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Image Credit: Jan-Otto/E+/GettyImages If you experience rib pain when you press the left side of your ribcage or stretch your body, one of a few problems could be the culprit. Inflammation in the rib cartilage, known as costochondritis, is a cause of pain in that area. However, issues such as a broken rib or an internal health problem could send pain to that area, according to MedlinePlus. Advertisement Potential Symptoms Pain originating in your chest wall, primarily on the left side of your sternum, is most commonly attributed to costochondritis, according to the Mayo Clinic....

Just like you, many people in the U.S. are falling short on getting enough nutrients. Image Credit: PeopleImages/E+/GettyImages There’s a good reason the acronym for the Standard American Diet is (quite literally) SAD. For starters, only 9.3 percent of U.S. adults meet the daily recommended intake for vegetables, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with packaged convenience foods consumed far more than fresh, whole foods. Advertisement "Many Americans consume large quantities of highly processed refined carbohydrates, sugary foods and drinks and unhealthy fats that are not as nutrient-dense as healthier alternatives," Kristy Del Coro, RDN, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian and culinary nutritionist, tells LIVESTRONG....

Chest pain may be a symptom of heartburn or a heart attack. Image Credit: Catherine McQueen/Moment/GettyImages When it comes to chest pain, heartburn and heart attack can be hard to tell apart, even for doctors, the Mayo Clinic says. Pain that starts in your stomach from acid indigestion can move up into your chest and feel just like a heart attack. Advertisement "Coronary heart disease causes chest pain that can be very difficult for a person to distinguish from epigastric pain caused by reflux of acid into your esophagus....

Lump sugar on a table. Image Credit: nkrivko/iStock/Getty Images If your first thought when you wake up in the morning is that you need some sugar, you might have trouble maintaining stable blood sugar levels. Whether your have diabetes or not, craving sugar could indicate your body is running low on energy and wants you to eat something sweet as soon as possible to get its sugar fix and function better....

During breath-based interval workouts, you focus on breathing in and out of your nose. Image Credit: DjelicS/iStock/GettyImages In This Article What Are Breath-Based Intervals? Benefits Workout Not a fan of the way many interval workouts — like HIIT and circuit training — leave you breathless and racing against the clock? Try breath-based interval training. Advertisement This modality of interval training puts more focus on your body, allowing you to fine-tune your form and get both your body and mind into a more comfortable space....

references American Journal of Preventative Medicine: "Cooking at Home: A Strategy to Comply With U.S. Dietary Guidelines at No Extra Cost" Consumer Reports: "Slow Cookers" Slow cooker recipes save you time and serve up nutritious meals. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative The Essential Kitchen features our favorite products, tips and recipes to help optimize your cooking space and prep healthy meals quickly and easily. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative The Essential Kitchen features our favorite products, tips and recipes to help optimize your cooking space and prep healthy meals quickly and easily....

Many foods are off-limits if you're following the Dr. Now diet, but fat-free dairy and nearly all fruits are permitted. Image Credit: ATU Images/The Image Bank/GettyImages In This Article What Is It How It Works Proposed Benefits Risks Foods to Eat Foods to Avoid Sample Meal Plan Bottom Line Dr. Younan Nowzaradan is the founder of the self-titled Dr. Now diet. It's the same eating program he prescribes to his patients as they prepared for weight-loss surgery on the reality TV show ‌My 600-lb Life‌....

Between brown shells, cage-free, vegetarian-fed and more, knowing what to buy can feel like a mystery. Image Credit: PonyWang/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Shell Color Grade Size and Nutrition Conventional Cage-Free Free-Range Pasture-Raised Organic Vegetarian-Fed Enriched Claims to Ignore The Best Eggs to Buy Shopping for eggs can be a total headache. In addition to choices that involve size, color and grade, eggs may carry labels such as cage-free, free-range, pasture-raised, vegetarian-fed, enriched or organic....

You don't need clunky weight machines to get a good strength workout at the gym. Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages During rush hour at the gym, you might make a mad dash to your favorite weight machine, only to find it already in use. Instead of standing around and wasting precious time waiting in line, consider expanding your gym repertoire to other highly effective training tools like TRX straps. Advertisement Invented by a Navy Seal and now used by every branch of the military, TRX (which stands for total resistance exercises) is a set of straps (think: ropes with handles) and utilizes both gravity and body weight to challenge your body, says Michael Wittig, IPE Natural Pro 3x Champion and ISSA-certified personal trainer....

