Tips To Ensure Your Safety and Health When Moving

Moving is a painful and stressful task to carry out. There are many people who prefer to plan a self move, but they little realize the danger and difficulties associated with it. You could hurt yourself or get injured during the move, if you are not well acquainted with the process. A list of tips given below can help you to carry out a safe and healthy move.

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Cold Sore Remedies That Actually Work

Cold sores are red, painful, fluid-filled blisters found around the mouth and nose. They are contagious and are caused by herpes simplex virus type 1. If the sore is burst open and the fluid oozes out of the blister, it becomes highly contagious.

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10 Reasons Unexpected Weight Loss Could Be a Serious Problem

When most people hear the word "malnutrition," they tend to think of starving children in developing countries. However, malnutrition, or undernutrition, exists in every part of the world and can...

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3 Signs You've Got A Chronic Sinus Infection And Don't Even Know It

As the weather changes, our bodies feel as though we are being pulled in different directions. A continuous stuffy nose runs amuck, and even though we tend to attribute this to bad allergies, it turns out that we are actually talking about chronic sinus infections.

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Be Food Safe - Always

Food safety is one issue that we should always keep top-of-mind. Here are a few basic guidelines to remember during this season of the noshes, nibbles, buffets, potlucks, and office parties that are key to food safety. Wash Your Hands Hand washing is essential.

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Latin American Phase 2 Trials: The Benefits and Downfalls

Clinical research has a mixed reputation. Most volunteers are sceptical at first, some are scared and some have already participated and are enjoying the benefits. Pharmaceutical companies have a different perspective about Latin American Phase 2 trials.

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Clinical Research Organizations: The Basics

Clinical research organizations in America continue to increase in popularity. As clinical research organizations in America receive more attention through the media, and more commercials are seen on television, more people are just now learning that clinical research organizations exist.

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A Chilling Way to Boost Your Performance

When a man gets a little too excited, we tell him to take a cold shower to cool down. Interestingly, if he followed that advice, he would gain more energy from the experience, including more testosterone. You may cool him down temporarily, but you'll make him stronger for the next time. All over the world, people have used cold water baths or showers as therapy for a wide range of ailments. In the 1800s, ice bath treatments were medically prescribed to patients as hydrotherapy to cure everything from broken bones to psychological disorders.

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13 Insanely Motivating Quotes to Say to Yourself to Lose Weight

On repetition

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These 10 Breakfast Mistakes Are Probably Making You Fat

Chugging coffee on the way to work is fine, but if you neglect to eat real food along with it, you could be setting yourself up to overeat. "Skipping meals can bring down energy levels, increase cravings later on in the day, and even cause your metabolism to slow down...

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A Quick Guide to Healthy Food Choices

With so many products available in the supermarket it becomes difficult to choose healthy food. In this article you will learn 7 tips that will help you make wiser decisions next time you go shopping!

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The 'Must Have' Factors That Make A Hospital The Best Hospital

The healthcare scenario is ever-changing and successful healthcare institutes focus on providing their patients with the best in class services along with the best medical care. They constantly re-evaluate their business and take regular feedback from their existing and past customers and make relevant changes.

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Is Your Handbag Playing With Your Health?

Women hardly care to take out useless things from their handbags. This make the handbag a favourite place for bacteria and germs. Many are unaware that these germs can cause illness and health issues. It is necessary to get rid of all the used tissue papers and unwanted items from the bag. A properly organized and cleaned handbag can prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

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The Best Disease Fighter Is Already in Your Pantry

You probably think we’re going to push broccoli or spinach, or some exotic food you know little about, like kimchi or spelt. But the big disease fighter you need to be eating more of is actually nuts, a super-yummy snack that could just save your life.

In new research published in the journal BMC Medicine, people who ate at least a handful of nuts every day faced lower risks of major diseases—we’re talking heart disease and cancers, among other ailments. “Nuts are high in protein, fiber, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, as well as some vitamins and minerals,” says study co-author Dagfinn Aune, MD, postdoctoral research fellow at Imperial College London and associate professor at Bjørknes University College in Oslo, Norway. “Some nuts like, walnuts and pecans as well as sunflower seeds, are high in antioxidants and phytochemicals.”

The study, conducted by Imperial College London and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, looked at the relationship between nut consumption and disease risk by analyzing data from 29 published studies involving more than 815,000 participants worldwide. The findings showed that 20 grams of nuts a day—about as much as an average handful—can reduce people’s risk of coronary heart diseases by 30 percent, diabetes by nearly 40 percent, cancer by 15 percent, and premature death from other causes by 22 percent.

While the study doesn’t directly link any particular variety of nut to lowered risks of diseases or cancers, researchers did observe that peanuts are associated with a reduced risk of stroke, and tree nuts (cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts) are closely tied with a reduced risk of cancer.

“There was a reduced risk of so many different types of outcomes including coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease overall, mortality from cancer, respiratory disease, diabetes, infections, and all causes,” Dr. Aune says.

If that doesn’t convince you to add more nuts to your diet, the researchers also found that almost 4.5 million premature deaths potentially could have been prevented had those people been eating 20 grams of nuts daily. And if you’re trying to lose weight and have been steering clear of this snack, don’t worry: Dr. Aune says that although nuts have been thought to contribute to obesity and weight gain, most of the research has actually found no correlation between the two, so there’s no reason to avoid nuts and lots of reasons to eat them. “If you don’t have a nut allergy, go nuts!” concludes Dr. Aune.

Looking for more ways to incorporate this must-eat staple into your diet? Try these tasty, nutty recipes!

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Knee Replacement Surgery Facts: What Happens Before, During and After Knee Arthroplasty?

Knee replacement surgery, medically termed as knee arthroplasty, acts as one of the best ways to gain relief from pain in more than 90 percent of the patients suffering from arthritis of the knee. However, relief from osteoarthritis pain is not the only reason why this surgery is carried out.

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Hospital Visits Involving Dog Bites

If you or a loved one have been bitten by a dog, first seek medical care, no matter how insignificant you may perceive the injuries to be. Dog bite injuries can have dangerous infections, caused by the bacteria in the dog's mouth. This is not readily apparent at first. In a dog bite attack, a complete medical exam can be important in staving off disastrous results.

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Crack Open the Secret of Cumin for the Treasure of Health

Cumin (Jeera /Zeera in Hindi) is a spice indispensable to the Indian kitchen. It is also a popular ingredient in South Asian, North African and Latin American cuisines. Cumin is the dried seed of the herb Cuminum cyminum of the Umbelliferae family which includes caraway, parsley, and dill. No wonder then that cumin is often confused with its cousin, caraway.

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How Do You Assemble A Fitness Regimen Which Is Effective?

Many individuals establish an exercise want to enhance their fitness. Regardless of whether they stick to it, it may not work when the workout plan isn't suited to them. In case you have clear workout goals in your mind, they can be challenging to reach without having a decent plan. In case you are to maximize your fitness potential, you should commence taking care of assembling a well-customized exercise program that is going to be followed on the letter. From here, you will find the guidelines you should build a firm foundation that will move you forward.

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Eat Natural Series - Kale Kicks Inflammation

Let's take a look at kale and explore this nutritional plant powerhouse. Kale offers a range of protective benefits from anti-inflammatory, which is very important in blood sugar control, to cancer fighting properties.

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Benefits Of Pine Pollen

Pine pollen is a powerful herb obtained from a pine tree. Some individuals and companies make powder out of the pollen. This makes it easy for people to take it. There are plenty of benefits that come with pollen powder. These benefits include:

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Fitness Trends: 9 New Ways You’ll Work Out in 2017

If you like Pilates, but feel your workout has become less interesting, Pop Pilates group fitness classes might be the right step to recharge your 2017...

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The Danger in the Air

Perfumes and fragrances are harmful to our health. They can affect the people around us in unexpected ways.

