3 Safe and Simple Health Tests You Can Do At Home

The February 24 issue of The Oregonian featured an article by Joe Rojas-Burke, "Safe, simple health tests you can do at home," which stated that one of the most informative tests has proved "to be the cheapest: blood pressure measurements, taken lying down and then standing." Though low-tech approaches aren't flashy, researchers have developed some simple tests that have "proven accurate at predicting future health problems. The advanced warning can provide time to avoid illness by making changes in diet, exercise, sleep and other habits, and if necessary, taking medications to stay healthy."

Each test is simple and safe to try at home. If, however, you have any questions or concerns or experience any negative results, contact your primary care physician immediately.

Resting Heart Rate
Resting heart rate is an early warning for heart attack. To test yourself, you should first sit quietly for five minutes, then use your fingertips to find your pulse at your throat or wrist. Then "count the beats in 30 seconds and multiply by two. If your rate is above 75, consider talking to a medical caregiver about whether you need to make changes to lower your heart attack rick."

Waist Size
Waist size is an early warning for diabetes, heart disease, and premature death. To test yourself, first measure your bare waist across the belly button. Don't compress your skin. If your measurement is greater than 35 inches (woman) or 40 inches (men), it may " signal high risk for diabetes and heart disease. In children, the measures are less certain, says Dr. Sudhir Ken Mehta, a pediatric cardiologist at Case Western Reserve University and Fairview Hospital in Cleveland, whose research has linked waist size to heart problems in children. Mehta says its worth talking to a doctor if by age 5 your child's waist size exceeds 24 inches; by age 10 years it's more than about 30 inches; or by age 15 it's more than 35 inches."

Sit-Up Capacity
Sit-up capacity is an early warning for premature death. To test yourself, lie on your back, place your hands behind your head, and bend your knees at a right angle. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor. Then curl at the waist, toward your knees, and return to your starting position. Count the number of repetitions you can complete in one minute: " If your performance is below average, more strength training would do you good. Average is 14 sit-ups for women in their 40s, nine in their 50s, and six in their 60s. For men, it's 23 sit-ups in their 40s, 18 in their 50s, and 12 in their 60s."

>> For more try-at-home health tests, and to read the original research, download the full-length article from The Oregonian here:
http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2010/02/safe_simple_health_tests_you_c.html

ACHS adopts TopSchool as their SLM system, increasing efficiency for prospective and current students

The American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) has adopted TopSchool as its student lifecycle management (SLM) system. By adopting TopSchool, prospective and current ACHS students will gain greater access to real-time information through dynamic, customized self-help portals.

ACHS’s new portals increase efficiency by allowing students to complete their own automatic degree audit to determine which courses have been completed, which are required to complete their program or degree, and which electives are currently available. Prospective and current students will also be able to apply and enroll at ACHS online; register for courses online; view grades and order transcripts online; securely view financial account information online; and directly manage their accounts online.

“We like the fact that TopSchool’s system is built solely for higher education,” says Dorene Petersen, President of ACHS. “The CRM, SIS, and reporting tools are all integrated, allowing us to automate many of our processes. The system is also easy to use—its flexibility will allow us to configure it on our own as our needs evolve.”

>>Read the full-length article from the American College of Healthcare Sciences here: http://www.achs.edu/news/news-detail.aspx?nid=218

Essential Oil of Vitex May Help with Symptoms of PMS and Menopause

ACHS President Dorene Petersen harvests vitex berries for essential oil distillation in the American College of Healthcare Sciences Botanical Teaching Garden on February 17, 2010

Vitex Vitex agnus-castus, also called chaste tree and monk's pepper, is from the family Verbenaceae. A perennial, deciduous shrub, vitex grows to about 6-18 feet high and can spread to about 15 feet. The leaves are dark green, the flowers are small and lilac, and the berries are red-black with a spicy, aromatic flavor and aroma.

Historically, vitex is said to have been chewed by monks to help preserve their celibacy. There are also reports mentioning its use in Greek rituals, as well as the practice of carrying twigs for protection against dangers and to signify chastity.

Vitex essential oil is a pale to dark-yellow color and has a strong aroma, but is not traditionally used in perfumery. The fruit, or berries, are used to produce the oil, which includes the active constituents limonene, 1,8-cineol, pinene, carophyllene, and sabinene.

Therapeutically, vitex essential oil is thought to have hormonal effects, such as support for the relief of common menopausal symptoms[1] and PMS[2], and may have antibacterial and antifungal effects.

