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Satisfying and full of nutrients like protein and iron, lentils are a great option whether you’re a vegetarian looking for meat-free alternatives or an omnivore wanting to expand your palate. Image Credit: Karisssa/iStock/GettyImages Satisfying and full of nutrients like protein and iron, lentils are a great option whether you’re a vegetarian looking for meat-free alternatives or an omnivore wanting to expand your palate. Black lentils, aka beluga lentils, are not as popular as other varieties but are just as versatile....

Just as the name implies, a traditional meatloaf is made with ground meat, eggs and breadcrumbs, which help keep the meat in the form of a loaf for baking. While traditional meatloaf is made with beef, you can substitute it with low-fat meats like turkey, and even add some chopped vegetables for a healthier, leaner version. With the seasonings of your choice, you can create a protein-filled main dish that you can serve hot, while leftovers can be served cold in a sandwich for lunch....

Image Credit: Ridofranz/iStock/GettyImages The phrase metcon workout might sound like the U.S. Department of Defense has gone into the fitness business, but rest assured, this popular style of training has nothing to do with the military. It's an abbreviation for metabolic conditioning, and it's a great way to shake up your stale cardio routine. Advertisement We brought the experts in to help break down what exactly metcon workouts look like, what you'll get out of them and how you can weave them into your fitness regimen....

Frosting can easily hide flaws in cupcakes. Image Credit: KIV_ph/iStock/Getty Images You have no time to spare and instead of nice fluffy cupcakes, your baked creation looks like craters on the moon. Don’t worry, you can fix them in a jiffy. Whether you overcook them, make them too big or you cupcakes come out cracked, crumbly or sunken in, you can usually fix your baking mistakes in minutes, with just a few simple tools and some extra know-how....

Grains of white sugar. Image Credit: Svetl/iStock/Getty Images Sugar syrups flavor drinks, top pancakes and sweeten snow cones. They also illustrate a number of fascinating scientific principles such as supersaturation, crystallization and nucleation sites. You might find these scientific concepts less interesting when they ruin a batch of simple syrup you’re making, though. While not all grainy sugar syrup can return to its smooth, fluid state, melting the sugar crystals often fixes a crystallized syrup....

Replenish fluids and nutrients after a workout with cranberry juice. Image Credit: Maurice van der Velden/iStock/Getty Images There’s no secret to getting a flat stomach — it takes proper diet and regular exercise, a combination that creates a daily caloric deficit to help you lose total body fat. Cranberry juice, which is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, can be a healthy addition to a nutritious diet and a substitute for sugary sodas, but it will not give you a flat stomach on its own....

How to Get Bigger Hips & Thighs Naturally Image Credit: mikeorlov/iStock/GettyImages Seriously sexy curves, with a small waist and big hips and thighs, outfit celebs like Beyonce and Scarlett Johansson. If you want to get out of your skinny jeans and join these ladies in the curvy club, it’s going to take some hard work. Advertisement To add size to your hips and thighs you need to strength train and eat enough calories to support muscle growth....

A woman selects fresh fruits and vegetables for her 1,800-calorie diet. Image Credit: ViktorCap/iStock/Getty Images The number of calories needed to lose weight depends on your size, age, gender and activity level. An 1,800-calorie diet is an appropriate weight-loss amount for those who are moderately active or who burn more than 2,000 calories per day. Eighteen-hundred calories allows for enough food to prevent feelings of deprivation and to provide adequate nutrition....

Walking can be beneficial after eating, but more intense exercise is a no-no. Image Credit: AzmanJaka/E+/GettyImages The old parental advice “no swimming for 30 minutes after eating” sticks in our heads, but are there other activities we should steer clear from as well? As it turns out the answer is yes, and for a variety of reasons — some of which will likely surprise you. Advertisement Here are three things you should avoid doing right after a meal and two to do instead....

Try poaching, baking, braising or broiling your seafood rather than frying it. Image Credit: LauriPatterson/E+/GettyImages There’s no arguing that fish is delish. But when it comes to how seafood might affect the number on the scale, the answer isn’t so clear-cut. Advertisement While fish can — and should! — be part of a healthy diet, including one geared toward weight loss, serving it the wrong way could end up doing more harm than good....

