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The right consistency of buttercream frosting depends on numerous factors. Image Credit: letterberry/iStock/GettyImages There are few indulgences as satisfying as a slice of cake or a holiday cookie covered in buttercream frosting. If you’re trying to make stiff buttercream icing for piping roses, ruffles or other shapes, here’s a stiff buttercream recipe along with some tips that can help. Advertisement Read more: 13 Healthy Baking Tips That Will Transform Your Food Video of the Day Stiff Buttercream Recipe The American Egg Board (AEB) lists a recipe for buttercream frosting....

A healthy meal of chicken and lettuce. Image Credit: Metkalova/iStock/Getty Images The fat pad is another name for the fat on the lower abdomen area. Infomercials flood the television airways with abdominal workout devices that promise to melt fat off your abs in minutes, especially on those hard to reach areas. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You cannot target one area of your body for fat loss, you have to lose fat all over....

Bananas, peanut butter and toast are among the foods that can help combat loose stool. Image Credit: nata_vkusidey/iStock/GettyImages As anyone who’s had problems with loose stools can tell you, it’s no fun. The good news is that dietary changes can often solve the problem. Altering your diet to incorporate certain stool-friendly foods can go a long way toward making you regular again. Advertisement ​Read more:​ What Could Cause Loose, Dark Stools?...

As you grow comfortable with this lunge workout, you can add a pair of dumbbells to make the moves harder. Image Credit: Prostock-Studio/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Circuit 1 Circuit 2 There's beauty in simplicity, especially where your leg workouts are concerned. While training plans full of elaborate exercises can be fun, all you really need is one type of exercise to get a great lower-body burn. Advertisement And this all-lunge workout is proof of that....

These 25 recipes make it easy to enjoy potatoes while you're trying to eat more vegetables. Image Credit: severija/iStock/GettyImages People have eaten potatoes for thousands of years. The root vegetables were originally cultivated by the Incas in ancient Peru but are still enjoyed across the world today in a variety of recipes. Advertisement Potatoes are a rich source of many nutrients, including fiber, copper, potassium and vitamins C and B6, according to the USDA....

A meal of salmon and roasted potatoes. Image Credit: gbh007/iStock/Getty Images A 50-20-30 diet plan is based on the acceptable macronutrient distribution rate of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in your diet. On a 50-20-30 diet, 50 percent of your calories comes from carbohydrates, 20 percent from fats and 30 percent from proteins. These percentages fit the macronutrient recommendations from the Institute of Medicine and will help you get complete nutrition from your diet....

If you're looking to get rid of you cankles, you can't spot reduce, but you can trim down all over. Image Credit: Luca Sage/Taxi/GettyImages Thick ankles are commonly referred to as cankles. They got their odd-sounding slang nickname because it looks like there’s not differentiation between the calf and ankle. The term was then popularized in the 2001 movie “Shallow Hal,” intended as an insult to body shame an overweight woman....

Here's a leg day workout you're definitely going to feel the next day. Image Credit: Raphe Wolfgang/LIVESTRONG.COM You’ve likely heard it said that you should never skip leg day. And that’s definitely true! Lower body workouts are important to strengthen your quads, hamstrings, calves, hips and glutes — all the muscles you need for walking, running, climbing stairs and lots of other everyday activities. Advertisement This video workout we've created with CrossFit athlete and fitness influencer, Jordan Shalhoub, will hit all those muscles (and likely feeling sore the next day)....

You can do this entire core workout sitting down to alleviate back pain. Image Credit: Brittany Hammond/LIVESTRONG.com One of the most important things we can do to alleviate back pain is build our core strength. This can be a catch-22 when we aren’t actually able to perform the exercises that will strengthen our core due to our pain. Advertisement The good news: Research — like this March 2015 study in the ‌Journal of Physical Therapy Science‌ — shows that core strength training is more effective than typical resistance training for alleviating chronic low back pain....

Grilled fish, vegetables and rice are all a part of a high-protein, low-sugar diet. Image Credit: rusak/iStock/Getty Images The high-protein, low-sugar diet is a diet that includes a variety of vegetables, proteins and complex carbohydrates to meet the nutritional needs of healthy, active adults. Before starting this diet, get medical clearance from your primary care doctor. Advertisement Who Should Follow a High-Protein, Low-Sugar Diet? The high-protein, low-sugar diet is appropriate for most healthy adults who exercise regularly and who are trying to consume most of their carbohydrates from nutrient-dense foods....

