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With a healthy diet and exercise routine, you can shed belly fat in no time Image Credit: Getty/Hinterhaus Productions No one loves the feeling of bending over and spotting a few friendly tummy rolls peeking over your pants. Rest assured that you’re definitely not alone. But remember to keep a realistic perspective — maybe you’re a little bloated, or perhaps the position of your body makes your skin appear looser. In other words, don’t think too deeply about it....

Calcium deposits on your teeth can only be removed by a dentist or dental hygienist. Image Credit: Bojan89/iStock/GettyImages The Refresh is helping you freshen up on your oral-care knowledge and upgrade your dental-hygiene routine. In This Article Signs and Symptoms Causes Treatment Prevention When it comes to your teeth, calcium is usually a good thing. Calcium deposits? Not so much. Advertisement Calcium deposits — also referred to as tartar or calculus (yes, like the math) — are formed from plaque that has hardened, or "mineralized," on the teeth....

Choose whole grain bagels over refined grain bagels. Image Credit: rojoimages/iStock/Getty Images A small oat bran bagel contains 176 calories, 2.5 g of fiber and almost no saturated fat. You can eat bagels on a diabetes diet, but choose whole grain bagels instead of bagels made from processed and refined grains. Balance your bagel – a starchy food – with a variety of other food groups such as fruit, non-starchy vegetables and protein....

Fresh parsley on a cutting board. Image Credit: 5second/iStock/Getty Images In the culinary world, parsley’s status hovers between herb and vegetable. While appreciated for its ability to add color and texture to foods, parsley is under-utilized as a vegetable rich in vitamins A, C and K. As with most foods, eating extremely high amounts of parsley might pose some risks. It most often appears on the “caution” list for people with kidney stones....

Expired vitamin C likely isn't toxic, but it is probably much less potent than the label states. Image Credit: VO IMAGES/Moment/GettyImages In This Article Expiration Shelf Life Considerations Alternatives Vitamin C in Food Vitamin C supplements are generally considered safe for most people when you stick to a reasonable dosage, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). But if you hang onto them too long, these supplements can break down, causing them to become chemically altered....

woman stretching outside for run Image Credit: ViktorCap/iStock/Getty Images The urinary system consists of the kidneys and bladder, along with the ureters and urethra. It has multiple functions, among them excreting toxins and metabolic by-products, maintaining the body’s fluid and acid-base balance, regulating electrolyte levels and secreting several important hormones. Exercise affects the urinary system in multiple important ways. Advertisement Blood Flow to the Kidneys When you exercise, blood flow to your kidneys is diminished due to an increase in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, the “fight or flight” component of the nervous system....

Does talcum powder cause ovarian 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. Over the past several years, you may have seen hair-raising headlines sounding the alarm about a possible link between using talcum powder (the main ingredient in many baby powder products) in your V-zone and cancer. And yet, last year a meta-analysis suggested there was no association between the two....

Dehydration is a common reason for having a dry, scratchy throat — and drinking more water can help resolve the issue. Image Credit: laflor/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Dehydration Congestion Sleeping With Your Mouth Open Allergies Acid Reflux Medications Tonsillitis Treatment Options When to See a Doctor A dry throat isn't exactly a medical emergency. But that parched, chalky feeling can sure be uncomfortable. And when it's happening often, it can get annoying fast....

Registered dietitians agree that adding more plant foods to our diet is one habit we could all benefit from when it comes to improving our diets. Image Credit: miniseries/iStock/GettyImages Changing how and what we eat can feel hard. Really hard. But improving the diet isn’t impossible, especially when we focus on small tweaks that can bring big change. Advertisement "Starting a new habit often feels challenging because we [have] unrealistic and poorly defined expectations," says Anya Rosen, RD, IFNCP, registered dietitian, functional medicine practitioner and founder of the Birchwell Clinic....

Many sodas contain aspartame to keep a sweet taste without adding real sugar and calories. Image Credit: Photosiber/iStock/Getty Images Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used as a substitute for real sugar in many processed foods and beverages, especially soft drinks. Despite its widespread use in the food industry, aspartame has been the subject of intense controversy surrounding its safety. According to the Food and Drug Administration, aspartame is safe for human consumption within the currently established nutritional guidelines, but questions concerning its effects on heart health and cardiovascular disease still exist....

