ACHS and Apothecary Shoppe Re-Certified as Green America Gold Certified Businesses

A member of Green America since 2000, American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) and the Apothecary Shoppe College Store have been re-certified as Green America Gold Certified Businesses.

Green America’s vision is to “work for a world where all people have enough, where all communities are healthy and safe, and where the bounty of the earth is preserved for all the generations to come.” ACHS supports this vision through the College mission and partnerships with dedicated organizations like Green America.

“We’re thrilled ACHS has been re-certified with Green America’s highest honor, the Gold Seal, for our dedication to providing leadership in holistic health education through comprehensive professional online and on-campus education and high-quality natural products with a commitment to sustainable practices and principles,” says ACHS President Dorene Petersen. “A big thank you to our students, alumni, and Apothecary Shoppe customers for supporting ACHS and for supporting other Green America members.”

To display the Green America Green Business Certification Gold Seal of Approval, ACHS successfully met Green America’s stringent green business requirements. The Green Business Certification is awarded to businesses that are actively using their business as a tool for positive social change, operating a “values-driven” enterprise according to principles of social justice and environmental sustainability, and environmentally responsible in the way they source, manufacture, and market their products and run their operations and facilities. (You can find a complete list of business standards at http://www.greenamerica.org/greenbusiness/)

Learn more about ACHS’s commitment to sustainability online at http://www.achs.edu/achs-green-campus and view ACHS’s sustainability profile, green achievements, and commitments in the National Green Pages online here: http://www.greenpages.org/listing/guide/education

About ACHS
American College of Healthcare Sciences was one of the first accredited colleges offering degrees, diplomas, and career-training certificates in complementary alternative medicine fully online. Founded in 1978, ACHS is committed to exceptional online education and is recognized as an industry leader in holistic health education worldwide. For more information about ACHS programs and community wellness events, visit www.achs.edu, call (503) 244-0726, or stop by the College campus located at 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland OR 97239.

>> GO TO www.achs.edu to read the full article on the American College website under News and Events. Or click here.

Natural Products Foundation Scholarship Fund - Application Deadline January 31, 2012

Calling all American College students ...

The Natural Products Foundation (NPF) Scholarship Fund provides a great opportunity for individuals committed to a career in the natural health and products industry.

Perhaps you're looking for further education to support a new career? Or, maybe you need some support to help finish school and reach your goal of a career in health and wellness? You may want to consider applying for the NPF scholarship. But hurry - the scholarship application deadline is January 31, 2012.

As stated on the NPF website:

The purpose of the NPF Scholarship Fund is to provide financial assistance for individuals who are committed to a career in the natural products industry. Specifically, the fund is targeted for students who have demonstrated leadership potential and are enrolled in academic programs to enhance their leadership skills and knowledge of the industry.

Scholarship Funds will be awarded to applicants on the basis of the following criteria:

• Career goal: Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to a career path that will potentially have a direct impact on the quality and safety of products, or on institutional support and consumer demand.
• Leadership: Applicants must demonstrate fundamental leadership skills.
• Academic achievement: Applicants must show the ability to accomplish high academic achievement, demonstrated by previous test scores, grades in other courses, or professional achievement.
• Area of study: Applicants must use the scholarship funds to attend a recognized educational program designed to further knowledge of natural products or the natural product industry.
• Academic program: The program may be full or part-time, degree or non-degree, but must be directly related to enhancing the applicant’s ability to contribute to the industry.
• Financial need: Applicants must be able to demonstrate personal need for financial aid.
• Geographic: Applicants must be residents of the United States.

>> For further information and to print the scholarship application, click here to link to the NPF website

Good luck everyone!

Tips for the Working Aromatherapist: National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy

"Starting a business that involves aromatherapy as part of your business model is exciting as well as overwhelming," says Rose Chard in her article "Tips for the Working Aromatherapist" on the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) blog. "Exciting because a growing number of people are looking to take more control of their well-being. Overwhelming because it is often difficult to know how to start an aromatherapy business--there is no set model to follow. However, this is a growing industry so it is an excellent time to add aromatherapy to your current business or to begin one based on aromatherapy. Here a few tips to help you along the way."

