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What does Jillian Michaels think about caffeine? How about meditation? Image Credit: livestrong LIVESTRONG.COM spoke with fitness expert and wellness coach Jillian Michaels at the BOLD Conference in Hollywood. Do you want to lose weight or be healthier? Join MyPlate Calorie Counter and get access to free meal plans, healthy recipes and at-home workouts. You’ll also get daily calorie and macro goals for your fitness journey. Don’t miss your chance for amazing results....

Glutamine and arginine may both provide benefits related to exercise. Image Credit: zaew28/iStock/Getty Images L-glutamine and l-arginine are both conditionally essential amino acids. This means that although the body is able to produce them, during times of stress the body may not produce enough. Each of these amino acids is found in high amounts in dairy foods and meat, and both amino acids can be supplemented. Both l-glutamine and l-arginine may be helpful in improving a variety of medical conditions and can be useful for more common purposes, such as improved response to exercise....

references National Institutes of Health: "Manganese" Linus Pauling Institute: "Magnesium" Nutrients: "The Role of Magnesium in Neurological Disorders" National Institutes of Health: "Magnesium" MyFoodData: "Top 10 Foods Highest in Magnesium" MyFoodData: "Top 10 Foods Highest in Manganese" Both minerals play different roles in your body to keep you healthy. Image Credit: Oleksandra Troian/iStock/GettyImages Image Credit: Oleksandra Troian/iStock/GettyImages Manganese vs. Magnesium Manganese Magnesium Deficiency Toxicity Food Serving Size Manganese Content Mussels 3 oz....

Vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber, and are quite low in calories when prepared correctly. Image Credit: Jose A. Bernat Bacete/Moment/GettyImages Vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber and are low in calories when prepared correctly, such as. steaming, sautéing or boiling for a short time. The leftover water after cooking leafy greens like spinach and lettuce and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kale also contains nutrients and can be used in other recipes....

Woman's hands holding birth control pills. Image Credit: George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal disorder that affects between 5 and 10 percent of American women, according to Harvard Medical School. PCOS is a disorder characterized by high levels of the male hormone, androgen, which often results in weight gain. Your doctor may prescribe oral contraceptives such as Ortho Tri-Cyclen to control androgen levels and help manage weight gain and other symptoms....

The exercises you use to develop power can range from plyometric power exercises for your legs to medicine ball throws and modified strength-training lifts. Image Credit: Hirurg/E+/GettyImages Power is a combination of strength and speed. The exercises you use to develop power can range from plyometric power exercises for your legs to medicine ball throws and modified strength-training lifts. Advertisement Turn Strength to Power As Harvard fitness expert Michele Stanten explains, changing up your tempo can convert familiar strength-training exercises into power exercises....

Are resistance bands as good as weights? The answer depends on your goals and strength levels. Image Credit: Halfpoint Images/Moment/GettyImages In This Article Resistance-Band Benefits Free-Weight Benefits When to Use What When you think "strength training equipment," free weights and resistance bands are probably two of the first things that come to mind. They're both pretty straightforward to use, available in virtually any gym and relatively inexpensive compared to barbells or machines....

Bridge pose is a great bad back exercise for your legs. Image Credit: max-kegfire/iStock/GettyImages Back pain can make you nervous about tying your shoes, and a workout might seem out of the question. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t do a leg workout with back pain. Advertisement Rest may help for a time but often getting back in the gym and moving makes it feel better, according to the experts at Harvard Health Publishing....

Stepping onto a scale to measure weight loss. Image Credit: webphotographeer/iStock/Getty Images Phentermine and phentermine hydrochloride are the technically correct names for a very popular type of prescription diet pill, one that has been around since the late 1950s. Medical research studies of this drug show that it is both safe and effective when used according to a doctor’s instructions. For most people, the drug significantly increases weight loss as compared to dieting alone....

A close-up of ripe red apples. Image Credit: Remlen/iStock/Getty Images Apples are widely held as a healthy snack food. Although apples are nutritious, and in all ways better than candy or potato chips, “Eat, Drink and Be Healthy,” author Walter Willett warns that apples and other fruits are high in calories. Advertisement Total Calories The U.S. Department of Agriculture gives calorie information for apples of different sizes. Although different apples will have different calorie content, an average extra large apple contains about 130 calories....

