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Eating foods high in fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates (most of which are empty calories) can affect your exercise performance by draining your energy, impairing your metabolism, contributing to weight gain and raising your risk of other chronic diseases. Image Credit: Martin Steinthaler/Moment/GettyImages At the start of a new diet and exercise routine, it’s normal to have a few slip-ups. While you may think that eating ultra-processed and fast food and working out might cancel each other out, it’s often a bit more complicated than that....

Close-up of raw sausage in casings. Image Credit: peredniankina/iStock/Getty Images Disodium phosphate is a food additive that combines the minerals phosphate, or phosphorus, and sodium. Phosphate salts are also sometimes used as medicine, and they’re generally regarded as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. People with certain health conditions requiring low phosphorus intakes, however, may want to minimize the amount of disodium phosphate they consume. Advertisement Use in Food When used as a food additive, disodium phosphate plays a number of roles....

There are several potential health benefits of prune juice, because it provides nutrients like iron and potassium. Image Credit: zia_shusha/iStock/GettyImages Prune juice, made from the plum fruit, is best known for its digestive benefits, but it’s also high in antioxidants, according to May 2013 research in the ​Journal of Food Quality.​ Advertisement The sweet and slightly tart juice also provides a good source of certain essential vitamins and minerals needed to maintain your overall health....

Save your leftover roast beef and vegetables to make a healthy sandwich. Image Credit: AnnaPustynnikova/iStock/GettyImages A satiating roast beef sandwich makes an easy-to-prepare lunch. It’s not only a great way to use leftover roast beef, but it adds protein, fiber and nutrients to your diet. Certain spices can enhance the flavor and make your sandwich more nutritious. Advertisement Tip Choosing low-fat condiments can help keep calories in your roast beef sandwich to a minimum....

Your body fat is distributed based on your production of certain hormones as well as on your genetics and epigenetics. Image Credit: filadendron/E+/GettyImages If you’re looking for foods that go straight to your hips and bum, you may be disappointed. Body fat mass depends largely on your diet and eating habits. However, body fat distribution is determined by sex hormones, genetics and epigenetics. Advertisement Read more: 18 Habits That Can Make You Fat Video of the Day Tip Unfortunately, there are no foods that increase hips size....

This inexpensive filler is often listed on protein powders' ingredient lists. Image Credit: iprogressman/iStock/GettyImages Image Credit: iprogressman/iStock/GettyImages What Is Maltodextrin? Food List Is It Safe? Benefits Is It Gluten-Free? Alternatives Summary You likely won’t use maltodextrin by itself in a recipe — but you will find it in products like Splenda or Stevia in the Raw Bakers Bag. Some companies also sell maltodextrin supplements, which are marketed as an easy-digesting fuel for runners and cyclists....

Nutritional value is the information on the back of food packages that tells you the ingredients and exact number of macronutrients and nutrients within it. Image Credit: d3sign/Moment/GettyImages Whether you’re grocery shopping or meal planning, you’ve seen a nutrition facts label lining the packages of your favorite foods. But what is nutritional value comprised of? And how much of each nutrient should you really be eating? Advertisement Tip Nutritional value is the information on the back of food packages that tells you the ingredients and exact number of macronutrients and nutrients within it....

Consult a health professional before trying any products from the Dr. Sebi diet plan. Image Credit: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages The Dr. Sebi diet is a restrictive, plant-based diet that promises to eliminate toxins from your body and purify your cells. The problem is that “Dr. Sebi” isn’t a real doctor, and the diet is based solely on lofty, ill-researched claims. Advertisement So if you're not sure what detoxification means, exactly (and why it depends on buying Dr....

Should you be just as focused on when you're eating as what you're eating? Image Credit: Gettyimages/ Urbazon In This Article What Is IF Types of Fasting Diets Fasting for Weight Loss Mistakes to Avoid Is It Right for You? "You are what you eat" is an old adage that gets hammered into our heads at a young age — and for good reason, according to pretty much every health expert on the planet....

The language we use can affect how we feel about ourselves. Image Credit: FG Trade/E+/GettyImages We all have our “guilty pleasures:” Trashy reality TV shows, cheesy pop songs, celebrity gossip mags, pizza with pineapple topping, Nutella straight from the jar — you get the picture. Advertisement Basically, these are things we secretly enjoy but feel embarrassed to admit in public. And whenever we do confess our guilty pleasures, it's always served with a hefty side of self-deprecation....

