Gorgeous Acai Bowls That Are Also Insanely Healthy For You

These drool-worthy shots will have you making acai bowls for breakfast in no time.

Berries galore

Have you jumped on the acai bowl bandwagon yet? The superfood from Brazil is poised to be everyone's favorite breakfast, and for good reason. This tropical fruit has multiple health benefits and tastes great (some say it tastes like ice cream!). You’ll not only feel full and satisfied after eating this sweet treat for breakfast, but you’ll also feel good about treating your body well. There is a catch, though—acai bowls can be expensive to make at home, since the fruit is native to Brazil. In the U.S., acai is sold as a frozen puree and is typically found at health food stores. Lucky enough to find the frozen puree? Blending in fruit and some sort of liquid such as coconut or almond milk can help you achieve the right consistency at home. Once you’re done, you can go wild adding fresh fruit or oatmeal to complete your healthy and nutritious acai bowl. Need some inspiration? Check out some of these mouthwatering acai bowls captured for Instagram.

Bananas and coconut

Want more superfoods in your diet? These are essential ones that every man and woman needs in their diet.

Fully loaded

Try these easy ways to make these superfoods even healthier than they already are.

Crazy for kiwis

If you love acai, you have to try out these paleo smoothies even non-dieters will love.

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Can’t Take 10,000 Steps a Day? Do This Instead

For days when it's not feasible to cram in the recommended 10,000 daily steps, this shorter routine has got you covered.

Taking 10,000 steps per day is a great way to get your daily dose of physical activity, but only 15 percent of American men and women regularly hit that healthy target, according to a brand-new study from Oregon State University. Lack of time is the most commonly cited obstacle, but fortunately, there’s an alternative that may be easier to fit into a tight schedule.

In the year-long study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Oregon State researchers found that although people who took more steps each day were typically healthier than those who took fewer steps, speed made a difference. Those who took 5,000 to 7,000 steps at a faster pace scored similar health benefits, including things like smaller waist circumference, lower blood pressure, and reduced BMI and cholesterol levels.

Based on these findings, study co-author John Schuna, Jr., PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology at OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences, recommends aiming to take 3,000 steps each day at a brisk pace, which may be 100 or more steps per minute for two and a half hours, or 150 minutes, each week.

This healthy target fits with the guidelines of both the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services, which advise that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week. Examples of moderate intensity workouts include brisk walking, yoga, pushing a lawn mower, gardening, or riding a bike under 10 mph; examples of vigorous intensity activity include jumping rope, running, jogging, biking over 10 mph, and hiking uphill.

“Running or jogging two and a half miles is equivalent to walking 10,000 steps,” says Chauncey Graham, CSCS, an ACE Fitness Professional at Gold’s Gym in Washington, D.C. Higher-intensity workouts also come with added benefits, including improvements to your cardiorespiratory system. “A heightened level of exercise will prevent and lower your risk of many common diseases as well as obesity,” Graham says.

Most experts agree that a mix of high intensity and moderate intensity workouts yield the best results, however, if you’re dedicated to reaching your 10,000 steps each day via walking, try to take 3,000 of those steps at a faster pace. But some exercise is certainly better than none, so if you can spare only 60 seconds to sweat, try these exercises that will transform your body.

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6 Wondrous Things That Happen to Your Body When You Listen to Classical Music

Classical music is more than just pleasant background noise; it may actually make you healthier. Here’s how Mozart and Vivaldi could help you become smarter, healthier, and even get a good night’s rest.

Classical music eases pain

Saying goodbye to pain could be as easy as cuing up your favorite music app. Research has shown that music can be effective at decreasing pain among surgical and cancer patients. A 2006 study found that groups with chronic pain who listened to music reported feeling less pain and more power over their depression and disability than those who didn’t. Researchers suggest that music empowers patients recovering from surgery and even encourage nurses to use it as a rehabilitation tool.

Classical music lowers blood pressure

A study published in the Journal of Health Psychology found that participants who listened to classical music had significantly lower blood pressure levels than participants who did not hear any music. Researchers believe that listening to music may help your heart recover from stress, decreasing blood pressure as a result. Here are other surprising things doctors won’t tell you about healthy blood pressure.

Classical music makes you more emotional

Listening to music might inspire even the most apathetic person to crack a smile. Researchers at Southern Methodist University observed volunteers while they wrote about the most significant event or experience in their lives. They found that participants who had classical music in the background while writing became more emotionally vulnerable and more willing to disclose information than those who didn’t. And these benefits extend beyond the page; being more aware and in control of your emotions is a great way to maintain better, healthier relationships.

