Meet Robin Barnette, ACHS 2011 DETC Outstanding Graduate

Robin Barnette, ACHS Certificate in Aromatherapy program graduate, has been named a 2011 Outstanding Graduate by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The DETC is recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as an accrediting body, and conducts the “Outstanding Graduate” program annually. Students are selected for their academic record, and the level and quality of their contribution to society and their chosen profession(s).

Robin says, “Find your passion, follow your dreams.” She had experienced the healing benefits of essential oils first-hand, so pursuing a Certificate in Aromatherapy from ACHS was a natural extension of her passion to share the healing benefits of essential oils with others.

As an aromatherapist, Robin is now successfully educating clients one-on-one and in workshops about how to achieve optimal health naturally by incorporating good lifestyle choices and essential oils. She also regularly publishes articles dedicated to educating and sharing the wonderful healing benefits of therapeutic essential oils.

Robin is the owner of Aromachick, Healing Botanicals for the Body, Mind, and Sprit. She also offers Aroma-Yoga for Healing workshops in Calabasas, California, where she combines the therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy with the healing benefits of yoga.

“Earning my Certificate in Aromatherapy from ACHS was a life changing experience,” Robin says. “ACHS helped me find my passion and follow my dreams!”

To connect with Robin, post a message for her on ACHS Facebook HERE: http://facebook.com/ACHSedu

You can also catch Robin on YouTube! Watch her video about ACHS HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00mVvjvvA2E&feature=email

Noha Hashem of AREEj Aromatherapy on ACHS and Building a Successful Business

“Our lifestyle is stressful, full of ups and downs, challenges and problems to be solved. Using essential oils can help humans to relax and may help to make our lives better, so why not?,” asks Noha Hashem, graduate of the ACHS Certificate in Aromatherapy and owner of AREEj Aromatherapy.

“To be honest,” Noha continues, “six years ago I had no idea about the word aromatherapy, until I started to search the net, then I found out the amazing benefits of essential oils on the mind, like for example, lavender can help you relax and sleep or basil oil can help in concentra- tion. [...] This new knowledge inspired [me] to start learning more about aromatherapy. Through research I found out that the ACHS college in Oregon, USA, is the right place to learn about aromatherapy, so I joined it and it open to me a whole new world that I didn’t know about. At this point the vision was quite clear that we want eventually to have an aromatherapy finished product line for the direct consumer to benefit from these amazing natural oils.”

AREEj Aromatherapy, based in the Egyptian delta, is part of the Hashem Brothers family partnership, which specializes in the production of essential oils and aromatic products. AREEj Aromatherapy uses naturally-derived and certified organic plant ingredients in their aromatherapy products. “Traceability and quality,” the company’s website says, “are the pillars of our business, which allow us to introduce the cosmetic market to Egyptian aromatherapy products from the source.”

READ the full-length article about AREEj Aromatherapy and ACHS aromatherapy graduate Noha Hashem, HERE: http://www.achs.edu/newsletter.aspx?id=7

Propolis May Help Protect Liver from Damage Caused by Diabetes

The never-ending values of Propolis proven yet again! Le pouvoir de la propolis est forte!


Protective Effects of Chinese and Brazilian Propolis Treatment Against Hepatorenal Lesion in Diabetic Rats
Hum Exp Toxicol, 2010 Oct 18

Diabetes mellitus promoted an overproduction of free radicals and an increased incidence of both diabetic nephropathy and liver disease.

In this report, we evaluated the effects of Chinese and Brazilian propolis on streptozotocin-induced hepatorenal injury in rats.

The results demonstrated that Chinese propolis-treated rats had a 7.4% reduction in the glycated hemoglobin (HbAlc) level compared with untreated diabetic rats. Additionally, Chinese propolis induced an increase in the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) level significantly while Brazilian propolis raised serum SOD and reduced level of malonaldehyde (MDA) and nitric synthetase (NOS).

