Posts

There are two types of anxiety with different underlying causes. Image Credit: LaylaBird/E+/GettyImages Been anxious lately? There are two kinds of anxiety: trait anxiety and state anxiety. If you’re curious about trait anxiety symptoms and state anxiety symptoms, it helps to know the difference between the two, which have varying underlying causes, and how you can assess how you lean. Advertisement Per the American Psychological Association (APA), the main difference between trait anxiety and state anxiety has to do with personality versus situation: Either you are anxious because your personality is predisposed toward becoming anxious (trait) or because you find yourself in a particularly anxiety-provoking situation (state)....

There are a lot of physical and mental health benefits of low-intensity cardio. Image Credit: Jamie Grill/Tetra images/GettyImages While high-intensity sweat sessions might get all the attention at the gym, there’s still a place for low-intensity cardio in your workout routine. In fact, it’s a good idea to aim for at least one low-intensity bout of cardio a week. The point is to get and stay active — whatever form that takes....

An assortment of colorful vitamins. Image Credit: Yakobchuk/iStock/Getty Images Over half of Americans take some type of supplement each day, with multivitamin supplements being one of the more popular choices, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. While there can be some benefits to taking vitamin supplements, certain supplements, or combinations of supplements, can be risky for some individuals. Getting too much of some vitamins may also cause toxicity symptoms....

Making your own sourdough at home means you won't get any of the preservatives that come with traditional store-bought bread. Image Credit: muratkoc/iStock/GettyImages Flour, water and salt — that’s all it takes to make a loaf of sourdough bread. So if you have these ingredients on hand (and some free time) you can actually make your own bread at home. Advertisement While pulling a loaf off the supermarket shelf takes minimal effort, there are benefits to making your own bread at home — especially when it comes to sourdough....

Vitamin C in high dosage provides a sedative effect to decrease anxiety. Image Credit: Smile !!/iStock/Getty Images Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a mental health condition associated with low serotonin levels in the brain. A January 2008 “Nutrition Journal” article indicates that using nutrients to increase serotonin likely produces a reduction of symptoms associated with OCD. Symptoms include persistent thoughts of worry or anxiety, and the compulsion to engage in rituals to alleviate the anxious feelings....

Citrus fruits like mandarin oranges are extremely rich in vitamin C. Image Credit: Maren Winter / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages Mandarin oranges are smaller than the average orange, and flat on the top and bottom. You may know mandarin oranges by other names, like tangerines or Halos. The average mandarin orange nutrition features a lot of vitamin C alongside smaller amounts of many other essential vitamins and minerals. Advertisement Tip Citrus fruits like mandarin oranges are extremely rich in vitamin C....

Man swimming breaststroke Image Credit: Mike Watson Images/moodboard/Getty Images The breaststroke provides benefits for swimmers of all different skill levels because of its simplicity. Since you control the pace of the stroke, you can swim through the water at a slow pace or swim more rapidly for an intensive workout. Learn the benefits of the breaststroke before your next trip to the pool to get the most out of your swimming session....

When you exercise you take in more oxygen and more carbon dioxide is released. Image Credit: puckons/iStock/GettyImages When you exercise, the muscles you use require more energy. When exercise can be sustained, this demand is met primarily by aerobic means. Advertisement Aerobic energy production in muscles results in increased gas exchange at the lungs, because more oxygen is taken in and more carbon dioxide is released according to an article published in the journal Breathe in March 2016....

Support liver health by eating fruits and veggies while limiting added sugars and high-calorie or high-sodium dressings. Image Credit: Sonja Rachbauer/iStock/GettyImages Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) may be a mouthful, but the most important thing to know is that high GGT levels may indicate liver disease. To better understand GGT in relation to your health, here’s a breakdown on what GGT is all about, and whether the foods you eat can help lower GGT....

What Is a Healthy Blood Pressure for a Teen? Image Credit: XiXinXing/iStock/GettyImages With each beat, the heart forces blood through the body’s arteries and veins. The pressure the blood exerts on these vessels is measured as blood pressure – an important vital sign used by healthcare professionals. Healthy or normal blood pressure readings for children and adolescents are based on gender, height and age, and a teen’s blood pressure is in the healthy range if it falls below the 90th blood pressure percentile....

