May is the Month for Celebrating John Bastyr

John Bartholomew Bastyr was born at home in New Prague, Minnesota, on May 16, 1912. While we are honoring Dr. Bastyr all year long, the month of May will be a very special time to celebrate his contributions to the world:

• Herb Week (April 30 - May 5) - Free talks and workshops on the history of herbalism by Jenn Dazey, Sheila Kingsbury, Eric Yarnell and Crystal Hamby

• Spring for Health Luncheon (May 16) - Lunch and learn from Bastyr alumni, Drs. Peter Bonjorno and Pina LoGuiduice, while helping to raise funds for Bastyr Center for Natural Health

• Bastyr Book Journey Launch (May 16) - Witness history in the making as Bastyr alumni take a beloved book from Dr. Bastyr's collection on a very special expedition down the coast to California

• Governmental Proclamation (May 16) - King County will officially proclaim May 16 as "John Bastyr Day"

• The First William A. Mitchell, Jr., ND, Visiting Scholar (May 17) - Alain Touwaide, PhD, will offer a free evening lecture on "1912-2012: The Decline and Rise of Herbal Medicine"

PHOTOS: Community Day!

I hope everyone had a great time during Community Day. I'm sure you don't want me to blather on, so I'll let the photos speak for themselves:

Bastyr University on Q13 Fox News April 18, 2012

Bastyr University's Kelly Morrow made an appearance this week on the KCPQ-TV 4 p.m. show (also known as Q13 Fox News.) Kelly spoke with news anchor Maria Arcega-Dunn about the risks of juice detox diets for weight-loss purposes.

I was going to add a link to the video on this post, but Q13 said they're currently having trouble with their online video system, so you'll just have to wait until things get fixed on their end. In the meantime, enjoy more photos from this segment, with the woman who is fast becoming Bastyr University's "Ciscoe of Nutrition."

Clinic Outreach Season is Here

Canopies dot the lawn at a recent Herb and Food Fair

Last month, six ND residents and one brave nutrition student staffed a BCNH booth for two long and busy days at VegFest. Our attendance at this type of outreach event gives the public an opportunity to meet Bastyr Center (and Bastyr University) face-to-face. We tend to choose events that revolve around health, sustainability and strengthening community.
Once our outreach season begins, it quickly revs into high gear. This spring and summer, look for the Bastyr Center booth at a number of local events, including:

• Pacific Science Center's Seattle Science Festival 
• Bastyr's Herb and Food Fair 
• Fremont (Solstice) Fair 
• Seattle Pride Fest 
• Swedish SummeRun 
• Seattle Parks "Big Day of Play" 
• Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair 
• and Wallingford Farmers Markets 

This weekend, Bastyr Center will participate in the American Diabetes Association Seattle EXPO at the Convention Center. This is our first year as a major participant and we're excited to jump in and share our unique perspective on diabetes prevention and care. We'll be offering:

• A1c (blood glucose) screenings, administered by ND residents and students 
• A cooking demo on the Healthy Eating Stage by Chef Jim Watkins 
• A talk on the event main stage by Dr. Ryan Bradley 
• A colorful and engaging display, including whole foods and loads of helpful information 

The event runs from 9am-3pm on Saturday, April 21. Come by and see us! Find more information here.

Bastyr Has an iPhone App!

Believe it or not, your iPhone can do more than play Words With Friends and Angry Birds. Bastyr University now has its own iPhone app!

You can keep up with news and events, check out our social media pages, or use my favorite feature: Checking the Dining Commons menu.

While those features are great, the app's real benefits were focused on serving our students. When you download the app, you'll notice a MyBU login, but it won't do much for faculty or staff. Students, however, will have instant, on-the-go access to their classes, schedule, billing and grades.

It's free. Head on over here to download it, or just search for Bastyr in the app store on your phone.

Now, I can already hear some of you grumbling something like this: "Why no Android app?" Part of it has to do with cost, but we also decided to build for the bulk of our mobile traffic. I just looked at our analytics data, and the iPhone is still the most popular mobile device connecting to our site, and its traffic nearly doubles that of Android devices. (The iPad also outranks Android devices.)

Rest assured, Android lovers, we haven't forgotten you! Our incredible Web Team has been working hard on the mobile version of the Bastyr website m.bastyr.edu.

Bastyr University on Q13 Fox March 26, 2012

Jamie Corroon, ND, was a guest on KCPQ-TV's (Q13 Fox News) 5 p.m. newscast on March 26, 2012 . He spoke with anchor Marni Hughes about ways to fight seasonal allergies and provided a list of good options ranging from neti pots to changing one's diet.

Bastyr University on Q13 Fox News March 27, 2012

Kelly Morrow, MS, RD, CD, appeared on KCPQ-TV (Q13 Fox) on March 27, 2012 to discuss the dangers of drinking too much soda, with news anchor Matt Lorch.