Appetizing plate of stone crab prepared. Image Credit: tab1962/iStock/Getty Images The stone crab, also known as the Florida stone crab, is fished from the North Atlantic Ocean. It differs from other types of crab, as it is not typically harvested whole. The largest claw is cut from the crab and it is released back into the ocean where it can re-grow. Stone crab claws are usually sold frozen after a high-heat cooking to ensure the flesh does not stick to the interior of the shell....

Before this song is over, you'll complete 50 push-ups. Image Credit: Drazen_/E+/GettyImages Would you rather clean the kitchen or drop down and perform 50 push-ups? For most of us, it’s a tough choice. But even the most challenging exercises (or chores) are made better with music. Advertisement All you need is a good song, like "Know Your Worth" by Khalid and Disclosure to forget you're working out. Throw this song onto your workout playlist and give this routine a try, courtesy of April Whitney, certified personal trainer....

The P90X Fat Shredder Diet Plan Image Credit: Jacob Ammentorp Lund/iStock/GettyImages The P90X nutrition plan is designed to accompany the P90X workout program, which promises to give you a strong, lean and healthy body in 90 days. Fat Shredder is the first of three phases in the P90X plan, and it’s designed to help you build and strengthen your muscles and shed fat rapidly. Advertisement The P90X nutrition plan isn't a low-calorie diet; it focuses on high protein, nutrient-rich foods that will give you energy for the rigorous P90X workouts....

Dry spaghetti noodles Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images When determining the serving size of any food, including spaghetti noodles, it is important to check the packaging. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration requires a nutrition facts label on most commercial food product packaging that specifies how many servings are contained in each package, as well as how large an appropriate serving size is. Paying attention to the package information can help you make good nutritional choices....

Avoid all vegetables when you have diverticulitis. Image Credit: Elena_Danileiko/iStock/GettyImages Vegetables are good for you; there’s no denying that. But when you’re having a diverticulitis flare-up, they can make matters worse. The good news is that, if you have diverticular disease, diet changes like avoiding vegetables can help you manage the condition and give you some relief. Advertisement However, when the flare-up and inflammation are back under control, reintroducing fiber-rich vegetables slowly into your diet can help reduce the risk of having a recurrent attack....

Sesame seed oil is prized worldwide for its culinary and medicinal properties. Image Credit: imagenavi/imagenavi/GettyImages Gingelly oil, also known as sesame seed oil, is prized worldwide for its culinary and medicinal properties. Rich in antioxidants and healthy fats, it reduces oxidative stress, fights inflammation, and supports cardiovascular health. It can also be applied to the skin to improve texture and elasticity. Its mild flavor blends seamlessly with most foods, enhancing aroma and flavor....

Pumpkin seeds spilling onto a table. Image Credit: Nicodape/iStock/Getty Images Pumpkin seed oil is a folkloric remedy for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal parasites and high cholesterol. The oil is also used as a carrier for massage and aromatherapy. According to the Ask Dr. Sears website, pumpkin seed oil is one of the most healthful oils because its contains 90 percent unsaturated fats as well as several fatty acids....

Happy children eating watermelon, a source of fructose. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images Fructose, which is commonly called fruit sugar, is a monosaccharide. This is a biochemical term for a single sugar ring composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Fructose is closely related to glucose, and like glucose, it is a component of table sugar. Table sugar and fruit are the two most significant natural sources of fructose in the diet, though individuals who eat large quantities of processed foods also get significant fructose through high fructose corn syrup....

A common savory seasoning may be the key to boosting your chocolate chip cookies. Image Credit: LauriPatterson/iStock/GettyImages You’re reading through your favorite pumpkin muffin or chocolate-chip cookie recipe, checking to make sure you have everything you need when you stumble across one ingredient that leaves you stumped: salt. You’re making a deliciously sweet baked good — so what is salt doing in the ingredients list? Advertisement Salt actually has many functions when it comes to baking — especially enhancing the sweetness of your homemade treat....

The benefits of not eating meat might be worth starting a vegetarian diet. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative What Really Happens to Your Body When examines the head-to-toe effects of common behaviors, actions and habits in your everyday life. It’s no secret that a well-balanced plant-based diet boasts plenty of health perks. After all, who can argue with the fact that eating more fruits and vegetables is a smart choice? Advertisement That said, some of the changes that can follow from switching to a vegetarian diet aren't totally intuitive....

A woman is lifting blue dumbbells. Image Credit: kopitinphoto/iStock/Getty Images Dumbbells make great workout tools when you are trying to get into better shape. Not only are they inexpensive compared to machines, but they also cause you to work stabilizing muscles while focusing on a primary muscle, which helps speed up your progress. The actual muscles that get worked vary, depending on what exercise you do. Because dumbbells are free to move, every major muscle in the the body can be targeted....