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Biceps curls are one exercise you can do to help strengthen your arms for a more toned look. Image Credit: GrapeImages/E+/GettyImages All good things come to those who wait (and work hard). So, if you’re wondering how to tighten “flabby” arms as quickly as possible, a little patience, time in the gym and a healthy diet can go a long way. Advertisement If you want to know how to tone your arms fast, know that building your biceps and triceps for a more toned look won't happen overnight....

Whether spirulina benefits skin, improves chronic conditions or otherwise aids health is up for debate. Image Credit: OlgaMiltsova/iStock/GettyImages In the quest for supplements to boost your health, you may encounter chlorella and spirulina, two types of blue-green algae. You may also encounter a number of claims about these supplements’ health benefits, from spirulina for heavy metal detox to chlorella for chronic conditions like hypertension. Advertisement Whether spirulina benefits skin, improves chronic conditions or otherwise aids health is up for debate....

Brown sugar crystals in a spoon. Image Credit: Amarita/iStock/Getty Images Muscovado sugar is often touted as a natural, unrefined alternative to brown sugar. It owes its strong flavor, high moisture content and ultra-dark color to molasses, the “impurity” that’s stripped out of more refined sugars. Although molasses is the most nutritious part of the sugar cane plant, muscovado sugar isn’t any healthier than standard table sugar. Advertisement Natural vs. Healthy Muscovado sugar is essentially evaporated cane juice that’s been minimally clarified and then crystallized....

The different lat pull down techniques hit different muscle groups. Image Credit: Jun/iStock/GettyImages Even the slightest tweak in an exercise can drastically change the way it affects your body, and the pulldown is no exception. The lat pulldown is done with bent arms, and the straight-arm pulldown is done with — you guessed it — straight arms. This slight difference in technique causes a dramatic shift in the muscles that you use for each exercise....

The tupler technique targets the transverse abdominis muscle. Image Credit: mihailomilovanovic/E+/GettyImages Abdominal muscle separation doesn’t only affect women after childbirth — it affects adults and children of all ages. This condition, called diastasis recti, can be treated using the Tupler technique. Advertisement Read more: Diastasis Recti Exercises for Men Video of the Day What Is Diastasis Recti? Strong abdominal muscles do more than just give you a nicely chiseled midsection to show off at the gym or on the beach....

What Are the Benefits of Drinking Olive Oil? Image Credit: vikif/iStock/GettyImages Olive oil is a monounsaturated, heart healthy fat. It is loaded with antioxidants that help protect the heart and blood cells from damage. Olive oil is a major ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, which is known for its cardiovascular benefits. Eating olive oil every day is not only good for the heart, but may also aid in weight loss and pain relief....

Yogurt and honey together have a lot of health benefits. Image Credit: Julia_Sudnitskaya/iStock/GettyImages Honey and yogurt are two tasty foods that pack a nutritional punch, and you can combine the two to make a delicious snack with a number of health benefits. Make sure you’re choosing the right yogurt for your dietary needs, as many store-bought yogurts contain high amounts of added sugar. You can also use honey and yogurt for face masks....

People who eat rancid meat are likely to get sick. Image Credit: The Picture Pantry/Alloy/GettyImages Like any other old, spoiled food, bad meat can make you sick. If the meat has been contaminated with something pathogenic, like bacteria or toxins, it can make you sick. Advertisement Tip People who eat rancid meat are likely to get sick. Food-borne illness can occur after you’ve eaten bad meat that contains harmful microbes or toxins....

Stress ulcers typically come from physical stress, but emotional stress may cause some symptoms, as well. Image Credit: Prostock-Studio/iStock/GettyImages Many people associate stomach ulcers with emotional stress. But while you can get a stress ulcer, the cause isn’t emotional. “You can’t worry yourself into an ulcer,” says Brooks Cash, MD, chief of gastroenterology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Advertisement "Emotional stress, even severe emotional stress, does not cause any type of ulcer," explains Dr....

