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Arm balances like Crow pose can be tricky, but the right prep work can make it more doable. Image Credit: Sara Monika/Image Source/GettyImages Working on arm balances is an excellent way to build strength and confidence to uplevel your yoga practice. Crow pose, in particular, is a good arm balance to start with, as it builds the foundation for more advanced poses. Advertisement But as many yogis know, you can't just flip up into Crow, you have to build up strength and stability first....

While a 1200-calorie Indian diet may be suitable for short term weight loss, the low-calorie intake is not ideal for most healthy adults. Image Credit: SStajic/iStock/GettyImages While a 1200-calorie Indian diet may be suitable for short term weight loss, the low-calorie intake is not ideal for most healthy adults. Low-calorie Indian food, however, is often rich in spices like turmeric, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Advertisement 1200-Calorie Indian Diet Nutrition Developed by the National Academy of Sciences, the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) are a casual set of guidelines used to determine the amounts of different macronutrients required on a daily basis....

Detoxes like juice cleanses have zero health benefits and will likely leave you in worse shape. Image Credit: PeopleImages/E+/GettyImages Detoxes and cleanses have been on trend for years, staying popular with promises of ridding your body of toxins as well as some extra pounds. Followers may tout feeling healthier and having more energy, but commercial detoxes are not only ineffective — they’re just generally bad for you. Advertisement Of course, certain detoxes have medical benefits — like if you're doing, say, a colonoscopy prep — but those should be discussed with your doc....

Adding some fish to your and veggies to your dinner will make your med diet heart healthy. Image Credit: Foxys_forest_manufacture/iStock/GettyImages If you’re following a Mediterranean diet, your meals are probably high in healthy fats, whole grains and lean protein — and that’s a solid (and tasty!) formula for promoting heart health. Advertisement Cutting back on red meat and sodium while increasing your unsaturated fat intake is a great way to give any Med diet dinner a heart-healthy boost....

Eating apples can help combat bad breath, and the fruit provides you with ample nutrients. Image Credit: skynesher/E+/GettyImages You are what you eat, and the popular saying also applies to your breath. While good oral hygiene (brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing regularly) is fundamental for fresh breath, some foods can also deliver a deodorizing effect. Advertisement Here, dentist David Mitola, DDS, founder of Mitola Family Dentistry in Cohoes, New York, discusses seven foods that help bad breath, so you can finally oust those offensive mouth odors — no stinging mouthwash required....

Old or shared makeup can jeopardize your eye health, and there are a few other missteps to avoid. Image Credit: PeopleImages/E+/GettyImages You wanted a smoky eye — not a red and crusty one. But the wrong eye makeup routine can leave you vulnerable to problems like irritation and infection. Or worse: According to the FDA, makeup wearers have been “temporary or permanently blinded by an infection from an eye cosmetic.”...

A large corn field. Image Credit: Image Source Pink/Image Source/Getty Images Consider vegetables with a built-in herbicide, or grains containing mega-vitamins, or maybe harvesting decaffeinated coffee directly from the tree. All of these biotechnologically enhanced plant foods have been created to improve, change or dramatically enhance the natural genetic makeup of these plants. While farmers have been altering the makeup of plants for hundreds of years through cross-breeding and selective planting, scientists have been quietly engineering human food sources since the early 1940s, and actively and openly using GM plants since the mid-1990s....

A close-up of soy beans and tofu on a white counter. Image Credit: chengyuzheng/iStock/Getty Images The protein in food is made up of amino acids, and the quality of that protein is based on the number and types of amino acids it contains. Animal foods contain high-quality protein, and egg white has the highest quality protein of all. Unlike other plant or vegetable proteins, soy protein contains all of the essential amino acids necessary for good health....

A chicken breast served with noodles. Image Credit: Bogdanhoda/iStock/Getty Images Fat is often viewed negatively by dieters because of its influence on weight gain and cardiovascular disease. Fat contains 9 calories per 1 g, while the other two macronutrients – protein and carbohydrates – contain just 4. Splurging on fatty foods is thus more likely to result in weight gain than consuming excess carbs or protein. Your body actually needs dietary fat to function properly and certain fats can reduce your risk of cardiovascular problems....

