Posts

There are several options to wipe down exercise machines to stay safe and healthy at the gym. Image Credit: skynesher/iStock/GettyImages On a good day, a single piece of gym equipment may have over 100 users and not all of them clean up after using the machines. Sweat isn’t the only problem, viruses can live on a surface anywhere from a few seconds to 48 hours. Advertisement Health Factors to Consider According to a December 2018 study published by Association for Behavior Analysis International, exercising at public gyms can expose a person to bacteria, including ​Staphylococcus aureus....

There are some vegetables — spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, beetroot, okra and mushrooms — that should be consumed in moderation. Image Credit: KarpenkovDenis/iStock/GettyImages Contrary to popular belief, the list of foods to avoid with gout includes barely any vegetables. In fact, people with gout are encouraged to consume a wide variety of most vegetables. In general, the diet that is best for gout patients is one that is low in purine....

Fruit juice doesn't have nearly as many benefits as whole fruit does. Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages Your tall glass of OJ with breakfast every morning may be doing you more harm than good. That’s right, even though natural fruit juice contains vitamins and minerals, too much of it can be bad for your health. Advertisement Case in point: New research shows that drinking more than 4 ounces, or half a cup, of 100 percent fruit juice (and sugary soft drinks) per day is linked to a 16 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the September 2019 issue of ​Diabetes Care​....

Heat rashes tend to show up in skin folds and other areas where people sweat heavily. Image Credit: Grace Cary/Moment/GettyImages When you’re taking steps to better your health, the last thing you want to be rewarded with is a heat rash after a workout. The good news is these rashes aren’t generally serious, and there are simple ways you can soothe your skin before your next workout. Advertisement What Are Heat Rashes?...

Progesterone is often prescribed for the treatment of menopause symptoms. Image Credit: jd-photodesign/Adobe Stock Progesterone is a type of hormone that is produced in the body. In women, the purpose of progesterone is to regulate the menstrual cycle. Men also produce a small amount of the hormone, which is specifically useful for the production of other hormones. The primary reasons progesterone is prescribed, according to Medline Plus, are to treatment irregular periods and prevent endometrial conditions....

Take your time before getting out of bed to help avoid morning dizziness. Image Credit: Doucefleur/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Low Blood Sugar Medications Vertigo Stood Up Too Quickly Pregnancy Sleep Apnea Post-COVID Dizziness Migraines Anxiety Did you wake up dizzy this morning? If you find your bedroom spinning at first light, you might be wondering whether you should be worried. Advertisement While occasional morning dizziness is no big deal, feeling it frequently could indicate an underlying medical condition....

Bring some relief to your trapezius. Image Credit: jacoblund/iStock/Getty Images Raise your arms overhead and feel the stretch in your upper back. That’s your trapezius — a diamond-shaped muscle that covers your upper back and runs along the middle of your spine. It lengthens and relaxes other muscles in the body, along with connecting the neck and shoulder in different ranges of motion. Advertisement In poses with your arms raised overhead, like chair and warrior 1, your trapezius lifts and rotates the shoulder blade....

Red meat such as beef and pork are good source of zinc, a mineral linked to immune health. Image Credit: KucherAV/iStock/GettyImages When it comes to essential minerals, zinc may not be on your radar. However, zinc plays a huge role in health — especially when it comes to keeping your immune system healthy. Advertisement "Anyone at risk for a zinc deficiency runs the risk of getting sick more often and having a poor immune function," says Jeanette Kimszal, RDN of Root Nutrition Education & Counseling....

Drinking beet juice gives you a hefty dose of vitamins and nutrients. Image Credit: Diana Taliun/iStock/GettyImages In This Article With a Juicer With a Blender Benefits and Risks Beets are a good source of many vitamins and nutrients, and drinking beet juice makes getting those nutrients easy. Preparing juice from beetroot only takes a few steps. Advertisement Beet juice has an intensely earthy taste with some bitterness and a hint of sweetness....

A fit woman's torso holding a kettlebell. Image Credit: oneinchpunch/iStock/Getty Images Developing a lean physique in a short period of time takes dedication and discipline. Using weight loss quick fixes may help you shed extra pounds, but they are not enough to help you get cut. Leaning out requires building muscle and decreasing your body-fat percentage to see more definition. Engage in strength training and aerobic activity while following a low-fat diet to lose a lot of weight and get cut quickly....

