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Egg whites with whisk in bowl. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images At 55 milligrams of sodium per large egg, egg whites have a healthy place in a well-planned low-sodium diet. They’re also low in calories and contain almost no fat while providing high-quality protein. Egg whites, however, only maintain their low-sodium status if you don’t sprinkle them with salt or scramble them in salted butter. For added flavor that won’t break your sodium budget, top cooked egg whites with salt-free spices such as paprika or black pepper....

Run to build your fitness level and burn calories to help lose fat. Image Credit: filadendron/E+/GettyImages Getting rid of unwanted fat involves doing exercises that burn plenty of calories and eating a low-calorie yet nutritious diet. The exercises that burn the most calories are cardio exercises, which increase heart rate and tone muscle rather than building mass. Advertisement Exercises that build bulk, on the other hand, are strength-training exercises that use heavy resistance — such as free weights and weight machines....

There's more than one way to live a healthy vegetarian lifestyle. Image Credit: istetiana/Moment/GettyImages An estimated 8 million U.S. adults — or about 3 percent of the population — are vegetarians, according to a survey conducted by Harris Polls for the Vegetarian Resource Group. And a whopping 37 percent of the U.S. population “always or sometimes” eats vegetarian when dining out. Whether you’re a part-time vegetarian or treat it as a serious lifestyle, there are five big reasons to be vegetarian....

High-protein wheat flour makes crusty loaves of bread. Image Credit: anankkml/iStock/Getty Images Not all flours are created equal. The protein content of wheat flour can vary from 5 to 15 percent, and this variance can greatly affect your recipes. Alternative flours, made from ground legumes or soy, may also offer a high protein content, but a flavor that may not please your palate. Advertisement Wheat Flour High-protein wheat flour may bear the label “high protein” or “bread flour....

Dark gourmet chocolate. Eating any carb-containing foods can cause an elevation in your blood sugar levels, but some carbs will raise your blood sugar levels more than others. The glycemic index, or GI, is used to categorize carbs according to how they influence your blood sugars. Eating low glycemic foods, with a GI value of 55 or below, results in a small and steady rise in your blood sugar levels, while eating high glycemic foods, with a GI of 70 and above, results in a sharp rise....

Grilling thick pork chops takes just a few minutes longer, but the results are worth it. Image Credit: gbh007/iStock/GettyImages Grilling thick cuts of meat may seem daunting — take 2-inch thick pork chops, for example. You want to make sure they’re fully cooked in the middle without burning the exterior. Advertisement Pork chops are full of nutritional value, and they make a tasty addition to your plate. Luckily, grilling thick pork chops isn't super complicated and doesn't take long....

Breakfast sausages can be made from any type of protein. Image Credit: KucherAV/iStock/GettyImages Breakfast sausages can be made from any type of protein. However, sausages are most commonly made from red meats, which are often rich in saturated fat. The most heart-healthy sausages are made from plant-based proteins or lean meats like poultry and pork loin. Advertisement Read more: 10 Low-Carb Breakfasts That Will Fill You Up Video of the Day Buying Healthy Breakfast Sausages The ingredients found in sausages are regulated by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) based on their labels....

Beat the winter blues with these vitamin D recipes. Image Credit: GMVozd/Getty Images When it comes to nutritional deficiencies, we tend to look at our diets and what foods or food groups we’re not eating enough of. In some cases, we can blame deficiencies on medical issues (like poor absorption). But in one specific vitamin’s case, the cause is fairly simple: It’s the lack of sunshine. Advertisement We can meet most of our vitamin and mineral needs through our diet but we heavily rely on the sun as a source for vitamin D....

Herbal tea. Image Credit: George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images Herbal teas are often marketed for pregnant women or suggested by alternative medical practitioners as an alternative to coffee in pregnancy. Herbal teas, unlike non-herbal teas such as black or green tea, do not contain caffeine. When taken in pregnancy, herbal teas could increase the risk of miscarriage and some herbs may also cause fetal harm during labor. Do not drink herbal teas unless your medical practitioner approves....

Your indoor pace differs from an outdoor pace. Image Credit: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images Knowing your pace in minutes per mile can help you estimate how long it might take you to cover a specific distance. Most treadmill models will tell you how fast you are going in terms of miles per hour (mph), but won’t tell you the equivalent minutes-per-mile pace. If you run a 5-mph pace on the treadmill, you will cover one mile in 12 minutes....

