You’ve finally decided to quit smoking cigarettes and improve your health. Ask any medical expert and he'll say quitting smoking can make you breathe easier and cut down on your risks for cancer and other diseases.
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You’ve developed a healthy exercise program and are determined to stick with it – until you get a cold. Most garden-variety head colds aren’t bad enough to keep you from moderate exercise, but when a cold develops into chest congestion, it’s a different story.
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If your legs ache and feel heavy after exercising, you might attribute your symptoms to something minor like wearing the wrong shoes. Many people experience aches and pains after physical activity, especially when they begin a new exercise program.
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Exercise boosts your blood pressure and heart rate temporarily and is one of the best ways to promote a healthy heart. But if you experience a drop in your heart rate while exercising, it could signify either a minor, temporary problem or a more serious underlying cardiovascular condition.
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More than 38,000 blood donations of all kinds are needed in the United States every day, according to the American Red Cross, and it is particularly looking for healthy volunteers like athletes. Blood plasma donation doesn’t take a lot of time and is relatively painless, with few side effects.
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If you’re one of the thousands of people diagnosed with pericarditis each year, you might have felt like you were having a heart attack because the symptoms are similar. Pericarditis can even affect healthy young athletes and children due to a viral infection, autoimmune disease or trauma.
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There are several million cases of strep-related diseases including impetigo each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of these cases occur in children, which may make it difficult for active youngsters who are told they can’t go swimming or pursue other activities during an outbreak.
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Caramel coloring is one of the oldest and most widely-used food colorings, the same substance that makes your colas brown and gives beers their amber gold. Though it sounds natural, caramel coloring is not the same as the candy confection.
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Nopal cactus, also known as Opuntia ficus-indica or more commonly, prickly pear, is found along U.S. roadsides in the desert southwest and throughout its native Mexico.
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Zinc oxide is a mineral used in many creams and ointments to prevent or treat sunburn and other skin irritations like diaper rash. It’s also available in oral formulations to promote wound healing.
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Acerola is a shrub in the Malpighia family of plants and is also known as Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crapemyrtle.
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Glycerin, also called glycerol, is a thick, colorless and odorless liquid derived from fats and oils used in making soap. It’s used in various industries and products, such as antifreeze, sweeteners, dynamite, cosmetics, inks and lubricants.
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Xylitol is one of the latest sugar substitutes that looks and tastes like sugar but has fewer calories.
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Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween carving and Thanksgiving pies. The seeds they contain are full of beneficial nutrients. One of the most important minerals in pumpkin seeds is zinc, an antioxidant that helps protect against age-related diseases and assists in fighting colds and healing wounds.
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Astronauts in space and soldiers in combat use freeze-dried foods because they don’t spoil, they weigh less and they’re more convenient. But freeze-dried foods aren’t necessarily quite as healthful as regular foods, with the levels of some nutrients reduced during processing.
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Jintropin is a supplement containing human growth hormone that many athletes take in hopes of enhancing strength, agility and exercise performance. Other people take Jintropin believing it can turn back the clock and forestall the aging process.
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Athletes looking for increased muscle size and a boost in exercise performance often turn to dietary supplements like L-arginine.
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Vigorous exercise helps promote heart health, weight loss and overall fitness, but it can also make you sweat one to three quarts of fluid during intense workouts. Although sweating is your body’s way to help keep its core temperature cool, it can lead to the loss of important minerals, dehydration and heat stroke.
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Creatine is an amino acid supplement often marketed to bodybuilders and dieters to help build lean muscle and reduce body fat. Creatine has become so popular for these uses that sales reached $220 million in 2005, according to the “Nutrition Business Journal.
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Deer backstrap is a choice cut from beside the spine of the deer and is similar to a pork loin. Typically cut into steaks or strips, this lean venison meat is tailor-made for a marinade that tenderizes the meat while complementing its natural flavors.
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