activelife USA Blog

Red, White & Blue Acai Bowl 🇺🇸

Kick off your 4th of July holiday plans with this patriotic breakfast bowl! This red, white & blue Acai bowl is perfect for the summer holiday (and so simple to make!).

INGREDIENTS:
1 handful of ice
1 Banana
1 packet of Acai Puree
1 tbs nut butter
1 tbs NORDIQ Magnesium Powder
1 cup of almond (or any non-dairy) milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Add the ice, Acai packet, nut butter, banana, almond butter and NORDIQ Magnesium Powder to your blender.

2) Blend until it's a thick consistency (or however you prefer it).

3) Top with strawberries, coconut flakes, blueberries and granola for that festive holiday look. Alternatively, top with your favorite fruits, nuts and seeds.  🙂

Mango Chia Pudding 🥭

Chia seeds are full of important nutrients. They are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, and they provide fiber, iron, and calcium. This overnight chia pudding recipe is the perfect breakfast to get your day going and be properly nourished!

Apple Cinnamon Oats Recipe

We love to incorporate our NORDIQ vitamins into our food, especially Digestive Complex!

Fats, proteins and starches need digestive enzymes to break down properly so the nutrients in the food are absorbed optimally by the body. Digestion and intestines are easily affected by poor diet, stress, aging, intense workouts and environmental factors. 

This oatmeal breakfast recipe is easy, delicious and perfect for on the go!

INGREDIENTS:

-1/2 cup oats
-1/2 cup water
-1 NORDIQ Nutrition Digestive Complex Capsule
-1/2 cup apple cubes
-Dash of cinnamon
-Added seeds, nuts and/or fruit of your choice to top it off

Start by adding oatmeal, water and seeds to the glass. Then add the cubed apples. Open one Digestive Complex capsule and pour the contents into the mixture. Finally, sprinkle some cinnamon. You can make this recipe as overnight oats to have breakfast prepared every morning :) The longer the ingredients soak into the oatmeal, the more flavor you'll taste!

July 17, 2018

Ribbon cutting planned for Waynesboro 'Shark Tank' 

Many are familiar with ABC’s Emmy Award-winning reality show, Shark Tank, but the residents of Franklin County would be interested to know that a local company is also inspiring inventors to dream big. 

Active Life Solutions, an e-commerce company focused on supporting fitness products for people pursuing an active lifestyle, is based in Waynesboro. 

Waynesboro resident Dr. Stephen Bui, a surgeon podiatrist, leads a partnership of physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors and personal trainers that thoroughly evaluate innovative products aimed at helping people to start or maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.

Once a brand or product is selected, it is tested in-house by the team of professionals at Active Life Solutions. Following approval, we then will help the brand to have a successful launch. This concept is very similar to the one witnessed on Shark Tank.  

“We have helped companies from several countries successfully launch innovative products," Bui said. "We not only help companies launch, we invest in the people behind these products as well.”

With high demand for their services, Active Life Solutions recently moved its warehouse operations from a 1,000 square-foot facility in Shady Grove to a 5,000 square-foot building at the Wharf Road Industrial Park in Zullinger.

Bui recently toured portions of the Mid-Atlantic region with Pekka Vallo, an Olympic weightlifter and the inventor of the HighRoller. One of those stops included the Waynesboro YMCA where the duo hosted the “Active Recovery & Mobility Workshop” and presented the HighRoller (Sports Product of the Year in Finland.)

Vallo performed exercise demonstrations with several products aimed at increasing body mobility and enabled attendees to have a hands-on opportunity to learn more about effective muscle recovery.  

Local residents will soon have another chance to learn more about Active Life Solutions during a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Greater Waynesboro Chamber of Commerce at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 25 at the company's warehouse located at 4758 Zane A. Miller Drive, Waynesboro.

The ribbon cutting will include a chance to win free products currently being promoted through Active Life Solutions. 

If you are interested in scheduling an interview or would like more information regarding any of the latest inventions being promoted on https://activelifeusa.com/, email Stephen Bui at stephen@activelifesolutions.org.

(Kaleigh Barr - Manager, ActiveLife, Sarah Santangelo - Senior Wellness Director YMCA, Dr. Stephen Bui - Founder and CEO, ActiveLife)

Need some fresh holiday gift ideas for the fitness and nutrition fanatics in your life? We've got you covered. Cheers to spreading joy, health and vitality this season!

