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Green leafy vegetables, like spinach and kale, are rich in insoluble fiber, which can cause loose stools if eaten in excess. Image Credit: Nikolay Zaiarnyi/iStock/GettyImages You’ve probably heard it time and time again: “Eat more fiber!” And while that’s great advice, given all the health benefits of incorporating fiber into your diet, it doesn’t tell the whole story. There’s no doubt that fiber is essential. It keeps your digestive system regular, decreases cholesterol levels and helps balance blood sugar, but if you’re new to following a high fiber diet, loose stools can be an unwelcome side effect....

Dumbbell bench press requires more use of your stability muscles. Image Credit: Vladimir Sukhachev/iStock/GettyImages Although the classic barbell bench press has been a staple in resistance training programs for decades, it may be time to drop the barbell and pick up a pair of dumbbells. However, depending on your goals, one variation may be superior. Advertisement Read more: Major Muscle Groups Used in Bench Press Video of the Day Dumbbell vs....

Inversion exercises help relieve pain in your lower back. Image Credit: VlaDee/iStock/GettyImages Inversion exercises hang you upside down in an effort to provide relief from lower back pain, improve circulation and better your posture. To hang upside down, use exercise equipment slowly to allow your body time to get used to the uncommon, inverted position. Advertisement Read more: Not Sure What to Do on the Treadmill? Start With These Workouts Video of the Day Equipment to Hang Upside Down According to the Mayo Clinic, inversion therapy, in theory, takes gravitational pressure off your nerve roots and spine disks to increase the space between vertebrae....

Exercises that twist the body may harm spondylolisthesis. Image Credit: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages Spondylolisthesis causes back pain due to instability in the vertebrae. Teens who are involved in sports like football or gymnastics are at risk. It is important to know which spondylolisthesis exercises to avoid for preventing injury, as well as which ones are best for a strong core. Advertisement Overview of Spondylolisthesis You may be surprised to find out that spondylolisthesis is the most common cause of back pain for teen athletes, as reported by the Cleveland Clinic....

Iron and zinc are two of the most crucial minerals in your diet. Image Credit: AlexPro9500/iStock/Getty Images Iron and zinc are two of the most crucial minerals in your diet. While iron supports healthy red blood cells, zinc is essential for a strong immune system. That’s why eating foods with iron and zinc is so important. Advertisement How Iron and Zinc Interact Iron and zinc go hand in hand given their correlating effect on absorption....

Garcinia cambogia is indigenous to Southeast Asia. Garcinia cambogia -- a tropical fruit in the mangosteen family -- is a common ingredient in commercial weight loss products, including Xenedrine and Hydroxycut. Hydroxycitric acid, the active constituent in garcinia, reduces body weight and insulin output in animal studies, presenting possible applications for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. Preliminary research on garcinia's abilities to cause weight loss in humans has shown promising results, but clinical trials are limited; more study is needed....

Avoid drinking milk if you have an upset stomach. Image Credit: canyonos/iStock/GettyImages Milk is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, but if you have an upset stomach, you should avoid drinking milk and eating dairy products. Advertisement Gastroenteritis is a general term used to describe an upset stomach or inflammation in the intestines. It commonly causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, gas and cramping. It's not a good idea to mix gastroenteritis and milk as it may exacerbate your symptoms....

A bowl of dried apricots on a wooden table. Image Credit: The_Pixeltree/iStock/Getty Images High-fiber foods generally have five or more grams of fiber per serving. Eating a diet with sufficient fiber offers several potential benefits, including protecting against colon cancer, lowering LDL or bad cholesterol and helping to prevent heart disease and diabetes, according to the Nemours Foundation. If you currently have a low-fiber diet, increase your fiber intake gradually in order to allow your digestive system to adjust to the change....

Image Credit: mel-nik/iStock/GettyImages Stamina is the ability to keep going when the going gets tough. Whether this means keeping up with friends on weekend rides or competing in a triathlon is purely individual, but the path to get there is the same. You need to progressively increase the load on your cardiovascular system, forcing it to become stronger and last longer. Advertisement Do Short Intense Interval Workouts The best way to increase your stamina without spending hours on your bike each day is to do interval training....

Knowing how much of your total carbohydrates come from sugar can help you manage your overall sugar intake. Image Credit: mediaphotos/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Calculating Sugar Totals Sugar Alcohols and Fiber Carbohydrates aren't just one simple nutrient. So that's why the number of total carbohydrates you see on a food's nutrition facts label includes the sugar, fiber, starch as well as sugar alcohols. Advertisement Food labels also include the total added sugars to help you stay under 10 percent of calories from added sugars, per recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025....

