Sugar may indirectly affect your immune system due to its inflammatory effects. Image Credit: tashka2000/iStock/GettyImages Eating sugar when you have a cold won’t necessarily worsen your symptoms or delay healing. While it’s true that sugar can be blamed for many things, from weight gain to heart disease, its effects on the immune system are controversial. Advertisement Most sugary foods lack nutritional value, so they won't help you get back on your feet....
Image Credit: alexey05/iStock/Getty Images Human milk contains all the nutrients that a baby needs for growth and development. Breast-fed babies are less likely to have diarrhea, pneumonia, ear infection, meningitis and urinary infection. The risks of developing chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases and allergic diseases in adulthood are also lower in breast-fed babies. These babies also tend to achieve higher intelligence. These benefits are mostly due to the nutrition superiority of human milk compared with animal milks like cow or goat milk....
Most cooking oils don't contain gluten. Image Credit: Sviatlana Lazarenka/iStock/GettyImages If you have a gluten sensitivity and worry about whether you should look for a gluten-free oil, you’ll be glad to know that most cooking oils don’t contain gluten. Actually, any oil other than soy, including canola oil, is suitable for a soy-free diet. Advertisement Soy- and Gluten-Free Oils According to Beyond Celiac, most cooking oils are naturally gluten free, but it’s possible for an oil to come in contact with gluten in the manufacturing process....
references My Food Data: "Lowfat Cottage Cheese (1%)" My Food Data: "Low-Fat Yogurt" My Food Data: "1% Milk" My Food Data: "Low Fat Ricotta" My Food Data: Lean Chicken Breast (Cooked) The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: "Changes in intake of protein foods, carbohydrate amount and quality, and long-term weight change: results from 3 prospective cohorts" U.S. National Library of Medicine: "Protein in diet" Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: "Protein" National Institutes of Health: "Calcium" U....
Diet alone can't treat ringworm, an itchy rash caused by a fungus. Image Credit: Thiago Santos/iStock/GettyImages You may have heard claims that diet can help ringworm, and if you have those rough, red patches, you’re probably searching for anything that will help. While no foods have been proven to specifically treat ringworm, eating foods to boost your immune system when you have ringworm might help. Advertisement First, let's clarify: Ringworm isn't caused by a worm or parasite....
A physical therapist assists a young woman to rotate her ankle following surgery. Image Credit: KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStock/Getty Images Doctors usually recommend a period of immobilization after ankle surgery, during which the involved bones, connective tissues and muscles atrophy, or get smaller and weaker. Performing exercises to restore flexibility and strength following this period is recommended. Consult with your physician before starting an exercise program, however, to make sure you are ready and to discuss which exercises are most appropriate under your circumstances....
Man holding vitamins and pills Image Credit: Sasiistock/iStock/Getty Images With so many vitamin options on shelves and online, it’s hard to know which one is right for you. When it comes to the bottom line, according to Carol A Rice, Ph.D., R.N., cheap vitamins are just as good as expensive vitamins. There are some things that you should look for on the vitamin label before making your final decision. You should always, of course, consult with your physician or pharmacist about possible interactions with other medications before you take them....
references U.S. National Library of Medicine: "Lactose Intolerance" Benefit of Probiotics: "Should you take a daily dose of bacteria?" Nutrition and Cancer: "Modulation of CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP1B1 expression by cabbage juices and indoles in human breast cell lines" Gastroenterology Research and Practice: "Prebiotic Effects of Xylooligosaccharides on the Improvement of Microbiota Balance in Human Subjects" Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal: "Probiotics and Disease: A Comprehensive Summary—Part 4, Infectious Diseases" Food Microbiology: "Selection of potential probiotic lactic acid bacteria from fermented olives by in vitro tests" Food Science and Biotechnology: "Changes in quality properties of kimchi based on the nitrogen content of fermented anchovy sauce, Myeolchi Aekjeot, during fermentation" Kimchi is a tasty, vegan-approved source of probiotics....
A plate of salad with sliced grilled chicken. Image Credit: Elena_Danileiko/iStock/Getty Images Eating the right foods in the right proportions after your ab workout will help build lean muscle and allow you to recover more quickly, says certified sports nutritionist Brian St. Pierre. Plan to eat your post-workout meal within one hour of exercising if you didn’t eat much before your workout and no more than two hours later if you had a hearty pre-workout feast....