Do not assume that your clients will know the basics of aromatherapy, Chard suggests. Rather, rely on your expert education and the industry's ethical standards to meet your customer's needs. "A great number of people still do not understand the difference between an essential oil and fragrance oil," chard says, or "how to distinguish a true aromatherapy product by reading a label or that essential oils have uses other than aromatic pleasure. These people need you. And as an aromatherapist, you should recognize your role in proper education of the principles of aromatherapy for those that want and need that education."

Chard also suggests that working aromatherapists:

• Be specific about what they offer
• Start small and build
• Offer quality
• Decide on the business's demographics
• Be proud to promote the benefits of aromatherapy
• Charge to reflect the value of services and products offered

To read the full-length NAHA blog, click here.

For expert advice about the business of aromatherapy, check out "The Business of Aromatherapy: American College of Healthcare Sciences," an interview with ACHS President Dorene Petersen on the Essential U blog.

Click here to read "The Business of Aromatherapy."

Natural Product Recipes and Tips from ACHS Annual Winter Celebration

The 6th Annual ACHS Winter Celebration was a great success! We had more than 40 people attend the workshop, where ACHS President Dorene Petersen demonstrated how to make natural products to support a holistic lifestyle (including herb sugar scrub, aromatherapy and herb bath salt blend, peppermint foot scrub, essential oil blending, and how to make natural lavender and hops sleep pillows).

All of the recipes from the workshop's demonstrations can be downloaded for free from the Apothecary Shoppe College Store website. Click here: http://www.apothecary-shoppe.com/product_info.php?cPath=45&products_id=1548

Here are some of the tips and suggestions for making and using natural products that were shared with workshop participants throughout the day:

• When stressed, it is important to calm the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the "fight or flight" response). To do this, use some deep breathing at least twice a day.
• Store natural products carefully. Air and light can diminish the active constituents in herbs and essential oils.
  
• Coat your body in your favorite base oil and essential oil blend in the morning before you step into the shower. This will stimulate your senses and hydrate at the same time.
• When making a natural product that requires the use of glycerin, make sure your glycerin is plant-based. Glycerin is a humectant and holds in moisture.
  
• After you have stripped lavender from its stalk, do not throw the stalk away. You can use lavender stalks in fireplaces/fire pits to add some soothing hints of lavender.

For more tips like these and to watch Dorene's demonstrations from the Winter Celebration do two things:
#1 Become a Fan of ACHS: http://www.facebook.com/ACHSedu
#2 Subscribe to ACHStv on YouTube, where we have posted hours of instructional holistic health videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/achstv

Americans Spent $34 Billion Out-of-Pocket on CAM in 2007

Adults in the United States spent nearly $34 billion out-of-pocket on visits to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and on purchases of CAM products, classes, and materials in 2007, according to findings released in July from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).1

“With so many Americans using and spending money on CAM therapies, it is extremely important to know whether the products and practices they use are safe and effective,” said Josephine Briggs, MD, director of NCCAM in a press release.2 “This underscores the importance of conducting rigorous research and providing evidence-based information on CAM so that healthcare providers and the public can make well-informed decisions.”

The survey found that nearly two-thirds of the total out-of-pocket costs that adults spent on CAM were for self-care purchases ($22 billion), and the majority of out-of-pocket dollars spent on CAM self-care purchases went towards nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products (which includes herbal preparations).1 Purchases of these products equaled $14.8 billion and accounted for 44% of all out-of-pocket costs for CAM in 2007. Visits to CAM practitioners resulted in an estimated out-of-pocket cost of nearly $12 billion.

The approximately $34 billion spent on CAM visits and purchases equates to 1.5% of total healthcare expenditures in the United States and 11.2% of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures for 2007. The $14.8 billion amount spent on nonvitamin, nonmineral natural products is approximately 31% of the amount that the public spent out-of-pocket for pharmaceutical drugs in 2007 ($47.6 billion).

Prior to the release of the NHIS survey data from 2007, the latest estimate of CAM out-of-pocket expenditures was from a telephone survey conducted 10 years earlier. The greatest difference between the2 surveys’ results is that the 1997 survey found that most CAM costs were based on visits to CAM practitioners, while the 2007 survey found that most expenditures stem from self-care CAM purchases. These discrepancies may result in part from differences in the surveys’ methodologies. However, the 2007 results are consistent with industry sales data, which also demonstrate a large increase in expenditures for nonvitamin, nonmineral natural products over the past decade.

