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The color of your ear wax can alert you to an infection. Image Credit: rfranca/iStock/GettyImages In This Article 1. White, Yellow or Orange Earwax 2. Yellow, Milky Discharge 3. Wet Ear Discharge 4. Red or Black Wax 5. Dry, Flaky Wax Excessive Earwax What Is Earwax Made Of? Like eye boogers, toe jam and snot, earwax is one of those bodily issues we'd rather not talk about. But that waxy, sticky (sometimes smelly) stuff inside your ears is perfectly natural and even vital for your ear health (more on this later)....

Weight vests can help with building stamina and endurance. Image Credit: Valeriy_G/iStock/GettyImages If your training runs are lacking in the intensity department, it might be time to ramp up your workout by wearing a weighted vest. Running with a weighted vest can help increase strength, improve speed and boost endurance. Here’s what you need to know about the pros and cons. Advertisement Benefits of Weighted Vests A weighted vest is a wearable fitness tool that adds resistance to your workouts....

Bananas shouldn't make you gain weight, unless you eat too much. Image Credit: Thu Thai Thanh / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages Bananas are oddly controversial for a fruit when it comes to determining whether they’ll make you gain (or lose) weight fast. Due to their carbohydrate content, some people avoid bananas in the belief that even eating two bananas a day will cause weight gain. Advertisement Meanwhile, at the other end of the pop-fitness spectrum, some raw eaters use bananas as the bulk of their diet and claim it helps them maintain their physiques....

Feet stepping onto a bathroom scale. Image Credit: FotoCuisinette/iStock/Getty Images Pseudoephedrine is a stimulant found in over-the-counter and prescription decongestants. It is sold primarily as a cold and sinus medication due to its ability to relieve nasal congestion and sinus pressure. Like other stimulants, pseudoephedrine may cause appetite loss in some people. Understanding the relationship between pseudoephedrine and weight loss allows consumers to use the drug correctly and minimize the risk of side effects....

You can use many natural methods to increase your testosterone. Image Credit: BROOK PIFER/Taxi/GettyImages Testosterone plays a surprisingly important role in a woman’s body. For example, it contributes to muscle growth, bone health and brain function. Disease and aging can lower the circulating levels of this essential hormone. Fortunately, there are many ​convenient natural ways to naturally increase your testosterone levels​. Advertisement ​Read more:​ Testosterone and Weight Loss in Women Video of the Day Maintain Normal Testosterone Levels Testosterone levels in women vary depending on age....

Learning how to kick a punching bag requires practicing the three most common kickboxing kicks — the front kick, roundhouse kick and knee strike. Image Credit: nd3000/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Front Kick Roundhouse Kick Knee Strike When you feel the urge to relieve some stress, kicking a punching bag is perfect for taking out your frustrations — while getting in a solid workout. Advertisement "Striking targets your entire body, as opposed to isolating a single muscle, like traditional weight training does," says Chris Gerhardt, master trainer and acting general manager at TITLE Boxing Club in Wichita, Kansas....

It's easier than you might think to make raspberry extract at home. Image Credit: Uliana Oliinyk/iStock/GettyImages Making homemade raspberry extract uses the same technique as making raspberry-infused vodka except you repeat the process several times to concentrate the flavor. Advertisement Before centrifuges, distillers and micron filters made fruit extracts readily available, home cooks used solvent extractions, or alcohol tinctures, to pull the esters — the chemicals responsible for a plant's flavor and aroma — from the fruit and concentrate them....

A man is training with heavy dumbbells in a gym. Image Credit: Vstock LLC/VStock/Getty Images Effective strength training requires good technique, correct workout frequency and duration, and the use of the right amount of weight. The weight you use will determine the type and the speed of your results. One way to calculate the proper weight to lift is by determining your maximum weight load. Your one-rep max, or 1RM, is the heaviest weight load you can successfully lift once with good technique....

Chuck roast steak is much like your ordinary cut of steak, albeit a little tougher. Image Credit: Leks_Laputin/iStock/GettyImages Chuck roast steak is much like an ordinary cut of steak, albeit a little tougher. Chuck comes from the shoulder region of the animal, one of the hardest-working muscular areas. Learn how to cut a chuck roast into a steak and properly cook it. Advertisement What Is a Chuck Cut? According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS), there are four main cuts of beef: loin, rib, round and chuck....