Pick up a journaling practice to help process your feelings and gain new perspective. Image Credit: Leonardo De La Cuesta/Moment/GettyImages While some coping strategies to improve your mental health can be costly, fortunately, there are plenty of ways to cater to your mental wellbeing that won’t require you to whip out your wallet. Advertisement Devoting energy toward your mental wellbeing is truly time well-spent. It's not just a matter of lifting your mood — your mental health is tightly linked to your physical health, too, per the U....
Cup of goji berry tea and dried goji berries. Image Credit: white_caty/iStock/Getty Images The Chinese, Mongolians and Tibetans have used goji berries from the Himalayan Mountains for centuries as an herbal medication. Goji berries contain amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, proteins and complex sugars. These components of the goji berry may have health benefits. However, the full extent of these benefits are not known or fully understood. Further, currently available scientific studies do not confirm many of the purported health benefits of goji....
A pile of ground beef on butcher paper. Image Credit: yulia-bogdanova/iStock/Getty Images Gastritis can wreak havoc on your stomach, causing uncomfortable symptoms such as hiccups, heartburn and nausea. If left untreated, this condition can literally eat away the lining of your stomach and cause painful peptic ulcers. While ground beef generally doesn’t cause gastritis, there are a few things you should keep in mind when it comes to meat and stomach problems....
Plants are generally a rich, safe and healthful source of potassium. The recommended daily potassium intake is 3.5 g, which can be easily met with diets rich in fruits, vegetables and herbs. Potassium is needed to maintain electrolyte balance in the body. Some of the signs of potassium deficiency are fatigue, irritability and high blood pressure. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, seven dried herbs that have the highest potassium content are chervil, coriander, parsley, basil, dill weed, tarragon and turmeric....
Bibimbap with farro makes for a yummy high-fiber lunch idea. Image Credit: 4kodiak/iStock/GettyImages Craving unhealthy foods between lunch and dinner? If you’re trying to eat clean and lose weight, that dreaded midday slump may test your resolve. Advertisement Right around 3 p.m., "energy levels naturally dip, which is why most of us reach for a snack," Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, a Brooklyn-based dietitian and author of Eating in Color: Delicious, Healthy Recipes for You and Your Family, tells LIVESTRONG....
Squats are a great exercise to build bigger legs. Image Credit: Cavan Images/Cavan/GettyImages Build muscle definition without going to the gym with this home workout for bigger legs. You can gain mass in your lower body with the equipment you have at home by learning which muscles to work and how to train them. Exercise consistently for stronger, more muscular legs and better fitness. Advertisement How to Build Muscle Mass Strength training is an important part of keeping your body healthy, especially as you get older....
Heart rate is an indicator of metabolic needs of the muscles during exercise. Image Credit: Caiaimage/Sam Edwards/Caiaimage/GettyImages With all the attention paid to the effect that aerobic exercise has on heart rate, you might think the only requirement for an effective workout is to increase your heart rate. If that were true, watching a scary movie would do the trick. Advertisement Effective exercise occurs when the lungs, heart and muscles work harder together....
Elliptical machines provide a low-impact workout. Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages How fast a person can lose weight on an elliptical machine depends on several factors. Get the scoop on how many calories you burn if you do a half-hour on the elliptical, as well as tips to maximize weight loss. Aerobic activity combined with cutting calories is a good way to reach your goals. Advertisement Tip Regular exercise along with following a low-calorie diet is the most effective way to lose weight....
In the conventional five-member triathlon family, the mini or sprint triathlon is the baby of the bunch. It’s by far the shortest race of the group, and it’s designed to accommodate beginner and aspiring triathletes who aren’t sure whether they’re ready to tackle the longer distances of a conventional Olympic-length competition or more. For some triathletes, mini-triathlons are merely a stepping stone. For others, they’re the preferred circuit of competition....
Trim away the fat before baking to cut down on calories. Image Credit: Wiktory/iStock/Getty Images The amount of calories you’ll get from a slice of ham varies quite a bit depending on the fat content. Some varieties of processed deli ham have only a miniscule amount of fat, rendering very few total calories. On the other hand, if you have a slice of freshly roasted pork that wasn’t trimmed of fat, you’ll get more than double the calories as that slice of deli meat....
Salads are not always the lowest calorie choice on a menu. Image Credit: bhofack2/iStock/GettyImages The Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad is one of the most popular items on the menu as it’s the perfect combination of a crunchy shell with meat and veggies. Get the scoop on the calorie count and nutrition info, as well as tips for making it healthier by substituting ingredients. Advertisement Tip When possible, order "fresco style" from the Taco Bell menu to cut calories and fat....
