Posts

A cup of saffron tea on a table with flowers Image Credit: Elzbieta Sekowska/iStock/Getty Images Saffron tea was treasured by ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks for use in folk medicine, and to create culinary and herbal delights. Saffron, a member of the lily family, is the delicate part of the flower that catches pollen. The bright red stigmas of the saffron plant are carefully picked, leaving behind a golden stamen. Recent clinical trials have proved the herb to have potential health benefits, according to Michael Murray, N....

Young woman sitting on the pavement with shopping bags. Image Credit: Purestock/Purestock/Getty Images Shortness of breath and fatigued, or tired muscles may be symptoms of a health condition. If your symptoms persist, cause you concern or interfere with your activities of daily living, contact your doctor for a medical evaluation. Understanding various causes of these symptoms may help you distinguish and determine if one is affecting your well-being. Advertisement Congestive Heart Failure Congestive heart failure, or CHF, occurs when your heart does not pump the necessary amount of blood throughout your body for healthy functioning....

A light snack can boost your energy for exercise. Image Credit: Pekic/E+/GettyImages Food intake and physical activity for the average person is a debatable topic. Some research indicates that there are benefits to exercising on an empty stomach, while other evidence suggests that the negative effects may outweigh the benefits. Advertisement Fat burn may increase if you work out without eating, but you also risk using muscle for fuel and limiting your exercise duration due to fatigue....

Strength training can help to build lean muscle mass and maintain an average range of body fat. Image Credit: Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images If you only use the scale, you may not truly know if you’re at a healthy weight. The scale can’t tell you the type of tissue it’s weighing. Having too much fat – even if you’re thin or carry a normal weight in pounds – will endanger your health....

Oatmeal is a good breakfast before a half marathon. Image Credit: serezniy/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Half-Marathon Nutrition The Week Before The Day Before The Morning Of Running a half marathon is quite an accomplishment, one that requires discipline, dedication and rigorous training. And providing your body with the proper fuel is essential for you to run your best race. Advertisement The foods you choose to eat on race day are very important, but your diet in the days or even weeks before the event matters....

Salad greens are well suited to the Atkins diet as these vegetables are very low in carbs. Image Credit: Julia_Sudnitskaya/iStock/GettyImages Low-carbohydrate diets like the ketogenic diet and Atkins are infamous for eliminating carbohydrates of all types. This means that you’re not only giving up pizza, pasta, bread and other carbohydrate-rich foods, but many fruits and vegetables too. Fortunately, there are many vegetables you can eat on the Atkins diet, even during its strictest phases....

In past generations, doctors often prescribed amphetamines such as Dexedrine to help people lose weight and feel more energetic. But modern medicine discourages the use of prescription amphetamines for weight loss and energy due to the risk of addiction. If you want to lose weight and gain more energy, you should speak to your doctor about prescription appetite suppressants that have amphetamine-like properties such as phentermine, diethylpropion or phendimetrazine, notes the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases....

Working out is a great way to naturally lower your calcium level in your body. Image Credit: Peathegee Inc/DigitalVision/GettyImages High calcium levels in the blood can sometimes cause health problems that need to be addressed. But what’s the underlying cause of this, and how do you reduce calcium levels in the blood naturally? It starts with figuring out your unique situation. Advertisement High Calcium Levels For the most part, calcium is an essential and useful mineral for the human body....

Right midfield is a tiring position, so you need good stamina. Image Credit: BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images If you are asked to play right midfield in soccer, your team is playing a 4-4-2 formation with four defenders, four midfielders and two attackers. You are playing on the right side of the four attackers. You need good stamina, positional discipline and the ability to pass as well as tackle. You will be required to help the right back in defense duties, but also push forward, support the central attackers, supply crosses into the box, play through balls to forwards and contribute with your fair share of goals....

Stretch marks can be unsightly. Image Credit: VladimirFLoyd/iStock/Getty Images While stretch marks are often associated with pregnancy or gaining weight too rapidly, they can also occur if you build muscle too quickly. Bulking up too fast can make your skin stretch beyond its capacity and lead to stretch marks. Common areas for this to happen when working out are the arms, thighs, back and chest. Though prevention is the best remedy, if you’ve already developed stretch marks from working out, there are things you can do to get rid of them....

