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Fast and fried foods are often a primary source of saturated fat in the diet. Image Credit: Jacek Nowak/iStock/Getty Images Sausage, hot dogs, burgers, French fries — all of these ballpark-friendly eats have something in common: Saturated fats. Whether you’re trying to be smarter about your heart health or simply shed a few pounds — limiting high saturated fat foods can be a total game-changer. Advertisement "High saturated fat intake is linked to increases in low-density lipoproteins (LDL) — or 'bad' — cholesterol over time," explains registered dietician Mariska Gordon of Copeman Healthcare....

A roast with tomatoes and asparagus. Image Credit: Saddako/iStock/Getty Images Heel roast, also known as heel of round, isn’t a cut of meat that you often find in the grocery store because it is often reserved after butchering to make beef stock or for use as stew meat. However, if you can find it, you can braise it as a pot roast. Heel of round is a very flavorful roast that is tougher than many of the other beef cuts because of its location: above the heel on the cow....

The frog crunch is a challenging ab exercise that hones in on the deep layers of your core, including your transverse abdominis and obliques. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative In This Article Instructions Benefits Tips Modifications Standing side crunches, bicycle crunches, you know the deal. You've crunched your way through countless crunch and sit-up variations. But there's one more — and completely awesome — take on the traditional crunch that we bet you haven't tried: the frog crunch....

Hand grips are a great way to increase you hand strength. Image Credit: yipengge/iStock/GettyImages Building hand grip muscles has a number of practical applications from opening doors to playing several sports, including tennis, golf and rock climbing. You can practice building hand grip strength by using hand grippers or doing other exercises, such as squeezing a ball. Advertisement A Hand Grip Overview A forceful hand grip involves flexion of the finger joints and a combination of flexor and extensor muscles....

Tofu makes a perfect egg alternative for a high-protein breakfast. Image Credit: Beo88/iStock/GettyImages Yogurt, eggs and sausages are a few protein-filled staples you can find in breakfast recipes all across the internet. But for those following a plant-based diet (or looking for plant-based alternatives), you definitely don’t need these ingredients for a satiating breakfast. Advertisement The next time you want a filling, meat-free breakfast, give one of these high-protein tofu breakfast recipes a try....

Sleep is a major part of overall health and should be prioritized — but we get it, that's often easier said than done. Image Credit: brizmaker/iStock/GettyImages The year came and went like a fever dream. And chances are, 2022 may have had some sleepless nights because of discomfort or pain. This year we’ve had dozens of experts weigh in on what’s waking you up. While some may be minor instances, a few reasons do require serious medical attention....

Squats are the first exercise in this 20-minute body-weight ladder. Image Credit: Drazen_/E+/GettyImages Whether you’re working out first thing in the morning or after a long day of work, jumping into a high-intensity workout may not seem too inviting. But structuring your high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into a ladder is one way to ease into tougher sessions. Advertisement Built by Carolina Araujo, certified personal trainer, this 20-minute ladder workout starts with 3 reps of each exercise, followed by a 20-second rest....

Look for healthy foods that your child enjoys. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images It may be a challenge to get your 12-year-old to eat healthy, but proper nutrition is essential for growth and development and peak performance in school. A healthy diet is about balance and variety. Instead of focusing on taking away unhealthy foods from your child, find nutritious foods that you child enjoys. Advertisement Calories Physical activity will increase calorie needs....

No matter your reason for trading in traditional wheat flour for a substitute, you're in for a surprise. Image Credit: Diana Taliun/iStock/GettyImages Going low-carb when you love to bake can be a drag. Alternative flours don’t seem to work like good old wheat flour. It takes getting used to different flavors and textures, but learning how to use these flours correctly can improve your baked goods so they are more like the originals you love....

Place both hands behind your head for a regular sittup. Image Credit: KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStock/Getty Images The recommended number of situps for beginners depends upon your age, fitness level and situp form. Generally, men have more muscle than women, and younger individuals have more muscle than older individuals. With more muscle, you can do more repetitions. Top End Sports and other sources have promulgated charts which depict sit-up standards for various age ranges....