Your doctor can help provide you with a list of acceptable foods before your surgery. Image Credit: istetiana/Moment/GettyImages Surgery heals and saves lives, but it is not without risks. Something as basic as your diet prior to surgery can affect the outcome. Your doctor and anesthesiologist will provide you with a preoperative food guide, which you’ll want to follow to avoid complications such as aspirating stomach contents into your lungs. If you deviate from the prescribed eating plan in the 12 hours prior to surgery, let your doctor and anesthesiologist know....

Stretch your thumb and hand to help with tendinitis. Image Credit: Moyo Studio/E+/GettyImages Thumb tendinitis can make daily tasks that are normally taken for granted difficult. You may have pain while writing, typing or even develop texting tendinitis. Advertisement Thumb tendinitis is typically caused by overuse of the muscles that move your thumb. Stretching, range of motion and strengthening exercises can reduce pain and weakness caused by thumb tendinitis. Video of the Day If you suspect you have this condition or have thumb pain that interferes with your daily activities, see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis....

Feet on a scale Image Credit: showcake/iStock/Getty Images Weight-loss plans focus on eating less and exercising more. As a result, your body begins to burn fat for energy. While this effect is necessary for losing weight, it can change the way your urine smells while you are dieting. Dehydration, a common side effect of strenuous exercise and eating a low-calorie diet, can also change the way your urine smells. Advertisement Weight Loss and Urine Low-calorie diets force your body to burn fat for energy instead of the carbohydrates it normally burns....

Getting nutritional advice can be helpful. Image Credit: utah778/iStock/Getty Images United Healthcare is a publicly traded company offering health-related products and services to millions people. United Healthcare offers an assortment of health coverage programs to small and large groups with varied benefit packages. Depending on which program you or your employer chooses, you may have a variety of weight loss resources available to you. Regardless of which program you are covered by, there are weight management resources available to all members....

Scale at a doctor's office Image Credit: ChiccoDodiFC/iStock/Getty Images Unintentional weight loss, especially if accompanied by abdominal or side discomfort, could be a warning sign of a potentially serious health problem. Some of the organs on your right side include your liver, pancreas, gallbladder and right kidney. A problem with any of these could cause pain on the right side, and some conditions can also cause loss of appetite and weight loss....

Tea in the evening might cause difficulty sleeping. Image Credit: Towfiqu Photography/Moment/GettyImages “Keep calm and have a cup of tea.” That’s usually good advice, because tea provides a wealth of health benefits, and just seems to be inherently soothing. However, too much of a good thing raises the risk of experiencing the side effects of tea, beyond the common jitters from excess caffeine. Advertisement Tip A moderate amount of tea-drinking is unlikely to lead to problems, unless you have a specific sensitivity....

Talk to your doctor about any change in stool color that lasts two weeks or longer. Image Credit: Ivan-balvan/iStock/GettyImages Do you sneak a peek after finishing your — ahem — business? If you do and you notice that your poop is oddly light, you may need to check in with your doctor. Pale blonde, white or clay colored stool can be a sign of serious digestive issues. Advertisement ​Read more:​ What the Color of Your Poop Can Tell You About Your Gut Health Video of the Day What Causes Pale Stool “Pale stools could occur in the setting of serious medical conditions involving the liver or the pancreas,” says Kelly Krikhely, RD, CDN, a New York City-based registered dietitian/nutritionist and an adjunct professor at New York University....

Avoid dairy foods if you have mucus in your chest. Image Credit: fcafotodigital/E+/GettyImages If you have a persistent cough, chest congestion, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an anti-mucus diet can help ease some of your symptoms. It will eliminate mucus-building substances, keep existing mucus from thickening, stop overproduction of mucus, and let you breathe easier. Advertisement According to Harvard University, mucus is a natural substance that bodies produce to help get rid of potentially harmful microbes....

Blood glucose levels can drop during exercise for people with diabetes. Image Credit: Igor Alecsander/E+/GettyImages Blood sugar, also called glucose, is one of the body’s main sources of energy. Physical activity can cause blood sugar levels to go higher or lower than the normal range, depending on a number of factors. Understanding how to maintain healthy blood glucose levels during exercise is particularly important for people with diabetes. Advertisement How the Body Uses Glucose The body gets most of its glucose supply by metabolizing the carbohydrates in food....

Treadmill incline is normally given in percent grade rather than degrees. Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages Using a treadmill is an effective way to get in a workout when the weather is not conducive to outdoor running or walking or if you prefer to run on a softer surface. Many motorized treadmills offer the bonus of being able to select precise speed as well as the incline of the deck, which allows you to simulate climbing a steady grade....