Talk to your doctor about the amount of supplemental iron you should be taking. Image Credit: Seksak Kerdkanno / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages The Iron Disorders Institute indicates that even a mild case of iron toxicity may increase your risk for heart attack, diabetes and cirrhosis of the liver. If left untreated, an iron overload can be fatal. However, your body requires minimum levels of iron to maintain red blood cell production and oxygen transport and to prevent anemia....

Cooking frozen meatballs is easy, even if you don’t thaw them first. Image Credit: istetiana/Moment/GettyImages Cooking frozen meatballs is easy, even if you don’t thaw them first. In most cases, you buy them already fully cooked, so all you have to do is reheat them. You can reheat them several ways. Advertisement Cooking Frozen Meatballs Whether you’re making frozen meatballs in the oven with BBQ sauce or cooking frozen meatballs in marinara sauce, the point is to make sure they are heated through and safe to eat....

Raw halibut with lemon slices. Image Credit: lisaaMC/iStock/Getty Images Halibut is a large Pacific ocean fish that can grow to 8 feet in length and weigh up to 700 lbs. The meat of the halibut is white and flaky, with a solid texture. You can usually find halibut at the fish counter in grocery stores, or in specialty fish shops. The oven and stovetop are common cooking methods for halibut, but grilling is also an option....

You can cook puffballs just as you would morels or other large mushrooms. Image Credit: Galina Sandalova/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Puffball Mushroom Recipe Ways to Eat Puffballs Identifying Puffballs Picking and Storing Poison Mushroom Guide Puffball mushrooms (also known as Calvatia gigantea and Langermannia gigantea) are only edible when they're a milky white. The round, white fungus can range from golf-ball sized to the size of a watermelon. Advertisement Puffballs can produce up to seven trillion spores....

Doing the Forward Fold yoga pose stretches your hamstrings and can help you relax. Image Credit: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages Many yoga poses look like origami and some are even named like it. Case in point: Forward Fold. But you won’t need to twist yourself into a pretzel to feel the benefits. Advertisement This relatively simple posture stretches your hamstrings (which, odds are, feel pretty tight if you sit at a desk all day) and can help calm an anxious mind....

All you need for a good cardio and strength workout is your staircase. Image Credit: Javier Snchez Mingorance / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages Before you spend hundreds of dollars on a piece of cardio equipment for your living room, take a look around. If you have a set of stairs in your house, you already have everything you need to get in shape. Advertisement Not only are stairs ready-made for a calorie-torching cardio workout, but individual steps can be used for strength moves like lunges and step-ups for your lower body and push-ups and rows for your upper body....

Eat a healthy diet to get out of starvation mode. Image Credit: barol16/iStock/GettyImages Hitting a diet plateau because of a sluggish metabolism can be frustrating, but the good news is that with the power of knowledge and a little bit of commitment, starvation mode recovery is not at all difficult to achieve. Advertisement Starvation mode occurs when you deprive your body of calories past the point where it has to burn stored glycogen or fat for fuel to where it stops burning anything and starts hoarding every calorie you take in....

Freshly whole and sliced cucumbers on a chopping block. Image Credit: pilipphoto/iStock/Getty Images Cucumbers are cooked in a variety of ways, but grilling isn’t among the most common methods. Much of this relates to the structure of cucumbers. These vegetables are high in water content, which doesn’t suit them well for grilling. One of the risks on a grill is that the cucumber’s water will evaporate, causing the vegetable to shrivel and dry out quickly....

Swap fast-food burgers and fries for lean proteins and fresh fruits and veggies to better control GERD symptoms. Image Credit: d3sign/Moment/GettyImages In This Article Fried and Fast Foods Fatty Meats Spicy Foods Tomatoes Citrus Fruits Alliums Chocolate Peppermint Caffeine Carbonated Drinks Alcohol It's never fun to feel that burning sensation in your throat or chest, otherwise known as acid reflux (or for some, gastroesophageal reflux disease, aka GERD). Your diet can aggravate the conditions, which is why knowing the foods to avoid with GERD or reflux can help you ease symptoms....

You can't technically "overdose" on fiber supplements, but eating too many can cause some uncomfortable symptoms. Image Credit: Farknot_Architect/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Signs Dosage Who Needs Fiber Supplements? Dietary fiber is a must for smooth digestion and overall health. But it can be easy to overdo it with supplements like fiber gummies or powders. And that can cause some unpleasant side effects. Advertisement Fiber supplements like psyllium and methylcellulose typically deliver between 2 and 5 grams of fiber per serving....