The NHIS is an annual survey of health and illness-related experiences of Americans conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. Information on out-of-pocket costs for CAM from the 2007 NHIS is based on data from interviews of 23,393 American adults.

A previous analysis of results from the 2007 NHIS found that approximately 38% of adults and 12% of children in the United States use CAM, with the most commonly used CAM therapy of both adults and children being nonvitamin, nonmineral natural products, including herbals. Those findings were released in December of 2008, and an article regarding that data was published in the February issue of HerbalEGram.3

© Courtney Cavaliere, American Botanical Council

References

1.Nahin RL, Barnes PM, Stussman BJ, Bloom B. Costs of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Frequency of Visits to CAM Practitioners: United States, 2007. National Health Statistics Reports, Number 18; July 30, 2009.
2. Americans spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on complementary and alternative medicine [press release]. Bethesda, MD: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; July 10, 2009.
3. Cavaliere C. Government survey finds over one-third of American adults use CAM. HerbalEGram, February 2009;6(2). Available at: http://cms.herbalgram.org/heg/volume6/02%20February%20/CAM_Survey.html. Accessed August 10, 2009.

AHPA Adopts Trade Requirement on Labeling of Undiluted Essential Oils

The American Herbal Products Association's (AHPA) Board of Trustees recently adopted a trade requirement to support the safe-use and proper-identification of undiluted essential oils used topically and offered for retail sale.

The trade requirement, which AHPA members must come into compliance with by Jan. 9, 2010, requires that undiluted essential oils offered for retail sale and intended for topical use include all of the following information or statements on package labels:

• "Keep out of reach of children" or significantly similar cautionary language
• "External Use Only," "Not for Internal Use," "Not for Ingestion" or significantly similar cautionary language
• "Keep away from eyes and mucous membranes" or significantly similar cautionary language
• The Latin name of the plant from which the essential oil is derived
• Identification of the plant part from which the essential oil is derived

Developed by a working group of AHPA's Botanical Personal Care Products Committee, composed of both AHPA member companies and non-member companies involved in the trade of essential oils, the trade requirement is intended to help educate industry and promote the responsible sale and use of undiluted essential oils intended for topical use and sold at retail. The labeling requirement does not address synthetic fragrances, which are not, in fact, essential oils.

All of AHPA's trade requirements and guidance policies are available on AHPA's Web site.

AHPA Adopts Trade Requirement on Labeling of Undiluted Essential Oils

The American Herbal Products Association's (AHPA) Board of Trustees recently adopted a trade requirement to support the safe-use and proper-identification of undiluted essential oils used topically and offered for retail sale.

The trade requirement, which AHPA members must come into compliance with by Jan. 9, 2010, requires that undiluted essential oils offered for retail sale and intended for topical use include all of the following information or statements on package labels:

• "Keep out of reach of children" or significantly similar cautionary language
• "External Use Only," "Not for Internal Use," "Not for Ingestion" or significantly similar cautionary language
• "Keep away from eyes and mucous membranes" or significantly similar cautionary language
• The Latin name of the plant from which the essential oil is derived
• Identification of the plant part from which the essential oil is derived

Developed by a working group of AHPA's Botanical Personal Care Products Committee, composed of both AHPA member companies and non-member companies involved in the trade of essential oils, the trade requirement is intended to help educate industry and promote the responsible sale and use of undiluted essential oils intended for topical use and sold at retail. The labeling requirement does not address synthetic fragrances, which are not, in fact, essential oils.

All of AHPA's trade requirements and guidance policies are available on AHPA's Web site.

Grow your own herbs in a few easy steps

You don't have to have a big garden to grow your own fresh herbs. For those who live in apartments, don't have a backyard, or only like to garden small-scale, most herbs can be grown in ceramic planters.

If that's good news, you'll like what Master Gardener and ACHS Senior Vice President Erika Yigzaw had to say Saturday, May 9, at the ACHS From Your Garden to Your Kitchen Open House.

Although each herb is different, most are fairly easy to grow and use at home. There are just a few key things to remember. 1. Unless otherwise specified, herbs like full sun. 2. Herbs potted into planters should be watered about once a day. 3. Don't over water. As a general rule, water herbs so that the soil remains moist approx. one inch from the top.