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10 Non-Diet Foods that Help You Lose Weight (and 5 that Make You Gain It)

Wondering what to eat to lose weight? Start at breakfast. In one study in the New England Journal of Medicine, eating a serving of yogurt daily was...

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Is Yo-Yo Dieting Really that Bad for You?

With holiday parties and New Year’s quickly approaching, it’s not unusual to want to drop a few pounds fast. So you cut back your calories for a few weeks, and voila, you hit your weight goals. If it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it probably is.

According to a new study published in the journal Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, erratic eating patterns—known in the weight-loss industry as yo-yo dieting—could lead to greater weight gain once you return to your normal menu. That’s because from an evolutionary perspective, your body reads an extreme diet as a food shortage. “Frequent food shortages ‘teach’ the unconscious brain that the food supply is unreliable,” explains Andrew Higginson, PhD, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Exeter and the study’s co-author. “Its response is to store more fat as insurance against future shortages.”

In short, when you diet like crazy—swearing off carbs or slashing your calorie budget to smithereens, you trick your body into believing that food is scarce, so when you inevitably break your diet, your body will stockpile fat to get ready for the next food shortage. In evolutionary terms, this would have been extremely useful, even lifesaving. To the modern dieter, though, it’s a major disadvantage.

The result is that you curiously begin to pack back on the pounds immediately after a bout of hardcore dieting. Dr. Higginson and his team believe that this model could explain the phenomenon of weight gain among frequent yo-yo dieters.

Here’s why this is a controversial finding: In the past, medical experts have claimed that any time spent being slimmer is healthy, regardless of how you achieve these results. Dr. Higginson doesn’t refute that claim, but he’s quick to warn of the possible dangers should yo-yo dieting lead to too much weight gain. “Whether fad dieting is good for you depends on the balance of health risks,” he explains. “If yo-yo dieting means being overweight in the long term, then it will be bad for you.” These bizarre weight-loss tricks actually help you slim down.

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Should You Get Your Blood Sugar Levels Checked?

Although regular checkups are a good way to forge a relationship with your physician and spot early signs of disease, a recent study suggests that it’s not really necessary. The new guidelines, according to Duke University Health System, recommend that people under age 30 get a physical every two to three years, that those 30 to 40 to see a doc every other year, and that those age 50 and up get check-ups annually. Here’s an important consideration, however. Cases of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and pre-diabetes are skyrocketing across the United States, so you might want to get your blood sugar checked on the regular, even if you don’t get a full work-up at the doctor’s office.

Diabetes, a disease in which you have a fasting blood sugar level of 126 or higher, affects over 29 million Americans, with some 8 million cases going undiagnosed. Unfortunately, this chronic condition can cause brutal effects on the body, including cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, vision conditions (cataracts and glaucoma), skin conditions, hearing impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease. (Read more about diabetes complications and how to avoid them.) It can ultimately be fatal, ranking as the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. So if you have diabetes, you’ll want to know—so you can keep your blood sugar under control and avoid the most devastating effects of the disease. Risk factors for diabetes include being overweight, family history, race, high blood pressure, and having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It’s also a good idea to pay attention to these silent diabetes symptoms.

In type 1 diabetes, which typically develops during childhood or adolescence, the immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells within the pancreas, leaving little or no insulin. Insulin is what allows the body to use food for energy. Those who have type 1 diabetes need to check their blood sugar levels four to eight times daily, sometimes before meals and snacks, exercise, before bed, and occasionally during the night, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Far more common than type 1 diabetes is type 2 diabetes, where your body does not use insulin properly. At the onset, the body struggles to make extra insulin to compensate, but the demand eventually becomes too much and the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to keep blood glucose sugar levels within a normal range. If you have type 2 diabetes, your physician will give you a specific management program that likely includes exercise, dietary changes, and/or medications to curtail sugar spikes and dips. You will also be asked to test your blood sugar two or more times daily, before meals, and sometimes before bed.

A newer phenomenon is the rise of prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are elevated but still lower than they would be with full-blown type 2 diabetes. The condition, affecting more than a third of U.S. adults, should serve as a wake-up call to get healthy with a more whole foods diet and exercise, and in some cases, a drug called Metformin. About 90 percent of people with prediabetes don’t realize they have it, according to University of Florida findings, and about 15 to 30 percent of people with prediabetes will go on to develop diabetes within five years, according to Arch G. Mainous III, PhD, chair of the department of health services research, management and policy in the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions.

You may not be eager to get a blood test—most people aren’t, but knowing your numbers could just save your life.

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10 Nighttime Habits that Can Make You Gain Weight

Americans tend to eat their largest meal of the day at dinner, but that could be a one-way ticket to extra pounds. "Loading up the body with calories that it never has an opportunity to burn translates to...

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Should You Get Your Thyroid Hormone Levels Checked?

There’s a lot of chatter out there about how a malfunctioning thyroid levels can cause everything from weight changes to mood changes to heart palpitations.

What is your thyroid?

Your thyroid gland controls your body’s metabolism and is one of its most important endocrine organs. “You can’t live without the hormones (TSH) it produces, though like insulin, the hormones can be replaced artificially without any noticeable differences,” says Melanie Goldfarb, MD, MS, FACS, endocrine surgeon and director of the Endocrine Tumor Program at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California and assistant professor of surgery at the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California. “Some functions that a thyroid helps regulate are the body’s temperature, how fast food moves through the GI, how sugar is used up (metabolism), and how fast and forcefully the heart beats.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) is a condition in which your thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. “Hyperthyroidism can accelerate your body’s metabolism significantly, causing sudden weight loss, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, sweating, and nervousness or irritability,” the article states.

If your thyroid is underactive, called hypothyroidism or low thyroid level, it can also cause high cholesterol. “Thyroid hormone is needed to make cholesterol and get rid of cholesterol you don’t need,” says David Borenstein, MD, founder of Manhattan Integrative Medicine in New York. “Patients with low thyroid levels have difficulty breaking down and removing LDL (bad cholesterol), causing LDL levels to rise in the bloodstream.” In addition, he says hypothyroidism also causes constipation by weakening the contraction of the muscles in the digestive tract, causing the stool to move slower.

How is a thyroid problem diagnosed?

The main thyroid test used by many physicians measures a pituitary hormone called thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH, according to Dr. Borenstein. Elevations in the TSH level can point to an underactive thyroid, he says. “In addition to the TSH test, integrative hormone experts frequently also test the circulating levels of thyroid hormones with the Free T4 and Free T3 test,” Dr. Borenstein adds. The thyroid test is a simple blood test.

When the circulating thyroid hormone levels are low, that is called “hypothyroidism” though actually the hormone that is measured, TSH, is high, says Dr. Goldfarb. “This means that your body is not producing enough thyroid hormone to keep up with all processes it needs to fuel, so your body can feel like its slowing down. The severity and symptoms vary between individuals, the extent of hormone depletion, and the duration of untreated hypothyroidism,” she explains.

Who should get a thyroid test?

According to Dr. Goldfarb, there are many official guidelines from different organizations, but they all give slightly different recommendations. They range from no routine screening to screening everyone over the age of 35 every five years, to yearly screening in older patients. “However, certain populations of patients, such as those with comorbidities or other autoimmune diseases, should likely be screened,” Dr. Goldfarb continues. “Additionally, women who are having difficulty conceiving should be tested, though universal screening in pregnancy is still debated.”

To that end, Partha Nandi, MD, creator and host of the Emmy-award winning medical lifestyle television show Ask Dr. Nandi, says females are three times more vulnerable to developing thyroid cancer than males. Papillary thyroid cancer is typically found in women of childbearing age. Also, two-thirds of thyroid cancer cases occur between ages 20 and 55.