ActiveLife HighBaller Adjustable Twin Ball Massager

August 12, 2018

HighHealer offers next step in foot relief 

WAYNESBORO, PA – A device that serves as your personal foot trainer is set to launch on Kickstarter, a crowd-funding site, this month. Starting at $55 for the first-day early bird special, the HighHealer is the world’s first portable 5-in-1 foot treatment device – which allows you to condition and exercise areas of the foot, ankle and calf.

The campaign hopes to raise $50,000 to bring the HighHealer to market. 

The HighHealer is the perfect fit for on-the-go people who don’t have time for the guess work involved in finding ideal stretch angles for their lower extremities. 

Dr. Stephen Bui, a podiatrist and surgeon with more than 15 years of experience, invented the HighHealer following common problems he not only witnessed with his patients, but throughout his own active life as well.  

With that in mind, Bui took a sabbatical from his medical practice to embark on a mission to design the HighHealer. 

During the past two years, Bui developed a product that not only provides relief for severe foot pain such as Plantar Fasciitis, but serves as a strengthening device for professional athletes who want to improve performance and prevent injuries.

“I believe the versatility of the HighHealer not only assists with curing pain, but also serves as preventive care from soreness and injuries for active people,” said Bui, who has competed in several marathons.

Each function successfully addresses problems people are facing in their feet, ankles and calves that affect mobility, comfort and performance.

Five key functions of the HighHealer: 

1. Reducing inflammation with hot and cold treatment

2. Massaging and stretching of Plantar Fascia

3. Strenghtening the smaller muscles that stabilize your feet

4.  Loosening calf tightness by stretching Achilles Tendon

5. Massaging foot

A closer look at the functions that define the HighHealer begins with a unique roller made of soapstone which serves as the semi-triangular centerpiece of the HighHealer. The soapstone was selected because it brings soothing relief to inflamed tissue on the foot with its ability to hold freezing temperatures for at least 30 minutes upon application. No other material on the market is capable of preserving its temperature longer than soapstone.  

Far too often, at-home therapy plans call for stretching that isn’t easily achieved. The HighHealer is designed with pre-determined angles to provide a superior calf stretch which leaves out the guess work that goes into stretching against a wall. 

And if relief wasn’t enough reason to fall in love with the HighHealer, the device is also designed to strengthen the muscles which help stabilize your foot. This strengthening will help your feet function in the best way possible.

For athletes, this could also mean the difference between a silver medal and good medal in a race. 

In America alone, more than 3 million people are diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis each year. It could cost at least $1,000 and take several months to treat Plantar Fasciitis.

We would like to educate people further before taking the next step to using the HighHealer.

Over a lifetime, most people will log over 80,000 miles on their feet, which affects more than 200,000 nerve endings on the sole of the foot. Foot health should not be overlooked. 

The HighHealer is aimed at helping people sustain the journey their feet will take over time. 

“We can’t wait to share the HighHealer with the Kickstarter community and join forces to bring this unique device to life,” Bui said. 

For information, please visit http://highrollerofficial.com/2016/

August 24, 2018

A multi-functional device designed to relieve severe foot pain such as plantar fasciitis to be produced after a successful crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com

Pennsylvania-based e-commerce company Active Life Solutions unveiled plans earlier this month to make its portable 5-in-1 device that serves as your personal foot trainer available to the public and put it into mass production.  In America alone, more than 3 million people are diagnosed each year with Plantar Fasciitis, a common condition that causes extreme foot pain. If left untreated it could cost at least $1,000 and take several months to treat Plantar Fasciitis.

The HighHealer, invented by Dr. Stephen Bui, a podiatrist and surgeon with more than 15 years of experience, marks a change in the way we address and prevent foot problems. Designed for on-the-go people, the HighHealer has predetermined angles that eliminate the guess work of stretching.  

Highlighted in its multi-functional use, the HighHealer employs soapstone as the centerpiece of relief. The soapstone was selected because it brings soothing relief to inflamed tissue on the foot with its ability to hold freezing temperatures or heat for at least 30 minutes upon application. No other material on the market is capable of preserving its temperature longer than soapstone. 

The remaining four functions of the HighHealer work together to address problems people are facing in their feet, ankles and calves that affect mobility, comfort and performance. The device massages and stretches the Plantar Fascia, strengthens the smaller muscles that stabilize your feet and loosens calf tightness by stretching the Achilles Tendon.

The HighHealer has been two years in the making as Dr. Bui took a sabbatical from his medical practice to pursue the invention. 