Stairmaster is great for losing weight. Image Credit: damircudic/E+/GettyImages The Stairmaster company makes a broad range of fitness products. In 1986, the company launched the StairMaster 4000PT, which simulates real-world stair climbing. Using this exercise machine, a similar product or actual stairs offers you many health benefits. Learning about these benefits can help you make wise choices each day. Advertisement Tip Stairmaster makes a stair-stepping machine and a stepmill that nicely simulate climbing real-world stairs....

Embrace the elements and enjoy an outdoor workout this winter. Image Credit: tomazl/E+/GettyImages When the weather outside is frightful, you just want to be inside next to that oh-so-delightful fire. The colder and darker the days get, the less and less you feel like doing anything, especially exercising. Advertisement After all, the winter brings on a decline in vitamin D and serotonin levels — not to mention an increase in levels of sleep-inducing melatonin — that can make even lacing up your workout shoes feel like a workout, Barbara Walker, Ph....

The amount of weight you lose with an exercise program depends on several factors, including the intensity and duration of your workouts, starting weight and diet. Although 250 minutes of exercise a week may produce moderate weight loss, it generally takes even more to accomplish significant weight loss, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. A daily 60-minute workout – equivalent to 420 minutes – should help you lower your body weight, as long as your diet stays in check....

There are pros and cons to making a habit of chowing down while standing upright. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative How Bad Is It Really? sets the record straight on all the habits and behaviors you’ve heard might be unhealthy. Let’s take a quick poll: How often do you grab a portable meal and eat on the go? Advertisement With the realities of everyday life, we're guessing it's pretty regularly. And you might even figure that feasting on your feet is no big deal....

Take safety precautions before making chicken in a Crock-Pot. Image Credit: yuryRumovsky/iStock/Getty Images Crock-Pots and other slow cookers are safe for preparing foods, including meat and poultry, as long as you use the device correctly. The low- and high-heat settings on the Crock-Pot reach a hot enough temperature to kill potential bacteria from the chicken. Cleaning your slow cooker and preparing chicken properly ensures that your food does not carry an increased risk of food-borne illnesses....

A woman is getting her hand massaged. Image Credit: AndreyPopov/iStock/Getty Images Jammed finger injuries range from mild sprains to dislocations. Many times a jammed finger occurs without showing symptoms other than pain. Even if you can move your finger, it can be jammed. Untreated jammed fingers can lead to arthritis or other debilitating conditions, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery. Jammed finger exercises involve simple stretching and strengthening that help rehabilitate and protect your hand from further injury....

People don’t typically have an allergic reaction to mangoes unless they handle the peelings. Image Credit: Arx0nt/iStock/GettyImages Fruit seems fairly harmless, and your go-to supermarket staples don’t typically do anything but provide the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to thrive. But when it comes to mango, that’s not always the case. For some, the tropical fruit can result in an uncomfortable rash. Advertisement Read more: 14 Surprising Facts About Mangoes Video of the Day What's Behind the Rash?...

Blueberries can help reduce ulcers. Image Credit: kobeza/iStock/GettyImages Stomach ulcers can be painful. While the American College of Gastroenterology does not recommend any specific diet for a stomach ulcer, some diet alterations may help fight the growth of ​Helicobacter pylori​ (​H. pylori​), which is a known cause of ulcers. Ulcers are open wounds or sores that occur in the lining of the stomach. Advertisement First Signs of an Ulcer It’s common for people with ulcers to have no symptoms at all....

Moringa is a potent superfood that may help you lose weight thanks to its antioxidant content. Image Credit: mirzamlk/iStock/GettyImages Moringa is the latest superfood, said to do everything from helping you to lose weight to prevent cancer. But it’s important to separate the excitement from the facts. Advertisement Moringa is a tree native to India and goes by the names drumstick tree, horseradish tree and ben oil tree. "There are a lot of suggestions about its potential," says Seattle-based registered dietitian Ginger Hultin, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of Champagne Nutrition....

Good posture is a combination of balanced strength and flexibility in the skeletal muscles, enabling people to walk, sit or stand in a graceful manner. Conscious activation of the postural muscles is important, especially when sitting or standing for long periods of time. The Cleveland Center, rated one of America’s best hospitals, advocates training the body to move in such a way that the least strain is placed on supporting muscles during movement and weight-bearing activities....