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Even your vegan family members will feel festive with these plant-based recipes. Image Credit: gilaxia/E+/GettyImages While preparing a vegetarian-friendly Thanksgiving can be rather simple (just skip the turkey), you may find yourself at a loss for seasonal vegan recipes. After all, even mashed potatoes usually require milk or cream. Advertisement However, your guests following a vegan diet shouldn't miss out on the festivities — and with these vegan Thanksgiving recipes, they won't have to....

Ginger root Image Credit: Elena Elisseeva/iStock/Getty Images Ginger is a medicinal herb from tropical Asia. It has many healthful properties, including, possibly, cancer prevention. Turmeric is a popular Indian spice. It being studied for its potential cancer-fighting properties. Garlic is a hardy perennial herb of the onion family. It has been used as a medicinal agent for thousands of years by many cultures. Ginger, turmeric and garlic are sold in the market as juice and supplements....

Provide a fasting blood sample for accurate triglyceride results. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute created the National Cholesterol Education Program in November 1985 to inform the American public about the dangers of high blood cholesterol and how to lower cholesterol through lifestyle changes. Like high cholesterol, high triglyceride levels also increase your risk for atherosclerosis, stroke, heart attack, heart disease and diabetes. Your doctor can perform a lipid panel test on a blood sample to monitor your cholesterol and triglyceride levels....

Colorful lentils. Image Credit: Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images Legumes, including beans, lentils, soybeans, peanuts and peas, are plants with seed pods that split in half. They are an inexpensive, nutritionally dense source of plant protein. Legumes may be counted as a vegetable or as a source of protein in the meat and bean group. Advertisement Vegetable Group Dried beans and food. Image Credit: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images The United States Department of Agriculture Food Guide Pyramid includes dried peas and beans as a subgroup of the vegetable group....

Chaga mushroom powder can be mixed into lattes or other beverages, but it's also commonly consumed in tea form. Image Credit: Edalin/iStock/GettyImages When you hear the word mushroom, your mind probably goes straight to portobello, white button or shiitake — the types you might slice into a salad or mix into a stir-fry. But chaga mushroom isn’t just another dinner ingredient. Rather, it’s considered a medicinal food that may have a variety of benefits, including supporting weight loss....

Adding exercise variety with cross-training will help keep your body injury-free. Image Credit: Viktoriia Hnatiuk/iStock/GettyImages Whether you’re an avid runner, CrossFit junkie or tennis enthusiast, it can be hard to stray from your routine. But a little variety can do you a whole lot of good. Incorporating cross-training sessions into your weekly routine can enhance your overall performance, round out your training and help stave off injury. Advertisement Why You Need to Start Cross-Training You might be devoted to your current fitness routine — hey, we get it — but adding some exercise variety through cross-training can have full-body benefits....

Running works your legs. Image Credit: Todor Tsvetkov/E+/GettyImages As a biped, humans are designed to run in an upright position. People first ran for survival and hunting, but now your running is more likely to be for pleasure. Running is primarily an aerobic activity although faster running and sprinting is anaerobic. Advertisement A variety of muscles are used in running, all of which may undergo hypertrophy, or growth. Even if your leg muscles do not bulk up as a result of your running, you will increase their strength, tone and endurance....

Being tired causes lack of motivation. Motivation is the driving force that determines whether you choose to perform a task, what the task will be and how persistently you'll continue. Tiredness is defined as lack of energy and motivation, which means that the two are related. If you're tired, you're most likely also unmotivated. The first step is to explore why you're tired. Advertisement Fatigue Consult your physician to rule out medical problems....

It can be challenging to bake brownies without burning the edges. It can be challenging to bake brownies without burning the edges. To achieve a soft texture and rich flavor, make sure you follow the recipe exactly. Overcooking them is often the result of incorrect oven temperature, which causes these sugary treats to harden around the edges. Advertisement Treating yourself to warm brownies can make your day infinitely better. If you're in the mood to bake, you can skip the store-bought version and prepare something at home....

A man walking outside. Image Credit: George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images Your knees are a complicated system of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage, and problems with any of these components can lead to trouble with your knees. Knee problems affect people of all ages and backgrounds, and are often caused by injuries and diseases such as arthritis and gout. If you have bad knees, you don’t have to let them stop you from toning and slimming down your thighs and other parts of your body....