Classical music helps you sleep

Classical music can be an easy home remedy for restless snoozers. A 2006 study found that students with sleep disorders slept better when they fell asleep to classical music than those who didn’t conk out to music. Try music that has a regular rhythm, low pitches, and tranquil melodies, qualities that are believed to be most effective in improving sleep quality. If you still wake up exhausted after a full night’s sleep, it may be a sign you’re not sleeping deeply enough.

Classical music may make you smarter

In 2001, subjects who listened to Mozart’s sonata for just 10 minutes displayed IQ scores that were nearly 10 points higher after the study than before. Researchers explained that classical music is believed to enhance the brain’s spatial temporal reasoning, or the cognitive understanding of how items or pieces can fit into a space. True, the “Mozart Effect” is controversial. Others are skeptical of these findings, citing the need to consciously appreciate the music to reap its benefits. Still, it can’t hurt to switch on a little baroque music during your daily commute.

Classical music improves your memory

Next time you need to study for a big test or presentation, make Beethoven your companion. In a study published in Learning and Individual Differences, one group of students listened to a one-hour lecture where classical music was played in the background, and the other group heard the lecture with no music. Those in the first group scored significantly higher on a quiz than the second group. Researchers believe that the music made students more receptive to the information, allowing them to store and recall it more efficiently. Check out these daily habits of people with good memories.

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7 Clear Signs You Need to Move More

Yes, exercise can help you lose weight, but you’ll be surprised at how many other ways it can radically improve your health and well-being.

You're suddenly experiencing pain

We’ve all had one of those mornings—you wake up and your lower back, knee, or shoulder is suddenly aching. But while you might be tempted to wait it out, certified personal trainers Jim Karas and Michelle Blakely suggest getting your body in motion. Just moving your muscles, loosening your joints, and getting blood pumping to that area of your body can be enough to lessen the pain, Karas says. Even clients who have faced longer-term pain, like that which comes with rheumatoid arthritis, have improved their daily movement and ability to do chores by getting regular exercise. After your workout, chow down on one of these foods that fight pain naturally.

You're constantly fatigued

If you’re tired all the time, even with adequate food and sleep, maybe all you need is to move a bit more. It may seem a bit counterintuitive, but a study from the University of Georgia showed that just 20 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise three times a week increased energy levels by 20 percent. Researchers said the findings showed how exercise directly acts on the central nervous system to decrease fatigue, in some cases as much as 65 percent, according to the New York Times. “I like to tell my clients that an object in motion stays in motion,” says Chicago-based personal trainer Traci Mitchell. “It’s kind of like getting that big boulder of motivation moving, and once it gets moving, your energy increases.” Here are more tricks to beat fatigue naturally.

You're stressed

“Stress levels have never been higher,” Karas says, and statistically, he is right. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University showed that stress increased 18 percent for women and 24 percent for men from 1983 to 2009. We’re more worried about finances, constantly bombarded by media and information, and too busy to decompress—and that stress could be making us sick. But just walking, running, or strengthening your body for 20 to 30 minutes three to four times a week is enough to significantly decrease your anxiety, and research shows that adding in music makes that exercise even more effective in fighting stress. “If you’re dealing with a difficult decision, probably one of the best things you can do, whether it’s personal or business, is to get out and put your ear buds on,” Karas says.

Your hormones could use some TLC

Exercise is an excellent way to help regulate your hormones, and you’d be surprised at how much that can impact how you think, look, and feel. For example, boosting your testosterone levels, which can be done through exercise, helps increase your metabolism, maintains youthful-looking skin, and keeps your brain functioning properly, according to Karas.

Your digestion is out of whack

A 30-minute run or brisk walk will do more than just increase your appetite for dinner; it will help you digest your dinner, too. Aerobic exercise quickens your breathing and heart rate, which in turn improves the contraction of your intestinal muscles. As a  result, your digested food passes more quickly through your intestines and out of your body, decreasing constipation. Moving in whatever method (walking, running, swimming, dancing, and even stretching or yoga) will help with digestion.  Enhance the healthy belly benefits your workout by adding foods that boost good gut bacteria to your diet.

Your time-management tricks are failing you

Personal trainer April Sutton says a lot of her clients approach her for assistance when they feel like they’ve lost control over how they structure their time due to overwhelming work and family commitments. “They can’t really think for themselves outside of their jobs because they’re so burnt out,” says Sutton. Trainer Michael Moody has clients prioritize exercise, and think about how other habits (how they eat, sleep, and how much they sit at work) can impact how they feel when they exercise. Becoming “human scientists of their body” helps people better understand how their lifestyles can impact their health, Moody says. From there, it’s a matter of correcting bad habits, and continuing to put aside time to exercise regularly. Besides exercise, successful people do these things after work.

