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The fire hydrant exercise is primarily a glute builder, but it also works the core. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com In This Article Instructions Benefits Tips Variations The fire hydrant exercise might have gained fame during the '80s aerobics craze. (Thanks, Jane Fonda!) But that doesn't mean this classic butt move doesn't hold merit today. Add it to your fitness program, and you'll find that along with gaining stronger glutes, you'll also strengthen your core....

Chicken is a source of N-Acetylcysteine. Image Credit: Tatiana Volgutova/iStock/GettyImages N-Acetyl Cysteine, or NAC, has gotten lots of buzz recently for all of its potential health benefits. While NAC is only available in supplement form, this amino acid is found naturally in foods in its cysteine form. Get the scoop on the best cysteine foods to incorporate into your diet. Advertisement Tip Add foods like chicken, turkey, yogurt, eggs and garlic into your diet to get the antioxidant benefits of the amino acid cysteine, which is found in the NAC supplement....

dairy products and beef from grass fed cows are great sources of CLA Image Credit: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, is an omega-6 polyunsaturated essential fatty acid, which provides support, flexibility, and structure to cell membranes. The recommendation for CLA for human benefit is 3 grams daily, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Potential health benefits of CLA involve anti-heart disease effects, anti-cancer effects and body fat reduction. Much more research is needed, but the initial reports appear promising....

A bowl of cooked rice on a table. Image Credit: John_Kasawa/iStock/Getty Images Metabolism is the process by which your body changes food into energy. Simple carbohydrates such as white rice are easy for your body to break down and digest, so they metabolize rather quickly. Understanding how your body metabolizes white rice and other simple carbohydrates can help you realize why these types of foods, when eaten in excess, can be detrimental to your blood sugar levels and health....

To boost your gym sessions, eat a meal of carbohydrates, protein and a small amount of fat one to three hours before exercising. Image Credit: yulka3ice/iStock/GettyImages When it comes to powering your workouts, food is your fuel. And if you’re lifting weights after eating a meal, you might be wondering how long to wait after eating to exercise. Generally speaking, give yourself anywhere from one to three hours to participate in weight training after eating....

A bowl of broccoli cheese soup, which is usually 1 1/2 cups or 12 ounces, provides around 263 calories. Image Credit: Mizina/iStock/GettyImages Broccoli cheddar soup is ooey, gooey and oh-so-comforting, especially in the winter; but what about broccoli cheese soup calories? Is it as rich as it tastes? Are there lots of carbs in broccoli cheddar soup, too? While the soup isn’t loaded with calories, it packs a punch in the sodium department....

You need energy for a long run. Image Credit: Image Source/DigitalVision/Getty Images Physical demands from a 10 mile run requires planning your nutrition to maintain energy stores in the body before, during and upon completion of your run. Determining the amount of calories to eat begins with understanding your personal calorie expenditure during the run. Advertisement Basal Metabolism Basal metabolic rate is the calorie amount burned in a 24 hour period at sedentary levels....

Make sure to get the proper amount of protein after working out. Image Credit: Sirichai Chitvises/iStock/GettyImages When you’ve got #bodygoals you want to reach ASAP, knowing how much protein you need is key to slaying it. But when it comes to post-workout protein — well, it’s complicated. Advertisement Some experts say it doesn't matter when you eat protein, as long as you get enough throughout the day, while others say there's a proper amount and window of time in which to get it....

Use a calculator to convert your pedometer steps to kilometers. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images Your pedometer is a helpful tool for increasing your physical activity. Wearing your pedometer daily will motivate you to increase the number of steps you take. You may find yourself parking further away from the entrance to stores in order to reach your daily steps goal. The more steps you take, the more changes you will feel in your body....

Baking uncooked pasta, like this baked spaghetti dish, reduces the amount of preparation time you need. Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages Cooking pasta in an oven can be done in a variety of ways. Although lasagna is potentially the most well-known baked pasta, you can also bake spaghetti, mezze penne and many other pastas. Additionally, not all pastas need to be precooked before you put them in the oven. Advertisement Read more: Always Add Oil to Pasta Water and More Pasta Myths Busted by a Chef Video of the Day Cooking Pasta in an Oven There are many ways of cooking pasta in an oven....

Chickpeas are a nutrition-packed legume. Image Credit: KerimHeper/iStock/Getty Images High protein diets may help boost your weight loss, notess MayoClinic.com. However, it can get challenging to try to find ways to increase your dietary protein. Chickpeas are a great solution, both high in protein and fiber. A versatile legume, chickpeas can be used to increase protein in a variety of recipes, or on their own, and then stored in the freezer for later use....

