We spring clean our house, but how often do we spring clean our body?

Fasting--or abstaining from solid foods for a time--assists the body to cleanse. By eliminating food, the enormous energy required to digest food is released and put to the task of spring-cleaning the body. The liver and entire digestive system is given a well-earned rest.*

There is no magic pill for weight loss. The best magic for weight management is weight maintenance. That can be a hard sell over the winter. On cold days, it can be hard to convince ourselves that we would rather have a carrot than a piece of organic chocolate cake. Moderation is the key.

Here are 5 tips for moderation to help kick-start your spring health goals:  

1. Do some type of exercise every day... preferably every morning

Wow - what a great lunchtime lecture yesterday, Health and Culinary Benefits of Nettle, with expert ACHS instructor Scott Stuart! We were thrilled to fill the American College Apothecary Shoppe with more than thirty community members eager to learn more about the herbal, health, and culinary benefits of nettle (Urtica urens).

Meet Danielle Silverman (B.S., MBA, NMT, CCMT, NCBTMB, Cert. Master Herbalist), an American College (ACHS), Master Herbalist Graduate, and the newest member of our adjunct faculty! Danielle will teach the ACHS Nat 306: Holistic Health Consulting and Business Skills online course starting January 16, 2012.

Using oils to create an herbal infusion is both an art and a science. But, how many herbs should you use? If you can make a tea blend from two or three herbs, should you use several herbs in your infusions, too? The answer is: it depends. If your goal is to make a great smelling aromatherapy body oil for personal use, then go for it - use the herbs you most enjoy in an aromatic blend.