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Contrary to popular belief, eating cholesterol doesn’t raise blood cholesterol. Image Credit: pierluigi meazzi/E+/Getty Images When we talk about cholesterol, it’s usually in reference to blood cholesterol. It’s waxy, fatty and can be found in all of the body’s cells. The body uses cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D and bile acid, which helps break down fats. Cholesterol travels in the bloodstream in low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Too much LDL can cause cholesterol buildup (aka plaque) in the arteries, which makes your heart work harder to circulate blood....

Too many hours in front of a computer screen could be the reason you're feeling tired all the time. Image Credit: damircudic/E+/GettyImages Tired of feeling tired? If you’re asking yourself, ​Why am I so exhausted all the time?,​ you might want to look at your daily routine. Advertisement While low energy can be a sign of a health condition, it can also be the result of certain habits. Video of the Day Here, experts break down seven common habits that might be draining your tank, and offer tips to reenergize....

Skip the jade egg — there are better ways to strengthen your pelvic area. Image Credit: Emmanuel Lavigne / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages Odds are, every vagina-owner on the planet knows that douching can be damaging down under. But simply scroll through social media, and you’ll come across an astounding number of vaginal care products and practices with purported claims like freshening your scent or boosting fertility, which you might be tempted to try....

Sipping ginger tea is one potential way to get rid of bloating. Image Credit: Maria Kovalets / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages Bloating is common — as many as 25 percent of people experience it from time to time, according to the Cleveland Clinic. But that doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable. Fortunately, when GI troubles strike, bloating remedies can help you ease that too-full feeling. Advertisement Although bloating is common, it typically signals that something unusual is happening in your digestive tract, says Brooks Cash, MD, professor of gastroenterology at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School....

Make your sumo squat more difficult with a resistance band. Image Credit: Kilito Chan/Moment/GettyImages How do you make an exercise more difficult? Add weight, right? Sure, that’s one way, but it’s not the only way to up the ante on your leg workouts. Advertisement Isometric exercises — holding your body in a contracted position — will test your muscular strength and endurance. And this leg workout, built by certified personal trainer April Whitney, CPT, is a great place to start....

This 20-minute, body-weight workout uses a tree to challenge your muscles in new ways. Image Credit: Sanja Radin/iStock/GettyImages Who says you need a weight room to get a proper workout? Make nature your gym with this 20-minute, body-weight workout, which uses a tree. A tree is not only as sturdy as a wall to do squats, push-ups and elevated mountain climbers, but its uneven surface also tests your core stability and balance....

Potatoes are mildly acidic. Image Credit: Julia Murray / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages The pH of a potato is around 5.4 to 5.9, making it a mildly acidic food. But if you’re interested in eating an alkaline diet, the potato’s potential renal acid load, or PRAL, is more important. Advertisement Tip Potatoes themselves are mildly acidic, but their net effect on your body chemistry (measured by the potential renal acid load) is alkalizing. However, there are a few other things you should consider before you embark on a potato-heavy diet....

A handful of raisins will contribute a significant amount of essential nutrients to your diet. Image Credit: everydayplus/iStock/GettyImages Raisins are among the most commonly eaten dried fruits. Their energy-dense nutritional profile has distinctive health benefits, and raisins should be part of your well-balanced diet. Raisins contain polyphenols, antioxidants and important micronutrients that aid digestion, boost iron levels and keep your bones strong. Advertisement Tip Raisins are naturally sweet and high in sugar content and calories....

Water is the best way to keep kids hydrated. Image Credit: JuliA!n Rovagnati/iStock/Getty Images The sports drink Gatorade contains electrolytes designed to help prevent dehydration in serious athletes. Kids often enjoy the sweet taste of Gatorade, which prompts many parents to offer it to them in lieu of water. Some parents also use Gatorade to prevent dehydration when their kids have the stomach flu or diarrhea. Although the electrolytes in Gatorade do not pose a serious risk to healthy children, the sugar and calories in the drink can contribute to tooth decay and childhood obesity....

Are underwire bras harmful? Can they cause breast cancer? Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative How Bad Is It Really? sets the record straight on all the habits and behaviors you’ve heard might be unhealthy. In This Article Breast Cancer Breastfeeding The Bottom Line News flash: Underwire is over. An August 2019 report from the market research group NPD confirms that comfort is the number-one thing shoppers look for in a bra. Advertisement According to the report, sales of sports bras have exploded, with people assigned female at birth (AFAB) keeping them on all day long instead of just while exercising....

