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Make sure to properly warm up your arms and shoulders before working out. Image Credit: nortonrsx/iStock/GettyImages Proper warm-up and stretching of the arms and shoulders will improve your flexibility and help you through a range of activities. When you swim or play baseball or tennis — or the piano — you must keep your arms and shoulders strong and flexible. Advertisement Desk-bound activities, such as talking to customers on the phone or typing away at a computer keyboard, put their own set of stresses on the arms and shoulders....

Beans contain plant estrogens and other useful components. Image Credit: Rauluminate/iStock/Getty Images Beans are eaten around the world and are valued as an inexpensive protein source. Beans also contain many other components that make them an integral part of a healthy diet. Plant estrogens found in beans are being studied by many researchers to determine their benefits and possible risks. Advertisement Estrogen Estrogen is a steroid hormone present in humans and animals....

Green juice is a powerful way to drink to your health. Image Credit: Kesu01/iStock/Getty Images A close relative of cabbage and Brussels sprouts, kale was first cultivated in the 1700s and gained popularity in the United States in the late 19th century. Its tough leaves stand up well to cooking and also yield flavorful and nutrient-packed juice. Juicing kale yields a beverage packed with nutritional value, and even a small serving – a quarter cup – offers all the mineral and vitamin content found in a much larger serving of whole kale....

Coffee beans spilled from a scoop next to a cup of coffee. Image Credit: Ana_Penelope/iStock/Getty Images Approximately 80 percent of adults have caffeine every day, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. While many people consume caffeine for its positive effects, adverse reactions can occur. Caffeine has the potential to interact negatively with certain supplements and medications. Those who take the prescription medication warfarin, a blood thinner, may wonder if they can safely continue consuming caffeine....

A spinach salad on a plate. Image Credit: travellinglight/iStock/Getty Images Your heart contains four valves: pulmonary, aortic, tricuspid and mitral. According to the Mayo Clinic, calcification of one of these valves can occur as you grow older. However, it also can occur if you do not watch your diet and eat foods high in cholesterol or fat. Heart valve calcification also can occur if you are underweight, including those who have eating disorders....

Dark, white and milk chocolate bars. Image Credit: kovalchuk/iStock/Getty Images Chocolate is made from cocoa solids, which comes from the beans of the Theobroma cacao plant. Cocoa solids contain flavonoids, which are health-promoting antioxidants. Dark chocolate is 60 percent or more cocoa solids and contains little calorie-rich sugar; for these reasons, University of Michigan considers dark chocolate a healthy dessert when eaten in moderation Unfortunately, some people feel a burning in their throat when eating chocolate as a result of gastroesophageal reflux, also called heartburn....

Fish oil supplements promise plenty of benefits, but some people may experience some unpleasant side effects — like bad breath or acid reflux — when taking them. Image Credit: Evgeniia Siiankovskaia/Moment/GettyImages Fish oil has a pretty positive reputation. Advertisement It's no wonder, then, that it's massively popular in the U.S. According to the comprehensive 2012 National Health Interview Survey, approximately 18.8 million adults had taken a fish oil supplement in the previous 30 days, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH)....

A child attempts to use a treadmill. Image Credit: James Pintar/iStock/Getty Images Kids should not use treadmills. It may be possible to ensure their safety while they’re under your direct supervision, but when you’re not around they might imitate your behavior and operate the treadmill, resulting in serious injuries or even death. As much as possible, keep your children away from exercise equipment. Advertisement Expert Insight The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission tracks child injuries that result from using or being near exercise equipment....

A large pile of ripe papayas. Image Credit: enterphoto/iStock/Getty Images When you’re shopping for a papaya at the supermarket, pay special attention to the skin. In general, a papaya with smooth, yellow skin that isn’t too soft is ready to eat. When you’re set to enjoy the fruit, however, it’s time to discard the skin. Although you might be able to eat the skin of your papaya with no side effects, doing so is not advised....

Spot reduction does not exist. Image Credit: Martin Novak/Moment/GettyImages Fat fingers might be a drag, but there aren’t any specific exercises you can do to thin them out. If you want thin fingers, you’ll have to lose overall body fat via diet and exercise. Advertisement Tip It's not possible to spot-reduce fat from your fingers. However, if you take measures to lose weight overall, you might find your fingers thinning out....