A woman is looking depressed at her desk. Image Credit: kaspiic/iStock/Getty Images A lack of energy and enthusiasm can influence your entire life. If you constantly feel sluggish and run down and have little excitement for your daily routine, you may need to make some lifestyle changes to help you make improvements. Jon Gordon says in his book, “The 10-Minute Energy Solution: A Proven Plan to Increase Your Energy, Reduce Your Stress and Transform Your Life,” that 6 million people experience chronic fatigue and another 25 million experience persistent fatigue....

Using yoga blocks during certain yoga poses can make them easier or harder, depending on your preference. Image Credit: Sara Monika/Image Source/GettyImages Image Credit: Sara Monika/Image Source/GettyImages The 10 Best Household Yoga Props for Your At-Home Practice Skill Level Beginner Activity Yoga Kneel on the floor with your hips over your knees. Separate your knees about hip-width apart and bring your big toes to touch. Lower your body to rest your glutes on a yoga block underneath you....

B vitamins and blood pressure medication can actually complement each other. Image Credit: Caiaimage/Tom Merton/Caiaimage/GettyImages If you’re new to blood pressure medications and concerned that they could react negatively with B6 and B12 vitamin supplements, rest easy. You have the green light. In fact, taking certain B vitamins may actually be beneficial for some people with high blood pressure. Advertisement Blood Pressure, Stroke and Vitamin B High blood pressure is a known risk factor for stroke, and much research has been done on whether various B vitamins can help prevent strokes as well as heart attacks....

Potato bread contains more fiber than regular white bread. Image Credit: Stacey Newman/iStock/Getty Images You can make potato bread using mashed potatoes or by replacing some of the regular flour with potato flour or potato flakes. Either way, the potatoes boost the overall nutritional value, making it comparable to whole-wheat bread for fiber and nutrients such as zinc and iron. Potato bread has about the same calories and protein, but it provides significantly more potassium than either white or whole-wheat bread....

Pectins are a type of dietary fiber that is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Image Credit: Alter_photo/iStock/GettyImages According to the Oregon State University Micronutrient Information Center, pectins are a type of dietary fiber that is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Pectin makes up the majority of the fiber in citrus fruits. Advertisement What Is Pectin? Pectin is a type of water-soluble fiber. It’s commonly used to make jams and jellies because it thickens to create a gel-like substance once it is combined with water....

Barley and other whole grains are good carbohydrates. Image Credit: mpessaris/iStock/GettyImages Carbohydrates have a serious image problem. The macronutrient gets blamed for weight gain, so a good number of diet plans either severely restrict or cut them out entirely. However, carbohydrates serve as your body’s main source of energy, so without eating enough, you could feel lethargic. Luckily, there are plenty of good carbohydrates out there that can—and should—be part of a well-balanced, healthy diet....

If you're constantly thinking about food or follow rigid rules around eating, you may be showing symptoms of orthorexia. Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages Adopting a “clean eating” plan has become a popular way to lose weight and improve overall health. But while being more mindful of consuming minimally processed, whole foods can be a good thing, the drive to eat healthy can sometimes veer into a problematic preoccupation with what you’re putting on your plate....

Woman in a blue t-shirt sitting on the couch with a glass of water prepares to take a pill. Image Credit: Wavebreakmedia/iStock/Getty Images The balance of fluid in your body is primarily controlled by your kidneys. Diuretics are medications used to stimulate urine excretion and often are used as a treatment for excessive fluid retention. However, in some cases diuretics will not be effective at treating excess fluid and may make the problem worse....

Taking silica supplements is unlikely to produce any side effects. Image Credit: Jelena Stanojkovic/iStock/GettyImages Silica supplements may help strengthen bones, improve skin health and prevent thinning hair. Most contain safe silica derived from horsetail extract. Still, there are still certain safety considerations, and knowing about silica supplements’ dangers can help you avoid any adverse effects. Advertisement As a background, silica — or silicon dioxide — is a compound consisting of silicon and oxygen....

A pile of smoked meat. Image Credit: HandmadePictures/iStock/Getty Images Smoking was the traditional way Native Americans preserved meat, according to the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. While smoking was initially meant to improve the quality and shelf life of meat – which is prone to bacteria, yeasts and mold – it may not be very good for your stomach. Smoked meat is linked to foodborne illness, and eating too much may increase your risk of stomach cancer....