Rice can be part of a healthy meal, especially when mixed with vegetables. Image Credit: AnastasiaGlazneva/iStock/Getty Images Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice is a type of instant rice that just needs to be microwaved for a couple of minutes and ta-da! It’s certainly quick and convenient, but is instant rice a good source of nutrition? Advertisement Tip The nutritional value of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice varies depending on the type of rice....
Balloons can be used for breathing exercises. Having sufficient lung capacity assists endurance athletes by allowing lungs to generously expand with enough oxygen to meet the body's needs. Physical activities such as running, swimming and soccer are categorized under "aerobic" exercises, with the word "aerobic" literally meaning "concerning air." Lungs, just like muscles, can be exercised to improve functioning and capacity by performing regular exercise or by blowing up balloons. Lung capacity is directly affected by certain conditions, such as age, gender, size and medical conditions....
A 1-cup serving of penne pasta has about 200 calories, and boasts several important nutrients. Image Credit: Rouzes/iStock/GettyImages Penne pasta is similar to the other types of pasta when it comes to calories and nutrition. If you’re trying to figure out how healthy or unhealthy your love for pasta is, here’s what you need to know about penne pasta’s nutrition profile. Advertisement Penne is a cylindrical-shaped pasta that is usually about 2 inches long....
Experts say that nuts are a great snack option if you're trying to stay healthy as you get older. Image Credit: bymuratdeniz/E+/GettyImages While picking on potato chips doesn’t deliver much in the way of nutrients, choosing the right kind of snack can positively affect your health today and in the future. Advertisement Yep, if you're strategic about your snack choice, these itty-bitty in-between bites boast big benefits, like helping to fight off harmful free radicals and prevent serious diseases....
Squats aren't the only way to build a better booty — stretching and recovery play an important role too. Image Credit: santypan/iStock/GettyImages Ace one of the most effective exercises for a stronger lower body and work up to doing 250 reps in a single day with the 30-Day Squat Challenge. Get all the details on the challenge here. You may have heard the saying, “You can’t get the butt you want by sitting on the one you have....
You should avoid certain foods with a UTI. Image Credit: karandaev/iStock/Getty Images One of the most common health conditions, a urinary tract infection (UTI) can make life difficult. The pain often stays with you all day, not only when you urinate. However, avoiding certain food for UTI can alleviate some discomfort. Advertisement Tip You should avoid certain foods with a UTI. These include caffeinated foods, acidic fruits and alcohol. Read more: Wait, My Gut Health is Sabotaging My Workout?...
Yes, you can eat too many carrots. Image Credit: Vitalina/iStock/GettyImages It’s no coincidence that carrots have a permanent place in the produce aisle — the sweet root vegetable is a popular snack; a common ingredient in soups, stews, salads and slaws; and a staple of crudite platters. Advertisement Besides being versatile and inexpensive, carrots are healthy — they're a low-calorie source of beta carotene, dietary fiber, and several vitamins and minerals....
Add some cardio to help lose a bit of extra fat. Image Credit: RicardoImagen/E+/GettyImages For many women, losing weight after pregnancy can be a challenge. Luckily, there are some things you can do to get rid of baby fat within months. Start with light strength training and low-impact cardiovascular workouts, cranking up the intensity as you progress. Advertisement Set Realistic Expectations It took you nine months to gain those extra pounds, so don’t expect to lose them overnight....
Hit untapped fibers in your glutes with these butt exercises you've never tried. Image Credit: Jereme Schumacher/LIVESTRONG.com When it comes to glute gains, glute bridges and hip thrusts seem to get all the attention. Advertisement But they aren't the only booty-building moves worth their (sweaty) salt. And including multiple types of glute exercises in your lower-body workouts can pay off in a big way. Advertisement "Varying your glute workout challenges your muscle in different ways," Jereme Schumacher, DPT, a California-based physical therapist, tells LIVESTRONG....
Image Credit: Getty Images/g-stockstudio Together with Athleta, we're compiling actionable wellness advice you need from the experts—and Well+Good is bringing it to life all year long at events in NYC. Here, Ellevest founder Sallie Krawcheck breaks down how to get your finances to a healthy jumping off point to invest. Advertisement Whether you think of "investments" as synonymous with "retirement," building a healthy relationship with your finances through investing is something your future self will thank you for—especially when you're looking for a cushion to support your health down the line....
