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Your liver performs functions essential to your survival. According to the Hepatitis B Foundation, your liver operates in much the same way as the engine in a car. Like an engine, your liver performs a number of functions that ensure other body processes run smoothly. Taking care of your liver is essential to helping it function properly, especially if you have liver disease. A component of good care is regular exercise, which can improve both your overall health and have a positive effect on liver function....

Start with a milk base to help add calories to your diet. Image Credit: Betsie Van der Meer/DigitalVision/GettyImages There’s no shortage of low-calorie meal replacement shakes, but what should you do when you’re looking for the best meal replacement shakes for weight gain? There are options, but most pre-made high-calorie meal replacement shakes are full of high-fructose corn syrup and artificial ingredients. Advertisement While these meal replacements may help you gain weight since they provide extra calories, they're not the best route when it comes to overall health....

Soy protein powder is made from dried soybeans. Image Credit: fotokostic/iStock/Getty Images Whether you are a vegetarian or not, soy is an excellent source of protein. Soy protein powder is made by the separating the soy protein from the soybeans, leaving the powder “nearly carbohydrate and fat-free,” and containing up to 95 percent protein, says the Soy Foods Association of North America. Substitute this versatile powder for whey powder or use as part of a balanced diet....

What Are the Benefits of Cranberry Juice for Women? Image Credit: Laura Kate Bradley/Moment Open/GettyImages Native to North America and some parts of Europe, cranberries have been cultivated for centuries. While these tart berries can be consumed in their natural form, they are often processed and sold as juice. Cranberry juice provides a number of important health benefits — especially for women. Diabetics may want to opt for unsweetened cranberry juice to keep blood sugar levels in check....

Your post-workout recovery snack can include honey because it's a carbohydrate that's quickly digested, absorbed and will maintain your blood glucose more effectively than other sugary treats. Image Credit: istetiana/Moment/GettyImages The problem with many post-workout carbohydrates is the hypoglycemia cycle. Ingest a simple carbohydrate for refueling and it is quickly digested and absorbed. Advertisement This results in a spike in blood sugar followed by a quick and potentially dangerous drop. Honey may be one of the best carbohydrates to refuel with to avoid this hypoglycemia effect....

Fill up on oily fish, high-antioxidant foods, anti-inflammatory vegetables and specific cartilage-building foods. Image Credit: carlosgaw/E+/GettyImages If annoying knee pain has taken a little spring out of your step, incorporating foods good for the joints and cartilage into your diet may provide some relief. With physician-provided guidance, many adults may be able to make progress against osteoarthritis, or knee cartilage erosion. Advertisement Tip Fill up on oily fish, high-antioxidant foods, anti-inflammatory vegetables and specific cartilage-building foods....

Sulfur is an essential mineral that occurs naturally in a wide range of foods, such as cabbage, leafy greens, dairy products and meat. Image Credit: debibishop/iStock/GettyImages Ever wonder what onions, garlic, cabbage, kale and eggs have in common? Beside being healthy, they all contain large amounts of sulfur. As the third most abundant mineral in the human body, this nutrient plays a key role in liver function, energy metabolism, amino acid synthesis and more....

Foods with creatine include red meat and seafood. Image Credit: Shaiith/iStock/Getty Images Creatine sources include the kidneys, liver and pancreas, though did you know that creatine could be obtained from your diet as well? Both meat and seafood supply creatine to the body and help maintain normal levels of the molecule, fundamental for proper body functioning. Advertisement Tip Foods with creatine include red meat and seafood. What Is Creatine? Creatine, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a natural source of energy in the body that aids in muscle contractions....

Squats — the simple but effective exercise that can help keep you independent as you get older. Image Credit: Mireya Acierto/Photodisc/GettyImages An overused marketing ploy in the world of fitness, the phrase “functional fitness” may be a bit of a buzzword. But quit your eye-roll. Because not only is it a legitimate type of exercise, it’s arguably the best type. Advertisement "Functional fitness exercises mimic movement patterns that you do in everyday life," says Ian Elwood, CSCS, CF-1, founder of Mission MVNT....

Woman slicing bell pepper and cucumber in her kitchen. Image Credit: FotoCuisinette/iStock/Getty Images Many disease processes can cause bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, including ulcers, medications that irritate the stomach, such as aspirin, varices, dilated blood vessels in the esophagus or stomach or cancer. Gastrointestinal bleeding occurs internally, which means it can’t be seen, but the symptoms, such as vomiting blood or passing blood in the stool are visible. Gastrointestinal bleeding necessitates dietary changes, but many are temporary....