Brisket is a tasty option. Image Credit: maria_esau/iStock/Getty Images Whether you like it braised, smoked or slow-cooked, beef brisket is one of the best cuts of meat you can get your hands on. For a simple yet versatile meal, try foil-wrapped brisket in the oven. The prolonged cooking time helps tenderize the meat while enhancing its flavor. Advertisement Tip Wrap the brisket in aluminum foil to boost its natural flavors and reduce the cooking time....

Can you really drink alcohol and lose weight? You bet, if you follow these six steps. Image Credit: martin-dm/E+/GettyImages Drinking alcohol and losing weight might sound like one of those “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” scenarios (sorry for the cake visual!), but it doesn’t have to be. If imbibing is part of your social schedule or just a go-to way to unwind, you don’t have to give it up entirely....

A bowl of dough. Image Credit: tashanat7519/iStock/Getty Images Fried bread dough is the basis for a variety of recipes and confections, including Navajo tacos and some fritters. The frying process makes the dough crispy and brown on the outside while retaining a soft center. While you can use your own bread recipe to make fried bread, using frozen bread dough can expedite the process. Once you allow the dough to thaw, it’s ready to use in the same way you’d use fresh dough....

The starchy sweet potato contains many nutrients that support healthy aging. Image Credit: Nataly Hanin/iStock/GettyImages Carbs have been criticized over the last couple of years. And while eating too many refined, highly processed carbs (which can cause quick blood sugar and insulin surges and crashes) isn’t good for you, other types of carbs can likely lengthen your lifespan. Advertisement Indeed, healthy complex carbs (which are digested more slowly) can not only help with weight management in the short term (if that's your goal) but also promote overall health in the long term....

Stressful times call for stress-reducing measures. Image Credit: Brooke Schaal Photography/Moment/GettyImages When the going gets tough, the tough roll out a yoga mat. Yep, even a single yoga session can help you better deal with stress, according to a December 2017 study from Complementary Therapies in Medicine. Advertisement "When we feel supported and calm, our bodies can actually restore themselves from the inside out and we function better in every aspect of our lives," says Anna Greenberg, Peloton yoga instructor....

Consuming calories every other day isn't for everyone, especially if you have a history of kidney disease or diabetes. Image Credit: AaronAmat/iStock/GettyImages There are plenty of things you’d do every other day, in a perfect world. Perhaps take a trip to a beach. Wear your favorite outfit. Feel absolutely invincible on a run. But what about eating? Alternate day fasting (ADF) — a type of intermittent fasting that’s rising in popularity — will have you eating one day and fasting the next....

Hummus is an excellent source of low-calorie protein. Image Credit: sveta_zarzamora/iStock/GettyImages Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are one of the most versatile of legumes. You can sprinkle them in salads, roast them for a crunchy snack, stir them into soups and stews, grind them up for falafel, blend them into smooth and creamy hummus, or you can enjoy the savory delight that is chickpea pasta. Advertisement The mild, nutty flavor of chickpeas is complemented by a wide range of seasonings from the savory goodness of Middle Eastern garlic and olive oil to the spicy chiles of Latin American cooking....

references Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: "Berberine" National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCIH): "Goldenseal" Metabolism: “Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes” Science China Life Sciences: “Learning from berberine: Treating chronic diseases through multiple targets” Clinical Microbiology: “Berberine: A Medicinal Compound for the Treatment of Bacterial Infections” Chronic Diseases and Translational Medicine: “Study progress of berberine for treating cardiovascular disease” Clinical Lipidology: “Metabolic and cardiovascular effects of berberine: From preclinical evidences to clinical trial results” Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy: “The effect of Berberine on weight loss in order to prevent obesity: A systematic review” Phytomedicine: “Lipid-lowering effect of berberine in human subjects and rats” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: "Berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systemic review and meta-analysis" The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association: "Popular Supplements for PCOS" Is this an emergency?...

We rounded up the best and worst frozen breakfast sandwiches to help make the healthiest choice. Image Credit: gkrphoto/Adobe Stock Some days you need more than just a high-protein smoothie or granola bar to help you jump-start your day. Breakfast sandwiches can provide a great balance of protein, healthy carbs and fat for sustained energy to power your morning. Advertisement If you could paint the perfect a.m. routine, maybe it would involve sitting down to enjoy a homemade breakfast sandwich, stacked with an over-easy egg, cheese, avocado and a dash of hot sauce....

The cocoa in chocolate contains caffeine, which may trigger diarrhea for some people. Image Credit: al62/iStock/Getty Images There’s a reason so many of us love chocolate: It’s tasty, sweet and certain varieties even contain health-supporting antioxidants. But the treat can cause unexpected side effects for some. For instance, can chocolate cause diarrhea? Advertisement Indeed, chocolate does cause diarrhea for certain people. So if you regularly get diarrhea after eating chocolate, here are the potential reasons why....