An itchy butt is a common condition that can occur for a variety of reasons. Image Credit: Uladzimir Zuyeu/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Hemorrhoids Anal Fissure Pinworms Anal Yeast Infection Skin Condition Trigger Foods Irritating Products Chronic Diarrhea Sexually Transmitted Infection Certain Medications Underlying Health Condition Anxiety or Stress When to See a Doctor There are certain body parts where an incessant itch can be extremely uncomfortable and inconvenient. Your butt is undoubtedly number one on that list....

Want to get creative with your race uniform? There are plenty of unique running events around the U.S. Image Credit: Caiaimage/Chris Ryan/Caiaimage/GettyImages Runners are a unique part of the population — they wake up at the crack of dawn, often train in bad weather and sign themselves up to suffer through races of all lengths, including ultramarathons. But there are races all over the U.S. that offer experiences that have to be seen to be believed!...

If you’re trying to eat healthier, enriching your diet with foods high in polyphenols is a good place to start. Polyphenols are naturally occurring chemical compounds that boast antioxidant properties. Research has shown that diets rich in foods containing polyphenols are linked to lower rates of heart diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative disease and diabetes, per the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. What’s more, foods high in antioxidants like polyphenols may also guard your skin from free radical damage, according to the Cleveland Clinic....

Bleeding from the breast should never be ignored. Image Credit: PeopleImages/E+/GettyImages Bleeding from the breasts can have a number of causes, including breastfeeding and age-related changes. But in some cases, this symptom can be a sign of a serious medical condition. Advertisement Roshni Rao, MD, chief of the Breast Surgery Program at Columbia University Medical Center, tells LIVESTRONG.com that bleeding from the nipple is less concerning than bleeding from the skin of the breast....

The main components of physical fitness are agility, balance, coordination, speed, and power. Image Credit: Cecilie_Arcurs/E+/GettyImages Fitness is more than skin deep. Rather than rely on looks and sizes, the skill-related components of fitness allow you to describe your physical fitness in terms of what you can do. Furthermore, skill-related fitness exercises can help you improve your performance in each area. Advertisement 1. Agility Measures Ability to Adapt According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, this skill-related component measures your ability to change direction and position of your body without losing control....

These healthy comfort food dinner recipes serve up cold-weather coziness alongside key nutrients. Image Credit: boblin/Getty Images Top Recipes highlights the biggest cooking trends of the year based on our readers’ favorite recipes in 2020. Many of our favorite activities (think: traveling, seeing concerts or going to movie theaters) have been out of reach this year, so it’s no surprise we turned to comfort food — namely pizza, burgers, ice cream and mac and cheese, according to a September 2020 survey by market research firm OnePoll — for relief....

Try your hand at Mexican-inspired meals at home with these easy and delicious recipes. Image Credit: rez-art/Getty Images Top Recipes highlights the biggest cooking trends of the year based on our readers’ favorite recipes in 2020. Here’s an important thing we learned about ourselves this year: When times are tough, nothing really soothes the soul quite like tacos. Or enchiladas. Or carnitas. Advertisement And we're not alone in this realization: According to a July 2020 report from delivery service Doordash, 40 percent of people said they craved Mexican food most out of all cuisines, and Tex-Mex items like queso blanco and grilled chicken tacos saw enormous boosts in searches — 1,735 percent and 1,502 percent, respectively....

Doing partial-range reps leaves your muscles under tension longer and leads to more strength gains. Image Credit: LaylaBird/E+/GettyImages If you’ve done rep after rep of the same exercise with the same dumbbells for the last several months, you might notice your gains plateauing. But if you don’t have access to larger dumbbells, you still have options to get your muscles growing again. Advertisement It's all about time under tension. That might sound really uncomfortable, but when it comes to weight-lifting, increasing the amount of time your muscles are working against a load is a powerful and effective tool that encourages muscle building, according to the International Sports Sciences Association....

We're sharing all of the exciting updates and what they mean for our diet and health. Image Credit: tomeng/iStock/GettyImages The new year is just around the corner, and for many of us, that means change is on its way. One “new” change that is for certain, and is coming to a grocery store near you, is the new nutrition facts label. Advertisement The nutrition facts label is found on all packaged food items and details the nutrition contents of that food whether it's a box of crackers or a gallon of milk....