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As a general rule, the topic of someone else’s body should be out of bounds. Image Credit: serazetdinov/iStock/GettyImages If you’re not a doctor, odds are you probably wouldn’t offer guidance on how a person should handle their type 2 diabetes, heart disease or other serious medical condition. But when it comes to weight, many people feel it’s OK to give unsolicited advice or make comments. Advertisement Unfortunately, obesity is a visible disease, and because we can see it, we feel that we have the right to speak about it without a person's request, says Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, an obesity medicine physician-scientist....

Checking the heart rate If you've ever had an illness, you know that most changes that happen to one organ system cause a cascade of effects on other systems. For instance, when you have the flu, the causative germ makes your temperature rise, which makes you shiver, which makes it difficult to sleep and keeps you awake to feel all the aches and pains the flu brings with it. This domino effect also takes place between dehydration and heart beat....

Only eat ackee that's been split open naturally, otherwise it's poisonous. Image Credit: sevenstockstudio/iStock/GettyImages Despite the fact that it can be poisonous in it’s raw form, ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica and the star of popular home cooked dishes. Advertisement This bright red berry grows on a tree that has its origins in West Africa. Purdue University notes that the fruit grows in other Caribbean islands, such as Haiti and the Bahamas....

Amino acid supplements are different from protein powders and bars. Image Credit: Eugeniusz Dudzinski/iStock/GettyImages Taking amino acids pre-workout can help you recover, giving you a slight edge over someone who isn’t taking the supplement. As a supplement, amino acids can’t replace proper nutrition or hard work in the gym. However, if you feel that you’ve mastered the basics and are looking for something to give you an extra push, you can try amino acids....

As always, things should be consumed in moderation, including milk. Image Credit: ProjectB/E+/GettyImages You probably were told your entire childhood that you need to drink milk to grow big and strong. While milk does have great benefits like being a rich source of calcium, potassium and high-quality protein, all essential for healthy bodies, drinking too much milk may result in side effects. Advertisement Tip As always, things should be consumed in moderation, including milk....

TRX straps build total-body strength, and are simpler to use than they look. Image Credit: RyanJLane/E+/GettyImages If you’ve never used a TRX, now’s your time. Advertisement "The TRX is an amazingly versatile piece of equipment," says Caroline Juster, CPT, a Chicago-based certified personal trainer and functional strength coach. "You can use it to train every muscle in your body, and it's ideal for home gyms." Advertisement But for as simple and user-friendly as the TRX suspension trainer is meant to be, it can look intimidating....

Your calorie needs can be based on many factors, making it hard to set general recommendations. Image Credit: MurzikNata/iStock/GettyImages Figuring out how many calories you should eat per day is challenging. You can use time-consuming techniques to get accurate data, or use an average calorie intake for age, height and weight. Advertisement People come in all shapes and sizes. Height, weight, the amount of muscle you have, the amount of activity you do per day and your gender all factor into ​how many calories you need​....

A cup of coffee may increase epinephrine levels. Image Credit: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images You may know it better as adrenaline, but epinephrine is a hormone produced in your brain in response to strong emotions such as fear or anger. A release of the hormone causes an increase in your heart rate, blood pressure, muscle strength and blood sugar and serves as a means to get you ready for strenuous activity, or flight or fight....

High blood pressure, or hypertension, can be serious. Image Credit: KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStock/Getty Images Your body makes an amino acid called L-carnitine in the liver and kidneys and uses it to turn fat into energy. Normally your body can make all the L-carnitine it needs, but some cardiac or vascular diseases can cause low levels of L-carnitine in the body. Your body may not be able to make enough L-carnitine or can’t transport it into the tissue where it’s used....

Eating carbs after working out can help keep the muscle pump. Image Credit: fcafotodigital/E+/GettyImages Achieving a muscle pump both during and after a strength training workout is a goal of many serious athletes and bodybuilders. Some companies even claim they have supplements to keep muscles pumped for hours after exercise. Ultimately, though, the muscle pump comes down to how you eat and train. Advertisement Tip Certain training techniques such as drop sets and lifting a lower weight with higher repetitions and minimal rest may help keep the feeling of muscle pump post-workout....