“Over a lifetime, most people will log over 80,000 miles on their feet, which affects more than 200,000 nerve endings on the sole of the foot. Foot health should not be overlooked,” said Bui.

August 22, 2018

Dr. Stephen Bui has made a successful career out of being a podiatric surgeon.

While the success is fulfilling, some of the greatest rewards he has achieved have come before sunrise. 

On a typical morning, Bui runs with a group of friends around the rural Pennsylvania town of Waynesboro. Many of those friends encounter the challenges of foot and calf problems associated with running on a hard surface.

At one point, Bui was one of those people hobbled by Plantar Fasciitis, a common condition that causes extreme foot pain.  

While his 18 years of podiatry experience travels with him everywhere and helped him quickly overcome his foot woes, Bui is aware that his friends and statistically 80 percent of the population are still searching for pain relief. 

So, Bui put his podiatry practice on hold to work on inventing the HighHealer.

A light weight, portable device, the HighHealer features multiple treatment components including a 5-in-1 treatment that eliminates the challenges and frustrations of performing separate exercises.

Instead of attempting routine stretches and at-home therapy that could take at least 30 minutes, the HighHealer saves time and leaves out the guess work. 

Five key areas which the HighHealer focuses on: 

1.  Reduce inflammation 

2. Stretch the Plantar Fascia ligament

3. Strengthen the smaller muscles that stabilize your feet

4. Loosen calf tightness

5. Massage foot

Understanding Muscle Pain

Trigger points or knots are spots in muscles where tense sensitive tissue causes discomfort, and if not treated, severe pain occurs. Often the affected area starts as a small sore area of muscle tightness, that when untreated, becomes increasingly painful including limiting range of motion. 

The cause of knots are not specific to one particular action or lack there of, but most often comes from over use or under use of a particular muscle group. In addition, poor posture from long periods of sitting or standing increase the chance of trigger points happening with more frequency. 

Myofascial Release: Trigger Point Therapy

Trigger points, or knots, are primarily found in the hips, neck, shoulders, legs and calves but can affect other areas of the body. There are many ways to address the discomforts of trigger points. Trigger point therapy consists of rubbing and pressing into the affected muscle.  One can start with a simple technique by passing down with a finger, primarily the thumbs, to locate and hold the affected area for 30-60 seconds.  Then repeating this action until the area feels relief. If the area is small, this technique is usually enough to become pain free.  If the area is tenacious, using ones fingers, then progressing into devices and foam rollers as the knot starts to soften is key.

Feel Better Methods

As active as most of the population is, especially in the middle of the current health and wellness boom, there has been a surplus of tools available to help in recovery.  The market has flooded us all with foam rollers, trigger point guns, and massage methods from both eastern and western medicine. 

Here at ActiveLife, it’s believed that recovery is not only the most important but absolutely necessary thing for the growth of any athlete or non-athlete to keep his or her health.  We focus on many different tools that release trigger points, have more than one function, are easy to use and affordable.  With this knowledge, it is our goal to provide as much information about our products so you can get the most out of your recovery process in your busy life.

Some of our personal favorites are: HighRoller, an adjustable elevation foam roller allowing you to roll hard to reach muscles i.e. adductors and IT Bands just to name a few (See image below). It’s larger to cover more surface area, compared to most other foam rollers on the market. Engineered for longevity and comfort,  the adjustable legs on the HighRoller keeps it stationary during trigger point release, so you can manipulate the intensity of the pressure you need as you roll. 

 HighRollers sister product is the HighBaller, a twin ball massager with adjustable, angled massage balls used for deep muscle myofascial release. The adjustable HighBaller system allows for use anywhere on the body. In addition to its unique features you are able to connect your HighBaller to a squat rack if you want to get deep into shoulder and back muscles without having to lay on your back. This allows you to control the pressure needed to release the adhesion in the muscle.  

 For a complete list on the many products ActiveLife provides, go to  click here to learn more.

Are you tired of carrying several bags packed with all your gear to get to the gym before or after work? Has planning your workouts become a hassle because of your concern to keep your work attire freshly ironed? Are you often negotiating between a workout or free time? I know I surly have. Searching for a bag that will make the experience of commuting easier, I was recommended to check out IAMRUNBOX. After a few months of giving IAMRUNBOX a run, no pun intended, I want to share my personal experience about how IAMRUNBOX has made my commute and packing experience ultimate. 

As a multi-career professional, often times commuting to and from teaching a class, seeing a days full of patients then back to personal training sessions, I was weary about how this bag was going to make it easier to get through my busy day.  

