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You may have introductory sessions with multiple potential therapists before you pick one to work with in the long term. Image Credit: Prostock-Studio/iStock/GettyImages You’ve made the decision to address your mental health with the help of a professional. Good for you! Now, how do you go about finding the right therapist to work with? Advertisement If you're new to the world of therapy, finding a qualified expert to talk to can feel daunting....

dancer with strong stomach Image Credit: DragonImages/iStock/Getty Images Dancers are known for having tight and toned abdominal muscles as a result of their daily efforts. However, dancers are not born with amazing mid-sections; they sculpt their abs with exercise and a great deal of discipline. Dancers keep their bellies firm by consistently performing movements that involve all of the major muscles of their body. Stability and interval training will help you get your own slim waistline, as will a healthy diet and target training for your midsection....

We asked the germ experts if we really need to be wiping down our groceries (spoiler: they said no). Image Credit: Adam Radosavljevic / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages With the threat of COVID-19 still out there and flu season ramping up, you may be wiping down anything and everything that enters your house, including food, mail and packages, as well as those high-touch items where germs are likely to hide (like your phone, purse, wallet and keys)....

Your body doesn't absorb all of the calories from almonds or other nuts because of the way they're digested. Image Credit: undefined undefined/iStock/GettyImages When you think of weight-loss foods, nuts may not be the first to come to mind. After all, they’re relatively high in fat and calories per serving. But for a variety of reasons, adding nuts to your diet may make it easier to shed pounds. Advertisement Case in point: A September 2019 study published in ​BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health​ found that eating nuts regularly may actually help prevent us from gaining weight over the years and decrease our risk of having obesity....

Safe cleaning products always list active ingredients on their packaging. Image Credit: dragana991/iStock/GettyImages It’s safe to say we’ve never relied on cleaning products’ ability to do their job more than now, during a pandemic with no definitive end in sight. Advertisement With the major brands selling out of their sanitizers and cleaning products for weeks at a time, people have been forced to purchase lesser-known brands, many of which are mislabeled and contain harmful ingredients that are not safe for use on human skin, according to the Food and Drug Administration....

Your own body weight is the best, most convenient workout tool available. Image Credit: svetikd/E+/GettyImages When it comes to convenient, inexpensive workout equipment, nothing compares with your own body. It’s free, after all, and ensures that you can get a heart-pounding, muscle-pumping workout just about anywhere. Advertisement Personal trainer and fitness expert Ashley Borden has designed this efficient, full-body workout that's well-suited to the great indoors. All it takes: 25 minutes, a little floor space, a mat and your own body weight to work a variety of muscle groups and raise your heart rate....

Focus on fluids such as tea to help when you have pneumonia. Image Credit: Flavia Morlachetti/Moment/GettyImages While recovery time can vary from person to person, it may take you as long as six months to feel better after a bout with pneumonia. While there’s no special food for pneumonia that can help you get better faster, eating a healthy diet can keep your immune system strong and your energy levels up....

Apple cider vinegar can help treat ringworm. Image Credit: vonEisenstein/iStock/Getty Images Ringworm is a fungus that causes itchy, scaly ring-shaped skin infections. Common in cats, ringworm is highly contagious and easily spread among animals and humans. Ringworm infections are most likely to occur on body parts that are often sweaty, such as the groin and feet. One home remedy that has been found helpful in treating ringworm infections is the topical application of apple cider vinegar....

Are Planks Better Than Crunches for Abdominal Strength? Image Credit: DeanDrobot/iStock/Getty Images Fitness experts and physiologists alike are writing a eulogy for the traditional crunch, once a mainstay ab exercise. Alternatives such as the plank exercise are stationary, keeping your body stable and eliminating the back pain issues associated with a traditional crunch. As experts shift to these more holistic ab workouts, variations of the standard plank have been developed that can push your workout to new heights....

Setting up the ideal rep and set range for your goals will help you get the bicep strength and size you're looking for. Image Credit: gawrav/E+/GettyImages Sometimes more is a good thing, like when it comes to drinking water during the day or getting up to take standing breaks from your office chair. But when it comes to building your biceps muscle size or strength, more doesn’t always equal bigger and better....

