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A mild diuretic, caffeine causes your kidneys to flush extra sodium and water from your body. Image Credit: RECVISUAL/iStock/GettyImages If caffeine and coffee keep you going, but you worry about the potential diuretic effect, you’re in luck. While caffeine is a mild diuretic, experts agree that it does not cause your body to excrete more fluid than it needs — and its effects are short-lived. Advertisement Here's what to know about the effects of caffeine on urine....

Here's why you breathe hard and sweat when you exercise. Image Credit: hedgehog94/iStock/GettyImages Ever wonder how exercise turns on so many of your body’s key systems? Sweating and breathing hard are parts of a chain reaction initiated by your brain as you start to move. Here’s a look at what happens in your respiratory system — lungs, airways and muscles that work together to enable breathing. Advertisement Effects of Exercise on Respiration Your lungs....

When your stomach feels hard, you may be experiencing bloating or distension of the abdomen. Image Credit: dragana991/iStock/GettyImages There’s bloating and then there’s, well, ​bloating​. We’re talking about when your stomach bloats outward — or distends — and becomes hard to press on. It can feel like you’re carrying around a bowling ball in your belly. Advertisement So what exactly is going on here? First, your stomach feeling hard when you press on it is what doctors call a non-specific finding, Shabnam Sarker, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, tells LIVESTRONG....

Reebok is an iconic brand. Image Credit: jacoblund/iStock/GettyImages The name Reebok has become iconic in the fitness industry, associated not only with fitness footwear but also with fitness classes. Since the 1980s, Reebok has been a pioneer in aerobics, step aerobics, dance aerobics, strength and flexibility training, and Reebok University was created to provide instructor training for these classes. Advertisement But as the fitness industry has evolved, so has Reebok, and the company no longer offers training....

Pair the bench press with the classic push-up for more upper-body pump. Image Credit: ArtistGNDphotography/E+/GettyImages Whether your goal is to build strength, muscular endurance or just look great in a sleeveless shirt (hey, we don’t blame you!), supersets may be the golden ticket. The word might sound like advanced gym lingo, but supersets are actually pretty simple — and effective. Advertisement Strength-training exercises can be performed in straight single sets, circuits or supersets, which is where you perform two exercises back-to-back without pausing between, according to the American Council on Exercise....

Weight loss can impact your gallbladder. Image Credit: Zoonar RF/Zoonar/Getty Images Your gallbladder is a small organ near your liver that releases bile, a digestive fluid, into your bile duct, which supplies it to the small intestine. If you lose weight quickly or have other risk factors, you may experience gallstones, small pieces of hardened material that can block the flow of bile and cause pain and other symptoms. Advertisement Risk Factors One risk factor for developing gallbladder problems is rapid weight loss....

A reduced metabolism makes it more difficult to burn calories. Image Credit: Pakin Songmor/Moment/GettyImages Weight gain as women age seems inevitable. After menopause, estrogen levels tend to decrease. As a result, muscle growth decreases which allows fat to take over the body and causes a drop in your metabolism. This change makes weight loss more difficult. Many women over the age of 55 turn to weight-loss pills for help in their weight loss battle....

Soy candles burn cleaner than paraffin candles. Image Credit: Kim DeClaire/iStock/Getty Images Paraffin wax is commonly used in candles, but soy candles are another option on the market. While soy candles look and smell similar to their paraffin counterparts, they offer distinct advantages. Not all soy candles are created the same way, however. While some limit unnecessary chemicals, others include additives or are blended with paraffin wax. Read the label or ask the manufacturer if you are unsure of the ingredients in the candle....

A family drinking tea together Image Credit: XiXinXing/XiXinXing/Getty Images Chai tea is a culinary blend of sweetness, spiciness and creaminess that originated in India. In fact, chai literally means tea in that country. You’ll often find chai tea concentrate on grocery store shelves, or you can create your own and store it for up to 10 days before it expires. The sweet in the concentrate comes from sugar and vanilla, the spice from seasonings including ginger, pepper, allspice and cloves, and the cream from milk....

Talk to your doctor before using garlic-ginger tea to lower your blood pressure. Image Credit: rajeshbac/iStock/GettyImages Both garlic and ginger can lower your blood pressure, but that doesn’t mean you should try to lower your BP by drinking lots of garlic ginger tea. Normal amounts in food are generally safe, but garlic-ginger tea in excess, on top of your medications, may have an effect that could be harmful. Advertisement ​Read more:​ Chamomile Tea and Blood Pressure: What's True, What's Not Video of the Day Effects of Garlic and Ginger Garlic may help protect against stroke and atherosclerosis by keeping blood platelets from sticking together, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center....