Bottles used for a ring toss game. Image Credit: eyfoto/iStock/Getty Images The ring toss game at a fair is often flanked by large and expensive prizes, usually because it can be difficult to conquer. The game consists of glass bottles lined up side-by-side. The aim of the game is to toss a ring and have it land over the mouth and neck of one of the bottles. Unfortunately, the close proximity and size of the spaces between the bottles can make it a tricky game to win and a profitable game to run....

A fit lifestyle promotes a healthy body fat percentage. Image Credit: Thomas Tolstrup/Stone/Getty Images Body fat percentage measures the amount of lean tissue you have in relation to fat, which gives you a better picture of your health compared to your gross weight on a scale. Although no official standards for body fat exist, fitness organizations and medical professionals generally put a man with 15 percent fat into the category of being quite fit....

Image Credit: Davizro/iStock/Getty Images As long as it is consumed in moderation, there are many health benefits associated with dark chocolate, according to 2009 information from Harvard Medical School. If you eat large quantities of dark chocolate often, however, it can affect your daily caloric intake and you may gain weight over time. Flavonoids in dark chocolate may have antioxidant and heart-protective benefits. Advertisement Calories About three squares of dark chocolate, equaling 37 g, make up a single serving, which contains 170 calories, 110 of which come from fat....

Drinking coffee before a workout can boost your performance, as long as you heed a few guidelines. Image Credit: adamkaz/E+/GettyImages Your morning cup of joe — aka lifeblood, aka go-go juice — helps you focus throughout the workday, but did you know that drinking coffee before a workout might also help you jump higher, run faster and lift heavier? Advertisement Caffeine is a well-studied ergogenic aid, or a substance that can help you exercise harder and longer....

references Johns Hopkins Medicine: "Yeast Infection" Mayo Clinic: "Bacterial Vaginosis" Mayo Clinic: "Psoriasis: How Can I Protect my Skin During a Workout?" It may be tempting to go from cardio to couch, but it's worth it to change out of your sweaty workout clothes. 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. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG....

Sugar on table and spoon Image Credit: libra_photo/iStock/Getty Images Although problematic when consumed in excessive amounts, unrefined raw sugar is a better alternative to white sugar, since it retains minerals. USDA guidelines suggest limiting added sugars in any form so as not to displace nutrient-dense foods. Advertisement Types of Sugar The many processing steps involved in refined sugar result in odorless, white sugar. Image Credit: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images Raw sugar includes unrefined cane juice or powder (Sucanat and Rapadura) and date sugar....

Holidays are the perfect time to stock up on your must-haves and keep some cash in your wallet with sales going on. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative Shoes Tops Bras Bottoms Trackers Tools Most companies make and market fitness wear according to gender, so we have listed both women’s and men’s picks below. The main difference is the fit. Choose whichever version feels best to you. Visit Page https://www....

Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte found in each cell of the body that is key for regulating health within the body. Image Credit: AnnaPustynnikova/iStock/GettyImages Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte that helps maintain a healthy body. Following a low-potassium diet menu and cooking low-potassium recipes can help control blood pressure by regulating the effects of sodium. Essentially, the more potassium you consume, the more sodium you process out of the body....

Eggs are sitting next to a salad. Image Credit: ArtSvitlyna/iStock/Getty Images If you want a high-protein snack and don’t mind waiting at least a day to indulge, pickled eggs can be a good choice. Pickled eggs are a low-maintenance food that are traditionally prepared by submerging hard-boiled eggs in water and spices for at least 24 hours; the longer the submersion, the richer the flavor. As with other eggs, pickled eggs are high in fat, but you can eliminate the fat by removing the yolks....

Orzo pasta’s nutrition will differ based on whether or not it’s made with refined or whole wheat flour. Image Credit: OksanaKiian/iStock/GettyImages Orzo pasta looks a great deal like rice or barley grains, so much that the name orzo means barley in Italian. However, this pasta is not made of barley, but of semolina flour. Orzo pasta nutrition will differ based on whether or not it’s made with refined or whole wheat flour....

Razoo's offers a lot of high-calorie and high-fat Cajun-inspired dishes. Image Credit: LauriPatterson/E+/GettyImages Razzoo’s Cajun Café is a Cajun-style restaurant originally from New Orleans that has numerous locations across the country. If you’re currently watching your caloric intake, this style of food may not be your best option due to high sodium, calories and fat. Advertisement However, a few dishes offered at Razzoo's still fall under the 800-calorie mark, some of which include little to no fat....