“Because so many of the symptoms of an impaired thyroid can also be attributed to menopause or simply getting older and since not everyone experiences symptoms at all, testing is really the best way to know if your thyroid is functioning properly,” Dr. Nandi says.

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DIY Tips On How To Test For Legionella

Water testing allows individuals to ensure their safety. In addition, water testing can also help make sure that individuals can maintain a good and healthy body.

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9 Things That Happen to Your Body When You Start a New Running Workout

One Seattle area runner and personal trainer says she immediately noticed changes in her body that impacted the rest of her life. "I had way more energy...

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Dirty Cell Phones: Cold Season & How Microfiber Sticky Screen Cleaners Can Help

Everyone knows the usual ways to avoid spreading germs in preparation for this upcoming cold season. Wash your hands, disinfect surfaces, cover your mouth when sneezing and avoid touching common public places like doorknobs and elevator buttons. The more you keep your germs to yourself and shy away from the germs of others, the less likely you will be to fall prey to the flu and other pesky illnesses, right?

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8 Self Challenges that Will Help You Keep Your Hardest New Year’s Resolutions

According to The Washington Post, between 40 and 50 percent of people make resolutions, but by three months into the New Year, almost half of those have...

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Is Muscle Confusion a Shortcut to Fitness?

Just like anything else, practice makes perfect—and working out is no exception. If you’re a veteran jogger, you can probably think back to the days when you could hardly run a mile without stopping. Now, you scoff at the idea. Or if you’re a regular gym buff, you can probably remember when you used to lift 25 lb. weights. Today, you’re topping 50.

And now that you’ve hit those fitness goals, you may notice your body no longer responds to changes in the same ways that it used to. Has your body “gotten used to” all the hard work you’ve been putting in? The answer: Maybe so.

The idea behind muscle confusion comes from the notion that doing the same workouts, day in and day out, results in the body adapting and not being challenged to change or progress.

Pete McCall, MSCS, senior exercise scientist and personal training expert with the American Council on Exercise, adds that the idea is based on “consumer-oriented” exercise programs that focus on alternating periods of intensity throughout a workout. “The concept of periodization was developed by Soviet Union sport scientists who recognized that periods of high-intensity exercise (high stress) should be followed by a period of low-intensity exercise (low stress) to let the body to fully recover from the workouts and allow the time for the physiological adaptations to occur,” he says.

Though the program sounds promising, the “confusion” part has not been proven. “Scientifically, it is actually referring to the body’s nervous, endocrine, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory systems that are coming together to try to balance the effort that high-intensity training puts on the body as a whole,” clarifies Jacque Crockford, senior exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. That means when the body is put under extra stress, it has to work extra hard to keep up with its usual functioning parts.

So, how do you implement this “extra stress”? “Including high-intensity intervals with short low-intensity rest intervals is the general pattern. The length of time of each interval as well as the exercises performed are dependent on the fitness level of the individual,” Crockford suggests, for muscle confusion workouts.

High intensity or not, it is important to switch up your workouts to challenge your body. In the same way that your cooking skills would not improve if you cooked the exact same thing every day for weeks on end, your body, too, requires difficulties to overcome in order to see results. “The body responds to the stress placed upon in,” Crockford says. “This is the principle of overload. If the system is no longer being challenged, it will cease to make progress or changes.” Get inspired by these gym hacks to make exercise less of a chore.

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Mall Walking Could Help You Burn Calories This Winter

The arrival of winter doesn’t mean your daily fitness routine needs to change. Instead, lace up your sneakers and take your walk indoors to a local mall. Neighborhoods and parks are popular places for fitness during warmer weather, but the CDC notes the second-most popular place for walking among exercisers of all ages is the mall.

No matter your fitness endeavors, malls provide a secure, well-lit, and social atmosphere for fitness, making it suitable for walkers of all fitness levels. Though you’re indoors, mall walking provides the same beneficial health aspects as walking outdoors or in a gym would.

“Depending on what your exercise goals are walking can be a beneficial form of exercise,” Jeff Cwynar, president of Pro Fitness Plus of New Castle, Inc., New Castle, Pennsylvania, says. “Walking may be intense enough to get the heart rate up and burn calories. Mostly everyone can walk; all you have to do it start.” Need more inspiration? Here are 15 benefits of walking.

Prevention suggests walking for at least 30 minutes each day, and if you wish to lose weight walking, you should increase that time to 45 to 60 minutes daily. If you’re strapped for time, you can break your walking up into segments of 10 to 15 minutes each or schedule your walking depending on how much time you have.

Before beginning your mall walking, Prevention suggests contacting your local mall to see if they have a mall walking program in place or if doors open early for walkers. If you wish to avoid the heavy crowds of shoppers, you can ask your local mall when a good time for walking might be.

In order to get the most health and fitness benefits from your mall walking, Prevention advises to walk at a normal pace for five to seven minutes to warm up and then increase the intensity. Walk at a pace that’s comfortable but quick and work towards increasing your speed over time.

“Stay motivated to continue your exercise routine by getting a workout partner or setting a goal of achieving a certain amount of time or distance covered per week,” Cwynar says. “Try to increase your intensity, time, distance, speed, and frequency as you continue.”

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Amazing Health Benefits of an Aloe Vera Gel Drink

A vast majority of people are well aware of the Aloe Vera plant and its endless power of curing various human ailments. It can heal a number of health hazards, including weight loss, inflammation, sunburn, constipation and other skin irritations.

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How Can You Know If You Have A Herniated Disc?

There is a disc like cushion between each of the multiple vertebrae that make up our spine. These discs can rupture which allows the substance within them to leak out. Such a scenario is known as a herniated disc or slipped disc.

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9 Ways to Get Rid of Your Love Handles (Without a Lick of Exercise)

When choosing pants and skirts, opt for a high-waist style that will hide any excess fat around the middle. Mid-rise styles can also do the trick but...

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How Does The Flu Shot Work?

Medical experts recommend that everybody should get a flu shot before the peak flu season begins, which is from December to March. However, many people simply prefer not to take it because of the mistaken notion that taking the vaccine will actually give them the flu. There is a reason why people believe this.

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Exercise Motivation: 8 Tricks You Need When Winter Workout Boredom Hits

Are you finding it difficult to make it to the gym now that the weather has changed? If so, try visualization to focus your mind on positive fitness...

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Vitrectomy 101 - Surgical Procedure

A vitrectomy is a surgical procedure that a patient undergoes to remove all or a portion of the vitreous humour from the eye. This may sound complicated, but it's not. Vitreous humour is like jelly that fills up the eye between the lens and the retina. Everyone has this from the moment they are born. Most of the time, there are no problems, but there can be problems that are a result of something wrong in the vitreous humour.

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Varies Ways to Consume Goji Berries

It is easy enough to buy goji berries and to reap the many health benefits they offer. You don't have to consume them the same way all the time though. Instead, it can be fun to have some options for them. When they are dried, you can use them in a variety of great recipes. You don't have to limit it to only sweet items though. Instead, you can also create savoury dishes.

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7 Health Benefits of Turmeric

When it comes to herbal remedies, few can match up to the health benefits offered by turmeric which is part of the rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant. Turmeric is part of the ginger family and it has been used for centuries as both a cooking ingredient and as a health remedy in Southeast Asia, and it's high time it gets the recognition it deserves around the world.

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Essential Facts To Know About Vitamin K

To become strong and healthy, it is imperative to have the right nutrients and minerals. In this way, you can maintain a healthy body that can help you accomplish your tasks easily.

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Orthotics - What Are They?

This is a branch of medicine. They deal with the manufacture and use of orhoses, or orthotics. These devices are used to help correct a person's function and posture. They are developed to help patients with many conditions, from having a congenital deformity to a stroke. This branch of medicine serves to minimize pain, maximize mobility and function, and prevent progression of a physical abnormality.