Calcium propionate is a preservative that's often added to baked goods to prevent mold and the growth of bacteria. Image Credit: SDI Productions/E+/GettyImages Scan the ingredient list of many foods, you might come across calcium propionate or sodium propionate. Advertisement These two common food additives are used to prevent mold from growing on bread, rolls, pies and cakes, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Video of the Day What Is Calcium Propionate?...

Dextrose is a common added sugar found in many of your favorite baked goods. Image Credit: Halfpoint/iStock/GettyImages What do J.K. Rowling, Mark Twain and sugar have in common? They’re all recognized by their pen names. But unlike Joanne Rowling and Samuel Clemens, sugar masquerades under way more than one title — including the scary-sounding dextrose. Advertisement Although it's best known as a sweetener added to processed treats, dextrose is also used in a medical capacity to help treat low blood sugar....

Your body burns more calories when you have a fever, and eating a nutritious diet when sick is essential to your recovery. Image Credit: Candice Bell/iStock/GettyImages Many of us have been told that when we’re sick, we should “starve” a fever. Although you’ve likely heard this old wives’ tale once or twice, it’s all fiction, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Advertisement Your appetite might be nonexistent, but when you have a fever, you're actually burning more calories than you normally would because of the added strain on your body....

Biking is a great way to exercise. Image Credit: anatoliy_gleb/iStock/GettyImages All forms of exercise reap health benefits for the body. The best exercise is the kind that you enjoy and therefore will do more often. The ​Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans​ recommends getting 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderately-intense cardio exercise. Advertisement That means biking or walking at least 30 minutes a day or splitting your workout into smaller chunks of time like 10 minutes, three times a day....

Yoga for knock knees can improve functioning. Yoga can be beneficial for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, including knock knees. Knock knees are musculoskeletal deformities resulting in poor knee alignment, affecting the upper leg area including the femur and tibia leg bones plus related tissues. If used consistently, yoga postures can help retrain muscles and improve overall functioning levels. Check with your doctor first. Advertisement Facts Knock knees can occur as a result of osteoarthritis leading to uneven wear-and-tear on the knee joints, according to “Yoga Journal....

Plan for a big breakfast to ensure you get the calories your body needs. Image Credit: stockvisual/E+/GettyImages You’ll often hear weight-loss experts say that it doesn’t matter what time of day you eat, as long as you eat fewer calories than you consume. This isn’t wrong: In order to lose weight, you need to consume less energy than you expend. Advertisement But research shows that what time of day you eat may have more of an influence on weight maintenance and loss than it's often given credit for....

A fitness tracker is a great way to measure your fitness progress. Image Credit: SeventyFour/iStock/GettyImages Does the sight of a spider make you panic? Or, maybe elevators give you instant anxiety? Everyone has a phobia or two that affect our day-to-day lives in different ways. But for many, stepping on the scale tops the list. Advertisement "A lot of us have really toxic relationships with the scale," says K. Aleisha Fetters, CSCS....

Sugar is a source of empty calories. Image Credit: Ruta Lipskija/iStock/GettyImages Sugar comes in many forms, from dextrose and fructose to molasses. Dextrose powder, which is derived from corn, can be found in packaged and processed foods, sports supplements, baking products and pastries. Although it’s less sweet than sugar, it doesn’t mean it’s healthier or lower in calories. Advertisement Tip Like all simple sugars, dextrose may cause blood sugar spikes and contribute to diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity and heart disease....

Staying hydrated is important when working out. Image Credit: piranka/E+/GettyImages Water makes up more than 60 percent of your body weight, and staying hydrated supports important functions such as maintaining body temperature, removing waste and lubricating your joints. Advertisement When you become dehydrated, whether from illness or playing sports for long periods, you need to drink enough water to replenish your body's stores. But you want to avoid drinking too much water, which can have health consequences, too....

A small bowl of olive oil on a marble counter top. Image Credit: mustipan/iStock/Getty Images Olive oil is an integral part of the oft-touted Mediterranean diet, a diet based on consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, fish and unsaturated oils. Although a fat, olive oil has a number of components that appear to lower the risk of heart disease. The term extra-virgin describes high-quality olive oil with the best flavor and maximum nutrition....