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.

5 Steps to Help Beat Obesity in the New Year

BY Eleni Delfakis, MS, RD, ACHS Instructor Introduction to Nutrition

It’s hard to follow the news without reading or hearing about obesity and the risks associated with it. The United States is still trailing behind most industrialized countries, as over 65% of the population is now suffering from being overweight or obese.

As a nation, we need to reallocate more of our resources towards health programs and education, and provide incentives to companies that promote good health. Physical education in schools should reflect changing currents in sports trends to keep kids interested in staying fit. However, even without any help from our government, we can all take serious steps to ensure the safety of the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the quality of our food.

To be healthy, you must think healthy. To lose body fat, think positively about losing the extra pounds and give yourself the time you need to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Frantic overly restrictive dieting prevents the delivery of essential nutrients needed to maintain good health.

Here are 5 steps that I recommend to help you reach your goal:

1. Purchase fresh and organic food products whenever possible, which means food that is free of nitrites and other preservatives, pesticides, chemicals, and hormones.
2. Cook at home with whole foods. Each whole food contains one ingredient; it is unprocessed and unrefined. Over 75% of the diet should come from whole foods, with a good balance of foods from all the food groups and from a variety of textures and colors.
3. Consume low-fat yogurt and foods rich in fiber (such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) on a daily basis. These foods will keep your digestive track in good working order by eliminating the toxic by-products of digestion. Adults need 25-30 grams of fiber per day. For children, a good way to determine how much fiber they need is to calculate their age + 5.
4. Replace red meat with wild caught salmon or small fish, nuts, and legumes at least two times per week.
5. Consume small portions (3-4 ounces) of meat or poultry three times a week. Unless you’re a muscle-bound body builder you don’t need more. Also, remove the skin from the chicken and all visible fat from meats prior to cooking. Eating small portions and maintaining ideal body weight may help prevent the onset of Type II Diabetes.
   

For 10 more steps you can take to help best obesity in the new year, read the full-text article available in the January edition of the ACHS holistic health newsletter, The Reporter, available online HERE.

Horseradish Named IHA Herb of the Year for 2011

The International Herb Association (IHA) has named horseradish Herb of the Year for 2011!

You may be familiar with horseradish's characteristic pungent aroma and spicy flavor, but did you know that horseradish is high in vitamin C and attributed with antimicrobial properties?

Here are some more horseradish FAQs you may not know:

• In the United States, an estimated 24 million pounds of horseradish roots are ground and processed annually to produce approximately 6 million gallons of prepared horseradish.
• Horseradish root is harvested in the spring and fall and the ground horseradish is mixed with distilled vinegar and may also contain salt, sugar, cream, vegetable oil, or ground beets or mustards.
• The Egyptians knew about horseradish as far back as 1500 BC. and early Greeks used it as a rub for low back pain and as an aphrodisiac.
• It is said the Oracle at Delphi told Apollo, that "the radish was worth its weight in lead, the beet its weight in silver, and the horseradish its weight in gold."
  

Learn more about the history of horseradish, its traditional uses, and medicinal properties in the article "Sea-Radish (aka Horseradish)" available for free download in the January edition of the ACHS holistic health newsletter, The Reporter, online HERE.

If you're interested in growing, harvesting, and preparing your own horseradish, this is a very useful video from the City Farmer.

@ACHSedu Top Tweets from 2010

Over the last year, Twitter reportedly grew by more than 100 million users. That's a whole lot of 140-character-long thoughts and ideas sharing about.

We know there are a lot of health resources to choose from, and we want to thank you for loyally following ACHS tweets to learn what's new in health and wellness.

As part of our year in review, here are 10 of our top tweets shared by @ACHSedu in 2010! (They're in no particular order.) Some got the most clicks. Some reflect important world developments. Some sparked sentiments and sharing with you. For your 2011 wellness stories, health tips, and lifestyle suggestions, follow us at @ACHSedu!

1. Reading about New York's effort to seek a national reduction of salt in food. Average American consumes 3,400-3,500 mg/day http://ow.ly/W59B

2. Obama's Statement on the earthquake in Haiti has been posted to YouTube. Find out what U.S. relief efforts are planned http://ow.ly/W4tC

3. Haiti earthquake relief: How to help. Here's a list of organizations working to provide basic needs and health care http://ow.ly/WsW4

4. Good tips from Massage Today about how to use essential oils to go green for a healthier office http://ow.ly/Wu2Q and http://ow.ly/Wu2R

5. Added new article to wikiHow, "How to Make a Decoction." Learn how to make your own herbal teas to support optimal health http://ow.ly/W5kr

6. 20 ways to get healthier for free (or pretty cheap). Download free holistic health info http://ow.ly/WRjv Get tips here http://ow.ly/WRjw

7. Great article on growing $700 worth of produce in a small garden: http://ow.ly/1aXxl Free gardening classes at ACHS start next month!

