food Day provides a great opportunity start alleviating hunger in your own community--share info about holistic nutrition, plan a food garden, be active. Education makes a difference!

Sign the petition to end world hunger here: http://www.1billionhungry.org/

To find a World Food Day event in your area, visit the World Food Day USA website here: http://www.worldfooddayusa.org/CMS/2950/18971.aspx

How will you help raise awareness? Here are 5 simple things you can do year-round to help alleviate hunger:

1. Make a YouTube video and send the link to everyone you know.
2. Organize an outreach project on your college campus.
3. Use the World Food Day curriculum (or develop your own!) and lead a discussion with kids in your local community.
4. Plant a community food garden.
5. Share information about World Food Day and healthy nutrition with everyone you can. Talk to people!

Have an event to suggest for World Food Day? Share it with our ACHS and greater holistic health community and post a response. We’d love to hear from you.

The American College has several downloads you can use to start planning your own World Food Day event. Download them here:

1. ACHS Wellness Guide: http://www.achs.edu/news/news-detail.aspx?nid=225
2. YouTube Videos (ACHStv), Diet and Lifestyle Choices for Health, Part 1-5: http://www.youtube.com/achstv#p/u/17/ELimj5QlFfY
3. Organic Gardening Guide: http://www.apothecary-shoppe.com/product_info.php?cPath=45&products_id=1602

If you like this post, help us spread the word. Post a link to your Facebook. Digg it. Stumble it. Tweet it. And ... thanks!

Have you registered? New classes starting Monday, September 20

Have you registered for fall classes yet? New classes are starting Monday, September 20! It's not too late to begin your journey toward personal wellness and an exciting new career.

What Can You Achieve with Your Training?

ACHS classes provide the practical skills and training you need for a career in holistic medicine and healthcare through programs like Certified Wellness Coach, Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Holistic Health Practitioner, Master Herbalist, aromatherapist, and natural health sales associate. You can also earn your Associates or Masters degree in Complementary Alternative Medicine fully online!

Call us--or visit our website ACHS.edu-- to learn how you can increase your future career opportunities, your lifetime earning potential and your own well-being while working in a field that makes a difference. Find out which classes are still available at (800) 487-8839 or email admissions@achs.edu.

>> For a complete list of aromatherapy, herbalism, holistic nutrition, and holistic health and wellness classes starting Monday, September 20, visit our online College Calendar here: http://www.achs.edu/services/calendar.aspx?id=9

ACHS Instructor Susan Belsinger Invited to White House for "Chefs Move to Schools" Program

ACHS Instructor and Acclaimed Chef Susan Belsinger pictured left in the White House kitchen garden.

ACHS Mediterranean Holistic Cuisine Summer Session in Greece and acclaimed chef Susan Belsinger was invited to the White House as part of the "Chefs Move to Schools" program, part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign to help end the epidemic of childhood obesity.

Belsinger and chefs from 37 states gathered on the South Lawn of the White House for the First Lady's remarks, excerpted on the White House Blog by Sam Kass:

"That's why we created the “Chefs Move to Schools” program, to pair chefs like you with interested schools in your local communities. And together, you’ll be helping students learn where food comes from, and develop healthy habits. You’ll be elevating the role of food in our schools, and working to create healthy meals on a budget…

But each of you has so much to offer when it comes to helping our children make healthy choices. You know more about food than almost anyone -- other than the grandmas --and you’ve got the visibility and the enthusiasm to match that knowledge. That's really what’s key. Just watching you guys in action will -- it excites me, let alone my little girls who can’t stay out of the kitchen when Sam is cooking.

You can make a salad bar fun -- now, that’s something -- and delicious. You can teach kids to cook something that tastes good and is good for them; and share your passion for food in a way that’s truly contagious."

As of the morning of June 4, about 990 chefs and 488 schools had signed up to be part of the Chef's Move to Schools program. Check out the White House Blog for an interactive map of where participating chefs and schools are located. Click here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/06/04/chefs-move-raise-a-healthier-generation-kids

Check back with the ACHS News Blog for more information from Susan about her experience at the White House! Also, when you visit the White House Blog post, you can spot Susan in the first photo included; she is on the right-hand side, the second row from the front, four from the left and with a camera!

Education About Healthy Lifestyle Important In Fight Against Obesity

Earlier this year, President Obama produced a report with more than 70 recommendations for strategies to help reduce childhood obesity. The goal of this initiative is to reduce the childhood obesity rate from 20% to 5% by 2030.

"According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," the American Botanical Council HerbClip News reports, "two-thirds of U.S. adults and 15% of U.S. children are overweight or obese, which places them at risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. [Note: The percentage of overweight and obese children may be higher, with other sources saying 20-30%.] "

To help combat these numbers, Obama's report focuses on prevention, including prenatal care, breast-feeding, community education, and providing healthy food and nutrition education at schools. The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity is leading these efforts.

"Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, botanical and supplement companies and organizations, and health food companies have a wonderful opportunity to participate in this initiative, " ABC's Managing Editor Lori Glenn adds. "While much of the focus has been on botanicals' abilities to decrease obesity and its subsequent ailments (See the FasTrak HC 051031-401 which covers green tea's benefits of reducing obesity and diabetes), providing proven ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight can also be a core message."

To read ABC's original article, go to: http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/401/news140.html

To learn more about nutrition education, check out the ACHS Certificate in Holistic Nutrition Consulting and to help support the health and wellness of you and your family, check out Introduction to Nutrition.

National Women's Health Week

On May 7 President Obama released a proclamation declaring May 9-15 National Women's Health Week!

President Obama says: "We have taken steps to provide access to high-quality, affordable health care, but individuals must also lead healthy lives and set a good example for their children. From scheduling regular medical examinations to applying sunscreen, simple, everyday activities can make a positive impact on the lives of women. Regular exercise, coupled with a nutritious diet, helps prevent heart disease, obesity, and other chronic conditions."

We couldn't agree more! Health is a holistic endeavor--body, mind, and spirit--and requires a commitment to a health-promoting lifestyle including exercise, smart eating, and a positive attitude!

This week, share the message of Women's Health with the women in your life and encourage them to prioritize their good health!

To help get a jumpstart, here's a link to our free download Antioxidants and Herbs by ACHS Graduate Amanda Lattin. Learn more about the health benefits of antioxidants and how easy it is to start incorporating herbs into the daily diet. It's time to plant, after all!

You can also download and share the ACHS Wellness Guide by ACHS President Dorene Petersen, which has more than 100 pages of great tips for men and women!

>> Click here to read President Obama's Presidential Proclamation--National Women's Health Week.