Volume 13 • Issue 1 January 2010

> Up to $6,000 in MyCAA Financial Assistance> Refresh, Renew, and Revitalize Your Passion> Senate Bill: What It May Mean for CAM> Dorene Petersen IHA 2009 Professional Award Winner> Clearing Clutter for Holistic Health > Advice for Scholarship Searches> And More!

Inside this issue ...

the ACHS ReporterWelcome to the ACHS Reporter, your resource for holistic health and college news. Our goal is to provide our students with an interactive and engaging “launchpad” for their own complementary alternative medicine studies and practice. Inside these pages, you will find ACHS college news, industry updates, holistic health tips and recipes, career-building information, continuing education opportunities, and much more.

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Be Part of the SolutionA C H S I S O N T H E M O V E !

The American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) has been ap-

proved to participate in the Department of Defense (DoD) Military Spouse Ca-reer Advancement Account (MyCAA) program.

MyCAA provides financial assis-tance to military spouses pursuing

degrees, licenses, or credentials leading to employment in Portable Career Fields, including holistic nutrition, wellness consulting, and holistic health. Eligible military spouses can receive up to $6,000 in financial assistance to be used for education and training programs, tuition, and licensing/credentialing fees, including Associates, Bach-elors, and Masters programs. MyCAA can also be used for course books and supplies needed for the participant’s chosen profession. ACHS Career Advancement Account recipients are currently enrolled in the Certificate in Natural Products Manufacturing and Associate of Applied Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine programs, among others.

As outlined on the MyCAA FAQs, the goals of the program include: To “seek schools and programs that offer academic degrees, licenses and certificates that lead to employment in Portable Career Fields; seek spouses who are ready to start classes within 90 days; and make financial assistance (FA) available to as many eligible spouses

as possible with highest priority on spouses who are ready to start classes within 90 days of opening a MyCAA account.”

Eligible participants are spouses of DoD active duty service mem-bers or members of the National Guard and Reserve Components. Guard and Reserve member spouses are eligible “from the date of the Alert or Warning Order for Military Recall or Mobilization, through activation and deployment until 180 days following De-Mobilization.” To be eligible, participants must pass the Defense Eligibility and En-rollment Reporting System (DEERS) screen.

To get started, military spouses should visit the MyCAA website to establish an account at https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa. For spe-cific questions about ACHS courses and MyCAA and ACHS enroll-ment eligibility, military spouses should contact ACHS Admissions to speak with a student advisor. ACHS Admissions can be reached at (800) 487-8839 from Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:30 pm, PST, and by email at admissions@achs.edu.

American College of Healthcare Sciences is the only accredited, fully online college offering degrees, diplomas, and career-training certificates in complementary alternative medicine. 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 cam-pus located at 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland OR 97239.

Up to $6,000 in MyCAA f inancial assistance for military spouses now available

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e f r e s h , r e n e w , a n d r e v i t a l i z e y o u r p a s s i o n f o r a b a l a n c e d a n d h e a l t h - f i l l e d l i f e .R

Thank you for making ACHS your school. As the first accredited, online school specializing in CAM, ACHS remains the industry

leader because of our commitment to providing you, our students and graduates, with the most up-to-date, integrative, and engaging education available. It’s your dedication and passion for CAM that inspires our work.

Each year the need for our mission grows: to foster competence, professionalism, and cooperation in holistic healthcare, and to pre-serve and share knowledge of natural medicine. For your part in supporting and living this mission, we thank you.

Here are some highlights of what ACHS accomplished in 2009:ACHS celebrated its 20th year of operations in the U.S.• ACHS was named a Military Friendly school by GI Jobs magazine in • recognition of our continued efforts to create opportunities for U.S. veterans.ACHS launched 7 new undergraduate and 6 new graduate certifi-• cate programs to help students meet growing industry demand for specially trained holistic health professionalsACHS upgraded our online classrooms to create a more dynamic, • hands-on learning environment, and developed our Green Option to reduce paper waste.ACHS became an approved member of the Green Business Net-• work, renewed our commitment to the Save More, Matter More campaign and renewable power, and have pledge to plant 10 trees through American Forests for every student who attends 2010 Sum-

mer School in Greece.ACHS added more than 60 new • instructional holistic health videos to our college YouTube account, ACHStvACHS revamped our monthly • eNewsletter, the ACHS Reporter, to a user-friendly, interactive online format, allowing for more student and faculty written articles, photos, and hyperlinks.ACHS articles and program information were featured in • Military Spouse magazine, The Oregonian, Real Authentic Women maga-zine, Blogcritics.org, and Aromatherapy Registration Council, Na-tional Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, and United Plant Sav-ers publications.

