Monday, September 22, 2008

To Sleep, Perchance to Smell?

To Sleep, Perchance to Smell?
Odors can affect the emotional tone of dreams, study finds

By Serena Gordon
Reproduced from HealthDay Reporter




SUNDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Can the smell of rotten eggs or roses change the type of dream you have?

Quite possibly, new research suggests.

German researchers are reporting that when people smelled the scent of rotten eggs while sleeping, the nature of their dreams turned decidedly negative, while those who got a whiff of the scent of roses had more positive dreams.

"We were able to stimulate the sleeper with high concentrations of positively and negatively smelling odors and measure if the stimuli were incorporated into the dreams and changed the emotional tone of dreams," said the study's lead author, Dr. Boris Stuck, a professor of otorhinolaryngology at Heidelberg University.

"We found that the sleeper hardly ever dreamed of smelling something. Nevertheless, the emotional tone of the dream did change depending on the stimulation," he said.

Stuck said that previous research had shown that other types of stimulation, such as sound, pressure or vibration, could influence the content and the emotional tone of dreams.

The difficulty in conducting such research, he said, is finding the point where you can introduce a stimulus that's strong enough to influence a dream, but not so strong that it wakes the sleeper. Certain odors, such as peppermint, not only stimulate the sense of smell, but can irritate the nasal passages as well.

To overcome this, Stuck and his colleagues used chemicals that simulated either the smell of roses or the smell of rotten eggs.

The study included 15 young, healthy females. As the women entered rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, when dreaming occurs, they were exposed to either a non-odorous control smell, the rose smell or the rotten egg smell. Each woman underwent three REM "awakenings," so they were exposed to each test once.

Once awakened, they were asked to report the content of their dreams. In 40 of the 45 awakenings, dreams were reported.

The researchers asked the women to assess the content of their dream on an emotional "coloration" scale that measured the tone of their dream. They were asked to rate the positive or negative coloration of their dream on a scale of 0 to 3. Zero was no coloration and 3 was strong coloration.

After the control stimulation, there was a slightly positive average coloration of 0.5; after the rotten egg smell, the coloration averaged -0.4; and after the rose smell, the coloration was +1.2, according to the study.

"When stimulating the subject with a positive smell, the emotional coloration was positive in nearly every case, while with negative stimulation, the emotional tone was shifted to negative," Stuck said.

The findings were expected to be presented Sept. 21 at the American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery Foundation annual meeting, in Chicago.

Pamela Dalton is an expert on odor perception and a sensory psychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. She said, "We are aware at some level of our odorous ambient environment at all times, and I don't think we appreciate that. At some level, our brains are always aware. If this study shows that we can alter the emotional content of dreams, think about what an odor can do to your mood without you even being aware."

Dalton said the study findings could be a first step in finding a way to change people's perceptions of emotionally disturbing places, such as hospitals or nursing homes. But, she added, it's also possible that a reverse association could occur, and people might simply begin linking the good smell with the bad place.

"Odors become associated with good and bad very readily," she said.

More information

Learn more about your sense of smell from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.





SOURCES: Boris Stuck, M.D., professor, otorhinolaryngology, Heidelberg University, Germany; Pamela Dalton, Ph.D., sensory psychologist, Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia; Sept. 21, 2008, presentation, American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery Foundation annual meeting, Chicago



Last Updated: Sept. 22, 2008

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

English Composition Course Now Offered At ACHS!

ACHS is delighted to announce the launch of its new English Composition courses, with the first class starting November 17, 2008.

“Required for the ACHS Associate of Applied Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine degree program, English composition is also vital for anyone in the holistic health industry,” says Co-Education Director Erika Yigzaw. “Many graduates have enjoyed success authoring books, magazine articles, blogs, e-magazines, and newsletters. The English Composition classes will strengthen students’ skills for their career and provide vital life skills in English composition.”

The English Composition classes use ACHS’s dynamic online classroom format, with extensive interactive multimedia activities and peer to peer and instructor interaction. ACHS has worked with international publisher Pearson Education to develop the online content for these user-friendly yet content rich courses, and we are sure they will delight both new and existing ACHS students.

ACHS is also delighted to welcomenew faculty to ACHS to teach the English Composition classes, the first of which is Sarah Louise.

We are currently accepting applications for admission into these exciting new course offerings. Click here for more information or Contact Admissions at (800) 487-8839.

ACHS Featured in AHHA's Good News Column

ACHS's announcement of achieving the first and only accredited and state approved online Associates and Masters degrees in Complementary Alternative Medicine was featured in the May 2008 issue of the American Holistic Health Association's (AHHA) newsletter.