Certain ingredients can influence the effectiveness of your antidepressants and how they affect your health. Image Credit: skaman306/Moment/GettyImages There are a variety of essential vitamins and minerals you should consume on a daily basis. If you’re taking antidepressants and vitamins at the same time, be aware of the ingredients in your vitamin supplements. Advertisement Certain ingredients can influence the effectiveness of your antidepressants and how they affect your health. Video of the Day Tip There are no vitamins contraindicated for consumption with antidepressants, but you should be cautious about consuming a mixture of supplements....

You should learn how to swim for safety reasons. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images Many animals are born with the ability to swim, but humans must learn practice before being able to swim with ease. Some people never learn how to swim, which often causes them to fear water. Learning to swim is important for several reasons, and mastering this skill at a young age can benefit you throughout your life....

Slow cooking can help make venison soft. Image Credit: Shaiith/iStock/GettyImages A slow cooker venison roast can be tender and flavorful. Deer meat benefits greatly from a low, slow cooking process, and a slow cooker helps to remove some of the deer meat’s natural toughness and gamey flavor. Read on to learn how to prepare a deer roast for the Crock Pot. Advertisement Deer Roast Crock Pot Tips Deer meat is naturally tougher than beef, chicken and other domesticated meat....

A small bowl of chili sauce sits on a wooden tabletop with chilis alongside it. Image Credit: ravipatchan/iStock/Getty Images Chili sauces are almost infinitely variable in potency. Their heat can vary widely according to the peppers used, the cooking process and ultimately the freshness of your individual bottle. This makes it entirely too easy to accidentally take on more chili heat than you’re comfortable with. If you’re cooking with the chili sauce, there are ways to reduce its heat....

Cooked seared chicken with tomatoes, mustard and herbs. Image Credit: Shaiith/iStock/Getty Images Chicken that’s been seared, then baked in the oven has a deep brown color and a rich, caramelized flavor, says The Kitchn recipe editor Emma Christensen. Searing – the process of quickly cooking the outside surface of a cut of meat over high heat – is typically done on the stove top in a skillet filmed with hot oil, but according to No Recipe Required food writer Dave Beaulieu, you can also use the grill to sear chicken before transferring it to the oven to finish cooking....

Exercise plays a key role in health maintenance. People who have sedentary lifestyles have an increased risk of obesity, hypertension and diabetes. These diseases are associated with life-threatening ailments such as stroke, heart attack and kidney failure. Since insulin resistance, hypertension and diabetes are closely related to sedentary lifestyle, the importance of exercise in health maintenance and disease prevention is readily apparent. During exercise, your heart rate increases to maintain a state of balance, known as homeostasis....

Decaf tea is just as healthy and nutritious as its regular counterpart but without the side effects of caffeine. Image Credit: Geshas/iStock/GettyImages Most types of tea, including antioxidant-rich green and black teas, contain small amounts of caffeine. If you’re sensitive to stimulants, don’t fret — you can always use decaffeinated tea bags. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite tea without the jitters. Advertisement Tip Decaf tea is just as healthy and nutritious as its regular counterpart but without the side effects of caffeine....

Going to the gym when you're sick is never a good idea, but are at-home workouts OK? Image Credit: Paul Bradbury/OJO Images/GettyImages In This Article How to Decide Protecting Others Exercise Tips Some gym fans like to boast that they never, ever skip a workout even when they're not feeling 100 percent. That's some serious dedication! But it's not always advisable. Though there are some cases when it's OK to work out sick, chances are, it's best to take a rest day (or several)....

Twitches can occur in fatigued muscles. Image Credit: FatCamera/iStock/GettyImages Nothing spoils an arm workout more than a blast of twitches roiling through your biceps. While it is common for a muscle to twitch immediately following a particular exercise, or even several hours afterward, excessive muscle twitching in the arm or spasms can be difficult to deal with and may hamper your strength-training progress. While all twitching may feel the same, there are actually several variables that you need to assess before you can treat the problem....

Boxing is a great way to get in shape, just watch out for head injuries. Image Credit: Vstock LLC/VStock/Getty Images Boxing is one of the best ways to get into shape. It combines an exciting and fast-paced cardio workout with explosive upper and lower body power. When you learn how to box you’re also learning self-defense techniques that you can take into the real world. There are so many positive reasons to try boxing, with only one major downside: the head injuries that come along with competition....