We’re looking forward to 2010! The New Year is a wonderful op-portunity for us all to refresh, renew, and revitalize our passion for a balanced and health-filled life.

Keep an eye out for our schedule of 2010 community wellness classes and information about new course and program offerings. Personal and Community Health (HLTH 101) and Introduction to Nutrition (NUT 101) will both launch in March 2010, and we have several additional new courses in the works.

I’m wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year!

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Senate Bill: HR 3590 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act W h a t i t m a y m e a n t o t h e C A M c o m m u n i t y

The bill that the senate passed at the end of December 2009 has over 2,000

pages of legislation. I have been working my way through it and so far have found some interesting information about well-ness programs included in the bill. Insur-ance plans will cover wellness and health promotion, which are “coordinated, main-tained or delivered by a health care provid-er, a wellness and prevention plan man-ager, or a health, wellness, or prevention services organization.” These services may be face-to-face, telephone, or web based. They may address the following areas: smoking cessation, weight man-agement, stress management, physical fitness, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle sup-port. Also covered will be memberships in

fitness centers and costs for attending periodic health education seminars. The bill also encourages the development of employer-based wellness programs.

What does this mean to Holistic Health Practitioners and Wellness Coaches? It means you may have an opportunity to work with small and large business-es, group health insurance plans, community health insurance exchanges, or American Health Benefit Exchanges, particularly by developing and presenting educational seminars. You still will need to follow the guidelines and licensing requirements of your state with regards to one-on-one counseling.

The bill recognizes that we will need more skilled healthcare workers to meet the needs of the insured, and so outlines the development of a National Health-care Workforce Commission, which “develops and commissions evaluations of education and training activities to determine whether the demand for health care workers is being met” and “encourages innovations to address population needs, constant changes in technology, and other environmental factors.”

The commission will be composed of employers, third-party payers, health care workers and health professionals, consumer representatives, labor unions,

health care services researchers, state and local workforce boards, and edu-cational institutions (which may include elementary and secondary institutions, institutions of higher education, including two- and four-year institutions, or reg-istered apprenticeship programs).

A high priority of this Commission will be: “Integrated health care workforce planning that identifies health care professional skills needed and maximizes the skill sets of health care professionals across disciplines.” The definition of the Healthcare Workforce includes all healthcare providers with direct patient care and support responsibilities, as well as “licensed complementary and al-ternative medicine providers, integrative health practitioners, public health pro-fessionals, and any other health professional that the Comptroller General of the United States determines appropriate.”

In addition, there will be the establishment of a Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program in which a student in an accredited academic edu-cational institution in a state or territory in the final year of a course of study or program leading to a public health or health professions degree or certificate can work for the government upon graduation for a minimum of three years and have up to $35,000 per year of their loans repaid. It remains to be seen what kind of programs would be eligible for this program.

There are a number of provisions for funding and expanding training for primary care providers and nurses, and nurse managed healthcare facilities. Particular areas of focus are children’s health care, mental health, pain man-agement training and nursing home and long-term care.

Another aspect of the bill of interest to me as a Naturopathic Physician in the State of Oregon is the non-discrimination in health care provision:“Insurers shall not discriminate with respect to participation under the plan or coverage against any health care provider who is acting within the scope of that pro-vider’s license or certification under applicable State law”

Currently an insurance company can deny paying for a simple blood test that I order for one of my patients simply because I am an ND and not an MD, even though by state law I am allowed to order the test. I am hoping that if this bill is passed into law, it will stop this discrimination by insurance companies.

If you would like to read the bill for yourself, you can find it at: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3590/text

by Dr. Arianna Staruch, ACHS Academic Dean

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IHA Names Dorene Petersen 2009 Professional Award Winner Dorene Petersen, President of the American College of Healthcare Sciences, was awarded the 2009 IHA Professional Award Criteria. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions to the herb industry in the areas of growing, marketing, product innovation, education, research, public relations, and authorship.

