Ground beef is a freezer staple, especially if you're following a low-carbohydrate diet such as Atkins or Paleo -- or you have a big family. Grass-fed ground beef contains less fat overall and a smaller amount of saturated fat; additionally, it has more healthy omega-3 fats and Vitamin E. When you rely heavily upon a single ingredient such as ground beef, however, you need a variety of preparations in your menu arsenal to offer variety in your meal planning....
Microwave stuffed peppers makes a convenient alternative to save time and prevent your kitchen from overheating on a hot day. Image Credit: AlexPro9500/iStock/GettyImages Stuffed bell peppers can take several hours to make, standing over a pot of boiling water and baking. But microwave stuffed peppers makes a convenient alternative to save time and prevent your kitchen from overheating on a hot day. Advertisement Microwave meals usually evoke images of high preservative, high fat foods such as microwave burritos and TV dinners, but this is one recipe that fits with a healthy lifestyle....
Windshield wipers are an advanced ab exercise that will light up your entire core. Image Credit: Sophie Walster/iStock/GettyImages If Russian twists and leg lifts had a baby, it would be windshield wipers. This incredibly difficult core exercise both rings out your obliques like Russian twists and requires the strength and control of an isometric hold like leg lifts. Advertisement What are windshield wipers? An ab exercise performed lying down that requires you to move your legs from side to side without touching the floor....
Unilateral exercises like the single-leg glute bridge can help fix muscle imbalances. Image Credit: Maridav/iStock/GettyImages Do you bust out 10 biceps curls on your right side but struggle to complete 5 on your left? Though it’s common to have a dominant side, slight differences in strength, balance and mobility can sometimes signal a muscle imbalance, which could hurt your exercise performance and up your risk of injury. Advertisement Quick refresher: Muscles control the movement of every joint in your body, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE)....
Want to eat for health and happiness? Include more mood-boosting foods, like avocado, eggs and salmon into your diet. Image Credit: Alexander Spatari/Moment/GettyImages Eating is so often a joyous activity. And, depending on what we’re noshing on, our food can make us feel happy in return. It’s a win-win: The scientific evidence around the connection between what you eat and how you feel mentally is building. Advertisement "The relationship between food and long-term mental wellness has been a fairly foreign concept until recently," registered dietitian Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD, author of the cookbook tells LIVESTRONG....
Flaxseed's benefits for skin include moisturizing and potentially reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Image Credit: Svitlana Hulko/iStock/GettyImages Flaxseed, also known as linseed, is a blue flowering plant grown on the western Canadian prairies for its rich oils. The oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which promote healthy heart and immune system functioning and may also help restore skin health. Advertisement Civilizations have been using flax since humankind's early beginnings: Flaxseed was one of the first crops ever cultivated and was used in Ayurveda to improve the skin's elasticity, moisture levels and appearance, per a September 2014 article in the Journal of Food Science and Technology....
Wine, aged cheese and salami are all high in histamine. Image Credit: NatashaPhoto/iStock/GettyImages Springtime sniffles are no match to anti-histamines, aka medications that can help treat allergic reactions, including those to pollen and ragweed. So if there are medications that are antihistamine, then there must be a thing that is histamine, right? Advertisement Right. Histamine is a chemical found in our bodies that can mount an immune response if it feels the body is under attack, according to the U....
This 20-minute bed workout strengthens your entire body from head to toe. Image Credit: torwai/iStock/GettyImages We all have those mornings when you can’t muster enough energy and motivation to slip on your workout shoes — or even get out of bed. But that’s OK because you can actually get an effective full-body workout without leaving your bed. Yup, you heard right. Advertisement While your bed is soft and comforting for sleep, it provides the perfect surface for a challenging workout....
Backcountry is having a holiday sale on camping and hiking gear, like tops, bottoms, shoes and accessories. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative In This Article Tops Bottoms Shoes Gear Planning a camping trip can be pretty exciting. You get to map out fun hikes, plan delicious meals and gather all your gear. And even though your trip won't involve any hotel fees, that doesn't mean camping is a cheap hobby. Advertisement Luckily, Backcountry has a few sales going on right now!...
Apple juice is a great way to help babies with constipation. Image Credit: ddukang/iStock/GettyImages When your baby is constipated, it can be difficult to help him get his bowels moving again. The pressure and pain leads to crankiness, and finding a safe solution for your baby’s discomfort can quickly become your top priority. Advertisement Many moms and pediatricians turn to baby apple juice as a quick cure for a constipated infant, but check with your child's doctor before giving him anything to loosen his bowel movements....