Once your herbs are potted, what can you use them for? Most easily, herbs can be used on a meal-by-meal basis and either cooked into hot foods or eaten raw in salads. You also use fresh herbs to make your own herbal teas and infused oils for cooking and/or body care, as well as herbal medicine infusions and tinctures.

Click here to download free information about making your own herbal remedies, herbal teas, and organic gardening.

Additional tips for growing your own herbs include:

• When planting in peet pots, break up the peet and roots before planting.
  
• Do not plant above the base of the plant. Adding a top layer of soil can cause fungus.
  
• To keep bugs from your plants, include a decoy plant in your garden like artichoke.
  
• Before harvesting, find out the best method for that herb (for example, rosemary likes to be plucked, but peppermint can be snipped).
  

Click here for more information about dried herbs and herbal medicine classes.

Lemon hand and nail butter keeps the gardener's hands fresh

Lemon hand and nail butter keeps the gardener's hands fresh

Working in the garden often means a lot of digging, soil work, and exposure to water. Taken separately, these garden tasks can be very rewarding. But together, they can wreak havoc on your hands.

It may be the price you pay for a lush garden and fresh fruits and veggies, but overdried or cracked skin can be painful. Keep your hands in mint condition with this recipe for lemon essential oil hand and nail butter.

Lemon Citrus limonum essential oil is a pale-yellow color and has a light, though fresh aroma. As an aromatherapy oil, lemon essential oil, when inhaled, has a soothing effect. When applied topically, such as in the hand and nail butter recipe below, lemon essential oil has anti-inflammatory properties.

To keep your hands healthy, moisturized, and active in the garden, try this all-natural, do-it-yourself lemon hand and nail butter recipe. (This recipe can also be used to soften chapped lips, and rough knees, elbows, and feet.)

For free aromatherapy and natural body care downloads, visit the Apothecary Shoppe.

Ingredients
Beeswax 1-T Cocoa butter 2-T. Sweet almond oil 4-T Lanolin, anhydrous 1-T Lemon essential oil 50- drops

Directions
In a small saucepan over low heat or in a double boiler, warm all ingredients, except the lemon essential oil until the wax and cocoa butter are just melted. Remove from heat and stir a few times to blend. Add essential oil, stir, and pour into container(s). Cover container(s) lightly with a paper towel, and cap when cooled. Leave the butter at room temperature for 12 hours prior to use to allow cocoa butter to set up completely. The finished formula should have a soft paste wax consistency. It requires no refrigeration, but for maximum potency and reshness, use within one year. Store in plastic or glass jars or tins. Yields approximately 1/2-cup.

Caring for your pets with homeopathy

Caring for pets with homeopathy is a very satisfying experience. The secret is simple: Treat your animals like people.

Your pets are part of your family. They have their own character, personality, and quirks—and individualism, it just so happens, is the foundation of homeopathy.

Yet, unlike other family members, pets cannot answer your questions while you are examining them. So, you must be very observant and sensitive to your pet’s change in appearance, attitude, and demeanor.

Establish the norm. What is your pet’s normal temperature, pulse, average number of breaths per minute, and typical appearance.

Law of Similars

The Law of Similars, or “like cures like,” is the foundation of homoepathy and a universal law of nature. Remedy involves small doses of substances that would produce symptoms of illness in healthy people when given in larger doses.

Most house pets are mammals, and they have similar metabolisms to people. Yet, there will be differences in how they react to homeopathics. For that reason, when caring for your pet, use mineral remedies with herbivores when possible.

Homeopathics

To administer the remedy, it is best to mix a few drops into fresh water. Yet some pets prefer tablets. See what works best in your house.

For guidance about administering homeopathics to your pets, consult a book like Treatment of Cats with Homeopathy by Sheppard.

For more information about specific homeopathic remedies to use with your pets, visit the Bach Flower Essence website, where you can ask a practitioner for guidance: http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm/.

For more information about homeopathy for personal use, Click Here.

How-to aromatic massage guide and recipes

Our sense of smell not only helps to protect us, it is also one of the ways we communicate. Therefore, blending smell with touch massage can create a very romantic and intimate experience.

To create a sensual atmosphere:
1. Create a private space.
2. Fill your space with your favorite colors and fabrics, including pillows and/or blankets.
3. Minimize outside noise.
4. Details: relaxing music, aromatherapy candles, and fresh flowers.

