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Nix screens at the dinner table and use conversations to slow down the pace of your eating. Image Credit: monkeybusinessimages/iStock/GettyImages If you’re watching your weight, the choices you make throughout the day — whether they deal with food or exercise — make a difference when it comes to the number on the scale. But making healthy decisions at dinnertime can really propel your progress. Advertisement These five dietitian-approved, simple supper strategies will help set you on the road to weight-loss success....

You can do these total-body stretches each day for improved mobility. Image Credit: AaronAmat/iStock/GettyImages Stretching can feel like a chore. It’s not necessarily strenuous or exhausting, yet few people look forward to their post-workout or mid-day stretch (and kudos to those who do). Advertisement But stretching is a crucial practice to improve your range of motion and help prevent injury, especially as you get older, according to Carolina Araujo, CPT, a California-based strength coach....

Chin ups are a great back workout. Image Credit: skynesher/E+/GettyImages Bodybuilders use highly demanding workouts to spur muscle growth and achieve their ideal physiques. They are chasing something called muscle hypertrophy — the scientific term for gaining muscle. To achieve their goals, they often have to break up their workouts for the week by different body parts — such as arm and back workouts — in order to maximize the amount of work they can do with each muscle in a workout....

By supersetting your exercises, you get twice a much done in less time. Image Credit: JGI/Tom Grill/Tetra images/GettyImages Some workouts seem needlessly overcomplicated — 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps of this exercise, followed by 4 to 5 sets of 4 to 6 reps of that exercise, repeating half the circuit twice. It starts to feel like high school math class all over again. Advertisement That's why this workout from Joel Freeman, Beachbody trainer and creator of LIIFT4, keeps things simple: You'll do 3 sets of 10 reps of each exercise and rest 45 seconds in between supersets (groups of two exercises performed back to back)....

Cereal, bananas and milk contain carbohydrate. Image Credit: marrakeshh/iStock/Getty Images Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all known cases of diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation. Type 2 diabetes occurs most often in people who have overweight over the age of 40. However, it is becoming more prevalent among younger populations with the rise in obesity. Treatment involves diet, exercise and oral medication. Carbohydrates in food have a great impact on blood sugar; knowing what foods contain carbohydrates can help you manage your diabetes....

Are Fig Newtons Healthy? Image Credit: SharafMaksumov/iStock/GettyImages There are over 700 types of figs, and they’ve been popular since the 19th century. Love of this healthy, sweet fruit has led to the production of many different chutneys, jams and other dessert products. One fig product that is particularly popular is the fig Newton. While fig Newtons are not as healthy as raw figs, they are not a bad snack choice, either....

As you age, your spine undergoes physical changes that can make you more prone to pain, but exercise can help. Image Credit: GrapeImages/E+/GettyImages For many people, back pain is just a regular part of life. In fact, 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some point, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. At the risk of sounding like a total Negative Nancy, the aches and pains tend to get worse as we grow older....

Cherries may help with chronic pain. Image Credit: John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images Cherries are a tart fruit that is used in dishes around the world. The juice of cherries has also been linked to a number of medical uses, including reducing the inflammation of gout and arthritis. No interactions have been noted between cherry juice and blood thinners. However, consult your physician before changing your diet or taking any herbal supplements while taking blood thinners....

You don't need to burn to get the most out of stretching. Image Credit: m-gucci/iStock/Getty Images Almost everyone has heard that they should “feel the burn” when exercising, but if the burn is due to overstretching, it’s never a good sign. Stretching too much can cause burning in your legs, as well as virtually everywhere else on your body, and if you persist in overstretching, you can end up with some nasty muscle injuries....

Carefully choosing condiments helps cut calories. Eating a low-calorie diet is critical for weight loss and weight management. One way to stay on track is to count calories. Today Show contributor Joy Bauer warns dieters that even a few tablespoons of high-calorie condiments, like salad dressings and mayonnaise sabotage calorie-conscious eaters. She suggests using condiments with few or zero calories in each serving. Advertisement Yellow Mustard Yellow mustard is a tangy condiment for sandwiches and dips....

