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Refried beans with corn chips Image Credit: Isselin/iStock/Getty Images Refried beans can be a healthy food or an unhealthy food – preparation makes all the difference. Refried beans prepared with animal fat can be high in cholesterol and saturated fat, while beans fried with a small amount of olive or canola oil can be relatively low in fat and cholesterol free. When they’re cooked with nutritious ingredients and little or no added salt, refried beans are a healthy way to add protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates to your meals....

A trainer is working with a woman in a gym. Image Credit: Jacob Ammentorp Lund/iStock/Getty Images Regardless if you are a vegan, omnivore or vegetarian, one thing always remains the same – you cannot spot reduce weight in your belly. This simply means that dozens of ab crunches performed daily will have little effect on your belly flab. The way to lose this weight is by taking a full-body approach that involves diet and exercise....

A large bowl of buttered popcorn sitting on your lap improves any movie-watching experience, but sometimes your snack might not agree with you. Image Credit: Detry26/iStock/GettyImages A large bowl of buttered popcorn sitting on your lap improves any movie-watching experience, but sometimes your snack might not agree with you. Buttered popcorn and diarrhea aren’t typically related, but there are reasons you might experience this gastrointestinal issue with this snack. Advertisement If you notice diarrhea after eating popcorn, consider its fiber content or other ingredients in your popcorn toppings....

A woman is feeling faint. Image Credit: 9nong/iStock/Getty Images Presyncope is a feeling of lightheadedness and faintness that does not result in loss of consciousness. This dizziness is not related to vertigo or related to inner ear or neurological problems and is most often related to blood sugar levels or blood pressure. There are a wide variety of ways that diet can cause dizziness, and learning about these dietary causes can help you control these symptoms and any associated difficulties or discomfort....

Walking on a torn ACL too soon after injury can increase pain and cause further damage to your ligament. Image Credit: Javier Snchez Mingorance / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages You might take your strong, sturdy knee joints for granted until you have torn ACL symptoms. Stability of your knees depends on ligaments that attach to your shin. Advertisement Two main ligaments — the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) crisscross inside your knee to prevent excessive forward and backward movement of the joint, according to Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics....

Drinking too much soda can be a key culprit in weight gain. Image Credit: Galina Barskaya/iStock/Getty Images Even if you watch what you eat and exercise regularly, clinging to your daily soda habit can quickly torpedo your weight-loss goals. Each can or bottle you drink packs on a surprisingly high amount of calories, while giving you little nutrition or sustenance in return. While it’s possible to drink soda daily and still lose weight, you’ll find it easier to achieve your goals if you make soda an occasional treat and opt for healthier drinks, such as natural fruit juice, unsweetened tea and water....

Women can benefit from taking horny goat weed or epimedium. Though you may not like the name, horny goat weed can be beneficial to both men and women. Horny goat weed, also called epimedium, is thought to alter levels of certain hormones including estrogen. Epimedium can have complex effects in the body by elevating mood, energy and feelings of arousal. Some chemicals in epimedium have been found to have estrogenic activity that may prevent bone loss....

Woman weighing herself on scale. Image Credit: Tetra Images/Tetra images/Getty Images You’ve had enough of not feeling your best — you want change now. If that change includes losing weight, chances are that you didn’t gain the weight in just a few short weeks, so it’s unrealistic to think you can take it off in that short of time. Advertisement A healthy, sustainable rate of weight loss is, at most, 2 pounds per week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....

Carnosine and carnitine may help slow age-related memory loss. Image Credit: Liz Gregg/Photodisc/Getty Images They sound similar and they share some of the same uses, but carnosine and carnitine have different compositions and functions. Carnosine and carnitine are available as supplements and carnitine is sometimes prescribed by physicians for some medical conditions. Consult with your health care provider before taking either as a supplement because they may interact with medications or cause side effects....

Celery juice benefits your body with many nutrients, but it comes with a major drawback. Image Credit: dolgachov/iStock/GettyImages You’ve seen those trendy green bottles sitting pretty on grocery store and juice bar shelves, tempted to give the hyped-up juice a try. After all, you really can’t go wrong by adding celery to your diet. But when it comes to the green veggie’s juice, all of its lofty health claims may be overblown....