Read about ACHS's achievement in the Good News column of AHHA's newsletter online here.

ACHS Featured in AHHA's Good News Column

ACHS's announcement of achieving the first and only accredited and state approved online Associates and Masters degrees in Complementary Alternative Medicine was featured in the May 2008 issue of the American Holistic Health Association's (AHHA) newsletter.

Read about ACHS's achievement in the Good News column of AHHA's newsletter online here.

Monday, September 8, 2008

ARGH! STRESS!!

According to the study done in 2005 by the American Psychological Association almost two-thirds of all visits to the family physician were stress related.  That results matches the global statistic which states 3 out of 5 doctor visits are from stress related illness. Stress is also linked to six leading causes of death- heart disease, cancers, lung illness, liver ailments and suicide. 

Stress is also linked to over eating, alcohol and drug abuse  and sleep disturbances. Increased levels of cortisol and adrenalin from stress can result in a slower thyroid function and decreased immune system function. Simultaneously increasing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In short, stress is as unhealthy as a triple layer cheeseburger and super size fries. We can avoid the fast food but how do we , in this fast paced high demand society avoid stress? 

It is easy for me as a health professional to tell a client to eat correctly, whole foods as close to their natural state is possible and to avoid alcohol and junk foods. It is also easy, where I sit, to advise regular vigorous physical activity at least 3x a week. However, some people cannot set enough time aside to exercise at the gym and have little energy after a long stressful day at work to come home and run on a treadmill. You yourself may not have time to cook healthy whole foods and find it mush easier to stop at the fast food place on the way to and from your high paced daily routine.  So lets map out some short and realistic tips for releasing daily stress in our life. 
Clear Your Mind
At night when you lay your head on your pillow refuse to go over the day events which you have ended. Do not allow your mind to go onto the next days worth of work, bills and stresses. Instead, focus on your breath and your body. Concentrate on inhaling and exhaling and allowing your body to slow down. With each inhale picture the much needed oxygen filling the cells of your body. With each exhale picture the negative emotions in the day leaving you as you exhale. Take care not to picture the negative events themselves but just the negative feelings of anxiety, stress, fear and anger. Picture yourself comfortable and happy as you breath in and out. You have time to do this simple activity because you DO go to bed and night and you DO breath. 

Count to Ten
How often have we heard this advise? Count to ten before you react, or over react. Think clearly about what you have to do and how you will do it or say it. Allow clear logical thought to enter your mind versus the immediate emotional response you want to release upon the world.  Consider if you may be over reacting and if there is a calmer way to handle things.  Traffic jams and other seemingly irritating events do not need to cause stress in our life. A 5 minute traffic hold up or a 5 minute wait in a market line will not cause the stock market to crash or a loved one to run away because they just could not wait any longer. Often times we allow our emotional response dictate how we should feel in an event that if we stopped and took 10 tiny seconds to think about we would see it was not as alarming as we originally EMOTIONALLY reacted to. 

Eat something healthy
Something IS better than nothing. Grab a handful of almonds, some "orange smiles" or even just an apple. Give your body some of the nutrients back that you took away from it when you could not find your car keys and ran around in a panic looking for them. Picture your engine on full speed when you were panicking and acknowledge the greater force of fuel needed in that moment of the day and the fact you did use vitamins and nutrients just to alleviate the physical response to the emotional stress. Give something back.

Walk for 5 minutes
Physical activity, move your body, even a little. Park 10 spaces further down from where you would normally park. Take the stairs if you normally take the elevator. Take 2 steps at a time if you normally take the stairs. Get up from your office chair and walk down a hall and back. Move, somehow find 5 minutes to move. 

Do something nice for someone else 
Get coffee for a co-worker, hug your friend, make a call to a relative to cheer them up. Smile at a stranger. Offer a moment of kindness to someone else and you will also reap the benefits of that act of kindness. 

These are simple steps that you can do to help release some stress and allow your body a moment of reprieve. Your body is not meant to run at full emotional speed and it does not like it. Keep these things in mind, begin to practice them and create healthy habits to let stress go. 

 

Sunday, September 7, 2008

ACHS Announces New English Composition Courses

New English Composition Courses at ACHS

ACHS is delighted to announce the launch of its new English Composition courses, with the first class starting November 17, 2008.

“Required for the ACHS Associate of Applied Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine degree program, English composition is also vital for anyone in the holistic health industry,” says Co-Education Director Erika Yigzaw. “Many graduates have enjoyed success authoring books, magazine articles, blogs, e-magazines, and newsletters. The English Composition classes will strengthen students’ skills for their career and provide vital life skills in English composition.”