The mission of the International Herb Association (IHA), to unite herb professionals for growth through promotion and education, echoes the mission of the American College, to provide leadership in holistic health education through comprehensive profession-al online and on-campus education and high quality

natural products with a commitment to sustainable practices and principles. ACHS fosters competence, professionalism, and cooperation in holistic health-care and works to preserve and share knowledge in natural medicine.

Some of the outstanding contributions ACHS made to the herb industry in 2009 include expanding course offerings to include the Certificate in Herbal Retail Man-agement and the Graduate Certificate in Herbal Medi-cine, 2009 Herb Day Open House, and several articles available on the ACHS website, www.achs.edu, under News and Events.

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W h a t ’ s K e e p i n g Y o u F r o m G e t t i n g S t a r t e d ?

Have you registered yet? If not, what’s keeping you from getting started? ACHS courses starting January 18 range from introductory to graduate level and have many benefits, such as: enrolling in a career focused program in one of the fastest growing health care sectors in the U.S.; membership in an exciting new ACHS community, similar to Facebook, where you can meet and network with ACHS graduates, faculty, and staff; learning in a dynamic, instructor-led online classroom; graduating with a recognized accredited credential; and providing a better life for you and your family.

Featured courses starting January 18 include graduate classes like Aroma 501: Aromatherapy Science, which provides an in-depth analysis of the fundamental principles of aromatherapy, aromatology, and aromacology; Herb 503: Herbal Materia Medica II, which provides and in-depth study of diaphoretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, nervine, antispasmodic, tonic, stimulant, antiseptic, stomachic, and hepatic herbs; and Nat 501: Anatomy and Physiology, which provides a comprehensive survey of the structure and function of the human organ systems with an emphasis on the body as a dynamic community of interdependent parts.

To fully appreciate why an ACHS education is superior, call our Admissions team today at (800) 487-8839 or email admissions@achs.edu and let us know the best time and phone number to reach you and we’ll call you! We look forward to speaking with you soon.

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Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis

Who are ACHS students? A C H S N a m e s M i c h a e l E d w a r d s D E T C F a m o u s A l u m n i A w a r d W i n n e r f o r 2 0 1 0

“A ‘mid-life accident’ opens the door to a whole dif-ferent world of healthcare,” says Michael Edwards. “We often hear of individuals having a ‘midlife cri-sis,’ I had a midlife accident.”

While shooting video in a train station, Edwards was hit by a speeding train. During his recovery process, Edwards discovered natural health and healthcare. Inspired by this “different world,” he searched for colleges that offered courses in nat-ural health, enrolled with the American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS), and went on to graduate with a Certificate in Nutrition, Bodycare, and Herbalism.

The DETC Famous Alumni award honors dis-tance education graduates who meet select cri-teria or academic records and the quality of their contribution to their chosen profession and society in general.

Before enrolling with ACHS, Edwards had been out of school for several years, “but was inspired by what [he] read in the materials and [was] en-couraged by the positive comments from ACHS instructors,” he says. His experience with ACHS gave him the courage to re-apply for graduate

school, he says, thirty years after his original ap-plication.

“The first acceptance I had at ACHS made a big difference to me, and it motivated me to read and teach as often as possible,” Edwards says. “I feel I’m doing my share to give people back control of their health.”

Since completing his Certificate, Edwards com-pleted his master’s degree and launched Thee Wellness Institute (previously The NC Health and Wellness Institute), specializing in preventa-tive health programs and natural products for the community. Edwards also worked as the Clinical Health Educator at Cherry Point Marine Base be-fore accepting the position of Education Program Manager at Patrick Air Force Base. While in this position, Edwards has developed several health-promoting programs and has led motivational well-ness classes for thousands of service members in the U.S. Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard.

DETC Famous Alumni award winners are fea-tured in the DETC Famous Alumni brochure and on the DETC website. For more information about the DETC award, visit www.detc.org.

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Who are ACHS students? P a t R e d e r N a m e d D E T C O u t s t a n d i n g G r a d u a t e A w a r d W i n n e r f o r 2 0 1 0

American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) has named Pat Reder, RN, HHP, 2010 Distance Education Training Council (DETC) Outstanding Graduate award winner.

