Posts

Foods to Avoid if Your Stool is Sticky Image Credit: Mukhina1/iStock/GettyImages Fecal matter comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and consistencies, and certain characteristics are evidence of specific conditions. Sticky stool comes in mainly two types: black tarry stool and greasy stool that floats. Advertisement Tarry stools may be evidence of internal bleeding, as occurs with stomach ulcers, while greasy stools can indicate a malabsorption issue, such as pancreatitis or food intolerance....

Man swimming laps Image Credit: Randolph Jay Braun/iStock/Getty Images According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, along with a minimum of twice-weekly strength-training sessions. While this may seem like a large time commitment for some people, workouts can be broken up into shorter sessions – even as little as 10 minutes – without losing their effectiveness....

Palpitations & Smoking Image Credit: Terroa/iStock/GettyImages You know the bottom line: Smoking is bad for your health. But while most people are aware of the connection between cigarettes and lung cancer, the American Heart Association (AHA) makes clear that smoking is also the driving factor behind more than a third of all coronary heart disease deaths. Advertisement Cigarettes: Health Enemy No. 1 If you find that your heart races after smoking cigarettes, there could be more than 5,000 reasons why — that’s the number of chemicals found in cigarette smoke, according to the AHA....

Serious yeast infections can have detrimental effects on your health. Image Credit: dolgachov/iStock/Getty Images Yeast infections can range in severity from minor discomfort to a life-threatening ailment, depending on your immune system, the type of yeast, the location of the yeast and the way you combat it. Yeast infections can also lead to weight loss in certain circumstances, some of which are beneficial to your health and some of which are detrimental....

woman jogging in snow Image Credit: BartekSzewczyk/iStock/Getty Images Jogging is an enjoyable and efficient means of exercise. It build leans muscle mass, is efficient at improving cardiovascular health and is one of the best ways for your body to burn calories. Men burn an average of 124 calories per mile of running, and women burn an average of 105 calories per mile. Continuously increasing your stamina is essential for both the novice and veteran runner in order to keep your runs fresh and challenging....

The right pan is crucial to prevent pancakes from sticking. Image Credit: Anna Pustynnikova/iStock/GettyImages Nothing ruins a perfect breakfast like a pancake that gets stuck to the pan. While there isn’t a “nonstick pancake recipe,” there are a few steps you can take to prepare the pan to reduce the risk of your food getting stuck. Advertisement Read more: 10 Easy Pancake Recipes That Your Waistline Will Love Video of the Day Step 1: Choose Your Pan Get out a nonstick frying pan — the best type of pan for pancakes....

A broken ankle could keep you from your regular exercise routine for months. Image Credit: wernerimages/iStock/Getty Images A fractured, or broken, ankle can result in either minimal damage that allows you to put weight on it during your recovery, or a significant amount of damage, requiring you to stay off your feet quite a bit. Multiple fractures can keep you entirely off your feet for up to three months. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, ligaments also may be damaged when you break one or more bones in your ankle....

Image Credit: silverjohn/iStock/Getty Images Hip replacement surgery can restore your mobility after a hip fracture, or after the surgical replacement of a joint damaged by arthritis. Doctors replace the hip joint with an artificial joint. After several days hospitalization, you'll return home to continue your recovery. For the first several weeks you'll have stitches and you won't be able to take a bath, but you can shower, as long as you follow a few precautions....

Aqueous cream is a emollient product available outside the U.S. Emollients are often used to treat and protect skin with eczema and psoriasis by trapping moisture in the skin. However, aqueous cream also contains sodium lauryl sulphate, which can be irritating when allowed to sit on the skin of eczema patients, especially children. This ingredient can also cause damaged skin and eventual moisture loss, even in healthy adults, when aqueous cream is used as a leave-on moisturizer....

Eating only apples isn't a safe or effective way to lose weight and likely won't help you detox. Image Credit: ozgurdonmaz/iStock/GettyImages An apple a day may be common advice, but make sure that’s not all you’re eating. Diets like the apple detox diet are based on the mistaken idea that your body is filled with toxins and you must take extra steps to get rid of them, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics....