To enhance aromatic massage:
1. Diffuse the essential oil of your choice into the room (essential oils can also be added directly into massage oils and bath water; see the recipes below).
2. Focus on comfort and intent.
3. Communicate through all of your senses; don’t focus on conversation only.
4. Play. Laugh. Enjoy yourself.

Aromatic Massage Recipes

For massage, essential oils are best added into a base oil like jojoba, almond, or avocado.

1. Basic Massage Oil
Sweet almond oil: 4-oz
Rose Rosa damascena oil: 1-2-drops
Jasmine Jasmine grandiflorum: 1-2-drops

2. Rose Water Ointment
Sweet almond oil: 1-oz
Beeswax: ½-oz
Rose water: 7-oz
Rose Rosa damascena: 8-drops

Melt the beeswax and almond oil over a water bath. Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. Beat in the rose water until the ointment emulsifies, and then add the 8-drops of rose essential oil.

Once relaxed head to toe, follow your sensuous massage with another sensory indulgence:

Chocolate, best shared by two.

1. Liquid Chocolate (makes four servings)*
3-T unsweetened cocoa powder
Stevia: 10-drops
Pinch of salt
3-cups 1% milk
½-t vanilla extract
Ice cubes

Instructions: Slowly warm the milk on low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scalding. In a medium bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, Stevia, and salt. Slowly pour in 1-cup of the milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk in remaining 2-cups of the milk and vanilla. Fill four 8-oz mugs with Liquid Chocolate and serve warm.

For a taste of the exotic (and increased libido), add cinnamon to flavor, or add a few drops of rose essential oil.

CLICK HERE to download a free aromatherapy ambiance blend recipe.

*Recipe provided by ACHS graduate Maureen Jeanson, author of Squeaky Gourmet.

Three Tips for Optimism: Positioning Health Products Amid Recession

With the economy hurtling downward, it's not a question of if the economy will affect your business - but to what extent. However, if you're selling health products, you've got some reasons to be optimistic. In fact, the health product market has a history of staying strong despite dips in the economy. And the reasons behind this staying power bodes well for health products today.

A recent survey conducted by Nutrition Business Journal and Avero Research found that 98% of American households spend at least a portion of their budgets on healthy foods. And better yet, on average consumers reported spending 51% of their household food budget on healthy foods.

Now admittedly, this survey was conducted in May 2008, before the real financial travails started, but when you look deeper into consumer thinking, you'll find three significant reasons to feel more positive about your health business' prospects over the next few months.

Furthermore, these 3 reasons provide great ways to position your products for the altered consumer mindset:

1. People see health as a wise investment: This election showed more than ever that people are hurting financially as a direct result of health problems. And as the Avero poll above demonstrates, people are using health, specifically preventative health, as a criteria for where to put their dollars.

Even more telling, people see better health as an investment in their careers. As Cara Morrison reported in her extensive report for Packaged Facts, Sport Nutritionals for Active Lifestyles in the U.S., sports nutrition products are not only used by people for sports performance improvement but increasingly for better performance outside of the gym. The benefits of increased energy, higher acuity and even better physical appearance resonate with consumers seeking to perform better at work.

And on the corporate side, corporations are rewarding employees for good health and investing in personal trainers and gyms to help them achieve it - because they know how much this pays off.

Positioning Tip: Position your product [or services] as a smart investment, an investment that will never be at the mercy of global economic fluctuations, investment scandals or government interventions. Place value on your product by comparing it to the costs of more costly interventions - prescriptions, medical bills or time lost from work.

2. People latch onto health as something they can control: In 2001, the Hartman Group, a Seattle-based market research organization that focuses on the natural health consumer, found to their surprise that sales of organic foods was not declining, despite the economic problems.

When they started to look into why organics had staying power, they found out that consumers did not perceive them as luxury items, but as essentials. But even more interesting, consumers reported again and again that purchasing healthy food was a way of maintaining some feeling of control in their lives when everything else seemed so out of control.

Positioning Tip: Position your product [or services] as something that gives your prospects' control over their lives. When they choose to take care of their health, they are making themselves invulnerable to whatever comes along. With good energy, strength, alertness and stamina, they can take on the changes up ahead and find a way to tackle problems. They are not held hostage by the fears of medical bills, or debilitating chronic disease. And within the health care world, they can advocate for themselves better with better information and be smarter consumers as a result.