Benefits of Zumba Workouts Image Credit: GeorgeRudy/iStock/GettyImages Inspired by the dance and music of Latin America, Zumba isn’t your typical aerobics class. Claiming to take the “work” out of working out, the Zumba fitness method is meant to feel more like a party than an aerobics class. But even though you might feel like you’re at the club, you’re still getting all the same benefits of a challenging exercise session, including fat and calorie burning, muscle toning and improved aerobic fitness....

A lemon martini on a bar top. Image Credit: VectaPhoto/iStock/Getty Images Bitter Lemon is a lemon-flavored beverage similar to tonic water. Due to its bold flavor, Bitter Lemon is used as a mixer for alcoholic beverages, but you can also drink it on its own. If you are dieting, Bitter Lemon may not be an ideal choice, as it is high in calories and does not provide a large degree of nutritional benefits....

Boxers need to fuel up to stay faster and stronger than their opponents. Image Credit: standret/iStock/GettyImages Boxers put in hours, days, weeks and months of preparation for a fight. A boxer’s diet is almost as important as a workout because it provides fuel for competition and helps recovery. The ideal diet combines healthy foods in the perfect amount to keep a boxer fresh and ready to box. Advertisement Challenges of a Boxer's Diet Boxing is a weight class sport, which means that you compete against people who weigh the same as you....

Push-ups are the king of body-weight chest exercises. Image Credit: Halfpoint Images/Moment/GettyImages While building muscle mass is most commonly associated with weight-lifting, you can increase your muscle size and strength with body-weight exercises like push-ups. Though they primarily target the pectorals (chest muscles), they also work with triceps, biceps, quadriceps and core. Advertisement Tip Yes, push-up benefits include increased muscle mass, strength and endurance, primarily working the chest and triceps but also activating other muscles in your arms, shoulders, core and legs....

More vegetables and less spaghetti makes it healthier for people with diabetes. After a diabetes diagnosis, your may fear you have to give up your favorite carbohydrate-rich meals like spaghetti and other pastas. Although it's true that you need to keep careful watch over how many carbs, calories and fat you take in, you can accommodate an occasional serving of spaghetti. Make sure your eating is always within the context of a healthy, carb-balanced meal plan and that you are following the advice of your doctor or dietitian....

Running is usually out until your back has healed. Image Credit: ChesiireCat/iStock/Getty Images Lying out on the couch to let your back recover from injury isn’t always the best strategy for healing. Exercise, including cardio, can often be the best medicine for a hurt back. Of course, the type of exercise you choose truly depends on the extent of your injury. You must clear your exercise plans with your doctor, and stop if you feel pain — especially electrical or shooting pain in your back....

Cardio Heart-Rate Zones Image Credit: jacoblund/iStock/GettyImages Tailoring your cardio workout to your goals is easy if you have some way to measure your heart rate. As fitness technology rapidly increases, most people can wear a wrist device that tracks it for you. If you know your heart rate, you can speed up or slow down your workout to keep yourself in the right heart rate zone for your goals. Advertisement Max Heart Rate Your heart rate will tell you the intensity of your cardio workout....

Potato salad. Image Credit: Igor Dutina/iStock/Getty Images You may have heard about the extreme diet of Chris Voigt, executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission, who pledged to eat nothing but potatoes for a 60-day period. To meet his caloric needs, Voigt planned to eat 20 potatoes a day. In light of this, the validity of the claim that eating cold cooked potatoes can enhance weight loss is called into question....

Bridge pose is a great exercise for those with a compression fracture. Image Credit: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages Your spine is made up of 24 stacked bones called ​vertebrae;​ There are 12 vertebrae in your thoracic region, which attach to each of your 12 ribs. A ​T12 compression fracture​ affects the lowest vertebra in this region. Core strengthening can be helpful in managing this condition. Advertisement Compression fractures most commonly occur as a result of osteoporosis — a condition that causes your bones to weaken....

references Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "Exercise Safely in Hot Weather" Nature Metabolism: "Skeletal muscle energy metabolism during exercise" Mayo Clinic: "Heat exhaustion" Cleveland Clinic: "Should You Exercise When It’s Hot?" Cleveland Clinic: "Dehydration" Exercising in the heat is hard, but it may not burn as many calories as you think. Image Credit: miodrag ignjatovic/E+/GettyImages Image Credit: miodrag ignjatovic/E+/GettyImages Always listen to your body and stop exercising in the heat if you feel any nausea or dizziness or have pale or cold skin with goosebumps....