American College of Healthcare Sciences' Aromatherapy Programs Approved By Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA)

Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA) has approved the ACHS Certificate in Aromatherapy as a Level II approved aromatherapy program and the ACHS Diploma in Aromatherapy as a Level III Clinical Aromatherapy program.

American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) is the only nationally accredited, AIA Level II and III professional clinical aromatherapy training available in the U.S. This recognition ensures ACHS aromatherapy programs and ACHS students meet and exceed AIA’s extensive curriculum requirements for aromatherapy training at the clinical level as critically reviewed by independent evaluators of the AIA Education Committee.

“We’re very proud of this recognition,” says ACHS President Dorene Petersen. “AIA is diligently working to establish a high standard of excellence in the aromatherapy industry, which begins with quality education. Our mission at ACHS is to provide leadership in holistic health education through comprehensive professional online and on-campus education. This AIA recognition supports our mission and validates what we feel on a personal level, that our students are on the cutting-edge of aromatherapy education. We have the great privilege of training responsible, influential members of the growing aromatherapy professional community.”

For more information about AIA approved Level II and Level III programs at ACHS, including the Associate of Applied Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine with the Aromatherapy major, contact ACHS at (800) 487-8839, email admissions@achs.edu, or stop by the College campus located at 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland OR 97239.

For more information about ACHS and the AIA, visit the AIA website at http://www.alliance-aromatherapists.org/Aromatherapy_schools.htm

>> Read the full-text press release online here: http://www.achs.edu/news/news-detail.aspx?nid=262

Passion fruit peel may alleviate symptoms of asthma

Asthma, or airway inflammation and mucus secretion, can cause wheezing, coughing, and dyspnea. According to the HerbClips article "Efficacy of Purple Passion Fruit Peel Extract in Alleviating Asthmatic Symptoms in Adults," about 17 million people in the U.S. have asthma, an increasing number, which has led to increased interest in the use of nutritional protocols to control asthma.

Purple passion fruit Passiflora edulis peel (PFP) has a history of use with health challenges. In South American folk medicine, extracts of the peel have been used with anxiety, insomnia, asthma, and bronchitis. The extract contains three antioxidants (cyanidin-3O-glucoside, quercetin-3O-glucoside, and edulilic acid) and was "shown to modulate nitric oxide in hypertensive rats."

In a 2008 study with 42 subjects, all participants showed wheeze symptoms at baseline, but only 19.1 % of subjects who took PFP and 78.9% of participants in the placebo group showed symptoms at the end of the study. In addition, "of the approximately 90% and 79% of subjects in the PFP and placebo groups, respectively, with shortness of breath at baseline, approximately 10% and 37%, respectively, had symptoms after treatment. Of the nearly 100% of subjects with cough at baseline, approximately 20% and 50% of subjects in the PFP and placebo groups, respectively, had symptoms after treatment."

These results show that passion fruit peel extract significantly improves asthmatic symptoms after four weeks of usage without adverse effects. The authors of the study concluded that: "PFP extract may be safely offered to asthmatic subjects as an alternative treatment option to reduce clinical symptoms."

References:

Watson RR, Zibadi S, Rafatpanah H, et al. Oral administration of the purple passion fruit peel extract reduces wheeze and cough and improves shortness of breath in adults with asthma. Nutr Res. 2008;28: 166-171.

Based on article © Brenda Milot, ELS, "Efficacy of Purple Passion Fruit Peel Extract in Alleviating Asthmatic Symptoms in Adults," HerbClip

Image © http://www.flickr.com/photos/17548490@N00/1608949872/sizes/s/#cc_license

U.S. Department of Education finds online learning has advantages over traditional classrooms

By Jonathan Kaplan

A few weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Education released a report that looked at 12 years' worth of education studies, and found that online learning has clear advantages over face-to-face instruction.

The study, "An Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies," stated that “students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.”

But imagine for a moment that the report came to the opposite conclusion. I’m sure that if the U.S. Department of Education had published a report showing that students in online learning environments performed worse, there would have been a major outcry in higher education with calls to shut down distance-learning programs and close virtual campuses.

I believe the reason that the recent study elicited so little commentary is due to the fact that it flies in the face of the biases held by some across the higher education landscape. Yet this study confirms what those of us working in distance education have witnessed for years: Good teaching helps students achieve, and good teaching comes in many forms.

We know that online learning requires devout attention on the part of both the professor and the student -- and a collaboration between the two -- in a different way from that of a face-to-face classroom. These critical aspects of online education are worth particular mention:

• Greater student engagement: In an online classroom, there is no back row and nowhere for students to hide. Every student participates in class.
• Increased faculty attention: In most online classes, the faculty’s role is focused on mentoring students and fostering discussion. Interestingly, many faculty members choose to teach online because they want more student interaction.
• Constant access: The Internet is open 24/7, so students can share ideas and “sit in class” whenever they have time or when an idea strikes -- whether it be the dead of night or during lunch. Online learning occurs on the student’s time, making it more accessible, convenient, and attainable.

In higher education, there is still too much debate about how we are delivering content: Is it online education, face-to-face teaching, or hybrid instruction? It’s time for us to stop categorizing higher education by the medium of delivery and start focusing on its impact and outcomes.

Recently, President Obama remarked, “I think there’s a possibility that online education can provide, especially for people who are already in the workforce and want to retrain, the chance to upgrade their skills without having to quit their job.” As the U.S. Department of Education study concluded, online education can do that and much more.

>> READ MORE about the U.S. Department of Education study, "An Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies," here

© Jonathan Kaplan, Inside Higher Ed: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2009/08/11/kaplan

New Master of Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine Accredited

Holistic Tip of the Week: Earn a Graduate Degree in CAM.
We are delighted to announce that our new Master of Science degree program has received accreditation through the DETC. ACHS was approved to offer and confer this degree by the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization in December 2007, but has waited until accreditation was received to admit students. Applicants must hold a Bachelors degree from an accredited institution and receive recommendation for admission to the Program.

Classes for this Graduate degree program begin this fall and we are accepting applications now, so don't delay and be one of the first in the United States to earn this exciting degree. Call admissions at 800 487 8839 to schedule your admissions interview and see if you qualify for admission. www.achs.edu