The English Composition classes use ACHS’s dynamic online classroom format, with extensive interactive multimedia activities and peer to peer and instructor interaction. ACHS has worked with international publisher Pearson Education to develop the online content for these user-friendly yet content rich courses, and we are sure they will delight both new and existing ACHS students.

View more information about these accredited, fully online English Composition courses online:

ENG 101 English Composition I
ENG 201 English Composition II

ACHS is also delighted to welcome new faculty to ACHS to teach the English Composition classes, the first of which is Sarah Louise.

Sarah Louise holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, an LL.B., and 24 graduate hours toward a Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing. She also teaches online writing courses at DeVry University and Baker College and comments that “these online classes have been among the most enjoyable experiences of my career.” She has developed and taught courses in English Composition, Literature, Technical Writing, Writing the Research Paper, Developmental English courses, Business Writing, and Creative Writing at Northern New Mexico College as well as the University of New Mexico. She has also directed the writing lab at Northern New Mexico College, which provides computer-assisted learning, individualized tutorial aid, mentoring, and study groups.

Additional faculty appointments to meet the expected demand for these courses are pending and will be announced shortly.

ACHS Announces new English Composition Courses

New English Composition Courses at ACHS

ACHS is delighted to announce the launch of its new English Composition courses, with the first class starting November 17, 2008.

“Required for the ACHS Associate of Applied Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine degree program, English composition is also vital for anyone in the holistic health industry,” says Co-Education Director Erika Yigzaw. “Many graduates have enjoyed success authoring books, magazine articles, blogs, e-magazines, and newsletters. The English Composition classes will strengthen students’ skills for their career and provide vital life skills in English composition.”

The English Composition classes use ACHS’s dynamic online classroom format, with extensive interactive multimedia activities and peer to peer and instructor interaction. ACHS has worked with international publisher Pearson Education to develop the online content for these user-friendly yet content rich courses, and we are sure they will delight both new and existing ACHS students.

View more information about these accredited, fully online English Composition courses online:

ENG 101 English Composition I
ENG 201 English Composition II

ACHS is also delighted to welcome new faculty to ACHS to teach the English Composition classes, the first of which is Sarah Louise.

Sarah Louise holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, an LL.B., and 24 graduate hours toward a Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing. She also teaches online writing courses at DeVry University and Baker College and comments that “these online classes have been among the most enjoyable experiences of my career.” She has developed and taught courses in English Composition, Literature, Technical Writing, Writing the Research Paper, Developmental English courses, Business Writing, and Creative Writing at Northern New Mexico College as well as the University of New Mexico. She has also directed the writing lab at Northern New Mexico College, which provides computer-assisted learning, individualized tutorial aid, mentoring, and study groups.

Additional faculty appointments to meet the expected demand for these courses are pending and will be announced shortly.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

What defines healthy to you?

Everyone has a different perspective of personal health. You may see someone eating fast food and think "Wow, I make healthier choices" while again other people may view your own food choices as unhealthy. So, what defines health to you? Do you watch your saturated fat intake? Are you vigilant in making sure you don't eat too many carbohydrates? Does the word "antioxidant" get your mind ready for salad greens and a health shake?
I remember when I was studying at ACHS and I had to define the symptoms of vitamin deficiencies and I was reminded just how complex but unified our body really is. Our body really is the ultimate in machine design! I mean sure, what they are doing over there at Google is impressive but your body is even more impressive in it's complexity.
In today's world we often run to the pharmacy or the doctor to treat common ailments such as dry skin, or trouble sleeping, headaches and digestive troubles to name some common ones. Did you know that all of these can be symptoms of a B deficiency? How often does someone think "Oh I have a cold starting and my hands seem dry, I need to up my vitamin intake!" Or suggest the family eat a better assortment of veggies now as winter is getting closer and immune systems need the extra boost.
I am suggest that you take time to make sure you are offering the key nuts and bolts to your machine now before you need the doctors repair bill. Don't wait for more symptoms of the problem to develop, be more proactive in your own diet. You may just find out those symptoms of PMS or IBS or other ailments you are worried are developing may just be deficiencies in the exact nutrients we need to run a well "oiled" machine!

For a list of food sources of vitamins and the symptoms of deficiencies you may have please check out this link: Vitamin Deficiency Solutions

Monday, September 1, 2008

ACHS Welcomes Herbalists Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox's Creative Herbal Home Workshop to the ACHS Campus

The Creative Herbal Home Workshop featuring Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox

Wednesday, September 10, 11 am to 3 pm.

So, you know about using essential oils for aromatherapy. Wouldn’t you like to learn many other ways to use herbs and essential oils in your everyday life? Then this fun and inspiring class is just what you need!