8. The ACHS Holistic Kitchen .... recipe for how to make baked kale, dandelion coffee, fresh tomato sauce from the garden http://ow.ly/30XuM

9. Posted new Photo of the Week. Can you identify the herb? Thank you Shelli Johnson for sharing your pic with us all! http://ow.ly/2KucX #herb

10. Have you seen Numen?It's the first feature-length film to explore traditional herbal medicine use in the US http://ow.ly/2GVXa #herbs#health

Recording of Select Drug-Herb & Drug-Nutrient Interactions Now Available

Our December 14, 2010, teleconference with Dr. Mario Roxas--Select Drug-Herb & Drug-Nutrient Interactions--was action packed! Dr. Roxas shared an insightful, personal snapshot of the current state of our society's health followed by a stellar introduction to the complex world of drug-herb and drug-nutrient interactions. We welcome you to download the recording for your personal reference library. You may also want to download a copy of the presentation's accompanying PDF to follow along!

Download Select Drug-Herb & Drug-Nutrient Interactions HERE.

For those who were able to attend, we sincerely hope you enjoyed the teleconference. Our teleconferences have limited space and are, therefore, only open to ACHS students and graduates. However, we know there are many of you who would like to attend and to learn more about integrating holistic health and wellness into your everyday life. So, we are very happy to be able to post a recording of Select Drug-Herb & Drug-Nutrient Interactions for your enjoyment.

If there is a specific teleconference topic you would like to hear in the future, please let us know. You can email it to communications@achs.edu or post it as a comment to ACHS Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/ACHSedu

For a schedule of upcoming ACHS teleconferences, click on Community Wellness classes or use this link: http://www.achs.edu/wellness/community-wellness.aspx?id=6

ACHS Apothecary Shoppe College Store Is Now Oregon Tilth Certified Organic

We're proud to announce our Apothecary Shoppe College Store is now Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO). OTCO is the certifying agent for the National Organic Program (NOP) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). An internationally recognized symbol of organic integrity, OTCO reflects the Apothecary Shoppe’s ongoing commitment to green business and sustainable practices.

As an arm of the ACHS community, our Apothecary Shoppe prioritizes environmental stewardship and offers a distinguished selection of natural health products, including certified organic herbs and essential oils, for ACHS students and the community at large. To promote sustainable harvesting, wildcrafting, and preservation of natural resources, ACHS President Dorene Petersen personally visits all Apothecary Shoppe distillers, wildcrafters, and suppliers to ensure ACHS’s dedication to sustainable practices.

“We’re very excited about our Oregon Tilth certification,” says ACHS President Dorene Petersen. “OTCO protects our customers by ensuring their herbal supplies meet strict production standards for organic products. Being OTCO means we cannot use the term ‘organic’ with our products unless the material is on the list of our approved products. To be approved, the material has to be NOP certified by the vendor. If the material is not NOP certified, it will not be sold as organic.”

The Apothecary Shoppe has been certified for a diverse selection of herbs and essential oils. For specific product information, visit the Apothecary Shoppe website (www.apothecary-shoppe.com) and click on the herb and/or essential oil of interest.

To learn more about the rigorous process of Oregon Tilth certification, visit the Oregon Tilth website (http://tilth.org) and click on Certification to access their FAQs.

READ the full-length press release here: http://www.achs.edu/news/news-detail.aspx?nid=249

World AIDS Day 2010 Universal Access and Human Rights

BY Keoi Magill, ACHS Graduate Certificate in Aromatherapy

World AIDS Day is December 1 and this year’s theme is Universal Access and Human Rights. More than 25 million people have died from AIDS since its first discovery in 1981 and by the end of 2006, women accounted for 48% of all living adults with HIV. There are currently 2.1 million children that are living their lives with HIV.

HIV is not just a disease of the past and should not be forgotten. Each and every day there are approximately 6,000 young people worldwide between the ages of 15-24 being diagnosed with HIV. Sadly, for these people, every day is AIDS Day.

First and foremost, a holistic approach to AIDS education is needed to remove the stigma of shame that surrounds those who have contracted HIV. The body’s immune system becomes compromised from the disease. Then other diseases step in and ravage the body. Stress and worry can escalate the entire process.

Taking a holistic approach may improve quality of life. Providing access to holistic medical care, that includes diet education, relaxation and training in meditation techniques may also help to slow the advances of AIDS and support reduced stress and anxiety.

Universal access to education and support by respecting all human rights is holistic in its inception and principal. For those of us, who are working and interested in the holistic approach to our lives now is the time to educate ourselves, our clients, friends and family to the truths regarding AIDS. There is no known cure for AIDS and the number of new cases continues to rise.

Take the opportunity to educate yourself about AIDS Day and help support the year-round fight to stop the spread of HIV. There are many resources available on the web. To get started, you may want to check out the World AIDS Day website (http://www.worldaidsday.org) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website (http://nccam.nih.gov) for more information about current research into using CAM protocols with AIDS.

Reference:
Ironson G, Hayward H. (2008). Do positive psychosocial factors predict disease progression in HIV-1? A review of the evidence. Psychosom Med, 70(5):546-54.