Reder has worked as a registered nurse for about 30 years, including critical care and emergency and trauma medicine. She has al-ways had an interest in holistic health because she feels there is “a need for an integrative ap-proach between allopathic and holistic health-care practices.” That is why Reder chose to enroll in ACHS’s Holistic Health Practitioner Diploma program, which she completed in December 2009, in addition to a Certificate in Nutrition, Bodycare, and Herbalism.

Her distance education experience with ACHS gave her “confidence to seek out op-portunity,” Reder says. After finishing her first course, Reder says she was able to use the knowledge base from that course to approach her employer about incorporat-ing wellness coaching into their services. She also has used her training to develop a wellness coaching program, which she suc-

cessfully trialed with her co-workers, and has since “opened the door to marketing the wellness coaching program to their clients.”

“My ACHS studies have enabled me to get in-volved with many different volunteer projects,” Reder says, “and to participate on Boards and Committees in an effort to improve the health and wellness in my community.”

In addition, Reder has been providing indi-vidual and group wellness classes for the past year, and was a featured speaker at the ACHS Holistic Health Career Fair in August 2009.

Each year the Distance Education Train-ing Council asks their accredited institutions to select exceptional distance education graduates for recognition. Award winners must meet select criteria set for academic records and the quality of their contribution to their chosen profession in specific, and society in general. Outstanding Graduates are featured in the DETC Outstanding Grad-uate brochure and on the DETC website.

For more information about the DETC Out-standing Graduate awards visit www.detc.org.

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Clearing Clutter for Holistic Health

We know that health and wellness are the result of several elements: a good diet, plenty of clean water,

regular exercise, and fresh air. Herbs, essential oils, and other dietary supplements help us deal with life’s challeng-es. There are, however, many less-than-obvious influences in our everyday environments that can negatively affect our health, too. Clutter, for example. Collecting stuff, the intent to clear out stuff, and the seemingly unavoidable procrasti-nation to “get the job done” can all be a real drain on your energy.

Here are some ideas to help you de-clutter and improve your health in 2010.

1.Share what you no longer need.

This is the perfect time of year to clear out everything from those two most-used rooms in the house: the kitchen and bathroom. Over the course of the year, perhaps you have changed your mind about what you want to put in your body (and on it)? If you’re reading this, you probably know that parabens are best avoided in our skin care products, but

do you have some lurking in your bathroom1? If you have unopened products, you may want to donate them to char-ity; many women’s shelters welcome unopened self-care products. Otherwise, dispose of them and recycle the con-tainers. (Remember, if you use natural skin care products, their storage life is often shorter than products preserved with synthetics, so go through your stash and dispose of anything that is past its use by date.)

Now to the kitchen: Clear out any food items that are past their expiration date. Compost the contents and recycle the containers. Any products that you are not likely to eat, but are not expired, can be donated to charity; your local food bank is crying out for donations at this time of year.

Aromatherapy Tip: peppermint (Mentha piperita) essen-

1 In vivo and in vitro studies have confirmed the ability of parabens to penetrate human skin intact and to be absorbed. The health risks from aggregate use of body care products containing parabens have been shown to include increased incidence of female breast cancer, interference with male reproductive functions, and increased development of malignant melanoma. Therefore, where possible, it is recommended to eliminate use of paraben-containing products. Darbre PD & Harvey PW. Paraben esters: review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity, absorp-tion, esterase and human exposure, and discussion of potential human health risks. J Appl Toxical. 2008 Jul;28(5): 561-78.

For many people, making New Year ’s resolutions seems like “the right thing to do.” Often our resolutions are good ideas, but really big and overwhelming ideas, too. So this year, try setting goals instead.

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tial oil has been shown to repel mice, so put cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil in areas where you suspect a mouse problem. Plus, you can use your essential oils in cooking! Add a one drop of pep-permint oil to hot chocolate for instant peppermint hot chocolate.

2. Try the 1-2-3 Box approach.

Set up three large-sized boxes. Label one box as Throw Out (items that are worn out or broken), one as Give Away (items that you will donate, sell, or recycle), and one as Keep. Then, go room-by-room and be systematic; work your way completely through one room before you begin the next. Once you have completed a room, seal the Throw Out and Give Away boxes, and place them by your front door.

