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Eggs are one of the primary sources of dietary cholesterol for Americans. Image Credit: Arx0nt/iStock/GettyImages It seems pretty simple: Cholesterol is bad. It’s a little more complicated than that, though. Cholesterol — a fat-like substance found in all of your cells — is essential to your health in small amounts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Advertisement The good news? Your body makes all the cholesterol needed for physiological functions like vitamin D and hormone production, so getting cholesterol from your diet is unnecessary, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute....

Steak can be high in saturated fat. Image Credit: Thomas Francois/iStock/GettyImages A well-rounded diet — especially one that promotes a healthy, lean physique — should pack plenty of protein. But not all protein is created equal. Proteins are made up of smaller building blocks called amino acids. Advertisement Some proteins have a more "complete" amino acid profile than others, making them more valuable for your diet. Complete means they have an optimal ratio of the 20 amino acids that exist in nature....

Safflower flowers are brightly colored and look like thistles — and oil made from the seeds can be used in cooking. Image Credit: bdspn/iStock/GettyImages That familiar bottle of safflower oil you likely have in your kitchen is made using seeds from the safflower plant, which is a member of the sunflower family. Advertisement The safflower's flowers look like thistles and help protect its seeds — which are used to make oil — until they mature, per Purdue University's Alternative Field Crops Manual....

Drinking too much apple juice can cause gas. Image Credit: gerenme/iStock/GettyImages Drinking too much apple juice can cause diarrhea and gas. Because of the high sugar content, it may also lead to poor blood sugar regulation and weight gain. With these drawbacks in mind, eating whole apples is a healthier choice than downing a glass of juice — no matter how delicious it may be. Advertisement Apple Juice Causes Diarrhea The natural sugars in food can loosen stools and cause diarrhea when too much is consumed, says Harvard Health Publishing....

references American Academy of Dermatology: "Scalp Psoriasis: Symptoms" Mayo Clinic: "Seborrheic Dermatitis" Mount Sinai: "Tinea capitis" U.S. National Library of Medicine: "Yeast Infections" Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911. If your scalp or hair smells bad quickly after a shower, you might be over-washing. Image Credit: Prostock-Studio/iStock/GettyImages...

Soybean oil contains omega-6 fats, which can be inflammatory if you eat too much. Image Credit: Amarita/iStock/Getty Images Soybean oil is an excellent source of unsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated fat. While unsaturated fats boast some solid benefits, soybean oil is still 100 percent fat — and going overboard with it can spell weight gain. Advertisement Ideally, your best bet is to use unsaturated fats — like those in liquid soybean oil — in place of saturated fats, like those in shortening....

references Arthritis Care & Research Pooja Shah, DPM, a New York City-based podiatrist and associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911. The best bunion correctors are comfortable, easy to use and easy to clean. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative...

Just like your sink, your lymphatic system can become clogged. The lymphatic system is made up of a network of vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph throughout the body. Lymph fluid serves the important purpose of carrying nutrients to the cells that bathe in the fluid. The lymph fluid then delivers cellular waste to the bloodstream, which caries it to the kidneys, colon and lungs for elimination. If your lymphatic system is blocked or clogged, you may experience a number of symptoms, including back pain, constipation, fatigue, depression and weight gain....

references Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Physical Activity Programs" American Journal of Preventive Medicine: "One Hour a Week: Moving to Prevent Disability in Adults With Lower Extremity Joint Symptoms" Arthritis Research and Therapy: "Ten Weeks of High-intensity Interval Walk Training is Associated With Reduced Disease Activity and Improved Innate Immune Function in Older Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Pilot Study" U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans" People with arthritis in their hands should look for weights with a neoprene coating and wider handles to make it easier to grip them....

Seafood is a great source of vitamin B12. Image Credit: jackmalipan/iStock/GettyImages Although it’s always best to get your nutrients from food, you may require a vitamin B12 supplement as a complement to meet your nutrient needs due to a reason that makes you prone to a deficiency. It’s important to know how much you should take and if there is a best time to take B12 to get the optimal health benefits from your supplement....

