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Whether or not pearl barley is healthier than rice completely depends on the type of rice you’re comparing it to. Image Credit: martinrlee/iStock/GettyImages Barley and rice are both carbohydrates — the primary component of most Western diets. Like rice, barley can be either a whole grain or refined product. If you’re comparing pearl barley versus rice, you’ll find that barley’s nutrition has more fiber but can be less nutrient-rich than rice products....

Levothyroxine can help control hypothyroidism, but certain supplements and foods may interfere with its efficacy. Image Credit: skaman306/Moment/GettyImages When you have hypothyroidism, your thyroid gland can’t make enough of the hormones your organ systems need to function properly. Advertisement Many people rely on levothyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone, to control this condition, per the Mayo Clinic. Video of the Day Certain vitamin supplements that contain specific minerals can interfere with the medication, so it's important to know which products to avoid in order for levothyroxine to work effectively....

A wooden scoop sits in a glass bowl of psyllium fiber. Image Credit: Laurentiu Iordache/iStock/Getty Images Metamucil is a fiber supplement that helps relieve constipation and keeps you regular. It makes increasing your fiber intake easier, since it comes in a variety of forms, including chewable wafers, powder, capsules and others. Taking too much of a fiber supplement can cause gastrointestinal distress if you are not careful. Talk with a health-care professional before you decide to take a fiber supplement such as Metamucil....

A bulge in your stomach during situps can be a sign of a separated ab muscle. Image Credit: FatCamera/E+/GettyImages You’re doing situps to strengthen and flatten your belly, but you’re getting the opposite result; instead, your belly seems to stick out more as you crunch up. Advertisement This is usually because you have a benign, but cosmetically annoying, condition known as diastasis recti, or ab separation. It often occurs after pregnancy, but can also be experienced by men who've been lifting heavy weights or gained a lot of weight....

Bananas are a good source of potassium. Image Credit: mediavn/iStock/Getty Images Potassium is an element the human body requires for proper bodily function. Frequent urination can cause a person to have too little potassium in his system and lead to negative health consequences. If you’re experiencing frequent urination, this could be a sign of a more serious medical condition and you should consult a medical professional for medical advice. Advertisement Potassium Potassium is a naturally occurring mineral that people typically ingest through their diet....

There may be some gnarly germs lurking on your gym equipment. Image Credit: jovan_epn/iStock/GettyImages Hate to break it to you, but your gym is basically a life-sized petri dish. Thanks to all the sweaty bodies swapping machines and sharing hot, humid spaces like the sauna, gyms are a paradise for multiplying microbes — creepy critters just waiting for an opportunity to make their home in the moist, warm creases of your skin....

The T-spine rotation stretch enhances your thoracic spine mobility while correcting your posture. Here's how to do it. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative In This Article Instructions Benefits Form Tips Variations Even if you've never heard of your T-spine, you've probably felt the need to stretch it. Your T-spine (short for the thoracic spine) runs from your neck to your mid back and connects to your rib cage — and it's the source of that all-too-common upper-back tightness and stiffness after hunching over a computer all day....

references Roberto Corti et al. Cocoa and Cardiovascular Health. Contemporary Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine Yao, LH et al. Flavonoids in food and their health benefits. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2004 Summer; 59(3):113-22. doi 10.1007/s11130-004-0049-7 Equal Exchange: Difference between “cacao” and “cocoa” Equal Exchange 71% bar: 37g = 210 calories Dandelion ingredients Dandelion process: Summary of the process of transforming beans into chocolate and cocoa products”, International Cocoa Organization 1 of 12 Overview Good news!...

Here, we break down the best fitness trackers and include battery life, heart-rate monitoring, GPS, sleep stats, water resistance and more. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative How We Chose Fitbit Versa 4 Apple Watch Series 8 Polar Ignite 3 WHOOP 4.0 Suunto 5 Garmin Venu 2 Garmin vívomove 3S Oura Ring Fitbit Luxe Factors to Consider Visit Page https://www.fitbit.com Image Credit: Fitbit Image Credit: Fitbit ‌Battery Life:‌ 6+ days ‌GPS:‌ yes ‌HR Monitoring:‌ yes ‌Sleep Tracking: ‌yes ‌Water Resistant:‌ yes...

The best three-wheel bike for you depends on your physical condition and comfort level. Image Credit: undefined undefined/iStock/GettyImages Bicycling is an excellent form of exercise and a fun, outdoor activity that you can do with friends and family. Some adults find a three-wheel bike to be more stable and easier to ride. Advertisement Tip The best three-wheel bike for you depends on your physical condition and comfort level. Tricycles may be upright similar to a regular road or mountain bike and also come in recumbent models....