Lean-sources of protein and whole-food-sourced carbohydrates help increase muscle. Image Credit: KucherAV/iStock/GettyImages Including a muscle-building breakfast in your diet might be exactly what you need to gain size and strength. Building mass requires more than just regular training. It requires proper meal timing to ensure your body has the nutrients it needs to support muscle growth. Advertisement Muscle mass gain requires a combination of strength training and proper nutrition. Not all diet and exercise programs will produce the desired results, though....

A child looks at a vitamin. Image Credit: manaemedia/iStock/Getty Images Children’s vitamins can provide extra nutrition and fill in the gaps in your child’s diet, but they may not be best to take during adulthood unless your doctor recommends it. It is not likely to harm you if you take children’s vitamins, but you might find yourself short on certain nutrients that you need during your adult years. Advertisement Needs The needs for some types of vitamins varies according to your age....

A woman is bent over and out of breath. Image Credit: Wavebreakmedia Ltd/Wavebreak Media/Getty Images While many people relate chest pain to cardiac problems, this may not be the case. If you experience a burning pain in your chest post workout, the cause is often not serious, and can be treated safely at home. However, if the pain is severe or you are uncertain about its cause, consult your physician immediately....

Popping open a can of tuna and whipping up a tuna salad for either a sandwich or salad is an easy way to fill up and get a significant amount of pescatarian protein at the same time. Image Credit: ooddysmile/iStock/GettyImages Popping open a can of tuna and whipping up a tuna salad for either a sandwich or salad is an easy way to fill up and get a significant amount of protein and omega-3 fats at the same time....

Cup-a-Soup has some advantages over other afternoon snacks. Image Credit: Elenathewise/iStock/Getty Images Lipton offers a way to beat midday slump with its instant Cup-a-Soup products. It says you can create a “slump-free work environment” by adding hot water to powdered broth to form soup. Whether this Cup-a-Soup diet is a better alternative than candy bars or potato chips for an afternoon snack is something you can decide by considering the Cup-a-Soup labels....

The antioxidant content of hot and cold green tea is similar. Image Credit: taa22/iStock/GettyImages Is it better to drink green tea hot or cold? Does steeping temperature really matter? According to the latest research, cold water steeping increases antioxidant levels in tea and maximizes its healing power. Advertisement Cold green tea is just as nutritious as hot brewed tea. Its antioxidant content depends largely on steeping time and leaf quality. Loose-leaf tea typically packs more antioxidants and bioactive compounds than tea bags....

Avoiding foods with dairy, caffeine, added sugar or ultra-processed ingredients is the best way to rid yourself of hard stools. Image Credit: a_namenko/iStock/GettyImages Eating the wrong types of food now can have painful consequences later on if you have constipation. Fortunately, you can take control of your hard stool. With a few simple tweaks to your diet, you can decrease your chances of dealing with this annoying issue. Advertisement Tip Avoiding foods with dairy, caffeine, added sugar or ultra-processed ingredients is the best way to rid yourself of hard stools....

Walnuts provide a source of omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Image Credit: seb_ra/iStock/Getty Images A healthy diet plan should consist of nutrient-rich foods from the main food groups. The foundation of a well-balanced meal plan should consist of fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and healthy fats. Fish is often encouraged in the diet as it is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. However, if you’re vegetarian or don’t like fish, you will avoid it....

Try a sprinkle of cinnamon in your next batch of homemade muffins. Image Credit: bhofack2/iStock/GettyImages From the cinnamon rolls you occasionally bake for breakfast to the fragrant sticks you steep in a cup of tea, cinnamon has a way of conjuring up feelings of comfort and warmth. Well, research shows that the spice may offer some real physical benefits that go beyond just our feelings. Advertisement Cinnamon and its extract have long been touted for its anti-inflammatory benefits....

Where does the fat go? Image Credit: dolgachov/iStock/GettyImages Although losing weight is sometimes described as “melting” or “shedding” pounds, what you’re really doing is exhaling them away. Fat loss happens when your body senses an energy shortage between the calories going in versus calories going out. Advertisement When your body is in this state of caloric deficit, it uses your fat stores for energy in a complex chemical process that eventually leads you to excrete most of the excess fat via your lungs....

Walking fast enough to get your heart thumping means you burn calories faster. Image Credit: Rafal Olkis/iStock/Getty Images The number of calories you burn during a 40-minute, brisk walk varies depending on how quickly you are walking. Based on your fitness level, a brisk walk may be between three and four and a half miles per hour. Advertisement Tip Your rate of calorie burn varies based on your body weight and exertion level....