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Once used in ancient India, now embraced by natural health experts, ashwagandha is an herb long-known for its medicinal properties. For more than 3,000 years, ashwagandha has been used in a form of natural healing called Ayurveda. You may have heard that word thrown around in recent years, but if you're not familiar, Ayurveda is a type of alternative medicine practiced in both ancient and modern-day India. For millennia, practitioners have believed that ashwagandha benefits the body by enhancing immunity, longevity, and stamina.
Caffeine is for many people a constant morning companion, and a lot of us couldn’t imagine life without it. But is it healthy? Over the years, news reports seem to conflict on whether or not caffeine is a good or bad thing. To put the matter to rest, we rounded up the definitive scientific research on the matter. In this article, we review the benefits, potential negatives, and some of the most frequently asked questions about America’s favorite stimulant.
If you're a seasoned veteran of the gym or just been working out a few months, you've likely started seeing some benefits from exercise that you didn't expect. We all know that working out helps us look good and feel good, but it's not until we actually start doing it that we realize just how many hidden benefits there are. Your body is like an ecosystem. When one part is affected, it can have a downstream effect on all of the others. This can be true in a bad way, but also in a good way. Although the connection may not be obvious, exercise can have an important impact on our sleep. Today we take a look at some of the benefits of exercise for our sleep as well as recommendations for how to incorporate the best workout routine for your rest.
If you’re like most Americans, stress is something you manage on a regular basis. As a country we’re stressed out, and the increasing popularity of yoga and meditation reflect our need for rest and relaxation. Peace of mind isn’t always easy to come by, but rediscovering ancient remedies from natural ingredients may help. Let's look at a class of herbs called adaptogens, which are gaining widespread attention for their ability to fight stress. We will look at some of the most popular adaptogens and examine some of the science behind how they work.
If you’ve ever experienced a ‘sugar high,’ or eaten ‘comfort food,’ you know full well how much food can alter your emotional state. In fact, it’s the emotional component that makes us love food—and in some cases get addicted to it.
What’s interesting, however, is that many times foods can affect our mood in ways we don’t realize. There exists a complex network between the gut and the brain, and what we eat can literally become fuel for our emotions—for better or worse.
Does your head feel foggy? Do you wake up inexplicably tired? Do you struggle with mood imbalance for seemingly no real reason? The root cause may be in a place you'd never think to look: the gut. You might be thinking, "Isn't all of this a brain issue?" It certainly is, but scientists are becoming more and more convinced that there is an incredibly complex connection between your gut and your brain. In other words, if something is off with your gut health, it can actually affect how well your brain functions.
CBD is everywhere: gas stations, shopping malls, health food stores—almost anywhere you can spend money. But the big question remains: can it really improve my health? Along with that comes a host of other questions: is it safe? Does it have psychoactive effects? In this article we delve into these questions and more to give you a solid overview of CBD oil. We will cover the benefits and what science is saying about this controversial supplement.
Do you find yourself texting in the middle of a conversation? Do you catch yourself glancing at the GPS while navigating through traffic? If so, then you may be multitasking more than you think. In fact, if you own a smartphone at all, then you could be multitasking continuously without realizing it. A Business Insider article reported that we touch our phones on average 2,617 times a day (source.) A significant amount of that tapping and swiping is spent while doing other things.
Many people know that probiotics are good, but few actually know what they are and why we need them. Today, we'll take a quick look at probiotics, the sources where you can get them, and some of the most common signs that you need a probiotic.
If you’re struggling with cognitive issues, your first instinct is probably not to think about your gut health. However, as more scientific research unfolds, experts are finding that your digestion could play a major role in determining how well your brain functions.
Scientists refer to this as the “gut-brain” connection, or “gut-brain axis.” While this a cutting-edge area of study, the research coming forward shows a connection between the two that is more complex and amazing than we ever realized. In this brief article, we’ll look at how the two are connected and what you can do to maintain your gut health for optimal brain function.
I think we would all agree that it has been a challenging and crazy year. What better time than now to reevaluate our schedule and to start working on healthier habits.
Many of us need a total transformation, but too many drastic lifestyle changes at once usually isn’t the recipe for long term success. Start small: pick one tiny health habit at a time, until it’s a natural part of your routine.
Haven’t made your New Year's resolutions yet? It’s not too late! Your resolutions don’t have to be about just hitting the gym or losing weight, they can also focus on your brain health and overall wellness. The beginning of the year is a terrific time to reflect on what you want to accomplish and improve over the next 12 months. Here are a few brain-healthy recommendations that will serve you well all year:
