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Planks can help you meet your stomach-toning goals. Image Credit: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages “How can I tone my stomach fast?” It may be the appeal trainers hear most often — especially just before swimsuit season. But whether you’re concerned about the health implications of extra belly fat or just want to look better, there are effective ways to improve muscle definition and get those toned abs. Advertisement Tip It takes dedication, but if you stick to a targeted diet and workout routine, you will notice a difference in your stomach's firmness within several weeks....

Baked sweet potato contains important antioxidants. Image Credit: AmalliaEka/iStock/GettyImages If you’re trying to manage your weight, it’s good to know that a medium sweet potato can be a healthy, almost fat-free addition to your diet without any cholesterol. Sweet potatoes are surprising low in calories and carbs. They are loaded with fiber and nutrients such as vitamins A and C. Advertisement Tip Eating the skin of a baked sweet potato won't add calories, but you will get more fiber, which is important for maintaining digestive health....

Monster Energy drinks have four times the caffeine of a can of cola. Image Credit: Thomas Marx/iStock/GettyImages When your energy levels are lacking, it’s common to think beyond coffee and consider reaching for a can of Monster Energy caffeine for an extra boost. But have you ever considered the caffeine in Monster versus coffee? Now’s the time. Advertisement Tip There are 80 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce serving of Monster Energy, or 160 grams per 16-ounce can....

For small cakes, the depth of the batter matters more than the size of the pan. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images Novices can sometimes be intimidated by baking, because it has a reputation for requiring close and careful accuracy of measurement and technique. That’s true up to a point, and baked goods rely on chemistry to arrive at a good outcome, but often baking requires judgement and common sense as much as scientific precision....

For added convenience can use a rice cooker for buckwheat. Image Credit: Roxiller/iStock/GettyImages Buckwheat has been used as a traditional porridge in Russia, where it’s native, and it was grown in the American colonies by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The Japanese even make their soba noodles from buckwheat flour. Advertisement Although still popular in Russia and Japan, buckwheat became less popular in the United States. Buckwheat pancakes are still a favorite among the health conscious, and in recent years kasha, or toasted buckwheat porridge, has been gaining in popularity....

Broiling is a good option for deer steaks, but be careful not to overcook them. Image Credit: Vladimir Mironov/iStock/GettyImages Deer meat is naturally low in fat but high in protein. While it’s a red meat, it has a calorie, protein, fat and cholesterol content similar to salmon. Advertisement A 3-ounce serving of venison loin has about 134 calories, 3 grams of fat and 26 grams of protein, according to the USDA Nutrient Database, while a salmon fillet of the same size contains about 155 calories, 7 grams of fat and 22 grams of protein....

The primary cause of doing a butt wink when you squat is limited mobility in your hips and ankles. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative In This Article Causes Risks Exercises to Fix It From letting your knees collapse inward to raising your heels, there are a multitude of mistakes you can make during squats. But there's another common error you might be less familiar with that can also mess with your squat gains: the butt wink....

Woman's legs on the beach Image Credit: Dangubic/iStock/Getty Images The Leg Magic Exercise Machine is a simplistic machine that moves your legs across two tracks, offering a cardiovascular workout and some strength training in the lower half of your body. Some of the claims the product’s manufacturers make are extreme and unrealistic. For example, they claim you can work out for only a minute at a time. If you want to get the best results from the machine, you’ll need to adopt a more traditional workout and ignore inflated promises....

references Parade magazine 1 of 12 Overview No one knows better the psychic toll of failure than professional athletes. As experts in the field of sports excellence, Venus Williams, Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali and athletic stars like them impart inspirational words about having a healthy attitude toward winning and the lessons they learned from losing. These quotes from 10 sports luminaries will encourage you to try your hardest and not succumb to the emotional agony of defeat....

The best breakfast recipes for the skin are high in nutrients that promote elasticity and hydration. Image Credit: Getty Images/Oatmeal Stories People invest a lot of time — and money — on products and procedures to gain glowing skin. But what you put ​in​ your body is just as important for radiant, supple skin. Advertisement Eating certain nutrients can take your complexion to the next level. These 12 nutrient-dense, skin-supporting breakfast recipes will help keep you healthy on the inside ​and​ looking radiant on the outside....

Lysine (aka L-lysine) is probably not as top of mind for you like fiber and protein, but this essential amino acid is important for your overall health. Lysine-rich foods include animal-based foods such as beef, poultry and seafood but the amino acid is also found at lower levels in foods like bananas and other fruits, nuts, popcorn and oatmeal. The body cannot make this amino acid, so it’s important to eat foods high in lysine — though most people get enough in their diet naturally, per Mount Sinai....

Light exercise can help you feel more energized, especially if you get moving in the outdoors. But don't overdo it. Image Credit: FG Trade/E+/GettyImages Maybe you find it difficult to fall and stay asleep despite being absolutely exhausted. Maybe you have trouble focusing, too, and feel like you just can’t remember things the way you used to — like your brain is always in a fog. Advertisement If you've had these symptoms for more than three months without an obvious cause, a condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) may be to blame....

U.S. Army soldiers working out in a gym in the field. Image Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images News/Getty Images Regardless of your level of fitness, there are seven principles that should be followed during any type of physical training or exercise program. As laid out in the “U.S. Army Fitness Training Handbook,” these seven principles also are known as PROVRBS, an acronym for progression, regularity, overload, variety, recovery, balance and specificity....

Kickboxing workouts boost your heart rate and your energy level. Image Credit: Jasper Cole/Tetra images/GettyImages Being cooped up inside can create a weird mix of feelings. One minute you’re feeling restless with extra energy to burn, the next you want to lie down for a very long nap. But in either of those scenarios, a quick kickboxing session can be just the pick-me-up you need. Advertisement "Kickboxing is an effective full-body workout that helps reduce stress, improves overall coordination, burns calories, increases flexibility and teaches self-defense moves that increase confidence and strength," says Aaron 'Speedy' Swenson, a kickboxing instructor for Fight Camp who holds two National Kickboxing titles....

Better foot mobility means better balance and stability, which can help prevent falls as you get older. Image Credit: Predrag Popovski/Moment/GettyImages One of the downsides of getting older is that many things start getting weaker… and one of them is your feet. And the decreased balance and stability that accompanies weak feet increases your chances of falling. Advertisement In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of four adults over 65 fall each year....

Freeze-dried strawberries sit on a white counter. Image Credit: Nixxphotography/iStock/Getty Images Freeze-drying, also called lyophilization, is a process where food is quickly frozen, and then the ice is turned into water vapor and removed by placing the frozen food in a vacuum, resulting in a dehydrated product. Freeze-drying food requires special equipment, so people do not usually do this at home, instead purchasing products from companies that specialize in this process....

Chinese lantern berries, aka groundcherries, have a tart flavor and are part of the nightshade family of fruits and vegetables. Image Credit: teddiviscious/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Nutrition Benefits How to Eat Them If you've ever visited an Asian supermarket or bakery, you might have noticed reddish-yellow berries surrounded by a papery husk hanging like lanterns off of a plant. These rare fruits are called Chinese lantern berries, also known as groundcherries, cape gooseberries and bladder cherries....

Ginger is often used in cooking because of its strong flavor. Image Credit: icarmen13/iStock/Getty Images Ginger is a type of root and spice that has been used as a culinary ingredient and traditional medicine for thousands of years. Often taken as a treatment for stomach-related discomfort and illness, boiled ginger contains antioxidants known as phenols and has a number of potential health benefits, among them improved digestion. Advertisement Gastrointestinal Relief Ginger is commonly used as an herbal remedy for indigestion because it produces an effect that stimulates the movement of the digestive system....

Butter Beans Nutrition Facts Image Credit: etienne voss/iStock/GettyImages The health benefits of butter beans, also known as lima beans, made them the mainstay of the Native American diet as a major source of protein, fiber, iron and B vitamins. Advertisement Low-Calorie, Low-Fat Food Butter beans are good for you as a low-fat low-calorie food. A 1/2-cup serving of butter beans contains 77 calories per 100 grams. Butter beans are considered a low-energy-dense food, which means it has a low-calorie content compared to its serving size....

Add a serving of cheese to a fresh spinach salad for a dish that supplies both calcium and magnesium. Image Credit: fcafotodigital/iStock/GettyImages Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals that function as electrolytes within the body. This means they help transmit electrical impulses between nerve and muscle cells and also help to balance the amount of fluid inside and outside the cells. Advertisement Calcium and magnesium work closely together, and the level of each must remain in balance with the other to regulate blood pressure and maintain a steady heartbeat....