Join authors Susan Belsinger and Tina Marie Wilcox, authors of The Creative Herbal Home, while they discuss using herbs and essential oils to create “green” household cleaning products, insect repellents, care for the gardener, first aid preparations and how to make herbal spa products.

This workshop is divided into two parts:

  • The use of herbs in everyday life, where Susan and Tina will show you some of their favorite herbs and demo how to make a variety of products. Includes hands-on experience of making an herbal sugar scrub, preparing an herb-infused oil (featuring Herb of the Year Calendula) , and blending your own herbal bath bag.
  • Demo and lecture about using essential oils to create herbal spa products as well as how to use essential oils for household uses. You'll create your own blends for an aromatic spritzer, an apple cider vinegar for cleaning house or toning skin and also therapeutic bath salts.

This enthusiastic, entertaining and exciting workshop will give you confidence and know-how to lead a healthier, happier, and greener lifestyle! Recipes and handouts are included with the workshop. A book signing will follow the workshop and the Apothecary Shoppe will be open offering herbs, essential oils, equipment and supplies that we used in class.

Don't miss the opportunity to learn in-person with Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox.

Class cost: $50, includes supplies. Space is limited. Be sure to register by calling 503-244-0726 or register securely online here to reserve your place today!

Note: This is a non-credit workshop.

ACHS Welcomes Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox's Creative Herbal Home Workshop to the ACHS Campus

The Creative Herbal Home Workshop featuring Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox

Wednesday, September 10, 11 am to 3 pm.

So, you know about using essential oils for aromatherapy. Wouldn’t you like to learn many other ways to use herbs and essential oils in your everyday life? Then this fun and inspiring class is just what you need!

Join authors Susan Belsinger and Tina Marie Wilcox, authors of The Creative Herbal Home, while they discuss using herbs and essential oils to create “green” household cleaning products, insect repellents, care for the gardener, first aid preparations and how to make herbal spa products.

This workshop is divided into two parts:

  • The use of herbs in everyday life, where Susan and Tina will show you some of their favorite herbs and demo how to make a variety of products. Includes hands-on experience of making an herbal sugar scrub, preparing an herb-infused oil (featuring Herb of the Year Calendula) , and blending your own herbal bath bag.
  • Demo and lecture about using essential oils to create herbal spa products as well as how to use essential oils for household uses. You'll create your own blends for an aromatic spritzer, an apple cider vinegar for cleaning house or toning skin and also therapeutic bath salts.

This enthusiastic, entertaining and exciting workshop will give you confidence and know-how to lead a healthier, happier, and greener lifestyle! Recipes and handouts are included with the workshop. A book signing will follow the workshop and the Apothecary Shoppe will be open offering herbs, essential oils, equipment and supplies that we used in class.

Don't miss the opportunity to learn in-person with Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox.

Class cost: $50, includes supplies. Space is limited. Be sure to register by calling 503-244-0726 or register securely online here to reserve your place today!

Note: This is a non-credit workshop.

ACHS Welcomes Herbalists Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox's Creative Herbal Home Workshop to the ACHS Campus

The Creative Herbal Home Workshop featuring Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox

Wednesday, September 10, 11 am to 3 pm.

So, you know about using essential oils for aromatherapy. Wouldn’t you like to learn many other ways to use herbs and essential oils in your everyday life? Then this fun and inspiring class is just what you need!

Join authors Susan Belsinger and Tina Marie Wilcox, authors of The Creative Herbal Home, while they discuss using herbs and essential oils to create “green” household cleaning products, insect repellents, care for the gardener, first aid preparations and how to make herbal spa products.

This workshop is divided into two parts:

  • The use of herbs in everyday life, where Susan and Tina will show you some of their favorite herbs and demo how to make a variety of products. Includes hands-on experience of making an herbal sugar scrub, preparing an herb-infused oil (featuring Herb of the Year Calendula) , and blending your own herbal bath bag.
  • Demo and lecture about using essential oils to create herbal spa products as well as how to use essential oils for household uses. You'll create your own blends for an aromatic spritzer, an apple cider vinegar for cleaning house or toning skin and also therapeutic bath salts.

This enthusiastic, entertaining and exciting workshop will give you confidence and know-how to lead a healthier, happier, and greener lifestyle! Recipes and handouts are included with the workshop. A book signing will follow the workshop and the Apothecary Shoppe will be open offering herbs, essential oils, equipment and supplies that we used in class.

Don't miss the opportunity to learn in-person with Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox.

Class cost: $50, includes supplies. Space is limited. Be sure to register by calling 503-244-0726 or register securely online here to reserve your place today!

Note: This is a non-credit workshop.

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