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An intense workout can trigger your gag reflex. Image Credit: lorenzoantonucci/iStock/Getty Images Gagging while jogging or exercising is a common occurrence that many athletes deal with. If you have ever pushed yourself intensely during a run or any other type of workout, your gag reflex may have kicked in. You may have also felt a burning sensation in your stomach and nausea during strenuous workouts. Some people actually end up vomiting during or immediately following intense workouts....

Working out during your period is a great way to manage menstrual symptoms, but you may want to keep a few tweaks in mind. Image Credit: bojanstory/E+/GettyImages In This Article Body Changes Effects on Your Workout Exercise Benefits Tips for Period-Week Workouts If you're curled up under the covers with period cramps and a bloated belly, lacing up your gym shoes is likely the last thing on your mind. We get it: A heavy flow can make you feel awful....

Eating three calorie-controlled meals made up of nutritious foods will help you lose weight. Image Credit: NelliSyr/iStock/GettyImages Three square meals a day is the established norm, but not everyone chooses to follow it. Some people trying to lose weight eat five small meals a day or skip breakfast. The truth is, it doesn’t matter how often you eat, as long as you eat healthy foods and the right amount of calories....

A woman sits on a silver-colored exercise ball. Image Credit: Anetlanda/iStock/Getty Images No matter your fitness level, an exercise ball, also called a stability ball, fitness ball or Swiss ball, can add an element of fun to your workouts. When used correctly, the ball enables you to perform a number of exercises to help improve your balance, muscular and core strength, and flexibility. The 65 cm exercise ball is one of the larger sizes available....

Each gram of alcohol has 7 calories. Image Credit: Mpak ART studio | Ilarion Ananiev/iStock/GettyImages Alcoholic beverages come in many forms, including wine, beer, cider and liquor. Regardless of which drink you prefer, alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, and any calories can contribute to weight gain. The type of alcoholic drink that is the most fattening will likely be the one highest in calories and carbs, and a shot of straight liquor generally has less of both than a 12-ounce beer....

If you have severe lactose intolerance, you probably find yourself using great caution before eating anything that may contain lactose. Image Credit: sanapadh/iStock/GettyImages If you have severe lactose intolerance, you probably find yourself using great caution before eating anything that may contain lactose. Baked goods are a common food that contains lactose but they aren’t often at the top of the foods that contain dairy list. Advertisement Most baked goods are made with milk or milk solids that contain lactose and can trigger lactose-intolerant symptoms....

Sprouts are a unique way to add flavor, texture and nutrition to your cooking. Image Credit: vaaseenaa/iStock/GettyImages Sprouts have the potential to provide significant nutritional benefits to your regular diet. The process of seed germination results in a dramatic increase in their vitamin content over a very short time span. Advertisement Sprouts are high in folate, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin K — even higher than the fully grown version of the plant, according to WebMD....

Weight Gain Image Credit: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images Muscle relaxers can be useful to treat various ailments including back and muscle injuries. Taking oral medication means that the drug is circulated throughout your body, not just to the site of injury. These medications can affect your body in many ways besides reducing the spasms in your injured muscles. Although muscle relaxers do not directly cause weight gain, the reduced mobility of the injury and the effects of the medications can result in weight gain as a result of decreased activity....

Natural Alternatives to Caffeine Image Credit: webphotographeer/E+/GettyImages Many people rely on caffeine, a substance that’s absorbed quickly, for energy. However, some people are sensitive to caffeine or don’t want to include it in their diet. They’re seeking caffeine alternatives. Other nutrients, foods and drinks can also raise your energy levels, so you do have alternatives if you don’t want to rely on a large cup of coffee, tea or soda for alertness....

Stomach pain after eating red meat or poultry can be a sign of improperly cooked food. Image Credit: Lisovskaya/iStock/Getty Images Meat is a good source of minerals, vitamins and protein in a healthy diet. However, if you find that you’re feeling sick after eating meat, it’s important to determine what’s causing your nausea. Stomach pain after eating red meat or poultry can be a sign of improperly cooked food. Advertisement Meat Intolerance or Allergy?...

Neck pain from sleeping can be a real pain in the, well, neck. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to ease the ache. Image Credit: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages You know how you spend the day hunched over looking at your two (or three!) screens, smartphone and tablet? Advertisement Well, sitting with your head in front of your shoulders puts stress on the back of your neck and shoulder blades, Mary Kate Casey, PT, DPT, owner and founder of Prep Performance Center in Chicago, tells LIVESTRONG....

