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“When I was a little girl,” recalls Prevention advisor Tieraona Low Dog, MD, “my grandma Jo—my greatest inspiration—took me to a powwow at Medicine Lodge in Kansas.” Jo was one-quarter Comanche, and these gatherings were powerful for her. They were transformative for Dr. Low Dog as well. Jo would say, “Baby”—that’s what she called her granddaughter when she was young—“when you are born into the world, you are set upon a path, and that path is your medicine road....

The one morning you’re late for work, and you can’t find your keys. That big dinner party is hours away, and you forgot to buy the most important ingredient. When we need our memory the most, it seems to fail us—and new research might explain why. In two separate experiments, published in Behavioral Brain Research, a group of German researchers subjected 60 people to mild forms of emotional and situational stress....

Move along for a maximum core workout that blends traditional strength moves with balance challenges. Follow along with Prevention fitness expert Chris Freytag in this 2-minute exercise video and learn a great move to help boost your metabolism. Watch High-Metabolism Workout: Knee Hugger Chest Fly, and try an exercise that really works your upper body. Follow along with Chris for an exercise called the Knee Hugger Chest Fly. Start by sitting on your mat with your knees bent....

Arthritis: Massagers may lessen pain and inflammation, improve blood circulation, improve flexibility and mobility and alleviate muscle aches and tension.Back Pain: Therapy consisting of massage, exercise and stretching help maintain the disc muscles, ligaments and tendons surrounding and supporting the spine. This promotes enhanced motion and alleviates aches in the back and neck.Circulatory Conditions: Massagers are beneficial in the treatment of poor circulation, improving blood flow promoting faster healing of damaged muscles and increases joint flexibility....

Ever get a flu shot and then wind up sniffling, sneezing, and sweaty anyway? That’s completely possible, according to new research published in The Lancet. Researchers combed through 31 studies and found that during 12 flu seasons, the most common type of flu shot prevented the flu in just 59 percent of people ages 18 through 64. The less-common live vaccine was more effective, protecting people 83 percent of the time, but it still didn’t provide a 100 percent guarantee of a flu-free winter....

The research: The two studies—one from the University of Maryland and another, larger study published in the New England Journal of Medicine—independently pinpointed the genetic mutation. For those who carry the gene (roughly one out of every 150 people), the risk for coronary heart disease drops by about 40%, according to the larger of the two studies. The mutation lowers the amount of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in your blood, explains Sekar Kathiresan, MD, director of preventative cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, who helped conduct the larger study....

You know the feeling: It’s been a long day and now the clock is inching towards midnight—but you’re almost done watching a salacious season of reality TV. Should you watch just one more episode, or hit the sack? If you’re looking to shed some pounds, The Real Housewives will have to wait. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found (surprise, surprise) that sleeping less has some pretty undesirable effects on the body....

Eggshells If you’re looking to add a little whimsy to your windowsill, you’ve found it: Eggshells are perfect for to grow tiny green plants like chives, alfalfa sprouts, or wheatgrass. Just slice off the top of an uncooked eggshell with a knife, empty out the egg and yolk (and save to cook later), and give the inside of the shell a quick rinse. Once it’s totally dry, fill it two-thirds of the way with potting soil....

In the world of food service, the same might be said of McDonald’s. The numbers are astounding. Every day, more than 70 million people around the world eat at McDonald’s; that’s 1% of the global population. That percentage is 8 times higher in the United States. McDonald’s serves about 75 hamburgers a second and is said to have employed about 1 out of every 8 American workers. MORE: 7 Best Fast-Food Chains for Organic or Vegan Meals For those of us in the natural foods movement, there is actually some good news here....

The research found that people-pleasers (those who reported worrying about hurting other people, frequently putting others’ needs before their own, and being sensitive to criticism…sound familiar?) tended to overeat in social settings in an effort to make other people feel more comfortable—and that overeating led to unwanted calories. As reported by Time.com, “People-pleasers feel more intense pressure to eat when they believe that their eating will help another person feel more comfortable....

The company’s founder said he had a lightbulb moment when he realized that (1) chimps are our closest genetic relatives and (2) their insanely healthy diet helped them stay free of all health problems. We’re all for his aha moment—except for the fact that clause No. 2 is pretty inaccurate: Chimps are actually prone to developing many of the same diseases that humans get. And in addition to all those plants, chimps devour insects and small amounts of meat (nowhere to be seen in the Chimp Food offerings)....

12 oz fusilli 3 Tbsp olive oil 4 lg shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise lg bunch green Swiss chard, trimmed; stems cut into 1/2"-thick slices; leaves (inner stems removed) sliced into long strips 10 oz shiitake or domestic mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1/3 c grated or shaved Parmesan cheese [sidebar] Cook fusilli per package directions....

We already knew that tomatoes themselves were both delicious and also an anti-cancer food. But according to a new study, drinking the juice might actually be better for you than eating the fruit whole. MORE: The Unbelievable Reason You’re Short On Vitamin D The study, published in Nutrition Journal, involved 95 women (ages 40 to 60) who had at least one menopausal symptom, such as anxiety, irritability, and hot flashes....

Baur is the co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, the largest farm-animal refuge organization in the world, with locations in New York and California. Today, he’s teamed up with Gene Stone, author of Forks Over Knives, for a new primer on cruelty-free living and eating: Living the Farm Sanctuary Life: The Ultimate Guide to a Mindful, Compassionate, Animal-Friendly Life (published by Rodale) is a mega-list of tips for making more conscientious food choices and includes more than 100 delicious vegan recipes like these....

The research: Prior research has shown that those loathsome catcalls negatively impact a woman’s well-being (not that we needed science to tell us that), so researchers from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and Florida State University wanted to see if that was also the case for women and men in committed relationships—if just focusing on the physical would be detrimental to a relationship. To find out, the researchers recruited more than 100 couples to answer questions designed to measure how much partners valued their mates for their body, their non-physical attributes (such as kindness, creativity, and patience), as well as each person’s level of commitment and satisfaction in the relationship....

To amp up results, we combined ball exercises from the study with high-energy cardio and simple calorie-cutting tips. In 2 weeks, you could lose up to an inch from your waist; in 4 weeks, shed up to 8 pounds or more. The Experts Rafael Escamilla, PhD, PT, study author and professor of physical therapy at California State University, Sacramento, and Wayne Westcott, PhD, research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA, designed these workouts....

It’s all thanks to data analyst Brian Wilt, who tracked the habits of people who use UP, a sleep-and-movement tracking system that includes a wristband and smartphone app. His results compile the activity of more than 5,000 users of the technology in 45 cities worldwide. It turns out users across the globe sleep similarly, clocking just shy of 7 hours a night. Orlando users nabbed the most sleep in the U....

Ladies More Likely To Live To 100 [USA Today] More proof that women are awesome: Data from the 2010 Census, released this week, reveals that 80% of the country’s centenarians (those who are 100 or older) are ladies. Most centenarians live in the south, with California and Florida being the states that boast the biggest populations of these elderly superstars. Researchers still aren’t sure why women often outlive men, but they suspect that we’re more likely to pay regular visits to the doctor and tend to manage illnesses more carefully....