Medications, illness and obesity can cause your heart to beat faster. Image Credit: Tatiana Popova/iStock/Getty Images The American Heart Association reports that for the average, healthy adult, the heart beats about 60 to 80 times a minute when at rest. As you age, it’s not unusual for your heart rate to rise. People who are physically fit typically have a lower heart rate compared with those who do not exercise. Tachycardia is a heart rate that is faster than normal, and the causes can include excitement, high blood pressure, heart failure and more....

Kale can help with kidney stones. Image Credit: ansonmiao/iStock/GettyImages When you’re in the throes of kidney stone pain, you may not think about your diet much, but there are foods that are good for kidney stones and foods that aren’t. If you’re prone to forming kidney stones, eating certain foods and avoiding others can make a world of difference. Advertisement The first thing you should do is check with your doctor to make sure that nothing else is going on....

White peas on a plate. Image Credit: DAJ/amana images/Getty Images Also known as the navy bean, fagioli or pea bean, the white pea is a classic choice for baked beans or soups. The small- to medium-sized white legumes became known as “navy beans” after sailors stationed overseas, and longing for traditional baked beans, discovered white peas to be perfect for Yankee dishes such as baked beans. Creamy and mild, white peas take up to two hours to cook....

If you're wondering why you're always hungry after eating a big dinner, you can chalk it up to certain hormones and blood sugar spikes. Image Credit: Alexander Spatari/Moment/GettyImages We all know that lethargic feeling after eating a huge meal (hello holidays, birthday celebrations and boredom). But what’s also inevitable is the ravenous appetite the next morning. Advertisement This appetite spike can cause you to overeat first thing in the day and then hinder your productivity and energy levels for the next couple of hours....

You might weight more after working out due to your body retaining water. Image Credit: Blend Images/John Fedele/Tetra images/GettyImages One of the frustrating realities of weighing yourself is that weight can fluctuate — you might be up or down a few pounds even if you haven’t necessarily gained or lost fat. Sometimes you will even see a temporary weight gain after exercise or eating properly for several days. So what gives?...

Jumping rope can improve your jumping form. Image Credit: OSTILL/iStock/Getty Images Though it is an effective cardiovascular exercise in itself, jumping rope also provides additional fitness and athletic benefits, including improving your vertical jump. Along with improved coordination and power, jumping rope engages the same muscles that are activated during a vertical leap. If you are trying to add inches to your vertical movement, include jumping rope in your training....

Eating Cheerios with fruit adds cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber to your diet. Image Credit: Beth Miller/iStock/GettyImages The claim is on the cereal box: Cheerios can help lower your cholesterol as part of a heart-healthy diet. But how exactly can a bowl of cereal help keep your cholesterol in check? For that you can thank the soluble fiber in whole-grain oats. Advertisement ​Read more:​ Are Cheerios Healthy? Video of the Day The Cholesterol-Lowering Claim Fiber, specifically soluble fiber, plays a key role in helping to reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream, says Carmen Echols, MD, a board-certified family medicine doctor based in Stonecrest, Georgia....

Your cooked broccoli doesn't have to be bitter. Image Credit: Sanny11/iStock/GettyImages Broccoli contains varying amounts of bitter compounds depending on the type. Standard broccoli is relatively mild in flavor, while Chinese broccoli is slightly more bitter, and broccoli rabe contains the highest level of bitter compounds. Advertisement Blanching broccoli in a large pot of salt water releases bitter acids from the plant cells and rinses them away, an action that steaming doesn't provide because of the low level of water involved....

Most — but not all — hams sold in grocery stories are fully cooked. Image Credit: stphillips/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Types of Ham Signs You Should Cook It Fully Signs It's Already Cooked Best Options Around the holidays, butchers' cases and grocery stores overflow with ham options: spiral, smoked, cured, uncured and more. Most of the hams you can purchase are already cooked, according to The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences....

Weighted vests are a great way to challenge yourself with workouts. Image Credit: Valeriy_G/iStock/GettyImages A weighted vest — yep, an actual vest that contains weights ranging from 4 to 50 pounds — is a great tool to up the intensity of any exercise. And the best part? You can wear the vest any time, whether you’re in the gym or not, so even walking the dog can turn into a challenging workout....