Boxing Agility Drills Image Credit: mikeorlov/iStock/GettyImages Few sports incorporate the type of physical demands on an athlete as boxing. In addition to requiring sufficient strength in your arms, legs and core, boxing requires excellent balance and foot speed to properly evade and overcome your opponent. Advertisement Agility drills, which challenge an individual to change their direction or speed in response to an unpredictable stimulus, can help you develop the ability to adjust on the fly during a match....

Adding a lobster tail to a meal makes it feel special. For those who love seafood, frozen lobster tails are a great convenience. They don't take up a lot of space in the freezer, they keep well for several months and they're a quick way to make your meals more memorable. The only catch, as with any other frozen food, is thawing it in a way that reflects food safety standards....

You don't have to avoid raw food to protect yourself from the novel coronavirus. Image Credit: ArtMarie/E+/GettyImages From the stock clerk in the grocery store to the delivery person transporting your takeout, your food meets a multitude of hands before it tops your plate. If one of those handlers is harboring the novel coronavirus, can the food become contaminated — and then infect you? Advertisement Here, Jagdish Khubchandani, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist and associate chair and professor of health science at Ball State University, clears up the confusion around catching coronavirus from food and offers tips on how you can avoid actual foodborne illnesses that may impair your immune system....

There are things you can do to calm acid reflux and get a good night's sleep. Image Credit: tommaso79/iStock/GettyImages If you’re feeling a little run down during the day and experience heartburn at least once a month, it could be from a lack of sleep. That burning sensation in your chest may be causing you to toss and turn at night: Constant tiredness can happen with acid reflux. Advertisement Heartburn affects more than 60 million Americans at least once a month, according to the American College of Gastroenterology, and more than 15 million experience it every day....

There are few differences between yellow and green split peas. Image Credit: janeff/iStock/Getty Images Green and yellow split peas are different varieties of the seeds of the Pisum sativum L., or field pea, plant. Belonging to the legume family, this plant is found throughout the world, with the world’s top producers being Russia, China, India, Canada and the United States. Due to the plant’s versatility and near universality, split peas are found in the traditional dishes of a variety of cultures around the world....

Brain Atrophy Symptoms Image Credit: gilaxia/E+/GettyImages It’s natural for the brain to shrink as a person ages. For most people, the effects aren’t very noticeable. However, problems with language and memory and other key functions can develop for those suffering from a disease that causes a serious loss of brain cells, called brain atrophy. Advertisement "Brain atrophy — something that happens over time — really starts in an unnoticeable way in early adulthood," says David Weintraub, MD, a neurosurgeon and director of functional neurosurgery at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York....

Sliced ginger root Image Credit: grafvision/iStock/Getty Images Bloating results from a buildup of gas in your gastrointestinal tract. Likely culprits of bloating include poor eating habits – such as eating with your mouth open – a fatty diet, sudden increase in fiber intake, stress or smoking. In some cases, a health problem, such as a gastrointestinal infection or irritable bowel syndrome, may be to blame. Natural remedies such as ginger can treat bloating....

Tai Chi can be beneficial for older people. Image Credit: kali9/E+/GettyImages Tai chi is a Chinese form of martial arts that involves slow, controlled and low-impact movements that can be easy for seniors — even those with limited movement. According to Harvard Health Publishing, tai chi exercises can help seniors improve balance, flexibility and muscle strength. Advertisement The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that practicing tai chi may also reduce back pain and pain from knee osteoarthritis....

When you see the words orange pekoe on a label, it means that the tea leaves are whole, instead of broken or ground up. Image Credit: LeoRossi/iStock/GettyImages When you see the words “orange pekoe” (pronounced “orange peck-o”), you might imagine a steaming cup of tea with some serious citrus-y notes, but the term actually refers to the grade of tea and not the flavor. Teas are graded by size and orange pekoe is black tea of the highest grade, or quality....

You build muscle while resting, not while working out. Image Credit: Kentaroo Tryman/Maskot/GettyImages When you wake up sore and achy after a workout, your natural reaction might be to skip the gym and opt for a bubble bath or massage. While there’s nothing wrong with taking a rest day, you have to figure out where to draw the line. There’s a sweet spot between recovering too long and not recovering long enough....