Nutritional planning involves balancing macronutrients, understanding calorie formulas, and identifying the functional properties of whole foods to manage weight and chronic conditions effectively.
Sodium lauryl sulfate is a common ingredient in many shampoos that gives it a thick, foamy lather that seems to ensure TV commercial-clean hair. Although shampoos that contains this lathering agent might clean your hair well, they may also dry your scalp or strip the color from dyed hair.
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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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Mulberry has been used in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for centuries. In recent years, extracts of the leaf and roots have gained attention for their potential in regulating carbohydrate and glucose metabolism. Some components of the plant may even have anti-cancer benefits.
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Gaining muscle is hard work. You need extra calories to energize your heavy lifting workouts and to support muscle repair and growth that happens between these sessions. Understanding how to properly fuel will only enhance your efforts and help you reach your goals sooner.
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The neem tree is an evergreen tree, related to the mahogany tree, found in India, Burma and Pakistan. Neem flowers have a variety of uses, including aromatherapy, cosmetics, health remedies and cooking.
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With its exotic name and a reputation for boosting libido and increasing longevity, it's no wonder that ashwagandha has captured the attention of the American public.
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The French word for perfect is parfait, and when you add whole grains and fruit to yogurt to create a delicious breakfast or snack treat, you are perfecting yogurt's already considerable health benefits. Typically, a yogurt parfait consists of layers of yogurt, grains such as granola or crushed gram crackers and fruit.
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A Power Twister bar is a piece of exercise equipment composed of two metal rods with molded grips and a metal spring coil between them. It's approximately 27 inches long, weighs about 4 lbs. and is available with various degrees of tension in the spring.
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Garcinia kola or bitter kola is a tree that grows in the rain forests of west Africa. The fruit, seeds, nuts and bark of the plant have been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat ailments from coughs to fever.
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Yucca root, also sometimes spelled "yuca," is known by the names manioc and cassava. Native to South America, this starchy tuber is eaten throughout Latin America, South Asia, the Caribbean and Africa. Used to make tapioca flour, yucca has a texture a little chewier than the potato and a milder taste.
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Health threats may be lurking even in the cookware you use to prepare your family's meals. Teflon coated pans pose dangers to users. They include ingesting minuscule bits of the toxic coating and inhaling the toxic gas given off during cooking.
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After hiking all day, a hearty meal cooked over a campfire is comforting and satisfying. Preparing the meal, however, is often time-consuming and inconvenient, especially when you're tired after a long day.
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When you want to build muscle, consuming supplemental protein after a workout can help. While protein alone won't create big guns and a taut frame, combining it with a focused workout routine, hydration and proper sleep will give you an edge on muscle development.
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Neurotransmitters, brain chemicals that influence your mood and thoughts, facilitate communication between neurons in your brain. Your body uses the nutrients in the foods you eat, primarily amino acids, to manufacture neurotransmitters.
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Also known as the prickly pear cactus, nopal cactus is a type of fruit common in North American deserts and throughout Mexico. Nopal can be eaten fresh, canned or dried, and its light, slightly sour flavor lends the fruit well to sweet and savory preparations.
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Low-calorie frozen meals offer an easy diet solution for busy people. Two of the most common brands, Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice, are available in most grocery stores. Several factors might affect your choice of frozen diet dinners, including taste, variety, calories, fat, and sodium levels.
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Turkey rhubarb has been used in China for over 2,000 years. Today, in the United States, the supplement is used most commonly as a laxative. Modern research shows that turkey rhubarb root may have potential as a treatment for a number of conditions.
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Plants such as coffee, tea and cacao contain caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system promoting wakefulness by competing for adenosine receptors. Adenosine is produced by the body to promote sleep and constrict blood vessels to allow more oxygen into the brain during sleep.
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Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid. However, unlike other amino acids, taurine is not a constituent of any protein. Instead, it exists free in intracellular fluids.
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Kukui nut oil has been used for many years throughout the islands of Hawaii. More recently it has become more mainstream in the rest of the world. Kukui nut oil is used to moisturize and protect the skin from sun, salt, wind and other environmental elements.
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