Fresh burrata cheese. Image Credit: sal61/iStock/Getty Images Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese that is essentially a shell of mozzarella surrounding a core of sweet cream. It can be made with either water buffalo or cow’s milk and has a smooth, slightly tangy flavor. Advertisement Total Calories A 1-ounce serving of burrata cheese contains 90 calories. This compares favorably to an ounce of cheddar, which contains 113 calories. Switching from an ounce of cheddar to an ounce of burrata every day for a year would result in a 2-pound weight loss....

Garlic has several health benefits, but there are also many unproven claims surrounding garlic cures to be aware of. Image Credit: graphixchon/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Benefits With Strong Evidence Claims With Some Evidence Unproven Claims Risks and Warnings Dosage A little bit of garlic goes a long way when it comes to adding flavor to food. But garlic's benefits go well beyond seasoning: It contains powerful antioxidants and compounds that deliver major health perks....

Any exercise you're not doing correctly — including ones for your hip abductors — is wasting your time. Image Credit: nortonrsx/iStock/GettyImages Odds are, exercises like lunges and squats, which target your gluteus maximus, monopolize your butt workouts. Yep, the biggest muscle in your body gets all the glory and attention. But you shouldn’t neglect your other glute muscles, in particular your gluteus medius and hip abductors (aka, the side booty)....

You may have prepared yourself for the blood, sweat and tears you experience from exercise. You accept minor aches and pains in your muscles as part of the process. What may be surprising you, however is pain in your throat after exercising. This is not uncommon, though, especially for people with asthma. Exercise Induced Bronchospasm Exerciseinduced bronchospasm is an obstruction of transient airflow that usually occurs five to 15 minutes after physical exertion....

Building long, lean muscle requires a combination of fat burning, "just right" strength training and a healthy diet. Image Credit: FatCamera/E+/GettyImages Having a lot of muscle isn’t a bad thing. In fact, having muscles in the right places can actually help you achieve the lean look you aspire to, whether you’re a woman wanting a sleek body or a man seeking a bulky to lean transformation. So if you’re after a lean look, set your sights on decreasing body fat and building a healthy level of strength while avoiding some of the factors that are best known to provoke increases in muscle size....

Woman jogging outside Image Credit: amanaimagesRF/amana images/Getty Images A heart rate of 140 is considered by the American Heart Association to be within the target heart rate zone for people age 20 to 55 engaged in exercise. Raising your heart rate to a training level can help you to effectively burn calories and decrease your resting heart rate over time—giving you a lowered risk of cardiac-related disease. Exercises like running, biking and stepping can help you to keep your heart rate at 140....

Prevent muscle soreness by increasing your strength-training volume gradually. Image Credit: Vasyl Dolmatov/iStock/GettyImages Waking up the day after a tough workout with aching muscles is no fun. You may experience delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) — a common and generally benign aftereffect — especially if you’re new to lifting weights. While there’s no remedy for muscle soreness after lifting, you can do a few things to lessen the discomfort, and you can prevent it in the future by adjusting your workout....

Fruit can cause bloating with certain conditions. Image Credit: Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images Bloating is a general symptom that may be related to various digestive conditions. If you begin eating more fruit, the fiber content of the fruit can cause bloating and gas. If your symptoms are consistent with eating fruit, you may have a more serious medical condition. Common conditions that would cause bloating from eating fruit include fructose intolerance, a fruit allergy or irritable bowel syndrome....

Get lean legs with long-distance cardio and good nutrition. Image Credit: Matthew Leete/DigitalVision/GettyImages Achieving a set of lean legs is no easy feat; however, it can be accomplished with hard work and knowledge. To lean out, you will need to reduce your overall body fat with cardiovascular exercise a minimum of five times per week, as well as strength training two to three times per week. Advertisement Eliminate processed and high-caloric foods from your diet as well to really lean out thick legs....

Burnt sauces can be saved by various pantry staples. Image Credit: Phill Thornton/iStock/GettyImages There are many different ways of removing a burnt taste from sauces, soups and gravies. The strategy you should use depends on what exactly has been burnt. Advertisement If you've burnt a soup, you can usually separate the unburnt liquid from the burnt bottom and continue cooking it at a lower temperature. However, if you've burnt steak or a vegetable while cooking it and intended to make a sauce from it, fixing your burnt food can be a bit more complicated....