Sparkling drinks with raspberries in them. Image Credit: Kaybe70/iStock/Getty Images Sparkling cider is a bubbly, non-alcoholic form of apple juice often used as a celebratory beverage in place of champagne. Although the fizzy beverage has certain nutritional benefits and is free of fat, cholesterol and sodium, sparkling cider has a relatively high calorie content at about 140 calories per 8-ounce serving. Advertisement Antioxidants According to researchers at University of California Davis School of Medicine, a moderate intake of apple juice contains antioxidants that may slow the accumulation of plaque in the arteries, resulting from LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol....

Sushi on skewers made with bamboo rice at a street fair. Image Credit: HaiMinhDuong/iStock/Getty Images Bamboo rice is a type of rice popular in Asia, and it is made by infusing the grains with juice squeezed from bamboo plants. This action gives bamboo rice its distinctive green color and also adds a sticky consistency, so you might find bamboo rice to be a good choice for making sushi. Bamboo rice, as with other types of rice, is rich in carbohydrates and relatively calorie-dense....

Chopsticks taking of piece of General Tso's chicken from a plate. Image Credit: rez-art/iStock/Getty Images Although largely unheard of in China, General Tso’s chicken has become known as a classic Hunanese dish, appearing as a staple menu item in Chinese restaurants throughout the United States. The chicken is battered, fried, and coated in a spicy sweet sauce. Chinese chef Peng Chang-kuei claims to have first cooked it in the 1950s, originally without sugar, but now it is prepared with sugar to satisfy the American palate....

Oatmeal doesn't work well with a keto diet. Image Credit: Arx0nt/iStock/GettyImages A steaming bowl of oatmeal in the morning makes for a great start to the day, but if you’re on a keto diet, this soothing hot cereal may be off the table. To get into ketosis, you need to keep your carb intake very low, and the carbs in oatmeal may cause you to exceed your daily limit. However, you don’t have to go without, once you know the secret to making “keto oatmeal....

Stretch marks on someone's skin. Image Credit: Leslie Achtymichuk/iStock/Getty Images Stretch marks are not simply caused by skin stretching from growth. They are triggered by hormonal changes in the body, according to The Patient’s Guide website. Often, stretch marks become inflamed, says the site, making them ripe for acne breakout, as well. Preventing stretch marks is not always easy, especially during times of hormonal flux, such as pregnancy or puberty. However, acne and stretch marks are treatable with natural as well as medical remedies....

Reheated food never really tastes as good the next day — here's how to change that. Image Credit: Mariha-kitchen/iStock/GettyImages From rubbery chicken to soggy paninis, reheated food never seems to taste as good the next day. But your leftovers don’t need to be a total loss. Advertisement Often, the problem is your reheating strategy — and with a few tiny tweaks, you can still savor your second-day scraps like they're hot off the stove....

Stretching shouldn't hurt. Image Credit: da-kuk/E+/GettyImages Stretching isn’t supposed to hurt. If you feel a sharp pain in a muscle when stretching, it’s a clue that you’ve either uncovered a pre-existing injury or pushed yourself too far, too fast. Advertisement A Muscle Strain While Stretching If you’ve managed to hurt yourself while stretching, odds are good that you’ve caused a muscle strain. As the Mayo Clinic explains, this can mean an injury to your muscle or to the tendons that connect your muscles to the bone — the same as a “pulled muscle” caused by too-strenuous exercise....

A small green salad in a bowl next to jar of salad dressing. Image Credit: Howard Shooter/Dorling Kindersley RF/Getty Images Though salads are typically served before meat at mealtime, you don’t have to eat your salad first. In fact, eating meat before salad may help boost your dietary protein intake. However, be sure to choose lean meats and include plenty of vegetables in your daily meal plan because the fiber found in salads and other vegetables is just as important as protein in your diet....

A woman is opening a sugar packet and putting it in her coffee. Image Credit: Steve Mason/Photodisc/Getty Images Splenda, the brand name for the sugar substitute sucralose, is found in packets to add to tea or coffee, and is also added to many diet soft drinks, chewing gums, juices and even health bars. As a sugar-free sweetener, Splenda is helpful for those wanting to cut back on added sugars or carbohydrates, but it can cause some side effects, including bloating and diarrhea....