It's OK to drink coffee if you have strep throat, but don't overdo it. Image Credit: LightFieldStudios/iStock/GettyImages If you have strep throat, you might wonder if you can still drink your usual morning coffee. As long as you can tolerate the temperature, it doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold coffee: It’s OK for a sore throat. However, don’t overdo it — you’ll want to drink plenty of other liquids too, experts say....

Blood sample to measure lipase Lipase is an enzyme that is found in several different places in the body, including the pancreas, intestines, and liver. In the pancreas, lipase helps in digestion of food by breaking down components of fat called triglycerides into smaller molecules that can be easily absorbed. According to the website Healthline.com, the pancreas is the primary source of lipase in the body. The level of lipase in the blood can be increased due to a variety of causes, ranging from problems with the pancreas to medications....

Use a spring bar to train your chest at home. Image Credit: ChesiireCat/iStock/Getty Images Exercising at home with push-ups and dips can get boring. Add a little interest without investing the time and space in a huge set of dumbbells or a bench press rack, and then obtain a spring bar to enhance your at-home pec workout. It won’t replace staple bodyweight exercises, but it can add a new element to your chest training....

If you are experiencing diarrhea during or after your workout, identify the probable reason and take steps toward prevention. Image Credit: AzmanJaka/E+/GettyImages Few things can sabotage a workout session like the onset of diarrhea. While its cause is not perfectly understood, exercise-induced diarrhea affects fitness enthusiasts and competitive athletes alike. Advertisement If you are experiencing diarrhea during or after your workout, identify the probable reason and take steps toward prevention. If the condition persists, consult with your doctor to rule out a more serious problem....

Of all the macronutrients, fat has the most calories per gram. Image Credit: sveta_zarzamora/iStock/GettyImages The macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates and fat — are nutrients that your body needs in large quantities, and all of them provide a noteworthy amount of energy your body can use as fuel, measured in calories. But of these macronutrients, one of them — fat — provides markedly more energy than the others. Advertisement Tip Carbohydrates and protein both provide 4 calories of energy per gram....

Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night may affect your blood sugar levels. Image Credit: Alessandro De Carli / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages Insomniacs and night owls take note. Sleeping fewer than seven hours at night could have a major effect on your blood sugar levels — and increase your chances of developing obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Advertisement Read more: 10 Surprising Ways Sleep Affects Your Whole Body Video of the Day Sleep and Blood Sugar Levels You might think that blood sugar levels drop while you’re sleeping....

Light floor stretches can help heal groin injuries. Image Credit: Prostock-Studio/iStock/GettyImages Groin injuries are common — especially if you play sports. While this painful condition is healing, you can still do upper body cardio exercises with a groin strain. There are also specific groin strain treatment exercises that can help your symptoms. Advertisement Groin pain is most commonly caused by a muscle strain. But it can also be a sign of a more serious condition, such as a pelvic stress fracture, according to an April 2018 article published by Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy....

Wall squats are a great exercise to strengthen knock knees. Image Credit: SrdjanPav/iStock/GettyImages The following exercises to help knock knees will help strengthen the muscles that support your legs while improving flexibility and function. Their role is to address the knock knees muscle imbalance that can lead to ankle and back pain. Advertisement What Causes Knock Knees? Knock knees, also known by the technical name of genu valgum, is when the knees touch or angle inward, while the ankles do not touch and angle outward....

While three weeks isn't a long period of time, you can introduce healthy lifestyle changes to keep your fitness improving for the long term. Image Credit: Cavan Images/Cavan/GettyImages Got a big event coming up in three weeks that you want to look your best for? While that’s not enough time for a total transformation, three weeks is enough time to make some healthy lifestyle changes and set up a solid routine....

Removal of part or all of the thyroid gland is called a thyroidectomy, and is necessary when you have a cancerous thyroid nodule. You may also require surgery if you have symptoms due to a benign thyroid nodule. Other reasons for thyroid surgery include recurrent thyroid cysts, Graves’ disease or goiter. Recovery from an operation on your thyroid is usually quick. Most people require only a one-night stay in the hospital, then return to their regular routine and a normal diet within a week or two....