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Holding your breath under water can increase your lung strength and capacity. Image Credit: Patrik Giardino/The Image Bank/GettyImages Running requires several physical attributes: strong, endurance-trained muscles, strong joints and tendons, and a high lung capacity. When your lungs don’t function well, you may experience breathing problems during exercise such as shortness of breath. Advertisement Athletes, especially runners, train their lungs to increase capacity and strength of the breathing muscles. Holding your breath underwater improves lung function, gives you a swimmer's lung capacity, which also helps running ability....

Broiled potato wedges on a plate with other foods. Image Credit: Tatiana Volgutova/iStock/Getty Images In addition to the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients they offer, vegetables such as potatoes are very versatile in how they can be cooked. Although you might be most familiar with the varieties that are fried, baked or boiled, you can also broil potatoes. Broiling potatoes is a quicker cooking method than baking and less fat is introduced during the broiling, versus frying the potatoes....

Green tea contains nutritious catechins. Image Credit: ValentynVolkov/iStock/Getty Images Tea is a staple beverage in many Eastern and Western cultures. While “tea” can refer to any leaves, flowers, stems or fruit steeped in water, true tea comes from the tea plant, C. sinensis. The types of tea and different varieties, such as green and chai teas, differ significantly in their aesthetic and nutritional properties. Advertisement Ingredients Though both green and chai teas contain tea leaves, the composition of these teas differs....

Monster drinks provide boosted energy and alertness for short periods of time. Image Credit: supermimicry/E+/GettyImages Monster Ultra Paradise and other varieties of the Monster drink provide boosted energy and alertness for short periods of time. However, the temporary energy and alertness boost may not be worth the potential dangers that a Monster drink may pose to you. Advertisement Read more: 8 Non-Caffeine Ways to Boost Your Energy Video of the Day Monster Energy Nutrition and Ingredients Monster Energy drinks are mostly devoid of nutritional value....

Add spinach to your favorite lasagna recipe to boost nutrition. Image Credit: Anikona/iStock/GettyImages Including flavorful spinach in your favorite lasagna recipe will give it a burst of green color and a nutritional punch — spinach is packed with iron and other vitamins and minerals. Because raw spinach contains a lot of water, you may wish to cook it first before you add it to your fresh spinach lasagna. Advertisement Tip When making a fresh spinach lasagna using raw spinach, you’ll probably want to cook the spinach first so your lasagna doesn’t turn out too watery....

Ask your doctor whether you should avoid grapefruit when taking tramadol. Image Credit: John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images Grapefruit can change the way your body metabolizes many drugs. Because of this effect, you may have more side effects than usual if you take medications with grapefruit. While this effect does not occur with every drug, it could occur with tramadol, although drug inserts for the drug do not list this as a possible reaction....

Variety of tea. Image Credit: Betsie Van der Meer/Stone/Getty Images Traditionally, tea has been on the list of food items to avoid for people suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. These days, however, doctors may be more inclined to leave it to those being treated to determine what foods or drinks aggravate their symptoms. Of course, the word “tea” covers a lot of territory, from caffeinated black teas made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, such as English breakfast tea, Ceylon and Earl Grey, to mild herbal teas like Bengal Spice or Egyptian Licorice....

A spoon with small vitamin supplements in and around it. Image Credit: onairjiw/iStock/Getty Images Many people try to better their health by taking supplements. Vitamin D supplementation is a common choice because deficiency is prevalent. In fact, some researchers suggest that half of the people in the world have low blood levels of vitamin D. Although it is typically safe, if you take a prescription medication that is known to have many drug interactions, such as blood thinners, talk to your doctor before taking vitamin D supplements....

Resistance training, cardiovascular exercise and core workouts are important for 40-year-old women. Image Credit: Hero Images/Hero Images/GettyImages If you’re a 40-year-old woman who wants to get in shape, it’s crucial to do workouts that are targeted to your changing body and slowed metabolism levels. As you age, it’s normal to experience muscle loss, stubborn belly fat and reduced energy levels (hurrah, getting older!). Advertisement But there are specific exercises and workout programs you can do to combat these issues, including resistance training, Pilates, core exercises and short, intense cardio sessions....

Driving can strain leg muscles. Image Credit: Photos.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images Many people experience leg cramps while driving, especially when driving long distances. A variety of muscle injuries can cause leg cramps, so consult your doctor before trying home remedies. Leg cramps also are occasionally caused by insufficient potassium and dehydration, according to the “Mayo Clinic Family Health Book.” Drink plenty of water and take a multivitamin. If you frequently experience leg cramps, there are several exercises you can do before and after driving to minimize the pain....