3. Health care items can be smart and satisfying indulgences: With a tightening budget, consumers are putting off old rewards like big vacations, a new car or the latest electronics. But consumers are still looking for ways to feel good and treat themselves - even more than ever. As green marketing expert, Darrin Duber-Smith explained, with troubling financial times, people tend to nest more, taking care of themselves and their immediate retreat - their homes. Many health care products - from natural personal care items to tasty but healthy desserts - strike a chord with consumers looking for a guilt-free way to reward themselves and put a soothing balm on their stress-filled days.

Positioning Tip: Emphasize the nourishing, sensual nature of your products [or services]. If you sell a lotion, don't just talk about how good their skin will look, but talk about the scent, the feeling of putting it on, the experience of using it. If you have a wonderfully-flavored whey protein, suggest using it in a delicious smoothie treat when you get home from work. Promote a new cookbook as a replacement for those restaurant meals consumers have been cutting out of their spending habits.

© 2009 Ezine Articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Health-Product-Market-During-a-Recession---Three-Tips-For-Optimism-and-Product-Positioning&id=1699080

Hawthorn, known for its show-stopping bright-red berries, is an all-star performer in the winter garden. But, did you know...

Hawthorn is your heart's best friend.

Native to northern temperate zones in East Asia, Europe, and eastern North America, hawthorn fruit has been used as food and medicine in Europe for centuries. But, why...

Hawthorn has been shown to increase coronary blood flow and reduce oxygen consumption.

Medicinally, research shows hawthorn is beneficial for use with congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary circulation problems, and arrhythmias. It is also used to increase cardiac output reduced by hypertension or pulmonary disease, to support hypotension and hypertension, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, and Buerger’s disease.

In addition, hawthorn can also be used as a sedative, antispasmodic, astringent, and diuretic. It is also used for gastrointestinal conditions like indigestion, enteritis, epigastric distension, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

For more information about hawthorn, including clinical studies, download a free monograph from the ACHS Apothecary Shoppe.

To help fortify your heart, save 30% off featured heart healthy products from the Apothecary Shoppe.
CLICK HERE.

How-to Make Herbal Teas from Your Garden

Yesterday afternoon the Seasonal Gardeners held their meeting in our Apothecary Shoppe. I met with the group for about an hour and talked how to use their garden in their kitchen—specifically, easy-to-use methods for making herbal teas and infusions. (A video of my talk will be on ACHS TV soon. To see it, go to: http://www.youtube.com/achstv)

Making herbal teas is one of the simplest ways to get the health benefits of your backyard plants. Herbal teas are relaxing to drink and smell good, but with regular use they also tone, soothe, and balance the body.

The basic recipe for herbal teas is:
1-t dried herbs or 2-t fresh herbs
1-cup boiling water

Infusions, however, are slightly more complicated. An infusion is stronger than regular herbal tea and is made for immediate use (you can store an infusion for up to 24 hours in the fridge). They have all of the benefits of regular herbal tea, but also extract glycosides, alkaloid salts, and water-soluble vitamins.

The basic recipes for infusions is:
1-oz dried herbs
1-pt purified water

Place your herbs into a ceramic or glass teapot. Bring the water to a boil. Do not use an aluminum pot. An electric kettle or kettle on the stove is fine. Turn off the heat and pour the water over the herb. Cover the pot and let steep for 10 to 20 minutes.

There are no definite rules for combining herbs in a tea mixture. Intention and taste are the two most important things. The Seasonal Gardeners asked me to blend a tea for them. When I discovered they were all women about my age, I created the menopause support tea – see below. It tastes great!

When you start to create a tea blend, think about the end result you would like to achieve and always think of taste. I am a great believer in making medicine taste good! After all isn’t that what Hippocrates meant by “Let food be your medicine.”

If you’re looking for relaxation, focus on the aromatic herbs. If you’re looking to soothe an ailment, then you will want to choose the herb best suited to the task (this could be a second herb combined with an aromatic).

Here are some popular and easy-to-make recipes for you to try at home.