Of the measurable decrease in serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and microalbuminuria demonstrated the propolis-mediated improvement of hepatorenal function, which was further confirmed by histological examination. We also observed that Chinese and Brazilian propolis increased hepatorenal glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) level and inhibited MDA production significantly.

These results suggested that propolis may prevent hepatorenal injury by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes.

Is atherosclerosis caused by high cholesterol?

According to the low‐density‐lipoprotein (LDL) receptor hypothesis, development of atherosclerosis is caused by a high concentration of LDL‐cholesterol in the blood, and lowering LDL‐cholesterol reverses, or at least retards, atherosclerosis, thus preventing cardiovascular disease.¹ As a scientific hypothesis, it is open to falsification: if the concentration of LDL‐cholesterol or total cholesterol and the degree of atherosclerosis do not correlate, or if there is no exposure‐response, e.g. if there is no association between the cholesterol changes (ΔLDL‐cholesterol or Δtotal cholesterol) and atherosclerosis progression.

The successful statin trials, with their substantial reduction of LDL‐cholesterol seemed to confirm the LDL receptor hypothesis, but their outcome was independent of the initial cholesterol concentration and the degree of its lowering. For instance, the p values for the relationships between the outcome, and the percentage or the absolute change in LDL cholesterol, as calculated in one of the trial reports,² were 0.76 and 0.97, respectively. The lack of exposure‐response, together with the benefit of the treatment in disorders and age groups where LDL‐cholesterol concentration has little if any predictive value, suggests that statins must have more important effects on cardiovascular disease than a lowering of cholesterol.³ Indeed, there is evidence that the statins have anti‐thrombotic and anti‐inflammatory effects, and also a beneficial influence on endothelial dysfunction, LDL oxidation, re‐vascularization and smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Even if these effects were operating in the trials, the substantial lowering of LDL‐cholesterol should at least have contributed to the improvement if the LDL receptor hypothesis were correct. The lack of exposure‐response also questions whether atherosclerosis is truly caused by high LDL‐cholesterol.

However, the outcome in the clinical trials was cardiovascular disease, not atherosclerotic progression. To answer the question, we need to compare the cholesterol concentration and the degree of atherosclerosis, and in particular, to study the influence of ΔLDL‐cholesterol on atherosclerotic progression, rather than clinical outcome. Read the original article here...

Apitherapy News: Propolis May Help Treat Oral Cavity Diseases in HIV+ Patients

Apitherapy News: Propolis May Help Treat Oral Cavity Diseases in HIV+ Patients

Propolis has been already been proven to be very effective in the mucus linings of the body, lungs and oral cavities. It's well-known bioflavonoids are numerous. The caffeic acid or CAPE is one of the most common and was also proven at Columbia University in 1994 to possess anti-tumor properties.

The Antifungal Activity of Iranian Propolis Samples Against Fluconazole-Resistant Candida albicans Strains Isolated from HIV+ Patients with Oropharyngeal Candidiasis 
Journal of ApiProduct & ApiMedical Science, Vol. 2 (4) pp. 161 - 166 

Propolis is an antimicrobial agent whose composition can vary depending on the area from which it is collected. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro activity of two propolis samples from northern and southern Iran (Mazandaran and Hormozgan province respectively) against some fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans strains isolated from HIV+ patients with oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC). 

The chemical composition of propolis samples was determined by high-resolution gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Ethanolic extracts were prepared from the propolis samples. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) of propolis on the growth of C. albicans isolates were determined using the broth microdilution method. The main compounds of propolis extracts were aromatic acids such as caffeic acid (1.6% for northern and 2.2% for southern samples). 

The propolis extracts showed antifungal activities; the concentrations capable of inhibiting all of the yeasts ranged from 2 to 20 mg/mL. Propolis from southern Iran showed the most effective MIC values for the yeasts studied. 

Because of increased antifungal resistance, propolis may be kept in mind in the treatment of oral cavity diseases such as OPC in HIV+ patients.