Avoid soy based food such as tofu if you don't want to raise your thyroid levels. Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages Low thyroid hormone levels can cause many symptoms from fatigue to sensitivity to cold. But the most notable symptom may be how it makes weight loss nearly impossible, which may have you searching for the perfect hypothyroidism diet. Advertisement Hypothyroidism is a chronic condition that requires medical management. If you're struggling with your weight, or any of the other symptoms related to low thyroid levels, consult with your health care provider before seeking advice from the World Wide Web....

Fast food isn't a good idea if you want to limit visceral fat. Image Credit: Lauri Patterson/Vetta/Getty Images Some types of body fat – such as the visceral fat that lies deep in your abdomen and surrounds your internal organs – are more harmful to your health than others. Visceral fat increases your risk for certain health conditions, including breast cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Having a large waist indicates you may have excess visceral fat, but cutting calories, limiting certain foods and exercising can help minimize it....

Weight lifting. Image Credit: Monkey Business Images/Monkey Business/Getty Images While weight lifting provides the stimulus that elicits gains in muscle strength and size, the foods you eat are what fuel those developments. If you’re aggressive with your workouts, but don’t consume the right foods, you’ll significantly limit your size and strength gains. Taking in the right foods before you hit the weight room can ensure that your body is equipped with the fuel it needs for a quality workout....

Ginger water is an antioxidant-rich beverage that takes minutes to prepare and has a refreshing flavor. Image Credit: derketta/iStock/GettyImages Have you ever tried ginger water for detox or weight loss? This antioxidant-rich beverage takes minutes to prepare and has a refreshing flavor. Plus, it’s a convenient way to incorporate ginger into your diet and reap its health benefits. Advertisement What Is Ginger Water? Ginger water has emerged as a natural detox remedy....

Cooking with aluminum pans, using aluminum foil and drinking out of aluminum bottles has many people worried. Image Credit: KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStock/Getty Images Cooking with aluminum pans, using aluminum foil and drinking out of aluminum bottles has many people worried. You may have heard rumors of aluminum being linked with health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease. But what does the actual evidence say — should we worry about aluminum or not? Advertisement Cooking with Aluminum According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust, so being exposed to it is inevitable....

Sipping a concoction of lemon, honey and hot water is a natural way to calm your cough. Image Credit: Claudine Silaho Weber-Hilty/iStock/GettyImages It’s that time again: Chilly weather starts to creep in, a tingle forms in your throat and then — a cough. Rather than reach for the medicine cabinet, a cup of hot water with lemon and honey for cough issues may be a more natural way to help. Here’s why this trio works and how to make it....

Ground pork meatballs, ground pork meatloaf and ground pork burgers are some of the most popular ways to serve this ingredient. Image Credit: nadisja/iStock/GettyImages Ground meat is a versatile ingredient that you can cook in a number of different ways. If you’re thinking of cooking with ground pork, here are some ideas that can help. Advertisement Tip Ground pork meatballs, ground pork meatloaf and ground pork burgers are some of the most popular ways to cook this ingredient....

The heart is a pump that functions best when blood flows freely. Image Credit: anoopkrishnan/iStock/Getty Images Day in and day out, your heart pumps away faithfully, delivering oxygenated blood to cells throughout your body. But over time, a sedentary lifestyle coupled with stress and poor nutrition can lead to complications in your circulatory system that impede your heart’s ability to do its job. Understanding how exercise impacts your cardiovascular system may motivate you to make time for regular daily exercise....

A bowl of peanuts in their shell. Image Credit: AlexMozz/iStock/Getty Images An allergy to peanuts is one of the most common food-related allergies, according to KidsHealth. In some people, an allergy to peanuts can be so pronounced that it is life-threatening. Allergic responses to peanuts can vary based on your particular sensitivity to peanuts – some people may experience immediate, intense reactions that quickly subside while others may have effects that are longer-lasting....

How Many Pistachios Make 100 Calories? Image Credit: Julia_Sudnitskaya/iStock/GettyImages If you’re looking for a healthy snack, nuts like pistachios are a great option. This green nut is available salted, shelled and roasted, and can easily be incorporated into salads or baked goods. Although snacks for adults can range between 200 and 300 calories, snacks for children are recommended to be no more than 100 calories. Advertisement Read More: 16 Snacks That Are OK to Eat at Night Video of the Day Calories in Pistachios According to the United States Department of Agriculture and the Pistachio Health Organization, a standard 1-ounce serving of pistachios is equivalent to 49 kernels and 158 calories....