Causes of Sudden Joint Pain Image Credit: Halfpoint/iStock/GettyImages Sudden joint pain can throw a monkey wrench into your fitness routine, work and other daily activities. Causes of acute joint pain differ from those that typically cause more gradually developing discomfort. The broad range of possible culprits include injuries, infections and crystals in the joint fluid, among others. Sudden joint pain may affect one or multiple joints and range from mild to severe....

Some beauty treatments call for lemon juice, but there's not much evidence to back up the claims. Image Credit: robertprzybysz/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Dark Spots Acne Scars Lemon Peel Lemon Essential Oil When life gives you lemons, make a face mask. At least that's what some beauty bloggers might have you believe. Plenty of people claim that using lemon juice or lemon peel can help clear up acne, reduce scarring, lighten dark spots and lead to glowing skin, all of which sounds amazing — and also like a great way to save money instead of buying pricey beauty products — but are those claims true?...

Walking is a low-impact exercise that can help treat hemorrhoids. Image Credit: Yoshiyoshi Hirokawa/DigitalVision/GettyImages Hemorrhoids — swollen and inflamed vein in your anus and lower rectum — are never fun (to say the least). While they don’t always cause pain, hemorrhoids that form right inside your anus can sometimes extrude through and become external hemorrhoids, which can be very painful. Advertisement Symptoms include bleeding during bowel movements, often showing up as bright-red blood on the toilet paper, along with pain, itching or swelling....

Sweet potatoes are versatile, delicious and healthy. Image Credit: laperla_foto/iStock/GettyImages A staple of many Thanksgiving side dishes, the sweet potato is delicious and ranks as one of the healthiest vegetables, boasting numerous nutrients, including fiber. Fiber aids in the absorption of cholesterol and helps reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. Advertisement Soluble Fiber and Cholesterol Soluble fiber plays a key role in lowering cholesterol. The consumption of foods that are high in fiber is connected to less cardiovascular disease and lower body weight, and it aids gut health, according to research published in April 2013 in ​Nutrients​....

Genetics and weight are definitely linked, but you're not doomed by your DNA. Image Credit: Rostislav_Sedlacek/iStock/GettyImages There are many factors at play when it comes to your weight, and genetics is certainly one of them. Every person’s body responds differently to food and exercise, and there’s some truth to the notion that obesity is hereditary. Advertisement But what runs in your family may not necessarily be your fate. How your genetics affect your weight is only one piece of the puzzle....

Poultry like chicken is gluten-free Image Credit: istetiana/Moment/GettyImages Many people are jumping on the gluten-free, dairy-free diet bandwagon in hopes of losing weight. However, there’s little to no evidence showing that cutting out foods containing either of these substances will help you drop pounds. While a 2016 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a positive association between dairy consumption and weight gain prevention in middle-aged women, these types of restrictive diets may make it difficult for you to get all the nutrients you need to support health and weight loss....

The green Mediterranean diet is similar to the traditional Med diet but with a vegetarian twist. Image Credit: luchezar/E+/GettyImages First there was the Mediterranean diet. You know, the one brimming with vegetables, fruit, olive oil, whole grains and seafood that’s been linked to benefits like better heart health and weight loss. Advertisement Now there's a new version, called the green Mediterranean diet, that's said to be even healthier. Video of the Day But are those claims true?...

Pouring half and half in a coffee cup. Image Credit: bernardbodo/iStock/Getty Images Half and half is a mix of half whole milk and half cream. It is usually found in cartons in the dairy section of most major supermarkets. Most often used in coffee, half and half may also be used for baking, to thicken sauces or as an ingredient in ice cream. Half and half contains a number of nutrients, but it is high in calories and saturated fat....

A diet rich in vegetables provides numerous health benefits. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a diet rich in vegetables may reduce the risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The USDA recommends eating two to three cups of vegetables a day. Getting enough fresh vegetables in your daily diet can be difficult. However, you can blend fresh vegetables into a convenient "green smoothie" to drink as a snack or meal replacement....

There are many options for good frozen sausages. Image Credit: Willie B. Thomas/DigitalVision/GettyImages If you’ve forgotten to thaw frozen sausage in time for the breakfast rush or to cook a hearty dinner, your options depend primarily on the brand of sausage you’re cooking. Some manufacturers specify that the sausage must be thawed before cooking, while other brands can go straight to the pan. Advertisement Cooking times for sausage links or patties vary depending on the cooking method....