Push ups work several muscle groups. Image Credit: LightFieldStudios/iStock/GettyImages Push-ups are the quintessential calisthenics exercise, but you may wonder exactly what you’re working when someone tells you to drop and do 50. The muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps engage most, but the push-up also provides conditioning for your abs, back stabilizers and thighs. Advertisement Tip You probably realize that muscles used in push-ups include your chest and arms — but in reality they work the whole body....

references American Council on Exercise: "Strengthen Your Abdominals with Stability Balls" Harvard Health Publishing: Have a ball with exercise Mayo Clinic: Core-strength exercises with a fitness ball The right size stability ball will allow you to sit or work out comfortably. Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages Source: American Council on Exercise Source: American Council on Exercise To make this exercise more difficult, raise the ball off the ground and lower your legs slowly toward the right....

After exercise, the body naturally produces lactic acid, or lactate. There’s not one magic food that reduces lactic acid buildup during exercise, but factors like warming up before a workout and eating a balanced diet can enhance performance. According to Healthline, a balanced diet of fresh foods, leans meats and whole grains that are high in vitamin B, fatty acid and potassium, may help get rid of lactic acid in the muscles, especially when the food is consumed around the time of exercise....

If you crave ice cream, you might need to enrich your diet with the nutrients it contains, or you might simply want a cold, sweet treat. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, you should consume foods like ice cream that are high in sugar and fat only occasionally. Investigate ice cream alternatives to fulfill your craving without compromising your health. Calcium Craving ice cream might mean that you need additional calcium in your diet....

Biking is a great workout. Image Credit: FatCamera/E+/GettyImages When you need to calculate your calorie “balance sheet” with precision, it helps to look not just at the labels on your food for calorie intake, but at the average rate of calories burned with each type of aerobic activity. Biking and walking are both known as low-impact workouts, but what is the comparison between cycling and walking when it comes to calories?...

Make sure to warm up before stretching. Image Credit: Lorado/E+/GettyImages Wondering how to get flexible fast? Flexibility is at the core of every exercise and training program because a limber body can perform more motions with decreased risk of injury. Increasing flexibility in one month is done through a dedicated stretching regimen. Advertisement Tip Warm up lightly before stretching to increase blood flow while getting your muscles activated. Benefits of Flexibility The benefits of flexibility are well known, but many people continue to skip the stretching process....

Cramps can occur after sit-ups due to a variety of causes. Image Credit: Nicola Katie/iStock/GettyImages “Cramp” is a word often used to describe any kind of pain in a muscle. If you’re experiencing a cramping sensation in your stomach when doing sit-ups, it first might be helpful to determine if you’re actually getting cramps. Advertisement Stomach Cramps After Sit-Ups An ordinary muscle cramp is a sudden, involuntary contraction or over-shortening of the muscle....

Keep your thymus healthy by getting plenty of fruits and veggies each day. Image Credit: Rawpixel/iStock/GettyImages The little-known thymus gland, located in your chest, plays an outsize role in how well your immune system functions. It produces the mighty T cells, which are one of the immune system’s main weapons against threats as far ranging as COVID-19 and cancer. Advertisement "The thymus is this unknown pulse that regulates our immune system and dictates the battlefield for any anticipated infection," says M....

Dealing with a running injury? Read these tips to approach your next marathon or race safely. Image Credit: Getty Images / Kupicoo Race training was going swimmingly until you felt pain in your knee, ankle or foot. Now, you’re staring down the possibility of missing your dream race, and you’re not quite sure what to do. Advertisement Sound familiar? Runners pour their hearts and souls into race training and when the potential arises for all that to go up in smoke, it's a harsh reality to face....

Experts believe creatine is safe at recommended doses, for short-term use, for most people. Image Credit: Eugeniusz Dudzinski/iStock/GettyImages The dangers of creatine include kidney damage, weight gain and dehydration. Other side effects include, but are not limited to, diarrhea, nausea and seizures. Advertisement Tip Experts believe creatine is safe for most people at recommended doses for short-term use. However, it has side effects, and its long-term safety isn’t known. What Is Creatine?...

Workouts using light weights are less likely to lead to overtraining. Image Credit: VichienPetchmai/iStock/GettyImages Exercise provides good stress for your body. It puts extra demands on your muscular, cardiorespiratory and nervous systems so they grow stronger and more resilient. But too much stress has the opposite effect, notes the American Council on Exercise. Advertisement It can leave you with overtraining syndrome, also know as OTS, with symptoms such as poor workout performance, constantly sore muscles, unsatisfying sleep, frequent illness and an overall sense of burnout....