Stretching can help relieve sartorius muscle pain. Image Credit: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages If you’ve got thigh pain, you might automatically assume you’ve injured your quads. However, the sartorius also crosses the front of your thigh, running at an angle from the outside of your hip to the inside of your knee. This often-overlooked muscle even has a special nickname — the tailor’s muscle — named after its function. Sartorius muscle pain can be caused by straining this muscle....

Add pumpkin seeds to salads, breads, parfaits and smoothies, or eat them on their own for a healthful snack. Image Credit: Adobe Stock/aboikis In This Article Nutrition Health Benefits Pepitas While Pregnant Prep and Recipes When you carve your pumpkin this fall, rather than just tossing the seeds, roast them in the oven or eat them raw for a nutritious snack. Advertisement Pepitas are the unshelled version of pumpkin seeds — so pumpkin seeds have a shell and pepitas don't....

Two small bowls filled with raw lentils. Image Credit: tashka2000/iStock/Getty Images Despite their versatility in meals, you can’t necessarily eat lentils in any form. Like other legumes such as beans, lentils are not eaten raw, unless they are sprouted first. You’ll also gain the nutritional benefits by cooking mature lentils and eating them plain. In addition, lentils are a nutritional addition to soups, salads and vegetable stir-fries. Advertisement Nutritional Value Lentils are best-known for their fiber and protein content, which the U....

It takes one to three days for the human body to digest red meat. Image Credit: Lisovskaya/iStock/GettyImages Red meat is often on the list of foods to stay away from, especially if you’re hoping to watch your weight, cholesterol and heart health. But red meats, if eaten properly, can also be great sources of amino acids, protein, iron and vitamins. Here’s how to eat red meat in moderation. Advertisement Tip Red meat is an excellent source of essential nutrients, but the key is to eat red meat in moderation and in combination with a varied plant-based diet....

There are several possible causes of sharp pain in the lower left abdomen Image Credit: eclipse_images/E+/GettyImages If you’re experiencing an incessant pain in your left lower abdomen, you might be alarmed; however, the good news is that it’s not always a sign of concern. Advertisement Pain in this area of the body can be due to a variety of issues, some of which are more common than others, according to Shilpa Ravella, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City....

Avoid further strain if your feet are sore from calf raises. Image Credit: Ibrakovic/iStock/Getty Images Calf raises directly target your lower legs. You can perform this exercise with or without weights. Some people develop sore feet during and after calf raises. If you do, stop the exercise until you have assessed and treated the problem. A few different causes are possible. See your doctor if you have questions. Advertisement About Calf Raises Calf raises are done sitting or standing by rising onto the balls of your feet....

Symptoms of acid reflux or heartburn may occur when you're trying to sleep. Image Credit: eggeeggjiew/iStock/GettyImages Acid reflux or heartburn is a painful, burning sensation that occurs when stomach acid travels up from the stomach. Almost everyone experiences acid reflux at some point. Symptoms, including coughing and choking, may increase in severity while trying to sleep, says the National Sleep Foundation. Advertisement With severe acid reflux, sometimes acid or stomach contents can be inhaled or aspirated, which can lead to cough, asthma or even pneumonia, cautions Hardeep Singh, MD, a gastroenterologist with St....

A bowl of cottage cheese topped with apple slices. Image Credit: daffodilred/iStock/Getty Images The cottage cheese diet is a short crash diet meant to cause fast weight loss. As it is the case with most fad diets, it provides little nutrition and is very low in calories. According to Health.com, crash diets are not only dangerous, but they can also slow down your metabolism and lead to weight gain in the long run....

A bowl of powdered milk. Image Credit: Freer Law/iStock/Getty Images Milk powder and milk mawa powder can be the very same thing, provided that they both have full-fat contents. In some cases, however, you may have to do some searching to find mawa powder, since many stores sell only powdered nonfat milk, which won’t produce the same richness and texture in mawa desserts. Advertisement Basics Mawa is another term for khoa or khoya, which denotes a milk byproduct that is frequently used in Indian desserts....

Your bones don't move when you lose weight. Image Credit: Bine Å edivy/iStock/Getty Images Even if your weight loss result is seeing bones you might not know or remember you have, those bones have been there the whole time. Weight loss does not make your bones move. Your skeletal system is in place when you’re born and it stays in place no matter how fat or skinny you get. Bones can, however, go through other changes during weight loss....