Creatine can cause dehydration and muscle cramping. Image Credit: Purestock/Purestock/Getty Images Creatine is a naturally occurring nutrient that can help rapidly restore energy during intense activity such as weightlifting or sprinting. Creatine also gathers a large amount of water and can cause imbalances in hydration and electrolytes, resulting in cramping. Supplementation with creatine especially in hot environments or during intense exercise may require an increase in fluid intake. Advertisement Creatine Use Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is used to rapidly regenerate energy in muscles during intense activity such as weightlifting....

Knowing the nutrition facts of different types of Asian noodles can help you make more informed decisions whether you're cooking at home or ordering at a restaurant. Image Credit: rez-art/iStock/Getty Images Noodle cuisine originated around 5,000 B.C. in China. Evolving from the simple wheat noodle, the types of Asian noodle choices are expansive and complement many dishes. Advertisement Pan-fried, stir-fried or boiled, noodles are a traditional part of many cuisines such as Chinese, Japanese and Thai....

When you go on a low-calorie diet, the brain slows down metabolism to conserve energy. Image Credit: dolgachov/iStock/Getty Images You may be motivated to drop a few pounds, but your body cares more about survival than weight loss. It’s actually driven to maintain stores of fat because they’re the back-up source of energy just in case you go into starvation mode. And that’s exactly what happens if you go too low with calories – your body thinks it’s starving, so it slows down metabolism to keep you alive....

Exercising while wearing an ankle cast prevents stiffness. Image Credit: Sasa Komlen/iStock/Getty Images If you have injured your ankle, resulting in a severe sprain or fracture, you may need to wear a cast to keep it immobilized while it heals. Stanford School of Medicine explains that a cast is made of either plaster or fiberglass, which encompasses the injury during the healing process. In the case of an ankle injury, a cast may be worn anywhere between four to six weeks....

Donuts on the table. Image Credit: Ls9907/iStock/Getty Images Carbs, or carbohydrates, are sugars present in the food you eat and the beverages you drink. Some carbs are found naturally in foods. Other foods have added carbs in the form of extra sugar. Carbs are used by your body to make glucose. Glucose is a sugar that the cells in your body use to give you energy. Some carbs are stored in your liver and muscles for later use, but there are certain carbs your body uses immediately....

sliced avacado Image Credit: Lecic/iStock/Getty Images When you think of dietary fiber – the indigestible carbohydrates found in virtually every fruit, vegetable, grain, nut, seed or other plant-based food – you probably picture crisp apple skin, chewy oatmeal flakes or stringy bits of celery. Avocados are a prime example, however, of how misleading the term “fiber” can be. Contrary to the impression given by their smooth creamy flesh, avocados are a good source of fiber....

Graham crackers served on a plate. Image Credit: bhofack2/iStock/Getty Images Graham crackers are sweet, but they do not taste like cookies. Historians credit a Presbyterian minister, Sylvester Graham, with the creation of Graham crackers around 1829. Modern graham crackers bear little nutritional resemblance to the original one, but the suggested serving size makes them a quick, low-calorie snack. Advertisement Packaged Sizes Packaged graham crackers often have a rectangular shape. Each cracker usually contains a scored line that lets you break it into two squares....

Scallops frying in a pan at a restaurant. Image Credit: Kondor83/iStock/Getty Images Cooking fresh scallops is so simple that most people overthink it and end up overcooking the delicate mollusks. Preparing scallops properly is a matter of timing as much as it is of seasoning and cooking method. Scallop flesh starts out tender and toughens as it cooks, so it is crucial to cook them just until they are done. Many recipes call for breading or cream sauces, but scallops are naturally low in fat, so the more simply you cook raw scallops, the healthier they are....

Read on to see Taylor's impressive transformation. Image Credit: Jared Blais/LIVESTRONG.COM Name: Taylor R. LIVESTRONG.COM Username: Cleverjefe (member since 2015) Advertisement Video of the Day Age: 35 Height: 5'9" Before Weight: 316 pounds Pant Size: 48 After Weight: 204 pounds Pant Size: 34 Taylor lost 112 pounds and dropped 7 sizes. Image Credit: Jared Blais/LIVESTRONG.COM LIVESTRONG.COM: What was your life like before joining LIVESTRONG.COM? Advertisement Taylor: My overall health was very poor....

A variety of sugars Image Credit: VeselovaElena/iStock/Getty Images The term “sugar” is commonly associated with sweet treats or a white crystalline powder you add to foods; however, sugar is also a classification of carbohydrates. The varying chemical structures of sugar include single units called monosaccharides, double units, or disaccharides, and multiple units, which are oligosaccharides or polysaccharides. No matter the chemical structure of a sugar chain, your body digests all sugars in a one step process....