Women can build tone and avoid unwanted weight loss. Image Credit: XiXinXing/iStock/Getty Images Women possess significantly fewer amounts of testosterone and growth hormone than men, which is why females are unable to build as much muscle mass. Typically females will increase their muscle tone and also lose weight. However, with the appropriate training program and making nutritional adjustments, women can increase their muscle tone while avoiding weight loss. Advertisement Building Muscle Lifting weights is the method used to build muscle tone....

Scale Image Credit: Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images You’ve cut out extra calories and have started hitting the gym almost every day, but you still cannot seem to lose weight. It could be that you aren’t burning enough calories with your workouts, but not eating enough, as well as emotional factors, can stall your weight-loss efforts as well. See a doctor to reassess your habits and make the necessary changes to get healthy and drop those pounds....

Roasted beef heart. Beef heart is a muscle like other cuts of steak, but it is more dense with a higher nutrient content and additional protein. Beef heart contains all essential amino acids, zinc, selenium and phosphorus. It has more than double the elastin and collagen than other cuts of meat and a highly concentrated source of coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10. MayoClinic.com suggests choosing grass-fed beef rather than grain-fed beef because it may have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids....

Although it's made by bees and has a similar consistency, royal jelly is not honey. Image Credit: mikroman6/Moment/GettyImages Royal jelly, a jelly-like substance produced by bees, is known for its purported beneficial qualities ranging from vitamins to regrowing hair. But royal jelly’s vitamins include just B5 — compared with complete B-complex, a dietary supplement that contains all eight of the necessary B vitamins. Advertisement Tip Royal jelly, which comes from worker bees, contains vitamin B5, while complete B-complex is a dietary supplement that contains all eight of the essential B vitamins needed to support overall health and form red blood cells....

Woman running on treadmill Image Credit: Estudi M6/iStock/Getty Images When it comes to exercise trends, there is a lot of fluff to dig through if you want the facts. Treadmills are a hot-button topic among runners, both for their benefits and weaknesses. Running on a treadmill presents a few problems compared with other aerobic exercises, such as a slightly unnatural running pattern. Still, treadmills represent an effective way to get in a solid cardio workout without much risk of injury....

references National Institutes of Health: "Vitamin K" Journal of the American College of Cardiology; "Olive Oil Consumption and Cardiovascular Risk in U.S. Adults" Journal of Medicinal Food: "The Role of Garlic in Metabolic Diseases: A Review" Phytomedicine: "Garlic for Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials" Tzatziki is made with Greek yogurt, cucumber and herbs, and it makes for a deliciously simple and nutritious party dip. Image Credit: StephanieFrey/iStock/GettyImages...

Lactaid allows you to get the recommended daily dairy allowance without the pain. Image Credit: Grace Cary/Moment/GettyImages Abdominal upset, such as gas, cramps, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, could mean you’re not tolerating that glass of milk you had at breakfast or that slice of cheese you had in your lunch. Advertisement Being lactose intolerant means you can't digest the lactose or natural sugars found in most dairy products. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, millions of Americans suffer from lactose intolerance....

You don't have to use protein powder to boost your shake's protein content. Image Credit: warrengoldswain/iStock/GettyImages One of the more popular homemade protein shake myths is that you have to use protein powder as the basis of your protein shake or power smoothie. This is not even a little bit true. Advertisement Making your protein shakes from scratch allows you to control the quality and the balance of your ingredients. That's especially important since "most protein powders on the market are processed, contain fillers and are typically full of artificial sweeteners," says Laura Burak, RD, CDN....

A can of Monster Energy drink. Image Credit: allanswart/iStock/Getty Images Monster Energy is an energy drink made by Hansen Natural Corporation. The company markets several versions of this drink, and all of them contain taurine, an amino acid. Companies that market energy drinks claim taurine improves mental performance and gives you energy. However, medical research doesn’t support these claims. Advertisement Taurine According to the book “Integrative Medicine” by David Rakel, taurine protects the outer segments of rods, one of the major proteins that enable humans to see....

Image Credit: twenty20/@_eatandlove_ Whether or not they realize it, fit people are experts at accountability. As a personal trainer, here's my best tip for staying on track: Keep your goals in mind and make them part of all aspects of your life. Let them serve as daily reminders so that the decisions you make throughout the day will align with getting and staying fit. Advertisement 1. Harness the Power of Social Media Social media can be a powerful tool for change, so make your social-media accounts work for you....