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14 New Year’s Resolutions to Make 2017 Your Happiest Year Ever

Rebecca Lewis, in-house dietitian at HelloFresh, recommends to eat clean, whole non-processed foods as often as possible. This includes a balance of...

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17 Tiny Weight-Loss Resolutions You Can Actually Keep

Take a real lunch break, even if it’s short

Eating at your desk or in front of the TV is distracting, and because your brain doesn’t fully realize what you’re eating, you could end up unsatisfied, even with big portions, says Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, CDN, CSCS, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “People look down after their meal and have no memory of what was on their plate,” she says. “They don’t feel satisfied and are hungry again in an hour.” Ideally, you should spend the full 20 or 30 minutes it takes to eat focusing on your meal. If it’s unrealistic to leave your desk that long during lunch, take at least the first five to ten minutes chowing down without distractions, she says. Find out more about what healthy people do on their lunch breaks.

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9 Signs You’re Probably Working Out Too Much

It can be hard to tell how much exercise is too much, but one of the other major signs is a decrease in performance. Without time to recover, hormone...

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6 Subtle Signs Your Healthy Lifestyle Could Be Orthorexia

One reason why orthorexia can sneak up on you is because it starts simple enough, usually with the desire to eat 'healthy.' Rather than the low-fat and...

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7 Subtle Things Mindful Eaters Do at Every Meal

In theory, the concept of mindful eating is simple: Be aware of how hungry you are and how much you choose to eat. In practice, however, anyone who's...

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Seeing a Couples Counsellor: The Secret to an Amazing Relationship

Couple's counselling seems to have a certain stigma attached to it. Most couples think that couples counselling is for people that are headed for divorce and are trying to save their marriage. Usually, couples fear what others will think when they learn that they are going to couple's counselling. Contrary to popular belief, couples counselling is quite a common, and it's for more than just a husband and wife that are on the verge of divorce. When people go to a professional they enjoy quite a few things that are going to make their relationship better than ever before.

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Come Out of Hibernation: 11 Tips to Actually Lose Weight This Winter

Tommy Rickard, owner and personal trainer at Studio 151 Fitness in Laconia, New Hampshire, swears by lemon water. "Drink it as soon as you wake up," he...

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Good Choices

Many of us have the best of intentions for changing to a healthier lifestyle, but struggle to make the changes we would like. Understanding some of the powerful forces behind how our behaviours are shaped can help us to plan lifestyle changes that we really will be able to stick to.

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7 Quick Tips For Managing Diet And Health

It's no secret that there's a direct connection between diet and health. Not only does your body run on the fuel you give it, to a large degree your body is the fuel you give it. But these facts don't make it any easier to eat well and maintain a healthy weight, as evidenced by the $64 billion weight loss industry in the US.

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9 Tricks to Make Your Diet a Little More Mediterranean

Fisher explains key components of Mediterranean cuisine include whole grains; monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados;...

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How Reverse Osmosis Works In Water Purification

Reverse osmosis is a water purification technology is achieved by which a high percentage of contaminant retention, dissolved and undissolved (up to 99% retention of dissolved salts). When two liquids with different salt concentrations, are separated by a semi-permeable membrane, a pressure difference between either side of the membrane is a function of the concentration difference is established.

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What You Need To Know About Common Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries refer to pulls, tears, and contusions on muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These types of injuries are sometimes acquired overtime with repetitive movements you do for work. These types of injuries which are acquired overtime is also referred to as cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), repetitive strain injury (RSI), or simply overexertion/overuse injury.

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How Aloe Vera Juice Helps In Improving Your Health Standards

The world is full of wonderful gifts. There are several varieties of plants and other substances which prove advantageous to mankind. One such gift of nature is Aloe Vera. The medical science considers this as miraculous plant. The reason behind this is that it helps in combating several health related problems.

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Jaw Bone Stem Cells May Offer Relief for Sufferers of Painful Joint Disorder

Temporomandibular joint or more commonly referred to as TMJ is a condition that many suffer from on a global scale. A recent study found out that approximately 10 million people, women being a majority in the US are victims to this disorder.

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Your Eating Plan for a Perfect Flat-Belly Day

Get a flatter belly today by eating these healthy meals to reduce bloat.

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Exactly How Often You Need to Get Up from Your Desk to Avoid Disease

Research has linked prolonged bouts of sitting—as little as three hours or more per day—to obesity, wider waistlines, higher cholesterol levels, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Sadly, most of us are spending way too many hours planted in front of our television sets, at our desks and commuting in cars, trains, and buses to work. Worse, we’re so overscheduled that we don’t have time to move enough to offset all that sitting.

Fewer than 5 percent of adults in the United States get the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity daily, while more than 80 percent of adults don’t meet the guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, according to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. These numbers may speak to why 70 percent of us are either overweight or obese, according to the CDC. But there may be a solution—or at least a way to lower our risk.

A new study by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) shows that getting up and moving for about three minutes every half-hour can help control blood sugar, increase weight loss, and decrease blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. Adding three minutes of movement every half an hour to your average eight-hour workday adds up to an extra 24 minutes of movement per day. Exercise allows us to expend more glucose instead of keeping it circulating in our bloodstream, leading to lower blood sugar levels and more calorie burned.

Though the new recommendations are aimed at people with diabetes, study author Sheri R. Colberg-Ochs, PhD, director of physical fitness for the ADA, has said that these updated guidelines are intended to ensure that everyone continues to get up and move around throughout the day. That may mean walking, stretching, doing yoga poses poses, or trying moves like the ones from Triple F Firefighter Fitness, an organization formed by firefighters dedicated to designing workouts that condition mind and body: Stretch the neck muscles by turning your head right, left, up and down, holding each pose for five seconds each. Then work the shoulders by doing arm circles, both clockwise and counter-clockwise. Next, stretch the core and lower back by standing with feet planted and facing forward, turn your upper body to the right, and then to the left. Holding each side for five seconds. Then slightly bend the knees and reach down for your toes, stretching the lower back and hamstrings. Then go to the legs, doing hamstring stretches, quadriceps stretches, and calf stretches. You could also do push-ups off the wall or off the edge of your desk. Complete 10 reps. Next, do 10 to 15 body squats. Just bend to a squat position, not lower than 90°, and press back up. Then alternate and repeat to complete three minutes.

If you have time for just one stretch on the half hour, make it this one. And if you stayed sedentary till quitting time? Here’s how to recover from a day of sitting.

 

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Open Sesame! 11 Surprising Benefits of Using Sesame Oil

By now, most of us know that fats comes in different varieties. Some are good, bad or downright awful for health. "Sesame oil is rich in polyunsaturated...

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Why More People Are Choosing Ayurvedic Medicines

Too many chronic ailments are on the rise and there is no health care to counter the spread of all these diseases. The result is that every individual is plagued with a plethora of problems and in their haste to keep up with everyday life; they end up popping too many pills.

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14 Foods with Way More Sugar than You Realize

Eat a carton of yogurt and you might as well be eating a candy bar. "Despite the small carton size and association as a healthy food, a typical low-fat...

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Astonishing Health Benefits of Coconut Water

Tender coconut water has incredible health benefits. It is a tasty and invigorating low-calorie natural drink. Here are some of its amazing health benefits.

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What Are The Side Effects Of A Shingles Vaccine?

Doctors recommend that all individuals who are 60 years of age and over should get the shingles vaccine. This is because after the age of 60, you are more susceptible to developing complications that are associated this condition. The efficacy of the ingredients tends to wear off after a period of time.

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11 Tricks to Avoid Holiday Belly Bloat

Gisela Bouvier, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Port Charlotte, Florida, says keeping a handle on portion control and food pairing are great...