Aromatherapy Tip: Check your oils. While some oils like sandal-wood (Santalum album) and vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides) will last for years if stored correctly, others (like the citrus oils) will begin to oxidize after a few months. If you’ve taken the time to train your olfactory memory, you may be able to discern when your oils are past their best. No need to throw them out: Use them to clean the house! (But avoid skin contact as oxidized citrus essential oils can cause irritation.) And don’t use them to wash the dog: Fido’s skin is sensitive too!

3. Set goals, not resolutions.

For many people, making New Year’s resolutions seems like “the right thing to do.” Often our resolutions are good ideas, but really big and overwhelming ideas, too. So this year, try setting goals instead. Goals have measurable results and they require a plan. For example, you could make the resolution to Get In Shape This Year…OR, you can set the goal to improve your health this year by drinking eight glasses of water a day, eating five fruits and veg-

etables a day, and completing one hour of relaxation-promoting activities every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. When goals are realistic and clear, they are more easily accomplished, which feels great! Remember, you can always set additional, more challenging goals if and when you want to.

Aromatherapy Tip: Aromatherapy baths are an effective relax-ation activity, and also a great reward for accomplishing a goal. To create a soothing aromatherapeutic bath, try a blend of geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and rose (Rosa damascena).

* A portion of this article first appeared in the January edition of the NAHA E-Journal.

Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)

Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides)

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The Potential of Traditional Medicine (Ayurveda) in Drug Discoveryby Mariann Garner-Wizard © 2009 American Botanical Council: http://abc.herbalgram.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Homepage_2009

Only 21 new drug molecules gained U.S. Food and Drug Admin-istration (FDA) approval in 2008. FDA’s Critical Path Initiative seeks to bring innovation to drug discovery, while its guidelines for botanical drug development offer some leeway in document-ing herbal products. Within this context, Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, is judged to offer bioprospecting tools and an efficient discovery engine.

Early drugs came from chance or folklore and relatively few from traditional medicine. Many had toxic sources. Modern mass plant screening is slow and costly. Traditional knowledge-based products have fared well: 60% of anticancer and 75% of anti-infective drugs approved from 1981-2002 came from natural product leads. Over 100 natural product-based drugs are in de-velopment. Mining natural products’ diversity with combinatorial synthesis and biosynthesis, screening libraries of drug-like com-pounds are being created. Often used in traditional remedies, most have safety profiles better appreciated than those of new chemicals.

Ayurvedic drug leads have included psoralens (from psoralea [Indian breadroot; Cullen corylifolium syn. Psoralea corylifolia])

for vitiligo, holarrhena (bitter oleander; Holarrhena pubescens syn. Holarrhena antidysenterica) bark alkaloids for amoebiasis, guggulsterons (from guggul [Commiphora mukul]) for hyperlipi-demia, velvet bean (cowitch; Mucuna pruriens) for Parkinson’s disease, bioavailability-enhancing piperidines (from peppers [Pip-er spp.]), bacosides (from bacopa [water hyssop; Bacopa mon-nieri]) for memory, hepatoprotective picrosides (from picrorhiza; [kutki; Picrorhiza kurrooa]), antiviral phyllanthins (from phyllan-thus; [Indian gooseberry; Phyllanthus spp.]), curcumins (from turmeric [Curcuma longa]) for inflammation, immunomodulatory withanoids (from ashwagandha [Withania somnifera]), and more. Piramal Life Sciences, Ltd. (Mumbai, India) has three molecules now in development from a library of over 5600 Indian medicinal plant extracts. Natural products molecules are also being used in new ways. Forskolin (from forskohlii [Plectranthus barbatus syn. Coleus forskohlii]) has been studied as an adenylate cyclase ac-tivator for obesity and atherosclerosis. Antimicrobial berberine alkaloids are being investigated in dyslipidemia, with a different mechanism of action from statins.

Reverse pharmacology mines clinical experience and experi-

Over 100 natural product-based drugs are in development. Mining natural products’ diversity with combinatorial synthesis and biosynthesis, screening libraries of drug-like compounds are being created. Often used in traditional remedies, most have safety prof iles better appreciated than those of new chemicals.

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ential observation for leads, and develops drug candidates through robust preclinical and clinical research. Sir Ram Nath Chopra and Gananath Sen founded the approach, documenting clinical effects of Ayurvedic drugs. Rauwolfia (snakeroot; Rauvolfia serpentina) alkaloids for hypertension were their major discovery, and led to new antidepressants, anti-Parkinson’s drugs and prolactin-reduc-ing drugs. Promising work began in the 1970s and 1980s in a joint program of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Indian government’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). In consequence, guggulipid and a memory-enhancing product from bacopa are produced and sold. However, this is a tiny fraction of the products that could become available with reverse pharmacology.