Stay active and accountable during one of the busiest times of the year with a fun, quick video workout to do every day this month. Get all the details on the challenge here. Dance is only one way to marry music and movement. Whether you're cycling to a beat or squatting to a rhythm, many forms of exercise have a choreography all of their own. Boxing is a prime example. You’ll sway, punch and bounce through this 15-minute shadowboxing video, led by Justin Blackwell, master coach at Los Angeles-based fitness studio BoxUnion....
Stay active and accountable during one of the busiest times of the year with a fun, quick video workout to do every day this month. Get all the details on the challenge here. Whether you're cranking out burpees for time or squatting a specific weight, exercise is a numbers game. Add in calorie burn and total time and your workout becomes a math class. Tracking your exercise can be valuable, but yoga is the perfect opportunity to prioritize how your body feels, rather than how long, hard or fast you’re moving....
Close-up of woman's knees at the beach. Image Credit: Aleksandar Todorovic/iStock/Getty Images Rough, dark patches of skin on the knees are not unusual. Your knees bear the brunt of many physical activities. Children learning to crawl are very hard on their knees, as are the parents who kneel on the floor to interact with them at eye level. Generally speaking, rough patches of skin indicate dryness. While this may be a factor for many people who have darkened, mottled, bumpy skin on the knees, there are certain medical conditions that can also contribute to rough skin on the knees....
A bowl of oatmeal with fresh berries. Image Credit: villagemoon/iStock/Getty Images Oatmeal is a nutritious, whole-grain choice for breakfast, but if you’re planning on eating it every day, it’s not a complete breakfast all on its own. Oatmeal is a great source of fiber, but including a source of protein and fresh fruits and veggies with your breakfast will help you start off the day with a more balanced meal. Talk to your doctor before making any changes in your diet, especially if you have allergies or health conditions....
A serving of bread is 1 ounce, but keep in mind that quality counts. Image Credit: YakobchukOlena/iStock/GettyImages Bread is probably not the first thing you reach for if you’re at all concerned about your weight. But bread, as a blanket term, has been vilified largely unjustly. Certain types of bread are well worth strategically including in your daily diet, while others, yes, are best eaten sparingly. Advertisement The bottom line is that you can definitely enjoy bread as part of a healthy diet plan....
Unlike bananas, you can't eat raw plantains. Image Credit: from_my_point_of_view/iStock/GettyImages Plantains are popping up on grocery store shelves where only bananas used to be, thanks to a 41 percent increase in imports to the U.S. between 2013 and 2018, according to Consumer Reports. Unlike bananas, you can’t eat raw plantains. They have a bitter flavor that is mellowed by cooking. Advertisement Eating Raw Plantains Plantains can be deceiving. They look just like large bananas....
Walking is a good cardio activity. Use it to complement your overall exercise program. Image Credit: Kikovic/iStock/GettyImages Building muscle mass and toning are both increases in muscle size, and training is similar for both. The difference comes in the volume of training. Much more work is needed to significantly increase muscle mass. Advertisement Walking offers many health benefits, including increased upper and lower body strength when practiced vigorously and regularly. However, although it generally does not cause significant changes in either muscle mass or tone, you can adapt your walking workout to enhance its calorie-burning and lean muscle building effects....
How to Lose Stomach Fat With Zumba Image Credit: JackF/iStock/GettyImages Working out doesn’t have to feel like “work.” Rather than plodding along on a treadmill for hours, you can dance to energizing music in easy-to-learn choreographed classes with upbeat instructors. You may not even realize you’re exercising. Advertisement But could something so fun be effective for burning belly fat? A 2012 study conducted by the American Council on Exercise says yes, with results showing Zumba to be even more effective than other popular fitness classes....
When the needle on the thermometer drops below freezing, your enthusiasm for outdoor weather might wane too. To keep your exercise momentum moving, bring your exercise indoors and start running in place at home instead. According to the University of Maryland Medical System, running in place burns roughly the same number of calories as running a 12-minute mile – a 130-pound woman burns about 560 calories per hour. In order to lose weight running in place you’ll need to burn more calories than you consume, so make sure to pay attention to your diet in addition to exercising during the week....
Shakes made with fiber-rich fruits and veggies can help you feel full on less calories. Image Credit: Lilechka75/iStock/GettyImages Fiber is one of weight loss’s little secrets. In fact, having a fiber-rich shake as a snack or meal replacement each day might be just what you need to shed those extra pounds. Here’s what you need to know to shake up your diet. Advertisement How Fiber Can Help You Lose Weight Fiber-rich, nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, are relatively low in energy density (aka calories)....