Close-up of a plate of pasta topped with vegetables. Image Credit: HansaIsokoski/iStock/Getty Images Weight classes are a part of wrestling. Although they are intended to make competition safer and more fair, they have the side effect of motivating many wrestlers to starve themselves in the days before a match. For wrestlers in this situation, the hours between weigh-in and competition mean mealtime has come at last. What those wrestlers choose to eat will make a difference to their performance on the mat....

Don't use hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or denture cleanser to clean your night guard. Image Credit: artursfoto/iStock/GettyImages When it comes to protecting your pearly whites from grinding or clenching, dental occlusal guards — better known as night guards — are invaluable. And while they’re a terrific tool for your teeth, night guards can also become a bastion for bacteria and other microbes. Advertisement "A variety of bacteria, yeasts and molds reside within everyone's mouth," says Kevin Henner, DMD, president of the New York State Dental Association....

A young woman is digging into her desert. Image Credit: Matthew Ennis/iStock/Getty Images Illnesses related to obesity cause nearly 300,000 deaths per year in the United States, which makes obesity second only to smoking as the leading cause of preventable death. Due to the health risks associated with excessive body fat, it is vital to understand how the body gains weight and the amount of calories it takes for the body to begin storing this energy as fat accumulation....

Ride your bike for 45 to 60 minutes for weight loss benefits. Image Credit: MJPS/iStock/GettyImages Doing cardio exercise such as cycling for at least 300 minutes per week is recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the greatest weight loss benefit. How much weight you lose depends on how intensely you exercise and how you adjust your diet to maximize weight loss. Advertisement Tip For the greatest weight loss benefit, you should be cycling for at least five hours, or 300 minutes, each week....

Five large sea scallops have 89 calories. Image Credit: thesomegirl/iStock/GettyImages High in protein and succulent flavor, the calories in scallops are low, allowing you to enjoy such delicacies while benefiting from their nutrition. Sea scallops lend themselves to cooking methods that won’t add fat. You can sear or grill these tender mollusks without loading up on the butter. Advertisement Tip Five large sea scallops have 89 calories. One boiled or steamed scallop contains approximately 18 calories....

Peaches on branch Image Credit: leekris/iStock/Getty Images A perfectly ripe peach can be juicier and sweeter than the world’s best dessert. This can make it hard to believe that this delectable fruit is both low in calories and high in nutrients – but it is. The calorie content makes it a perfect choice as a small snack or a sweet topping on yogurt. Advertisement Calorie Count Just like with all foods, portion size matters....

Red wine contains more resveratrol than white wine does. Image Credit: @reinasierra via Twenty20 Grapes, as well as certain other plants, produce resveratrol as a self-defense response to damage, disease or other stress. This compound develops primarily in the grape skin. Red wine contains more resveratrol than white wine because the grape skins remain on longer during the process of making red wine. While drinking moderate amounts of red wine may benefit your health, counting milligrams of resveratrol may not be worth your time....

Make a plan to lose the most weight you can in 10 days. Trying to lose weight in 10 days is a lofty goal, to say the least. And though you won't be able to shed dozens of pounds in this time, you should be able to drop a few with dedication and commitment to healthy diet and exercise regimen. Just be sure to talk to your doctor before trying to lose weight in such a short time....

When it comes to avoiding holiday weight gain, it's important to keep your "why" in mind. Image Credit: LauriPatterson/E+/GettyImages Holiday events are teeming with classic comfort foods: mac and cheese, candied yams and jelly doughnuts, to name a few. But while they may pump you full of nostalgia, these decadent dishes — which tend to be high in fat and sugar — can also easily lead to holiday weight gain if you’re not careful....

Cook the perfect boneless, skinless chicken breast in the oven every time. Image Credit: Lilechka75/iStock/GettyImages Chicken has been gaining in popularity. In fact, chicken now outranks all other animal proteins — beef, pork, turkey and others — in per capita consumption in America, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Advertisement And with good reason! Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a dieter's best friend and an excellent source of lean protein....