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This Is the One Trick You Need to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain (Without Feeling Deprived)

Now matter how good your intentions are heading into the holiday season, it can be easy to slip into unhealthy eating patterns as soon as the cookie platters start appearing. And when you’re already frazzled enough thinking about buying gifts, decking the halls, and making it to every event, the stress of gaining weight is the last thing you need.

The best strategy for dealing with all that food temptation might surprise you. Instead of worrying about what you’re eating, you’re better off switching your focus to exercise, says Torey Armul, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson. “Diet is most important for weight loss, but exercise is most critical for keeping weight off during the long term,” she says.

After all, scheduling more physical activity is probably easier than trying to resist treat your friends and coworkers offer. By making a point of working out, you can indulge in your seasonal favorites pressure free, without gaining a belly the size of Santa’s.

“It does allow some wiggle room with calories, so you might not have to be quite as strict as if you were focusing on diet alone,” says Armul. “Physical activity reduces guilt if you overeat or have a holiday party later in the day.” (This study reveals how much weight people gain during the holidays.)

Of course exercise helps negate the indulgent foods you’ll be eating, but it also revs up your metabolism to keep you torching calories even after you’ve left the gym. You’ll burn fat while building muscle, which burns more calories than body fat does, even at rest. “That’s one of the best things,” says Armul. “It’s important for metabolism and keeping motivation high into the New Year.”

About 30 minutes of physical activity four or five days a week should be enough to stay in a health-minded routine while navigating the holiday eating scene. “It doesn’t need to be long, intense trips to the gym, but just something to keep the habit alive,” says Armul. (Check out these secrets of women who manage to work out every day.)

Fit in cardio like walking or playing basketball two or three days a week to keep your heart rate pumping, but don’t neglect strength training. Not only does it help boost metabolism, but you also will be less likely to devour every Christmas cookie in sight when you’re done. “Strength training doesn’t increase appetite as much as cardio,” says Armul. “You can get a great workout and increase metabolic rate, but you don’t have that intense hunger after a workout like with running.”

MORE: 25 Simple Tips to Start Exercising When You’re Overweight

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37 “Healthy” Things You Have Permission to Stop Doing Right Now

"Many years ago we would advise patients to eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet to reduce their risk of coronary heart disease. This theory has now been...

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Does It Matter If You Do Weights or Cardio First?

One of the first questions we ask ourselves when we arrive at the gym is: cardio or weights? There are countless machines built for running, squatting, cycling, and lifting, yet no directions on the workout that’s best to tackle first. As a result, many of us simply order our exercises in the sequence that feels most enjoyable—or based on the equipment that’s currently available, without really considering whether we might be hindering our results in the process.

According to some fitness experts, it’s a common misconception that cardio should kick off a workout because jogging or cycling is considered a necessary “warm-up.” In fact, aerobic training (cardio) may make a weightlifting session feel harder, because it fatigues the fibers of your muscles, so once you reach for the weights, your form and endurance could suffer. In a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers found that exercisers did fewer weightlifting reps if they did cardio first.

What’s more, starting with dumbbells can actually boost your fat burn. “I always recommend doing weights before cardio,” says Los Angeles-based trainer Jennifer Purdie, NASM-CPT. “This order ensures you can have the most efficient workout. You’ll be strong for the lifting and use glycogen fuel for energy. Once you burn off your glycogen fuel, your body will shift to burning fat. You could burn more fat in your cardio session this way.”

In layman’s terms, pumping iron will burn through your anaerobic energy, which means exercise without oxygen (as in, not cardio). After you complete all of those reps, your cardio will rely on burning fat for energy. This sequence of muscle-building weightlifting followed by fat-burning cardio will leave you with the most noticeable physical results.

For those who need to focus primarily on aerobic fitness, it is still advisable to incorporate some resistance work. “If you’re training for a marathon or an event that requires significant amounts of cardio, I recommend doing weightlifting on different days,” Purdie says. “You want to be as strong as possible for weight-lifting sessions because you actually burn more calories after weightlifting than with cardio, as your body works harder to repair itself.” Check out these signs that it’s time to switch up your workout.

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7 Things that Could Happen If You Stop Eating Artificial Sweeteners

It's a common story: in an effort to fill up throughout the day but keep calories super low, some people will sip five or six diet sodas and eat their...

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9 Medical Causes of a Slow Metabolism

Your metabolism is how your body turns calories into energy—so when you say you have a "slow metabolism," you really mean your body is hanging on to...

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Why Should You Eat Parboiled Rice Every Day?

People often question that how come the Japanese are so fit and slim despite eating rice and noodles on a daily basis? While there are numerous reasons behind their physical dexterity, one vital fact is that they don't consume the regular white rice but parboiled rice.

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4 Interesting Facts on Umbilical Cords

Ever wondered if there is a relationship between your umbilical cord and the belly button? Of course there is! When you have your little one inside your womb, it needs a life-support system to survive the pregnancy gestation period. This support is comprised of the placenta, the umbilical cord and the amniotic sac filled with amniotic fluid.

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Here’s How Often You Should Weigh Yourself, According to Science

Some people view the scale as their enemy. Others see it as their best friend, a partner in their journey to better health. Can a scale really inspire such diametrically opposite views? It certainly can, and it’s been the center of controversy in the weight loss world for many years, mainly focused on the frequency of its use. That’s because one of the toughest battles after losing weight is keeping it off, and promising research suggests that weighing yourself daily can help you do that.

In a recent two-year study conducted by Cornell University, researchers followed people as they lost weight by their own chosen method for the first year, and then as they worked to maintain their weight loss in the second year.

Throughout the study, participants weighed themselves frequently and then charted their weight on a graph. The study found that the act of daily weighing and then charting the results proved to be an effective tool for weight maintenance. Men lost more weight in the study than women, though the researchers are not sure why. “It used to be taught that you shouldn’t weigh yourself daily, and this is just the reverse,” the study’s senior author, David Levitsky, PhD, a professor of nutrition and psychology at Cornell, told The Cornell Chronicle. “We think the scale also acts as a priming mechanism, making you conscious of food and enabling you to make choices that are consistent with your weight.”

But a daily weigh-in is not without potential drawbacks. For one thing, weighing in daily can cause dieters to become overly obsessed with the number on the scale, prompting them to go overboard with diet and exercise, according to Prevention. It can also be misleading, as weight naturally fluctuates throughout the day, and even the week. If the number spikes randomly, dieters can get discouraged.

David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD, director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center, specifically recommends against daily weigh-ins. “Body weight can vary by up to five pounds simply due to changes in body fluids and other natural variations,” Dr. Ludwig has said. “More importantly, the waist is a much better indicator than the scale.” For example, after three months on a weight loss diet, one person might lose 10 pounds from fat and 10 pounds from muscle (20 pounds total), whereas another person might lose just 10 pounds from fat, and the scale wouldn’t know the difference. “The scale would suggest that the first person had a better result, whereas biologically, the second one is better off,” Dr. Ludwig says. “For these reasons,” he adds, “I recommend in my new book Always Hungry? weighing yourself not more than once per week, while also monitoring waist circumference.”

Whether you choose to step on the scale and when is ultimately your choice, but there’s value in regular feedback, as it allows you to catch any weight gain quickly and head it off at the pass, by say, trimming portion sizes or revving up your workout regimen. “I find that awareness is the first step in healing,” Dean Ornish, MD,  author of The Spectrum, and clinical professor at the University of California San Francisco Medical School, told Reader’s Digest. “Being aware of the way your body works can encourage making significant changes in your lifestyle that allow you to reverse and prevent many health conditions.”

For the most accurate reading, always step on your bathroom scale at the same time each day, preferably first thing in the morning.

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Your Perfect Day of Eating Before a Holiday Party

You know you'll be tempted by canapes and eggnog in the evening, but nourishing yourself properly the day of the party can help you make better decisions later.