Some Ensure products are high in protein. Image Credit: pavlinec/iStock/Getty Images Ensure, a brand of “nutritional shakes,” is designed to provide the body with a balanced source of nutrition. Ensure comes in several formulas, some of which are designed to support bone health, others support immune system activity and one of the formulas claims to help rebuild muscle and strength that is naturally lost with age. While some Ensure products do contain the same amount of protein as other protein shakes, they may not be the best way to meet protein needs....

references NASM: "Guide to Foam Rolling" Foam rolling a few times a week can help improve your exercise recovery, flexibility and range of motion. 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. 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....

It's safe to chew most types of vitamins, but there are some exceptions. Image Credit: fotyma/iStock/Getty Images Chewing most vitamins won’t cause any harm, but it may affect the absorption of nutrients. Some types of vitamins, such as enteric-coated brands, should never be chewed. The biggest downside is likely to be the unpleasant taste experience of chomping on a vitamin that wasn’t meant to be chewable. Advertisement Chewing Regular Vitamins Read the directions on the label before deciding whether to chew a regular vitamin....

A glass of lemon juice and lemon wedges Citric acid, or citrate, is an organic acid that exists in all fruits, especially in citrus fruits used to make fruit juices. Fruit juice varies in citric acid content, depending upon the type of fruit and the use of citric acid additives. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers citric acid a safe natural acid in the diet. The FDA reports that consuming 500 milligrams of citric acid per day has no harmful effects....

A low carb diet can cause muscle aches in the legs. Image Credit: Michael Heim / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages There are many potential benefits to reducing your carb intake, including weight loss and improved heart health. But the shift to a low-carb diet can be a rocky road, strewn with obstacles that make you want to pop out for a pizza. Muscle cramps are just one of the many potential side effects you may experience when starting your diet, although probably not as common as some of the others....

Resveratrol is a polyphenol antioxidant that may help to prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and early signs of aging. In fact, resveratrol has been shown to influence gene expression to turn on factors that code for longevity in cells. Natural sources of resveratrol are red wine, grapes, peanuts, berries, chocolate, certain vines and a plant known as Japanese knotweed. Despite the many proposed health benefits of resveratrol, there are some negative effects with this compound, especially for those using certain drugs....

Nutrition Information for Seagram's Wine Coolers Image Credit: 5PH/iStock/GettyImages Seagram’s Escapes, which makes a line of wine coolers, is a division of North American Breweries, headquartered in Rochester, New York. Along with Seagram’s Escape Wine Coolers, it also distributes a number of different beers, including Genesee, Labatt and I.P.A. Magic Hat. Seagram’s Escapes come in a variety of fruity flavors, including Strawberry Daiquiri, Wild Berries, Peach Fuzzy Navel and Lime Melonade....

Bosc pears are grown primarily in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington. They have brownish skin and a somewhat crunchy but tender flesh that has a sweet-spicy flavor. You can enjoy them raw or use them in baking, broiling or poaching. The nutrition of a Bosc pear is similar to that of other pears and fruits. Calories Bosc pears are low in calories with just 120 calories in a medium, 179-gram pear....

These five flavorful, plant-based dinner recipes will put the underrated okra on your radar. Image Credit: from_my_point_of_view/iStock/GettyImages Right up there with Brussels sprouts and collard greens, okra is often overlooked as far as veggies go (OK, it’s technically a fruit, but you get the point). Advertisement And while this underappreciated plant might not be a top priority when you're perusing the produce aisle, it should. With its mild taste and unique texture, okra — also known as lady's fingers due to its long, slender, tube-like shape — can offer a lot to your plate and your palate....

This 5-minute sprint workout combines all-out sprints with explosive running drills. Image Credit: jacoblund/iStock/GettyImages When you you don’t have much time, but still want to get in a great workout, look no further than sprints. Advertisement There are so many benefits of sprints — and for every aspect of your health and fitness. Advertisement Short, speedy sprints are a great way to get your heart rate up and build cardio. And because of the high intensity involved, they're super-efficient....