To better develop the potential of herbal drugs, CSIR, under a New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI), has initiated projects on psoriasis, osteoarthritis, hepatitis, and dia-betes. ICMR established an Advanced Center of Reverse Phar-macology, initially focusing on malaria, sarcopenia, and cognitive decline. The psoriasis project has led to an Investigational New Drug application in India; the product, a single plant extract, is in Phase 3 trials and will meet FDA standards as well as those of India’s regulators. In another project, new vaccine adjuvants were sought. A detailed safety profile of one of several leads has been developed.

Besides molecular drug leads, both Ayurveda and traditional Chi-nese medicine offer multiherb approaches to polygenic conditions. There is new interest in multiple chemical agents (“polypills”), but multiherb formulas have been used for thousands of years. The NMITLI osteoarthritis project led, in just five years, to patent ap-plications for a polyherbal product; an industrial partner is being sought.

Internationally, the Indian Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy has established a research center at the University of Mississippi (Oxford) to study Indian herbal medicines. In Tanzania, the Tanga AIDS Working Group, Global Research Alli-

ance, World Bank, and U.S. National Institutes of Health have part-nered to study traditional herbs used in AIDS and its opportunis-tic infections. In China, an ambitious program of high-throughput screening, toxicity testing and clinical trials of popular medicinal recipes, Herbalome, will identify scores of drug leads. And on the Internet, AyuSoft gives classic Ayurvedic knowledge an interactive interface; it can also be a discovery tool.

ReferencePatwardhan B, Mashelkar RA. Traditional medicine-inspired ap-proaches to drug discovery: can Ayurveda show the way forward? Drug Discovery Today. 2009 Aug;14(15-16): 804-811.

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w.flickr.com/photos/fotoosvanrobin/3825527595/sizes/o/#cc_licenseTurmeric, Curcuma longa

Advice for Scholarship Searches© 2010 eLearners.com: http://www.elearners.com/back-to-school/money-and-finances/advice-for-scholarship-searches.asp

Regardless of whether you are a current or prospective student, scholarships are available and can help your educational budget.

Spend a couple of hours on the World Wide Web and on the tele-phone. No matter what, keep trying, and stay on top of the deadlines. Below are some tips for folks on a scholarship search.

Reach out to helpful resources near and far.

Call or email your financial aid counselors about available scholarship opportunities. Larger colleges or universities may have an entire of-fice dedicated to student scholarships and grants, so be sure to look them up too! They will be able to offer guidance to you and possibly point you to additional resources that you weren’t even aware of.

Contact the department head. For example, if you are earning a business degree, find out who is the department head for the busi-ness department. S/he may know of specialized scholarships that are specific to your field or academic subject.

Do you belong to a religious organization? Find out if there are any scholarships available.

Your local or state government may offer scholarships as well. Check out your state’s official website to find out, or use [the eLearn-ers] Debt-Free College Guide to find opportunities in your state.

Scour the Internet for scholarships.

Use more than one search engine when you are looking for scholar-ships on the Web. Open up your search by using general terms as well as specific words (e.g., “education degree scholarships,” “schol-arships for engineers,” etc.).

No scholarships require applicants to pay an application fee. If you encounter a scholarship application or scholarship website that asks for any form of payment, then click away!

You can start your search using eLearners.com’s scholarship data-base: http://www.elearners.com/scholarships/

Don’t rule yourself out.

You do not need the best grade point average or years of volunteer service to apply for scholarships. Hundreds of scholarships are avail-able to regular average folks. For every interest, cultural background, or personal experience, there is a scholarship.

Whatever you do, keep your eyes open for possibilities and give it the old college try. You never know what could happen.

Save time by saving your writing.

Many scholarships require essays as either a portion of the application or as the entire application. The more scholarships you apply to, the more you will find that most of them ask the same questions over and over.

Save yourself some time by saving copies of each application you complete.

By saving the work you have already completed, you can use the same essays to complete several scholarship applications. Be sure to avoid sending the same essay word for word. Revise and edit the es-say so that it is tailored to each specific scholarship program.