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Reasons For Kidney Transplantation - Signs and Symptoms

When a kidney failure is so advanced that it cannot be reversed, it is termed as End Stage Renal Disease or ESRD. The kidneys function so poorly that they fail to keep the patient alive. Conventional medication in such cases fails too. Dialysis could help to some extent, but the only other option available for treatment is transplantation. Dialysis uses artificial means of filtering blood in order to keep the body functioning.

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Go Ahead and Binge on These 10 Healthy Thanksgiving Foods (and Leftovers)

A seasonal favorite for Thanksgiving, pomegranate and cranberry relish and sauces are a perfect balance of sweet and tangy goodness. According to Pam...

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What’s All the Hype About Matcha Green Tea?

Matcha green tea originated in Japan, where it has been an essential part of the Buddhist communion ceremony for more than 800 years. The preparation of matcha is the focus of Japanese tea ceremonies and, when done traditionally, the ritual is designed to focus the senses so that one is totally involved in the moment and not distracted by mundane thoughts and is likened to a Zen feeling.

While matcha is a green tea, it isn’t the same as the green tea you see in the grocery store. It is has been de-veined, de-stemmed, then ground up into a fine powder. The most nutritious part of the tea leaves are used and consumed when you drink the tea. By consuming the entire tea leaf, matcha tea benefits are 10 to 15 times higher in nutrients than regular green teas.

What’s so wonderful about the specific nutrients? A cup of matcha green tea holds a powerhouse of antioxidants. Catechins are a type of antioxidants are found in matcha green tea and other superfoods we love, like dark chocolate, blueberries, and spinach. In comparison, matcha has 242 mg of catechins versus 188.8 mg in regular green tea. The concentrated antioxidants in matcha are anti-carcinogenic, which means they fight free radicals in your body that can cause cancer and other diseases. In addition to fighting disease, and slowing the aging process in our body and brain, matcha may aid in weight loss. Epigallocatechin (EGCG) is a component found in tea leaves that can transform fat into fuel in the bloodstream. This process called thermogenesis can aid in weight loss, especially when paired with the caffeine in matcha.

Speaking of caffeine, matcha tea has about three times more caffeine than green tea or the equivalent of drinking one cup of coffee, but you won’t get the same buzz or jitters when drinking matcha. Matcha is unique because it contains L-theanine, a component known to induce relaxation without drowsiness.

Ready to brew the benefits of matcha tea? It is available in tea bags and powder. Quality matcha tea powder will have a vibrant green color and a very fine texture (like baby powder). Lesser qualities will have a yellowish-green tint. Quality matcha will have a slightly grassy flavor with just a hint of bitterness while lesser qualities will have a bitter, astringent finish.

Prepare matcha powder by using water just below boiling point. Traditionally, matcha powder is prepared using a bamboo whisk but a regular whisk works fine too. Using a bowl, whisk just enough water to dissolve the powder, then add more water to make a six-ounce cup. Whisk until a frothy foam appears on the top. Pour the tea into a cup and enjoy. If you’re not a fan of tea, make a smoothie to get matcha benefits. Use one-half teaspoon of matcha and add one cup of pineapple juice, one cup of almond, soy or coconut milk, and half of a banana. You can also sprinkle matcha powder on oatmeal or applesauce.

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The American Version of Roman "Feather-Tickling"

Some historians claim that wealthy ancient Romans would tickle the back of their throat with a feather to induce vomiting after dinner. The practice allowed them to eat more food. Today, we Americans have unique similar customs.

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Lifestyle Impacts The Length of Telomeres of Chromosomes

Telomeres are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes. They have been allegorized commonly as the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces, which are likely to get frayed without them. Similarly, without telomeres DNA strands become damaged. They are actually disposable protective buffers blocking the ends of the chromosomes. They are consumed during cell division but are replenished by an enzyme - the telomerase reverse transcriptase.

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How to Compare MRO Services

You will want to compare MRO services third-party administrator to another. This will make it easier for you to determine who you will work with. If a medical review officer isn't able to provide you with quality services, or enough services, it's only going to cause more work for you.

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4 Benefits to Random Drug Testing

There are an array of benefits to obtaining random drug testing on your employees. It is an affordable means of finding out whether your employees are following the rules or not. Scheduling drug testing in the workplace may be easier than you think, and it can be done at random.

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7 Easy Ways to Find FCRA Background Checks

When you need FCRA background checks, you want to find out how to get quality ones you can rely on. It's going to be much easier to work with a third-party then it will be to try and do everything on your own. It may provide you with access to more information, and allow you to focus on other aspects of human resources.

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Five Tips to Find a DOT Consortium for Your Company

You need to learn a lot about you employees. You may not have to time or the ability to do everything on your own. By using a DOT consortium, you can maintain a significant amount of compliancy.

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When to Conduct DFW Drug Testing

There are all sorts of different times as to when you should conduct DFW drug testing. Knowing when will make it easier for you to strengthen your testing program. It will also allow you to learn more about your employees, even before you bring them on board.

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Why DOT Drug Testing Should Be Done Sporadically

It's important to conduct DOT drug testing. While you want to make sure that it is getting done, it is actually better to do it sporadically as opposed to on a set schedule. You can then be sure that it's done, but in such a way that employees won't know when they will be called for the test.

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5 Things to Look for in a Medical Review Officer

When you decide to work with a medical review officer, there are quite a few things to look for. This will ensure you can access as many services as possible. Not all officers provide the same level of service.

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Why a Third-Party Make Sense for DFW On Site Drug Testing

You have various options when it comes to DFW on site drug testing. You can choose to do the testing on your own, or you can work with a third-party. Working with a third party can make a lot of sense, and save you time along the way.

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8 Things to Know Before You Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting optimizes fat burning, without allowing the body to go into starvation mode. This can provide for high levels of weight loss in...

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Is Your Working Profile Affecting Your Health?

Health is that property which is precious in all respects. A good health is the sign of a rich and prosperous person. Health is that condition at which the adaptation of the body with respect to physical or mental processes takes place. The well being of person's health not only depends on environmental conditions.

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How Quickly Can You Get Fit After Years of Inactivity?

Have you been inactive for years? Are you wondering how long it will take you to get fit?

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What Makes a Hospital 'the Best Hospital'

Hospitals of today face a variety of challenges that force them to redefine the way they conduct business. There is a significant shift from focusing of the number of 'heads in beds' to delivering high quality, reliable care at affordable costs. This transition is based on the need to ensure that customers have dependable healthcare services whenever required.

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Things You Need To Know About MCT Oil

Finding the right food items is important to ensure that you attain the right benefits. Luckily, some companies offer such food items to help individuals boost their health.

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Three Signs a Child May Benefit From Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy can help children with cognitive and sensory disorders develop new skills and overcome daily challenges. Parents should consider several warning signs that indicate their child could benefit from occupational therapy.

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Could You and Your Partner Benefit From Relationship Therapy

In the first throes of a relationship, it can feel like nothing could possibly go wrong. But as we can all attest to, even the most successful of pairings still encounter problems every now and again - it's how we grow to maintain a strong connection.

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How to Detox With Food

Sometimes you want to rid your body of as many toxins as possible. People often want to do this before starting a weight loss program. Some like to do it before the holidays.

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Understanding Bee Pollen

Pollen from trees and flowers is known for its potency in lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, and protein. Due to this, it's heavily used as a dietary supplement. You can easily find the pollen in your local stores. Taking a look at bee pollen Bee pollen is one of the most popular types of pollen that you will find in the market. From its name, it's obtained from bees.

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9 Things Nutritionists Wish You Knew About Coconut Oil

Edwina Clark, MS, RD, APD (Aus), CSSD, head of nutrition and wellness at Yummly, a mobile app and website that provides recipe recommendations, says...