1. For a cough, headache, or fever use:
Marshmallow Althaea officinalis (for the cough and irritation)
Yarrow Achillea millefolium (for the fever and cough)
Peppermint Mentha piperita (to improve the overall flavor)

2. Menopause Support Tea (see the photograph of the herbal blend above)
1-oz Hops Humulus lupulus (balances the nerves and nourishes nervous system)
1-oz Red clover Trifolium pratense (to assist with hot flashes and circulation)
1-oz Lemon balm Melissa officinalis (to assist with sleep and improve the flavor)
1-oz Skullcap Scutellaria laterifolia (it has been studied for use with addiction and assists with sleeplessness)
1-oz Chamomile Matricaria recutita (a mild nervine that also balances digestion)
1-oz Spearmint Mentha spicata (balances digestion and improves flavor)
1/2-oz Licorice Glycyrrhiza glabra (adrenal support)

3. Bran Tea
This tea cleanses the kidneys and supports healthy blood pressure.
1-cup Bran
2-cups Boiling water
Lemon and honey to taste (optional)
Simmer the bran and water for 30 minutes. Drink throughout the day.

You can adjust any formula for your own tastes. Always listen to your body, and, most of all, relax and enjoy your cup of tea.

The Menopause Support Tea will be available through the Apothecary Shoppe soon. Check back with us at www.apothecary-shoppe.com.

Remember, you can subscribe to ACHS TV and see all of our how-to videos, expert lectures and talks, and information about our Summer School study-abroad programs in Greece.

Now, let's turn to the FDA

In our view, health care reform is a lot like the fable of the 6 blind men with the elephant. Nobody sees the whole picture.

There are different endings to that fable. In one version, the blind men turn their very-real individual experiences into something more complete and useful. In the other version . . . well, it hasn’t ended; they’re still arguing.

In the case of health care, both versions are familiar. The first, more hopeful version has felt for years like it’s just around the corner. But the second version more persistently holds our attention. Reconciling these versions of the story when it comes to health care is no small matter. Health is where many diverse realms meet:

• Where self-responsibility meets government regulation;
• Where personal choice meets the professional healing relationship; and
• Where the subjective experience of wellbeing meets objective, medical science.

We’ve worked together the past few weeks to put natural health front and center in the conversation about the elephant that is health care reform. And we thank you again for your contribution to this effort. Now, we dig a little deeper and in a more specific way. The FDA is obviously part of this elephant. And it’s to the FDA that we now turn our attention.

There are several formal FDA reform efforts going on right now. One that we’ve announced in the past, and continue to support, is the American Association for Health Freedom’s “Reform the FDA” petition. We’ll be addressing this petition more in the coming weeks. For now, learn more about this petition here.

Another interesting site to explore about FDA reform is at FDAreview.org. This is a detailed site that has some interesting and controversial ideas. Even if you don’t agree with everything you find there, at the very least, this site will make you think.

Indeed, while we may not agree with every detail of every approach to FDA reform, we do agree that there is a need right now for new, critical thinking about health care reform generally, and about FDA reform specifically. And lest you think that Non-Governmental Organizations are the only ones making this call, consider this letter to President-elect Obama from Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI).

Also, we acknowledge that with any major change comes both risk and opportunity. Forces that oppose natural health could actually take advantage of FDA reform and make things tougher for us if we are not committed, diligent and persistent. With that in mind, the campaign that we are about to announce has the following goals:

• Build sustainable awareness and activism about our grassroots power as citizens and consumers.
• Establish measurable outcomes for our efforts.
• Expand the collaborative efforts of natural health supporters and associations.

So, here it is. Natural health care isn’t just the promotion of natural products and practices. It’s also protection against harmful products and practices that are being allowed in the name of commerce. In both cases, it’s up to us to hold the FDA accountable.

Many of you are familiar with the situation with Splenda, the trade name of sucralose as used by the self-described “health care” company, Johnson & Johnson. Beginning immediately next week and continuing for a few weeks, we’ll build a series of Action Alerts on the Splenda matter that will be directed to the FDA. For now, please inform yourself by reading this press release from Citizens For Health Chairman James S. Turner about new and urgent findings on sucralose.

The FDA is about to undergo an overhaul, one way or another. Even though this Splenda Action is just an example, it’s a very important example to the “new” FDA and others. Let’s show them by this Action Alert what we can do together.

Keep an eye out for next week’s Splenda Alert. Share this news as much as possible. And as always, thanks for your support.

© January 2009: http://www.citizens.org/elephant-story