A healthy back depends on proper alignment. Image Credit: vadimrysev/iStock/Getty Images A healthy back depends on proper alignment – and not just of the spine, which alone is comprised of 26 bones, including 24 separate vertebrae that are meticulously buffered with cartilage. The sacrum and coccyx (tailbone) also come into play, as well as the scapulae above and the pelvis below. With so many moving parts, it’s no wonder that the whole apparatus can fall into misalignment, causing pain, numbness and loss of mobility....
Eating low-acid foods like melon may help reduce symptoms of acid reflux. Image Credit: Aneta_Gu/iStock/Getty Images Barrett’s esophagus is a condition that’s often associated with chronic acid reflux. And while you can’t cure the disease with food, following a Barrett’s esophagus diet may help you relieve related symptoms. Advertisement Indeed, you can't heal Barrett's esophagus through your diet — currently, there's not much research to show that food plays a significant role in either causing or preventing the condition, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)....
How much calories you eat to lose weight is different for each person. Image Credit: Dmitrii Ivanov/iStock/GettyImages The daily recommended calorie intake for men to lose weight is different for each individual. To get leaner, you need to figure out how many calories your body is burning per day and then adjust your diet to eat less and reduce your energy intake. Advertisement Tipping the Scales The number of calories for men’s weight loss depends on your goals....
Young woman practicing ballet Image Credit: moodboard/moodboard/Getty Images The enviable dancer’s body is lithe and lean and that’s due to the amazing workout you get when taking a dance class. Ballet may seem like all graceful poses and pointed toes, but ballet is an active class that makes for a great calorie burner. Advertisement Twirl Your Way to Calorie Burn As you stand at the bar and plié and tendu away, then take to the floor for a series of pirouettes and arabesques – you are burning a lot of calories....
Binging isn't a healthy way to increase your calorie burn. Image Credit: Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images It’d be nice if that accidental overindulgence would find a way to burn itself off, but unfortunately, that’s just not the case. Binge eating could, in theory, slightly increase your metabolism – but that tiny effect is dwarfed next to the negative effects of binging, and the best way to boost your metabolism is to engage in more activity during the day....
Bunches of baby carrots. Image Credit: aedkais/iStock/Getty Images Slow cookers let you prepare your meal hours in advance, so you can come home to a savory cooked meal. Baby carrots are a tasty traditional accompaniment to a tender succulent roast, and you can cook both in your slow cooker. For an average 3-lb. roast, you can add the carrots at the same time you put the roast in the crock, but if you’re cooking a larger roast, you may want to add the carrots later....
Just 15 minutes of sunlight can help keep up vitamin D levels. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images Vitamin D, known as the sunshine vitamin because of its relationship to direct sunlight, is an essential, fat-soluble vitamin responsible for a variety of bodily functions. Vitamin D’s most popular purpose is to allow the body to absorb bone-building calcium. It’s also involved in immune-system health. As of 2011, an estimated 24 percent of Americans have inadequate levels of vitamin D, according to the “Times Union” of Albany, New York, and as a result, are at increased risk for problems that can affect skin health....
Consult your physician for guidance on cayenne dosages. Image Credit: View Stock/View Stock/Getty Images Cayenne pepper is used as both food and medicine. One of its active components, capsaicin, has potent pain-relieving properties and makes up a major ingredient of many topical pain relief creams. It has also been used in supplement form for a variety of purposes, including digestive health. For the most part, no official standard dosages exist. If you have an interest in using cayenne pepper, you should consult a doctor who is well-versed in herbal medicine for guidance on dosages and other aspects of safe usage....
If you're putting a lot of weight in your forearms while cycling, you may experience elbow pain. Image Credit: Alejandra de la Fuente/Moment/GettyImages Your cycling workouts should provide a respite from the stresses of daily life, not add to them. But elbow pain while bicycle riding can be an unwelcome distraction and could also be a sign of a more serious condition such as lateral epicondylitis, more commonly known as tennis elbow....
Beef liver can help increase oxygen in the blood. Image Credit: Elena_Danileiko/iStock/GettyImages Hemoglobin, a red blood cell protein, helps carry oxygen through your blood. If you want to consume foods that increase oxygen uptake, eat nutrients that support red blood cell production. The more red blood cells you have, the more hemoglobin is available to move oxygen through your body. Advertisement Nutrients Important for Blood Cells According to Harvard Health and the Food and Drug Administration, a variety of nutrients support blood cell production in your body....