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9 Common Mistakes That Make You Regain Weight

It seems like a simple fix: cut out all carbs, stay away from animal proteins, or never eat dessert again, and the pounds will fly off. And it could...

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Natural Hay Fever Treatments And Preventions Individuals Need To Know

Preventing allergies is important to avoid issues that can affect your health. Luckily, there are natural ways that can help you.

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5 Simple Steps to Mindful Eating

MINDFUL EATING is not a diet. It's a conscious way of eating and enjoying food for both good health and pleasure.

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12 Diet Secrets of People Who’ve Maintained Their Weight Loss

Shedding extra pounds is hard, but keeping them off can be harder. Steal the secrets of these big "losers" to help preserve your healthier, slimmer body for good.

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Does Eating Turkey Really Make You Tired?

Just as traditional as the Thanksgiving turkey is the overstuffed and satisfied sleepiness that follows. And although society has historically pointed a finger at turkey, it turns out that it’s not the main cause of this overwhelming fatigue.

Yes, turkey does contain tryptophan, an amino acid that is a component of the feel-good chemical serotonin as well as a precursor to the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. But tryptophan can be found in all kinds of foods, ranging from dairy products and nuts to meats and tofu. And not only that, but turkey doesn’t have higher levels of tryptophan than any other common meat, reported the New York Times. In fact, gram for gram, even cheddar cheese contains greater amounts of tryptophan than turkey, says livescience.com. So if the tryptophan in turkey really did cause our post-Thanksgiving drowsiness, we’d experience the same strong, lethargic sensation every time we ate chicken, beef, cheese, or nuts. And, as we know, this obviously isn’t the case.

But if the tryptophan in turkey isn’t to blame for our sleepiness on Thanksgiving, what is?

It’s actually a combination of factors, starting with the high fat content of most Thanksgiving dinners. The average festive meal contains 229 grams of fat and 3,000 calories, reported MSNBC; that’s more than most men and women eat in an entire day! Digesting fat requires a lot of energy, so the body sends more blood to your digestive system to manage the load. Reduced blood flow throughout your body means reduced energy.

Alcohol is another reason your eyelids may grow heavy. On Thanksgiving, many adults drink beer, wine, or cocktails throughout the day and with their meals without realizing that alcohol is a central nervous system depressant with fast-acting sedative effects.

Finally, on Thanksgiving, even low-carb dieters allow themselves to indulge in carbohydrate-rich foods such as mashed potatoes, pies, stuffing, cornbread, yams covered in marshmallows, and more—all in one sitting. But eating such a ridiculous amount of carbohydrates at once triggers the release of insulin, and digesting it all is a lot of work for your body, which can leave you feeling pretty comatose.

If you swear that you feel particularly sleepy after your Thanksgiving meal, it’s true—you’re not imagining it. But don’t blame the poor turkey. If don’t want to snore on the floor after you’ve cleared your plate, cut back on the fat, carbs, and booze! Check out the best and worst Thanksgiving foods for your weight here.

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7 Signs You Need to Switch Up Your Workout

You might feel particularly pooped right after running on the treadmill, but consistent exercise should actually boost your energy levels and improve...

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9 Ways to Quit Smoking Without Gaining Weight

The benefits of smoking outweigh any potential health problems from a few extra pounds.

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Health Information Available Online

One of our biggest concerns is our health. The internet has become a burgeoning source of health related information. Any query we have related to our health or somebody else's whether it is age specific, country or climate specific, information is available on the internet. Many general practitioners discourage us laymen from poring over available material on the net for our aches and pains, as they tell us that half knowledge can be dangerous! But is it really half-knowledge? The internet gives reams and reams of information about every disease known to man.

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What I Hate About The Fitness Industry - And What's the Best Form of Exercise for You

There's one thing I can't stand about the fitness industry: It's full of bitches. (Ironically, I'm now going off on a bitch - ha! Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

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Can’t Take 10,000 Steps a Day? Do This Instead

Taking 10,000 steps per day is a great way to get your daily dose of physical activity, but only 15 percent of American men and women regularly hit that healthy target, according to a brand-new study from Oregon State University. Lack of time is the most commonly cited obstacle, but fortunately, there’s an alternative that may be easier to fit into a tight schedule.

In the year-long study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Oregon State researchers found that although people who took more steps each day were typically healthier than those who took fewer steps, speed made a difference. Those who took 5,000 to 7,000 steps at a faster pace scored similar health benefits, including things like smaller waist circumference, lower blood pressure, and reduced BMI and cholesterol levels.

Based on these findings, study co-author John Schuna, Jr., PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology at OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences, recommends aiming to take 3,000 steps each day at a brisk pace, which may be 100 or more steps per minute for two and a half hours, or 150 minutes, each week.

This healthy target fits with the guidelines of both the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services, which advise that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week. Examples of moderate intensity workouts include brisk walking, yoga, pushing a lawn mower, gardening, or riding a bike under 10 mph; examples of vigorous intensity activity include jumping rope, running, jogging, biking over 10 mph, and hiking uphill.

“Running or jogging two and a half miles is equivalent to walking 10,000 steps,” says Chauncey Graham, CSCS, an ACE Fitness Professional at Gold’s Gym in Washington, D.C. Higher-intensity workouts also come with added benefits, including improvements to your cardiorespiratory system. “A heightened level of exercise will prevent and lower your risk of many common diseases as well as obesity,” Graham says.

Most experts agree that a mix of high intensity and moderate intensity workouts yield the best results, however, if you’re dedicated to reaching your 10,000 steps each day via walking, try to take 3,000 of those steps at a faster pace. But some exercise is certainly better than none, so if you can spare only 60 seconds to sweat, try these exercises that will transform your body.

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15 Classic Thanksgiving Foods, Ranked From Best to Worst for Your Weight

Certain Thanksgiving staples are far more sinful than others. Here, the healthiest Thanksgiving foods to indulge, and other dishes to eat in moderation.

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7 Ways to Lower Your Carbohydrate Intake

A low-carb diet can have many health benefits. It can help keep weight down and lowers the chance of developing illnesses such as diabetes. However, it can be easier said than done. Try following our 7 easy ways to keep carbohydrates in your diet to a minimum.

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The Top 5 Areas Chiropractic Care Benefits

Chiropractic can be defined as a discipline in health care that revolves more on inherent recuperative body power to allow it heal on its own without the need to use surgery or drugs. It focuses on the relationship between spine structure and function of the nervous system and how it affects the restoration and preservation of health. Chiropractors offer varying solutions depending on the health issue at hand to aid the most natural healing possible. This is indeed a treatment option that has become very popular mainly because of the various benefits it comes packed with.

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9 Health Benefits of Ashwagandha the Super Adaptogen

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, which is a medicinal herb that helps the body adapt to stress and exerts a normalizing effect upon bodily functions. Ashwagandha means horse's smell in Sanskrit; the reference meaning, horse like attributes of physical strength and endurance. Ashwagandha has a surprising number of health promoting benefits and there have been over 200 studies documenting these numerous benefits.

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7 Low-Carb Vegetables for a Diabetes Diet

All vegetables are nutritional superstars—with essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals—but these seasonal picks can also help keep your blood sugar in line.

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Why Ayurveda Is A Better Option

Ayurvedic medicine, also known as Ayurveda, is one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems. It was developed thousands of years ago in India. It is based on the principle belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit.

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The 10-Minute Lower Body Workout You Can Do Every Day

PERFORM THIS CIRCUIT 3 TIMES

1. Touchdown Lunge
TONES LEGS AND BUTT
1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips. Bend your knees 45 degrees so that you’re partially squatting.
2. Take a giant step back with your left leg, bending both knees until your back knee grazes the floor. Simultaneously reach down and touch the floor next to your right foot with your right fingertips (your left hand shouldn’t touch the floor).