A woman conversing while enjoying a cup of coffee. Image Credit: Todd Warnock/Photodisc/Getty Images If you’re a coffee drinker, here’s one more of one of those “good-news/bad-news” situations that muddles your mind and drives you to straight to the coffee pot for another hit of joe. Coffee has garnered media and especially Internet attention ever since a 2000 publication in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases linked coffee consumption to a heightened risk of rheumatoid arthritis....

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a relatively safe and effective treatment for sleep apnea Image Credit: cherrybeans/iStock/GettyImages CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is a relatively safe and effective treatment for sleep apnea and certain other breathing problems, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. A CPAP machine blows a steady stream of air into a mask that the patient wears over the mouth and nose. Because the air is under a small amount of pressure it prevents the airway from collapsing or blocking airflow to the lungs....

Some mild post-workout soreness is normal, but if you're in so much pain you can hardly walk, you need to dial back your exercise intensity. Image Credit: ChesiireCat/iStock/GettyImages If you’ve worked out to the point that you have leg muscles so sore you can’t walk, it’s time for some “good news, bad news.” The bad news is that you’re going to need to take a break from heavy workouts while your legs recover....

A sweatshirt might make your run feel more intense, but the benefits aren't always worth the risk. What you wear when you workout is important. Your attire and gear can help keep you comfortable and in some cases, is very important to the exercise you are doing, like good shoes for running. Wearing a sweatshirt while exercising to promote extra caloric burn has some merit, but needs to be taken in consideration with its minor benefits and possible health concerns....

A young woman is doing lunges on a bosu ball. Image Credit: kurga/iStock/Getty Images Strength-training exercises offer some impressive benefits, namely that they not only help you build muscle, but also burn fat. They also increase your metabolism long after your workout. You don’t need a lot of different exercises to get the results you seek. To strengthen all of the major muscle groups in your body, it is important to choose the appropriate exercises....

Your face and scalp are made up of 10 groups of muscles. One of these muscle groups is the lips, which are surrounded by three muscles that make you smile, frown, pucker or chew. As you age, the skin and muscles of your lips begin to droop, causing your face to look older. Facial exercises for the lips may help increase blood flow, reduce sagging skin and tone your lips' muscles....

Choose bland foods like saltine crackers and toast if you have nausea during chemo. Image Credit: dlerick/iStock/GettyImages Chemotherapy, which works by killing bad-acting cancer cells, can be effective for treating many cancer types. But because chemo can also damage healthy cells in the process, it can cause side effects, including stomach trouble and mouth sores. Choosing the right foods during treatment can help. Advertisement Everyone reacts differently to chemotherapy, so it's important to bear in mind that the diet that works for you during treatment may not be the same diet that works for your friend or family member during chemo....

The bladder is a hollow organ in the lower abdomen that helps store urine. Several conditions, such as incontinence, bladder infections, bladder cancer and cystitis, can affect the functioning of the organ and may lead to bladder discomfort. Your doctor may prescribe medications or surgery to treat your condition. The role of supplements and natural foods such as ginger in managing bladder diseases is unclear. Talk to a doctor before using ginger or its supplements....

Grilled fish and veggies on a plate. Image Credit: gkrphoto/iStock/Getty Images Wheat, oats, barley and rye all contain gliadin, a protein found in gluten. A gluten-restricted diet that eliminates these foods and any products containing them will also be free of gliadin. If you’ve been diagnosed with certain digestive disorders, following a gliadin-free diet may help relieve your symptoms. However, only a fraction of people may truly need such a diet, says “Forbes” science writer Steven Ross Pomeroy....

Margarine is better for managing cholesterol levels than butter. Image Credit: Mizina/iStock/GettyImages When it comes to matters of health, margarine usually wins out over butter any day. Since margarine is made from vegetable oils, it’s also made of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which are commonly known as the “good fats,” thought to help reduce cholesterol overall. However, that doesn’t mean you should go slathering on the margarine just yet. Advertisement Dietary Guidelines for 2015-2020 from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion suggests limiting overall fat intake and putting an emphasis on healthy fats....