Vitamin C may impair your healing after surgery. Image Credit: Wavebreakmedia Ltd/Wavebreak Media/Getty Images Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient that your body uses to construct tissues like skin, hair and nails. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that vitamin C may be effective in decreasing the risk of developing hypertension and certain types of cancer. Although vitamin C is often believed to help ward off colds, research has only supported this nutrient’s effectiveness in decreasing the length of a cold....

According to the DASH program, dieters should limit sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams a day. Image Credit: Diana Taliun/iStock/Getty Images The DASH diet is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Following this diet can help lower blood pressure, coronary disease risk and risk of stroke by 5 to 8 percent in individuals with hypertension, according to “Essentials of Exercise Physiology.” The DASH diet emphasizes fruits and vegetables, the avoidance of dairy products and fat and the minimization of sodium....

A barbell provides freedom of motion during the deadlift exercise. Image Credit: BERKO85/iStock/GettyImages Whether done with a barbell or on a machine, deadlifts are a multi-joint exercise, making them more effective and time-efficient for strength training than exercises that isolate one muscle. Advertisement Both the machine and barbell deadlifts target the erector spinae in your back but also work the major muscles of your thighs, calves, glutes, upper back and even your abs....

Artificial sweeteners allow consumers to enjoy a little sweetness without the calories and sugar. Splenda and Sweet & Low are brand names for two artificial sweeteners, sucralose and saccharin, respectively. Both products are used as tabletop sweeteners as well as in baked goods, beverages and candies. There are a few differences between Splenda and Sweet & Low, however. Where it Comes From Both sweeteners are man-made substances, but they come from different sources....

Green tea pills are high in catechins, caffeine and other compounds that aid in fat loss, but you still need to eat clean and stay active to reap the benefits. Image Credit: Eugeniusz Dudzinski/iStock/GettyImages Packed with antioxidants and bioactive compounds, green tea has emerged as one of the healthiest beverages on earth. Today, most stores offer green tea pills, green tea powder, green tea extract and everything in between. These supplements are said to facilitate weight loss, detox your body and slow down aging....

Eating a leafy greens salad contains vitamin B. Image Credit: barol16/iStock/GettyImages No one single nutrient, food or vitamin with a slew of nutrients will help your body magically lose unwanted pounds. Weight loss requires you to create a negative calorie balance by making a change in what you eat and also in your activity level. Advertisement However, the B vitamins do play an important role in helping your body metabolize nutrients — as well as helping with appetite control....

Pair healthy food choices with exercise to achieve an overall slimmer frame. Image Credit: Jacob Ammentorp Lund/iStock/Getty Images You probably want slim legs to sport a mini-skirt or skinny jeans with style. Weight loss happens proportionally, though; you can’t direct fat to disappear from one part of your body, no matter how much you wish for this. Foods that help you lose weight on your legs are the same foods you’d eat to lose weight everywhere....

Sweet potatoes are good for the thyroid. Image Credit: Julia Murray / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages Children who are told to eat their fruits and vegetables rarely understand the significance and importance of the advice and the fact that such foods can play a key role in the health of one of the most important tissues in the body — the thyroid gland. Advertisement While you probably won't be able to control thyroid disease through fruits and vegetables alone, choosing the best food for thyroid patients, along with the proper treatment, may help you manage your condition and improve your quality of life....

While calorie data is usually inaccurate, distance on a treadmill is fairly reliable. Image Credit: Azlin Nur Bakarudin / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages Most treadmills provide you feedback about your workout, including approximate calories burned, speed, elapsed time and distance covered. Consumers are often leery of the accuracy of this information. Advertisement Tip The calorie and fat burning data may be inaccurate, since the treadmill does not have enough information about the user. However, distance information is one of the more accurate data pieces on a treadmill....

Turkey sandwich calories and nutrient info will depend on what type of bread and other fixings you use. Image Credit: kajakiki/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Calories and Nutrition Whole Wheat Other Options It might be simple and quick to prepare, but you may be wondering how many calories are in a turkey sandwich and if there are ways to make your meal more nutritious and filling. Advertisement How you make your turkey sandwich matters....