You're not sleeping well

If you’re having trouble nodding off or staying asleep at night, you may need to move a bit more during the day. In a study published in the journal Sleep Medicine, researchers at Northwestern University found that insomniac middle-aged and older participants who exercised and were taught to sleep in a cool, dark room and go to bed at the same time each night got 1.25 more hours of sleep nightly than those who did not participate in physical activity. Whether you have chronic insomnia or you just haven’t been sleeping well lately, getting some aerobic activity in during the day will probably help you catch more Z’s at night. Here are some signs you're not sleeping deeply enough.

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Whoa: This Mini Workout Cuts Neck Pain By 50 Percent

Cure neck pain caused by sitting at a computer all day with five simple exercises.

The workout that nips neck pain in the bud

If you spend much time hunched over a computer, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced pain in the trapezius—the muscle that extends from the back of your head, across your shoulders, and down your back. Research offers a simple, effective remedy: five exercises that cut pain by more than 50 percent among women with tight neck and shoulder muscles. These are sneaky reasons your neck suddenly hurts. The workout: For each move, perform three sets of 12 repetitions, gradually increasing the weight as you get stronger.

Shrugs

Stand with a 15- to 25-pound weight in each hand, arms at sides. Lift shoulders up toward ears and lower slowly.

One-arm row

With right knee on bench, lean on right hand. Slowly raise left elbow to bring a 12- to 20-pound weight to chest level; lower slowly. Switch sides; repeat.

Upright row

With a 4- to 10-pound weight in each hand, raise weights to middle of chest, keeping them close to body. Lower slowly.

Reverse fly

With a 2- to 5-pound weight in each hand, bend forward to a 45-degree angle. Elbows slightly bent, lift weights to shoulder height; lower slowly.

Shoulder abduction

With 5- to 8-pound weights in each hand and elbows slightly bent, lift weights until arms are parallel to floor. Lower slowly.

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Ginseng Benefits: How It Heals

Wars were fought over this ginseng, which has the power to boost immunity and enhance physical and mental performance.

Few herbs are as highly prized as ginseng. Wars were fought over it in China, where it has been used for 8,000 years. Today, a single root of wild Panax ginseng can command as much as $50,000. Of many ginseng variants, three are in common use. Asian/Korean ginseng (P. ginseng) and American ginseng (P. quinquefolius) are considered “true” ginseng, while Siberian/Russian ginseng is a more distant relative. The two Panax varieties may be white (the dried, unprocessed root) or red (the steamed, heat-dried root, thought to be pharmacologically more active). The uses of all three are primarily based on ginseng’s reputation as an “adaptogen” that boosts immunity and enhances physical and mental performance.

How Ginseng Works

Now widely cultivated, ginseng has been the subject of thousands of studies. The active constituents in the two Panax types are called ginsenosides, which act on the central nervous system. Research suggests that American and Asian ginseng boost the production of protective antibodies that help the body resist infections such as flu, the common cold, and other respiratory illnesses; Asian ginseng may also offer some protection against cancer and speed recovery after treatment. Siberian ginseng, which can help combat flu and herpes viral infections, contains substances known as eleuthorosides that stimulate the immune system, encouraging the body to produce protective T-cells.

Various studies show that ginseng may boost memory and concentration and combat fatigue. Two specific ginsenosides—Rb1 and Rg1—are thought to be responsible for improving cognitive function. Ginsenosides may also combat male impotence by reducing blood levels of the protein prolactin, which can cause erectile dysfunction. Asian ginseng appears to increase sperm levels and motility, as well as boosting sex drive; Korean red ginseng may also boost sexual arousal in women.

How to Use Ginseng

Many different types of ginseng are available in whole root, extract, powder, tablet and capsule form. You can also buy ginseng tea. Check to ensure you have the desired herb and follow label instructions or take as professionally prescribed.

Safety First

Though considered generally safe, Panax ginseng may interact with diabetes medications, antidepressants and the blood thinner warfarin, and may enhance the effects of flu vaccines. Ginseng has not been widely tested during pregnancy or breastfeeding so it is best avoided or used only under medical supervision during these periods.

Where to Find Ginseng

Varieties of ginseng are available in health food stores, some pharmacies or from a qualified herbalist.

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