3. Push back to the starting position. Repeat then switch sides. To make it easier, instead of stepping back to the starting position, stay in the lunge position and simply straighten and bend legs to perform “stationary” touchdown lunges.
REPEAT 10 TO 16 TIMES EACH SIDE.

2. Deadlift
TONES LEGS AND BUTT
1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing in.
2. Keeping your lower back straight throughout the move, slowly bend at the hips, lowering the dumbbells toward the floor as far as comfortable possible. Keep the weights close to your body as you lower.

3. Return to the starting position. If you have lower-back problems, skip the dumbbells (and avoid this exercise altogether if it hurts).
DO 10 TO 16 REPS.

3. Sliding Side Lunge
TONES LEGS AND BUTT
1. Stand on a bare floor with your feet hip-width apart. Place a paper plate underneath your left foot. Shift your weight to your right leg and extend your arms straight out in front of you for balance.
2. Bend your right knee and squat back 45 to 90 degrees while sliding the foot on the paper plate out to the left as far as comfortably possible. Keep your right knee behind your toes as you lower.

3. Slowly pull the left leg back to the starting position wile straightening the right leg.
REPEAT 10 To 16 TIMES, THEN SWITCH SIDES.

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The 10-Minute Upper Body Workout You Can Do Every Day

PERFORM THIS CIRCUIT 3 TIMES

1. Push and Plank
TONES CHEST, CORE, UPPER BACK, SHOULDERS, AND ARMS
1. Grab a light dumbbell in each hand and assume a modified push-up position with your arms extended, hands directly under your shoulders (the weights should be parallel to your body), your knees bent, and your ankles crossed.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
3. Press back to start, immediately rotating your body to the left and raising the right arm straight up toward the ceiling.
4. Return to start, and continue alternating arms. To make the move harder, perform it from your toes with legs extended.

PERFORM 10 TO 16 REPS EACH ARM

2. Triceps Dip Lift
TONES ARMS, SHOULDERS, CORE, AND BACK
1. Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or hard sofa. Grasp the seat with your hands positioned wider than shoulder-width apart. Inch your butt off the sofa, keeping your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor, Bend your arms about 45 degrees.
2. Straighten your arms, tighten your abdominals and glutes, and lift your torso upward. Immediately raise your right arm straight up (balancing your weight on your left arm), bring it across your body, and reach over and touch the sofa by your left hand.
3. Return to the starting position, bending elbows again, and repeat to the opposite side. Continue alternating arms.

PERFORM 10 TO 16 REPS

3. Boat Curl and Press
TONES CORE, ARMS, AND SHOULDERS
1. Sit on a bench, holding a light dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging at your sides, palms facing forward. (The floor will do if there’s no bench available; in which case, place the weights at either side of your hips.) Lean back slightly, pulling your knees to chest height with your lower legs parallel to the floor; you’ll be balancing on your tailbone.
2. Curl the weights to your shoulders, then immediately rotate your wrists so your palms face forward and press the weights straight overhead.
3. Return to the starting position.

PERFORM 10 TO 16 REPS

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12 Vitamin Mistakes You Might Not Realize You’re Making

Unless your doctor recommends one for a specific reason, this is a daily habit worth skipping. "For the most part, multivitamins are a poor investment....

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5 Reasons Why You Don't Need To Count Calories

Since the 1970's and to this very day the conservative message has been that you need to eat less and move more, or simply that you must expend more calories than you consume. There is five problems with this advice. All the blame and responsibility is laid squarely at your feet. So it's all your fault that you are overweight, this allows government and medical authorities to be proud of their sad efforts. Sticking to this same tired old line for over 40 years is just laziness and ineptitude. Unless you have a laboratory at your disposal it is very difficult to count calories accurately within about 300 per day. Plus counting calories will not only do your head in but it will make you a social bore. Not only that you will stop enjoying food and meal times may become stressful.

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13 Foods with Way More Salt than You Realized

Cottage cheese with fruit is an old school favorite. Those creamy curds are chuck full of protein and calcium but if you're striving to have a low...

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The 10-Minute Ab Workout You Can Do Every Day

PERFORM THIS CIRCUIT THREE TIMES

1. Extensions
TONES BACK AND GLUTES
1. Lie facedown with your arms at your sides, hands on outer thighs.
2. Keeping your head and neck in a straight line, lift your torso off the floor as far as comfortable possible. Pause and return to the starting position.
3. Next, keep your torso on the floor and contract your glutes (your buttocks muscles) and lift your legs off the floor as high as comfortably possible. Pause and return to start.
4. Finally, lift your torso and legs simultaneously. Pause and return to start.

PERFORM 6 TO 8 REPS

2. Rear Lifts
TONES ABDOMINAL MUSCLES
1. Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms down. Keeping your legs extended and your feet flexed, lift your legs off the floor so they form a 90-degree angle with your body. (If you have tight hamstrings or a history of back pain, bend your knees about 45 degrees.)
2. Keeping your upper body stable, contract your abs and lift your butt off the ground. Hold. Lower to the starting position.
3. To tone your oblique muscles at the same time, twist your hips to the right as you lift your butt off the ground. On your next rep, twist to the left side. Rotate between right and left twists as you go through your set.

PERFORM 10 TO 16 REPS

3. Rolling Like a Ball
TONES CORE
1. Sit on the floor and hug your knees to your chest. Balancing on your tailbone, lift your feet, pointing your toes.
2. Pull your abdominal muscles in and roll back onto your upper glutes and lower back.
3. Contract your abs and pull yourself back to the starting position. If the move is too difficult, loosen your arms, so your knees are pulled less tightly to your body. Keep it to a small range of motion if necessary.

PERFORM 10 TO 16 REPS

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The 10-Minute Yoga Workout You Can Do Every Day

PERFORM THIS CIRCUIT 3 TIMES

1. Sweeping Forward Bend
WORKS BACK, ARMS, AND LEGS
1. Stand tall with your get together, arms down at your sides, palms facing forward. Sweep your arms out to your sides and overhead, stretching tall.
2. Bend forward from the hips (bend your knees if you need to) and push your tailbone back, while you sweep your hands back out to the sides and down to the ground, placing your fingertips under your feet. Allow your head to hand, and breathe deeply and evenly while contracting your quads to help relax and lengthen the hamstrings.
3. Hold. Then bring your hands to your hips, press your tailbone down, and hinge back to a standing position with a long, straight torso.

HOLD 30 TO 60 SECONDS

2. Cobra
WORKS ABS, ARMS, CHEST, AND BACK
1. Lie face-down with your feet together, toes pointed, and your hands on the floor, palms down just in front of your shoulders.
2. Lift your shin and gently extend your arms, contracting your glutes and lifting your upper body off the floor as far as comfortably possible.
3. If you feel any strain in your back, alter the pose so that you keep your elbows bent and your forearms on the floor.

HOLD 30 TO 60 SECONDS

3. Gate
WORKS LEGS, ARMS, AND CORE
1. Kneel on the floor with your knees hip-width apart. Stretch your left leg out to the left side and turn the foot so the sole is flat on the floor, toes pointed to the left. Keep your right knee directly below your kip. Align your left heel with your right knee. Turn pelvis to the left so the right hip comes forward. Turn upper torso to the right. Point kneecap to ceiling.
2. Move arms out parallel to the floor with your palm facing down. Bend left over the left leg and place your right hand on your shin, ankle, or floor along the outside of your left leg. Contract the left side of the torso and stretch the right. Place your right hand on the outer right hip and push your pelvis toward the floor. Slip the hand up to the lower right ribs then left toward the shoulder.
3. Sweep your right arm over the back of your right ear. Without pushing your right hip, roll it slightly forward and turn the upper torso away from the floor.
4. Inhale as you return to the starting position.

HOLD 30 TO 60 SECONDS

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