It can be tedious to repeatedly prepare applications, but the effort will pay off. After you have written a few essays, you will start to have enough writing to reuse for future applications.

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Dill! International Herb Association 2010 Herb of the Year ... by Dr. Arianna Staruch, ACHS Academic Dean

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w.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/3625441231/sizes/l/#cc_license

The International Herb Association Herb of the Year for 2010 is a culinary herb known to most for its use in pickles―dill (Anethum graveolens). Dill is a native plant of Western Asia, which has become naturalized

in Europe and North America. It was know to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians and is mentioned in writings from the middle ages.

Dill grows easily to five-feet tall in full sun and well-drained soils. Its lacy blue-green leaves are best used fresh in salads, vinegars, and pickles and on fish. The compound umbel of yellow flowers goes to seed in July to August. Dill flowers attract black swallowtail butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects to the vegetable garden. It is a good companion for corn, cabbages, cucumbers, lettuce and onions, but it inhibits the growth of carrots.

Dill supports the health of the digestive tract by being an antioxidant, antispasmodic, and gastric protectant. Tea made from the crushed dill seed may be helpful for flatulence, indigestion, and stomachache, and has been shown to be antibacterial. The seeds can be stored and retain their crisp, fennel-like flavor for a long time. In addition, the seeds can contain up to 5% by weight of essential oil, which is useful as an insecticide, food flavoring, and in scenting soaps. Some people may have allergies to dill, which can manifest as contact dermatitis, conjunctivitis, or food allergy. Furocoumarins in the essential oil may cause photosensitivity.

To start using dill in your diet, visit the Apothecary Shoppe at www.apothecary-shoppe.com.

Recipe for White Sea Bass with Dill Relish from the Mayo Clinic

Ingredients 1 ½ tablespoons chopped white onion 2 teaspoons pickled baby capers, drained 1 ½ teaspoons chopped dill 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon lemon juice 4 white sea bass fillets, each 4 ounces 1 lemon, cut in quarters

Directions Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, add the onion, capers, dill, mustard and lemon juice. Stir to mix well. Place each fillet on a square of aluminum foil. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge over each fillet and spread ¼ of the dill relish over each piece. Wrap the aluminum foil around the fish and bake until the fish is opaque throughout when tested with a tip of a knife, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

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A d v e r t i s i n g O p p o r t u n i t y :ACHS now offers low-cost classified listings in both of our monthly newsletters, which combined directly reach more than 20,000 people and are searchable from our main website. This is your target audience. Start making connections today. Classified ads are offered in 6-month increments limited to 25 words at a total cost of $150. Website hyperlink included free of charge. Purchase of classified advertising also includes a one-time featured profile in The Reporter and a high resolution accompanying image. The submission deadline is the third Monday of the month. For information, call Lauren at (503) 244-0726 or email newsletter@achs.edu.

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A C H S C a l l f o r O p e n H o u s e E v e n t I d e a s f o r 2 0 1 0

I t ’ s a N e t w o r k T h i n gby Joel Strimling, ACHS Dean of Student Services

We have more opportunities than ever to see what’s going on at the College and with your fellow stu-

dents! Networking is a great resource for questions, discussions, and to continually keep up-to-date with the most recent ideas and topics in holistic health.

If you are not aware and/or have not heard, ACHS has its own social network.

You’re invited to join MyACHS Connect, a vibrant on-line community just for ACHS students and graduates. Please visit http://myachs.ning.com and sign up us-ing the same email address that is in your student re-

cords, so your membership can be approved without delay. Also be certain to check out the groups available to join on the network.

We also have our ACHS YouTube channel where you can view seminars, lectures, and videos ACHS posts frequently. Be sure to subscribe to the channel so you are alerted with updates.

Please visit http://www.youtube.com/achstv to see what we have been up to!

You may find your next great idea or passion in some of these videos.

We had some great events in 2009, including annual events like Herb Day and our Winter Celebration, as well as some new events like our Wednesday Brown Bag Lunch lecture series and our Holistic Health Ca-reer Fair.

Now we’re starting to plan our 2010 events and we need your feedback. Have a great idea for a holistic health event or lecture, please let us know! Email your Open House event ideas to laurenshapiro@achs.edu by January 31, 2010.