Controlling Your Blood Sugar

Diabetes in America has become an epidemic... 

Please have your blood glucose levels checked by your MD at your annual physical... additionally if you are on your way to becoming diabetic and have insulin resistance please have your A1C levels checked yearly as well. 

Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet (http://www.mayoclinic.org/…/in-depth/mediterra…/art-20047801) is the healthiest option for anyone who has diabetes or is on their way with insulin resistance. In addition several supplements can greatly assist in the body's metabolism of sugars... 

cinnamon & chromium... both available in capsules...

The most important factor is controlling blood glucose is proper diet and daily exercise... (walking is free and one of the best)  An easy way to remember how to manage food is to visualize the dinner plate as follows:  half filled with fresh salad... one quarter filled with low fat protein choices...  one eighth filled with a starch (potato, corn, pasta, whole grain) and the final eighth filled with cooked vegetables.  

Two keys for diabetics is to remember 1. always combine eating a protein, fat and carbohydrate together to keep blood glucose levels steady  2. try to eat smaller meals every three hours to avoid becoming too hungry or allowing blood glucose levels to drop.

Great snacks...  peanut butter on celery sticks...  part skim mozzarella sticks wrapped with low salt turkey breast...  Granny Smith apple...  blackberries, raspberries or strawberries and plain Faye Greek yogurt... a handful of almonds or walnuts...  Atkins bars... unsalted roasted pumpkin or sunflowers seeds (in the shell)...

Have good healthy snacks available to stave off hunger and keep your glucose levels steady.

Remember... blood sugar also controls mood so taking care of your diabetes is also a great way to increase your positive mood!!

Cold & Flu Healing Tea

Once again cold and flu season approaches with the falling leaves...
I am again posting my recipe for a healing tea to help with the sniffles...

As the cold and flu season approaches... catch it early...

Cold and flu remedy

To one quart of water add: 12 cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 whole organic lemon quartered skin and all, 2" ginger root peeled and chunked and a 2" chunk of peeled burdock root if you can get it ( H-Mart has it ). Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Strain the solids out and drink in divided doses over the course of one day.

Cloves: expectorant, increases productivity of coughing
Cinnamon: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial
Lemon: anti-infective, fever reducer, contains vitamin C, immune system strengthener, Stomach cleanse, blood purifier (alternative), lowers body temperature
Ginger root: antiviral, anti-nausea, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-spasmodic, antibacterial
Echinacea root: immune system strengthener
Burdock root: alternative, blood cleanser

Meet Candice Covington, ACHS Certificate in Aromatherapy Graduate and Owner of Divine Archetypes

“I have always valued aromatherapy, since I was very young,” says ACHS graduate Candice Covington. “I will never forget when I was 16 I discovered The Aromatherapy Workbook by Marcel Lavabre and that book literally changed the way I interacted with my environment from that time forward. If I had a headache, bug bite, or I wanted to stimulate an emotional or energetic response, I turned to essential oils to support me. Aromatherapy is such an elegant way to address and support almost anything, and that in its own right is remarkable.”

Candice graduated from her ACHS Certificate in Aromatherapy program in 2007 and has previously worked with several holistic health modalities.

“When I started researching aromatherapy courses, this was still a new concept in the U.S.,” Candice says. “Dorene Petersen truly was a pioneer in this arena. When I discovered ACHS, to my knowledge there were no other schools offering anything like it. I was waiting for Dorene! Without a solid educational base, I could not even imagine being able to build my business as essential oils are one of my primary vehicles for expression.”

Since completing her ACHS Certificate in Aromatherapy, Candice has founded and continues to expand her aromatherapy business, Divine Archetypes, which is not targeted at the physical body, but “dynamically addresses the ‘hard to get at places’ that compose the energetic structure of humankind, […] such as elemental constituents,” Candice says.

Divine Archetypes also integrates Candice’s line of ethically harvested essential oils called the Tattvas Essential Oil Collection. Divine Archetypes is founded on “the use of resonant archetypal energies of essential oils and amulets to affect the microcosm/macrocosm relationship of self/environment, ultimately allowing one to Consciously Craft Self^TM,” Candice says.

“The archetypal patterns of these items are expressed through sacred geometry, color, sacred syllables, animal totems, deities, and the five elements (ether, air, fire, water, earth—the tattvas).” The tattvas, Candice says, are based on Eastern thought. The tattvas permeate the entire body and mind, she says, and all actions are under their influence; therefore, an intimate connection between the tattvas and the structure of our lives would indicate that it is possible to alter our destinies through knowledge and use of the elements.

“I formed Divine Archetypes as a means for researching and developing unique healing tools, methods, and philosophies based upon commonalities across a number of ancient healing practices and philosophies, particularly those focused on primordial, elemental concepts,” Candice says.

Candice will soon launch her first Divine Archetypes retail store in Sydney, Australia. The retail space will be structured as an interactive learning environment and will feature Candice’s oils, as well as amulets and sacred Tibetan artwork (thangka paintings). Store displays will be structured to support and teach concepts concerning Divine Archetypes’ methodology, including which sense gate accesses which element, how this element impacts subtle bodies, and how one can consciously work with and direct this energy for specific outcomes. The store will also offer ongoing workshops to “support, inform and enrich how to take these ‘tools’ from being ‘pleasant’ or ‘beautiful’ to a dynamic means of addressing your subtle-self.”