Mountain bikes use superior traction and shock absorption to travel where a road bike can't. Image Credit: moodboard/moodboard/Getty Images For every possible type of terrain, there’s probably a bike designed to handle it. Pavement and trails have very different surface characteristics that demand a specialized bicycle. The road bike, designed for pavement, has over a century of racing heritage and is the predecessor of every bicycle since. Mountain bikes were conceptualized much later, but they make up a substantial part of bicycling and come in a wide variety of styles and builds for tackling the toughest terrain....

The Rice Diet can restrict calories and cause rapid, unsustainable weight loss. Image Credit: Kirill Strikha / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages In This Article What It Is Weight Loss Menu Plan Sample Meals Effectiveness The Rice Diet — which, in its original format, included only rice and fruit — has been around since 1939. But what is it, and is it as effective as some people say when it comes to weight loss and other health conditions?...

references AAOS: "Shoulder Impingement/Rotator Cuff Tendinitis" International Federation of Sport Climbing: "Kyra Condie" Before she hits the wall, Olympic rock climber Kyra Condie prepares with an activating and strengthening shoulder exercise that's great for athletes of all skill levels. Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Olympics/LIVESTRONG.com Creative Athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games share their top tips so you can fuel your body and rock your workouts Like an Olympian....

Avocados are a source of monounsaturated triglycerides, one of the three types of fats. Triglycerides are a type of lipid, or fat, found in your blood. When you eat, your body converts calories it does not use right away into triglycerides, which your body later stores in your fat cells. Between meals, hormones release triglycerides to provide you with energy. Regularly eating more calories than you burn may lead to high triglyceride levels in your blood....

A warehouse worker standing on a concrete floor. Image Credit: ColorBlind Images/Blend Images/Getty Images Standing or walking on concrete flooring for long periods of time can cause sore feet, swollen legs, varicose veins and back pain. If you spend a lot of time standing or walking on concrete flooring, your best option is to change the flooring to a softer surface, such as carpet or cork. If you can’t change the type of floors that are causing you discomfort, there are ways to make standing and walking on concrete flooring more comfortable....

A tomato allergy can cause joint pain. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images You may not be able to enjoy foods that contain tomatoes because you develop joint pain and other symptoms. Tomatoes are considered by the University of Maryland Medical Center to be one of the most common food allergens that may trigger joint pain. Food allergies are the leading cause of arthritis pain, according to the Center for Food Allergies. Make an appointment with your doctor to determine the cause of your joint pain....

Oxcarbazepine, a medication available in generic form and as the brand Trileptal, is mainly prescribed for controlling seizures. Trileptal is classified as an anticonvulsant; it works by decreasing abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Both weight gain and weight loss are possible side effects of Trileptal. Trileptal has many other possible side effects, some serious, so ask your doctor about negative effects before taking this medicine. Uses Trileptal can be taken alone or in combination with other medicine to control certain types of seizures....

A young man is exercising with a kettlebell. Image Credit: SolisImages/iStock/Getty Images Circuit training involves moving from one exercise to another in quick succession. A circuit typically consists of five to 10 exercises performed for 30 to 90 seconds each. You can create a circuit to meet almost any exercise goal. A circuit training workout helps you expedite your workout and builds endurance because it leaves no time for rest between exercises....

Using hand sanitizer is both convenient and effective — but there are some downsides to slathering it on. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative How Bad Is It Really? sets the record straight on all the habits and behaviors you’ve heard might be unhealthy. In the era of COVID-19, hand sanitizer has been a must-have. When you’re out getting groceries or at the post office, without access to soap and water, a squirt of hand sanitizer obliterates pathogens — including the novel coronavirus — upon contact....

A colonoscopy can detect more than just colon polyps or cancer. Image Credit: ribkhan/iStock/GettyImages Colonoscopies are most frequently performed in order to screen for colon cancer and harmful intestinal polyps, but they’re also done to find reasons for unexplained symptoms such as rectal bleeding, according to the American Cancer Society. Advertisement Other symptoms that a colonoscopy might investigate include persistent diarrhea and constipation, iron-deficiency anemia, abdominal pain and abnormal radiology results, says Elena Ivanina, DO, a gastroenterologist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City....