>> To learn more about the medicinal benefits of vitex, check out this free education video from the American College of Healthcare Sciences with College President Dorene Petersen: http://www.youtube.com/achstv#p/u/1/V0Mpmgm2sbU

Sign up to follow ACHS on YouTube, ACHStv, to receive automatic updates the moment new videos are posted: http://www.youtube.com/achstv

>> For your vitex essential oil, stop by the Apothecary Shoppe: www.apothecary-shoppe.com

[1] Lucks, B. 2003. Vitex agnus castus essential oil and menopausal balance: a research update. Complementary Therapies in Nursing and Midwifery Vol 9, Issue 3 148-154.
[2] 2009. The premenstrual syndrome: effectiveness of Vitex agnus castus. Med Monatsschr Pharm. May; 32(5): 186-91.

Aromatherapy for the Home: ACHS Featured on Better Living Show Blog

ACHS is gearing up for the Better Living Show taking place at the Portland Expo Center March 26-28. ACHS will be exhibiting at this fun and accessible sustainability show for the second year, and will have interactive holistic health presentations and lifestyle displays, as well as holistic health experts and ACHS faculty and staff on hand for attendees to speak with.

Here is a link to more information about ACHS at the Better Living Show @ booth #811, including show times and directions: http://www.achs.edu/news/news-detail.aspx?nid=214

Take a moment to check out the Better Living Show website, where we have a great aromatherapy article, "Aromatherapy at Home," featured on the Show's blog. Here is a sneak peek of the article, which includes information about aromatherapy, including tips for how to use essential oils in your home to create a clean environment and to create sanctuary:

"You may have seen the term “aromatherapy” on product labels, or even as part of spa services or in advertising. But perhaps you’re wondering, “What does aromatherapy really mean?” Translated literally, aromatherapy is the use of aromas for their healing properties. It is “the controlled use of essential oils to promote the health and vitality of the body, mind and spirit,” as Shirley Price, a noted clinical aromatherapist, further explains in her book Aromatherapy for Health Professionals.

So what does essential mean? Essential oils are the distilled or expressed product of volatile components synthesized by various plant tissues of a single plant species (the healing components). Simply, essential means that these distilled or expressed oils contain the essence or the fragrant part of the plant."

To read the full-length aromatherapy article, go to the Better Living Show website here: http://www.betterlivingshow.org/blog.Aromatherapy-for-the-Home.htm

ACHS President Dorene Petersen Featured in Article Series "The Business of Aromatherapy"

Check out this new Q & A with American College of Healthcare Sciences President Dorene Petersen published on the Essential U blog. Learn more about how Dorene became interested in aromatherapy, what she is passionate about, the business of aromatherapy, and what makes the ACHS Apothecary Shoppe College Store products so unique!

Kayla Fioravanti says on her blog Essential U: "Dorene Petersen is the President of The College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) which keeps her busy enough, but Dorene is passionate and manages to fit a lot onto her plate. I had the privilege of coming to ACHS to work with her and a panel of registered aromatherapists to review exam questions for the ARC registration test. Dorene is not only surrounded by books, but she is exceptionally familiar with their content. She was able to quickly double check facts from her vast library of books on any topic. I drooled over her library of books and added a few books to my library from the Apothecary Shoppe at the College before I left. "

Read more of the article, "The Business of Aromatherapy: American College of Healthcare Sciences," here: http://essentialu.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/02/the-business-of-aromatherapy-american-college-of-healthcare-sciences.html#more

Aspirin Use Associated with Decreased Risk of Breast Cancer Death

Studies with aspirin have shown it can inhibit growth and decrease the invasiveness of breast cancer. In specific, a February 2010 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology examined whether aspirin use among women with breast cancer would decrease their risk of death from breast cancer. The study included over 4,000 registered nurses in the Nurses' Health Study who were diagnosed with stages I, II, or III breast cancer between 1976 and 2002 and were observed until death or June 2006. Results found that 2-7 days of aspirin use per week was associated with both a decrease in breast cancer metastasis and death from breast cancer.

For more information about this study, link to the Journal of Clinical Oncology here: http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/JCO.2009.22.7918v1

University of Illinois Botanical Symposium in Chicago March 23

The American Botanical Council (ABC) just let us know about a botanical symposium taking place next month in Chicago. The Developments in Botanical Dietary Supplements Research from 1994 to Today symposium will be held March 23 at the Holiday Inn, Mart Plaza, in Chicago.

The day-long botanical dietary supplements research symposium is being offered by the University of Illinois at Chicago Botanical Center (UIC), and will feature the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) head Dr. Paul Coates, as well as representation from NCCAM.

The symposium will feature scientists from the U.S. and abroad, who will talk about their botanical research. A full agenda is available from UIC. For more information, check out their website at: http://www.uic.edu/pharmacy/centers/uic_nih_botanical_dietary_supplement_research/news/Symposium_Agenda.php

For more information about supplements, check out Dr. Arianna Staruch's blog post "The How and Why of the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010 Proposed by Senator McCain."

>> If you're interested in learning more about botanicals and nutrition, check out the ACHS website at www.achs.edu!