For more information about Divine Archetypes, visit http://www.divinearchetypes.com/ Candice can be reached at info@divinearchetypes.com You can also find Divine Archetypes on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DivineArchetypes

Read more about the ACHS Certificate in Aromatherapy online at www.achs.edu or click here http://www.achs.edu/course-desc.aspx?pid=10&id=1 The focus of the Certificate in Aromatherapy is holistic aromatology: the restoration of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health through the application of essential oils. For more information, contact ACHS at (800) 487-8839, email admissions@achs.edu, or stop by the campus at 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland OR 97239.

ACHS Names Pat Reder DETC Outstanding Graduate Award Winner for 2010

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 always had an interest in holistic health because she feels there is “a need for an integrative approach between allopathic and holistic healthcare 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 opportunity,” 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 incorporating wellness coaching into their services. She also has used her training to develop a wellness coaching program, which she successfully 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 involved 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 individual 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 Training 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 Graduate brochure and on the DETC website.

For more information about the DETC Outstanding Graduate awards visit www.detc.org.

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 campus located at 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland OR 97239.

ACHS Names Michael Edwards DETC Famous Alumni Award Winner for 2010

“A ‘mid-life accident’ opens the door to a whole different world of healthcare,” says Michael Edwards. “We often hear of individuals having a ‘midlife crisis,’ 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 natural 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 distance education graduates who meet select criteria 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] encouraged 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 application.

“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 completed his master’s degree and launched Thee Wellness Institute (previously The NC Health and Wellness Institute), specializing in preventative health programs and natural products for the community. Edwards also worked as the Clinical Health Educator at Cherry Point Marine Base before 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 wellness classes for thousands of service members in the U.S. Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard.

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

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 campus located at 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland OR 97239.

Dr. Lyn Hanshew to be on Healthy Life with ACHS graduate Pamela Heyen

Dr. Lyn Hanshew, a leading expert in environmental toxicity, will be interviewed on Creating Your Healthy Life webcast with ACHS graduate Pamela Heyen on Thursday, September 3, 2009, at 8 am PST.

Dr. Hanshew specializes in toxic environmental issues and their effect on the human body. She will also be discussing treatment modalities that are safe and effective. "Why is everyone so sick?" will be the program's topic, also featuring a discussion of modalities for use with
autism, ADD, obesity, H1N1 influenza, MRSA, and Alzheimer's dementia.

Creating Your Healthy Life airs live on Thursdays at 8 am, Pacific Standard Time on the VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness Channel. To access the show, log on at http://www.modavox.com/voiceamericahealth. All shows will be available in Pamela Heyen's Content Library on the VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness Channel for on-demand and podcast download.

Each week Pamela Heyen (Heyen Wellness Therapies) interviews key figures in the medical and health field to help her listeners create a healthier and more fulfilling life. For more information, email Pamela at: Pam@HeyenWellnessTherapies.com

Toxic Body and Disease

Everyday more and more people are being diagnosed with chronic health problems. Approximately 68 million people suffer from some form of heart disease, 25 million have diabetes, 1.5 million will die of cancer within the next year, 5-8% of the population suffers from a chronic, debilitating autoimmune disease, 57.7 million suffer from some mental disorder, and over 6 million are diagnosed with a neurological disease.

Alzheimer's has more than doubled since 1980, every week 200 people are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, diabetes has increased over 54% and the rate our children are being diagnosed with Autism, ADD and ADHD is alarming. So, what the heck is going on?

Our problem is not singular, meaning there is no one thing that we can identify as the problem. It is a combination of many things that has resulted in the decay of our health in the United States. Let's start with our environment.

In the last century we have created over 80,000 chemicals and every year, four billion pounds of these toxins are released into our environment. Our air, soil, animals, plants, water, and our bodies are being contaminated. Our bodies are being poisoned by these carcinogenic, endocrine-disrupting, and gene damaging chemicals and they are being stored within our cells. Do you realize that these toxins have the ability to be passed to fetuses in the womb? A fetus grows in a womb contaminated with as many as 287 foreign chemicals and the level of mercury in umbilical cord blood is 1.7 times higher than the level in the mother's blood. Thousands of babies born each year are at risk for brain damage and learning difficulties due to the toxin exposure while in the womb. Do you think there could be a correlation with these facts and the ever increasing numbers of Autism, ADD and ADHD diagnosis in our children?

It is a proven fact that cancer is caused by environmental toxicity and it affects our immune, neurological and endocrine systems. This toxicity can lead to numerous health problems including allergies, neurological illnesses, immune dysfunction, reproductive dysfunction, mood changes, asthma, autoimmunity, allergies, sexual dysfunction and dysregulation of glucose.

Mercury, the most destructive of these toxins can cause neurological, immunological, psychological and enzymatic issues. It can contribute or cause autism, Alzheimer's, cancers, heart disease, autoimmune disease, endocrine problems as well as neurological and behavioral issues.

Read the full article about toxins, disease, and how chemicals like aspartame affect the brain and overall health.

About the Author
Pamela Heyen graduated from the American College of Healthcare Sciences, Holistic Health Practitioner Program, in 2007. She currently owns and operates Heyen Wellness Therapies.

© 5/16/09 Pamela A. Heyen: http://www.holisticseek.com/articles/205/