Study-Abroad Programs and Travel Dates for Summer School in Greece 2011

We're excited to announce our study-abroad programs and travel dates for summer school in Greece 2011 and would like to invite you to join us!

May 27 to June 2, 2011: Watercolor Journaling in Greece with Jacqueline Newbold. Read more about Jacqueline and her watercolor journaling online at: http://newboldart.com/Travels.htm

Jacqueline is a successful artist and teacher who leads successful study abroad programs to Provence. I am thrilled that Jacqueline will be offering her wonderful class for the first time in Greece. We will learn how to journal our Mediterranean Herb and Essential oils, and our Aromatic Journey to Chios programs.

June 4 to 9, 2011: Mediterranean Herbs and Essential oils in Greece with ACHS President and Wellness Expert Dorene Petersen, Guerilla Distiller Robert Seidel and guest lecturer Aromatherapist Mindy Green (Also an ACHS Advisory Board Member). We are privileged to have Robert Seidel and Mindy Green join us for this program.

June 11 to 16, 2011: Aromatic Journey to Chios--Explore Mastic Production with
Dorene Petersen and Robert Seidel. If you enjoy adventure, history and are fascinated in the potential of mastic essential oil don't miss this one!

Invest in yourself and stay for all three! Program details will be announced shortly. For priority enrollment, please contact ACHS admissions to be placed on the waiting list. We had many students contact us about doing summer school in 2011, so these programs will fill quickly! Call (800) 487-8839 or email admissions@achs.edu

An Overview of Product Manufacturing Industries in India

The Indian economy is based upon three important sectors that offer pillaring support to the economy’s fast growth rate. These three sectors include agriculture, manufacturing industries and service sector. Earlier, the agriculture sector was a dominating sector. At present, it is the service sector which has maximum contribution towards the country’s GDP.

However, the future of manufacturing industrial sector is big and bright. The manufacturing industries in different segments are constantly on a rise and the industrial products from India are increasing in demand all over the world. Among the developing and emerging economies, the industrial supplies sector of India ranks at fourth position and it is expected to keep on moving ahead of other economies.

Way back in 1990, India and China started from the same point. The GDP values for both the countries were more or less same. However, China took the initiatives in the manufacturing sector and started progressing in the production of different industrial products at a fast pace. Today, there is a huge gap between the GDP values of the two countries, with China leading and still going strong. It is not wrong to say that China will soon secure its position at number two among the most powerful economies of the world.

The economical reforms that began in India in 1990s have started bearing fruits. Industrial de-licensing and removal of ban from foreign investments allowed the foreign manufacturing companies to make investments in India. Besides, India has made a huge progress in the field of science and technology. Above all, India already has a big pool of technical talent in the form of its workforce which is specialized in different fields of manufacturing.

Another factor that is favorable to the growth of the industrial products manufacturing industry is the availability of the workforce and labor at a much cheaper rate in Indian as compared to various North American and European countries. Being a member of the world Trade Organization, the Indian economy is fast adapting the international standards of manufacturing and exporting industrial products and industrial supplies. Subsidization practices followed by the Indian government too support the growth of the manufacturing industries, especially those at the small and medium scales.

Here are some of the main highlights of the manufacturing industries in the country that are worth taking a look at:

• The Indian chemical manufacturing industry is among the top industrial products manufacturing industries as it contributes nearly 30 billion dollars towards the total GDP value every year.
• The growth in the pharmaceutical product manufacturing in the country is driven by lower costs involved in the research and development as well as low cost of manufacturing of medicines.
• Auto manufacturing industry is also on the rise as both domestic as well as international manufacturers are investing big in the industry.
• Glass manufacturing, rubber manufacturing, electrical component manufacturing industry and many other segments of manufacturing industry are too developing fast in the country.

There is need to develop infrastructure and manage the energy resources effectively, so that the growth of the manufacturing industries in the country keep on moving further towards growth and progress.