I learned that IAMRUNBOX is an ergonomically engineered backpack that allows you to carry a change of clothing ( i.e. dress shirt and/or trousers or skirt) neatly packed to keep from wrinkling. One of it’s many unique parts is the design that allows the bag to lay flush against the natural curvature of your back, making it one of the more ergonomically and safe bags to run or move with.

IAMRUNBOX offers two options, IAMRUNBOX Pro and IAMRUNBOX Lite. In addition, they provide several pieces as add ons- a shoe bag, extra garment carriers, and a folding assistant that you can take anywhere for a few extra dollars.

I went along with IAMRUNBOX PRO. I choose this bag because of the extra space and more bag for my buck. IAMRUNBOX PRO left me just enough room needed to carry my MacBook Air in addition to my clothing. On many days I have packed IAMRUNBOX Pro with my MacBook Air, a set of scrubs, a set of tights, a sports bra and comfortably gone for a run.

The shoe bag that attaches easily to the outside using strong spring ties allows for a quick switch from my cycling cleats to sneakers when needed. And since the bag itself isn't heavy, the overall weight was pleasant enough to run and not need to adjust much of anything. Not feeling things bounce around is life changing. All runners know exactly what I'm talking about. A few of my favorite features are the adjustable chest straps, making it easier to change where you want it to sit across your chest, even while on the move. The waist straps that have two large secret pockets easily allow you to access or hide keys, a few cards and even an iPhone 8 plus.

As mentioned earlier, I came across this bag from a friend who, well, felt sorry for me. He was concerned about my extra luggage as it was nicely put- that seems to never end and causing my back and shoulder to stiffen up over time. Okay, I’ll admit, I am a bit of an over packer, but who isn’t, especially when you live life on the run in a big city? He assured me if I had this bag, I would be much more deliberate about not overpacking and my shoulders would thank me. He was right! Hello IAMRUNBOX, my new commute and travel friend. 

Find out more about IAMRUNBOX and there other product by clicking here: https://activelifeusa.com/collections/travel-commuting

Ladies, don’t you remember being a little girl, watching princess movies? The beautiful dresses, crowns and endless shoes, heels to be specific, so many of the Princess’s wore? I raise two hands, because I sure do!

As a child there was nothing more exciting than pretending to be one of these Princess’s, stretching my tiny little feet into my mothers heels and walking around like I was the Princess Diana. Minus her grace. I admit, I still own many scars as a result of my not so graceful walks in over sized shoes. Also, not realizing how it would impact my future. Fast forward in life, when I am granted the opportunity to wear heels as high as my heart desires and nothing short of keeping up with the “Jones” I shopped for every shoe the season brought  along.  From wedges, knee high boots, pointed toe stilettos, flats and mules; that currently are making a KILLER come back.

The cross we women bare to be all the things that our imagination, magazines, social media, and television suggested we should be: some version of perfect all done in KILLER shoes.  And in the quest for perfect, we have greatly suffered. Well, our feet have greatly suffered.

THE FAIRYTALE THAT ENDS IN PAIN

Plantar Fasciitis, in other words - that awful foot pain you’ve been experiencing, usually more by runners and mostly women, is the inflammation of the thick band of tissue that runs across the  bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes.

It often starts as discomfort into stabbing pain, occurring within the first steps out of bed and decreasing as the day progresses.  With excessive movement and time on your feet, it is not uncommon for the pain to resurface.

The pain experienced is a result from your parents, giving you either flat feet or high arches. Also poor support from shoes, and that includes sneakers, flats heels and all that is in between, inhibiting proper functional anatomy to work optimally.  We are predecessor of giant apes, who spent a majority of their time barefoot. We weren’t born to wear shoes, especially with high heels.

THE HAPPILY EVER  AFTER - for your feet at least.

Ladies, our dreams have come true. Behold, HighHealer, your new and improved Prince Charming.  HighHealer is your personal foot care therapist.  Not only will HighHealer massage your feet after a long day, you can sneak it under your desk, for a quickie between meetings and phone calls. It’s small enough to stash in your bag gym and  keep in the closet so no one finds out.  You’ll love it so much, you’ll have a hard time sharing. 

HighHealer has several different functions in addition to stretching out the Plantar Fascia, including releasing tension from our calves, and with a quick flip, it strengthens the tiny little muscles that help us stand taller and move with a little more ease.

If you are looking to build strength in your feet, in addition to relieving pain and improve your overall health, HighHealers multiple functions maximizes those results most efficiently.