A young man chugging a water bottle in the kitchen. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images The five-day detox diet plan is a short-term program that jump-starts an internal and external cleansing process, removing toxins from the body to promote optimal cell function. Toxins, such as tobacco smoke, air pollution, pesticides, food additives, among others, can provoke a host of discerning medical conditions, such as chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome and kidney stones....

references BioPsychoSocial Medicine: "A clinical study of the efficacy of a single session of individual exercise for depressive patients, assessed by the change in saliva free cortisol level" Journal of Rheumatology: "Improved Function and Reduced Pain after Swimming and Cycling Training in Patients with Osteoarthritis" Current Psychiatry Reports: "Moving to Beat Anxiety: Epidemiology and Therapeutic Issues with Physical Activity for Anxiety" Harvard Health Publishing: "Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights" American Council on Exercise: "Tools & Calculators: Physical Activity Calorie Counter" Mayo Clinic: "Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories" The benefits of stationary bike workouts include endurance, lower-body strength, safety from on-the-road accidents and fat loss....

While magnesium citrate has some laxative effects, it isn't the magic weight loss elixir. Image Credit: Kentaroo Tryman/Maskot/GettyImages Losing weight is never as simple as drinking a medication such as magnesium citrate. As a laxative, magnesium citrate may help you lose temporary water weight, but may also have unpleasant side effects. Advertisement Laxatives do not help with burning fat and are never a long-term solution for weight loss. If you're trying to drop some pounds, consult your doctor or a dietitian to design a healthy diet and exercise plan that works for you....

Woman drinks bottled water after running on path Image Credit: AmmentorpDK/iStock/Getty Images Water intoxication can damage your lungs, brain, heart and other organs. The condition occurs when you drink too much water too quickly, placing stress on your kidneys. Your kidneys normally filter water and waste from your body. When you drink too much water, your kidneys cannot perform swiftly enough. Water builds up in your body, diluting the electrolytes in your blood....

Image Credit: moodboard/Cultura/Getty Images The scale can fluctuate at least 3 to 5 pounds on any given day. To gain a full pound of fat, you must consume 3,500 calories more than you burn. You'd be challenged to eat this much, or more, above and beyond what you normally need to maintain your weight in two days. If the scale has gone up significantly in two days, it's likely because of natural fluctuations caused by water retention, hormones, constipation or dehydration....

Dried dates in a wooden dish. Image Credit: The_Pixeltree/iStock/Getty Images Dates are a type of fruit and, like all plant products, are cholesterol-free. You’ll only find cholesterol in animal foods such as meat, butter and cheese, so replacing animal-based snacks with dates in your diet may help keep your arteries clear. Dates contain more calories than most other fruits, however, making them more likely to lead to weight gain. Maintaining a healthy weight helps keep cholesterol levels low, so consume only one or two dates per sitting....

Running might spark gout symptoms if you already have the condition. Image Credit: skaman306/Moment/GettyImages The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise, such as jogging or running, every week. Jogging or running, however, can be stressful to joints. If you have gout, over-strenuous exercise or a joint injury resulting from running can trigger a gout attack....

Sweating in a sauna causes water loss. Picture yourself enclosed in the small, dry and hot depths of a sauna. As the scent of the aromatic cedar engulfs you, you stretch your tired muscles, feeling them relax. Researchers believe the nomadic Finns enjoyed this same experience thousands of years ago. The Finns used these "sweat baths" to cleanse their bodies of unwanted toxins and feel rejuvenated. Today, people still use saunas for detoxification and relaxation, but some also try to use them for weight loss....

The gluten-free diet used for celiac disease may also treat your keratosis pilaris. Keratosis pilaris, a skin condition colloquially called "chicken skin," usually doesn't raise major health concerns, but it can represent an annoyance it. However, there is evidence -- still unproven -- that some people who develop keratosis pilaris also have a more serious condition called celiac disease. If that's the case, your skin should clear up once you adopt the gluten-free diet used to treat celiac disease....

You need to pay special attention to your hamstrings. Image Credit: microgen/iStock/GettyImages Hamstrings are an often-injured muscle group that deserves some special attention in your warm-up. It only takes a few specifically targeted exercises in your hamstrings activation warm-up to prep these muscles for a workout. Advertisement The key is to use exercises that isolate them because your hamstrings can be overshadowed by your glutes in many movements, like the deadlift....