Try to take your pictures the day or the first week or month you start your new fitness program. Image Credit: Adobe Stock/gpointstudio Whether you’re doing CrossFit, LIVESTRONG.COM’s 8-Week STRONGER Challenge fitness program or some other workout program to get in shape, remember that it’s not just the numbers on the scale that you’ll want to track. Advertisement Your "before" and "after" photos and measurements can be a better way to really see your progress and accomplishments along the way toward reaching your goal....

Maximize your elliptical machine weight loss with high-intensity intervals and healthy nutrition. Image Credit: Getty/Skynesher Fans of the elliptical love the cardio machine for its low-impact, steady-state workouts. Advertisement After all, regular cardio exercise is essential for good health. Everyone should aim to get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week, according to the American Heart Association. And by being inherently low-impact, elliptical workouts are great for anyone who wants to take it easy on their joints....

The probiotics in yogurt may benefit vaginal health. Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages It’s hard to have a good day if you have an itchy, angry vagina. If you have a vaginal infection or irritation, yogurt — with good bacteria that act as probiotics in your body — may be helpful for restoring balance down there so you can stop the cycle of discomfort and scratching and get on with your day....

Budding research is showing that what you eat on a regular basis might affect a variety of aspects of your mental health. Image Credit: monkeybusinessimages/iStock/GettyImages A lot can happen when you clean up your diet: You may lose weight, minimize your risk of disease and feel like you have enough energy to conquer your entire to-do list. Plus, a bevy of recent studies suggest you might find yourself in a cheerier mood, too....

Canned pineapple can be just as healthy as fresh pineapple as long as you buy unsweetened varieties. Image Credit: Liudmila Chernetska/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Canned Pineapple Nutrition Is It Healthy? Fresh vs. Canned (Differences) The Bottom Line Juicy tropical pineapple chunks make a delicious addition to sweet and savory recipes, and you don't have to buy a whole fruit if you know you're not going to use the entire thing. As it turns out, canned pineapple is just as healthy as fresh pineapple, and there aren't many major nutritional differences....

Hop out of bed and do a few Asanas to energize your body. Image Credit: monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Getty Images Whether it’s the moment you wake up or right before you go to bed, the time at which you practice yoga is entirely up to you. It depends on your schedule and your body’s rhythms. What mattes is that you do it — morning practices and evening practices both offer value. Advertisement Some people find a morning practice refreshing, energizing and inspiring — just what they need to start their day....

Starchy veggies often provide too many carbs for keto success. Try one of these low-carb salad recipes if you're following a keto diet. Image Credit: Jennifer A Smith/Moment/GettyImages No matter what diet you follow, veggies should always be part of the equation. While plans like keto encourage you to limit carbs — and by extension, starchy plants like potatoes and corn — you can still savor a veggie-packed salad if you make smart choices....

A fibrous fruit, kiwi. Image Credit: iSailorr/iStock/Getty Images Although eating fewer calories than you burn is a key component of weight loss, low calorie diets can sometimes have adverse effects. Along with hunger and cravings, some types of low-calorie diets can result in constipation, which occurs when you have fewer than three bowel movements per week. Modifying your low-calorie diet may help prevent or relieve this condition. Advertisement Low Fiber Intake Fiber is essential for maintaining healthy bowel function, but some low calorie diets may cause a reduction in overall fiber intake or limit your intake of high-fiber foods....

Low-impact workouts can help you lose weight by burning calories and building muscle, all while protecting your joints. Image Credit: eclipse_images/E+/GettyImages Low-impact exercise has a reputation for being, well, ‌easy.‌ Which means that it can’t possibly help you lose weight, right? Wrong. Advertisement Low-impact workouts keep pressure and pain off of your joints. But they still burn calories and build metabolism-supporting muscle, which is ultimately what's needed for successful weight and fat loss....

Chicken breast strips on a chopping board. Image Credit: tycoon751/iStock/Getty Images If you want to lose weight fast, the 6 Week Body Makeover Diet is one option that aims to peel off pounds and sculpt the body within six weeks. The diet and exercise plan was created by Michael Thurmond, fitness expert from the television show “Extreme Makeover.” The program includes a questionnaire to identify your metabolism type and categorize it as A, B, C or D, and offers a meal plan, based on your category....