Eat Yourself Sexy, Smart and Sorted

Eat Yourself Sexy, Smart and Sorted

We all know that you are what you eat but did you know that as well changing your looks, food can also affect the way you feel? “Everything from the state of your skin and hair to your concentration levels and moods can be improved by eating healthy, tasty, nutritious foods,” says celebrity nutritionist Amanda Ursell.

Faddy diets and junk food can make you lethargic and depressed, but taking control of what you eat means taking control of your life.

1) Eat Yourself…Smart!

It’s tempting to comfort-eat during exams or before a big meeting, but treating your body to the nutrients that make you bright and alert means you’ll get results you deserve. Foods rich in Omega 3 oils are vital for our brains to work fully.
• Fish: The best food for Omega 3 is salmon. Have it canned, baked or smoked in salads but limited your intake to a couple of times a week.
• Walnuts: Nibble brain-enhancing walnuts instead of sweets, which give a sugar rush and then a crash.
• Spaghetti with leafy greens or beans: A good night’s sleep before an important event is vital. A meal of slowly digested carbohydrates like pasta is a great option. Moreover, the leafy greens such as spinach contain iron which you need for energy. You can also substitute the pasta with brown rice.
• Milk: Milky drinks also boost shut-eye. Avoid caffeine or cola at night as they hinder sleep.

2) Eat Yourself…Happy!

As a human being with the stresses of everyday life, your body is flushed with hormones, which can result in mood swings that seem out of control. However, eating right can keep you on a happy, even keel.
• Cereal: Insufficient iron is linked to low moods so tuck into fortified cereals. It is absolutely vital to eat breakfast-if you don’t, you’ll feel irritable by 11am. In addition, skipping breakfast can play havoc with your metabolism and could even make you put on weight.
• Brown Bread, Whole wheat chapattis, fruit and vegetables: Stick to whole meal food and carbohydrates that are digested slowly for a steady flow of energy. Whole wheat bread, chapattis, oats, whole wheat pasta, fruits and vegetables are great options.
• Turkey and Cottage cheese (Paneer): These help boost the feel good brain hormone, serotonin.

3) Eat Yourself…Popular!

Eating foods that make your skin glow, your skin shiny and your eyes sparkle mean you’ll be confident enough to get people close to you-and everyone is attracted to confidence!
• Fruits and nuts: Oranges, kiwis, berries, carrots and tomatoes, along with olive oil, nuts and seeds, will boost skin, hair, nails and eyes. They’re packed with vitamin C and super nutrients beta-carotene and lycopene.
• Popularity also means feeling good around people so avoid foods that make you bloated. Eat slowly, chew carefully and avoid fizzy drinks to beat bloating. Cabbage, onions and baked beans can play havoc with the digestive system and make you windy-not good in a social situation!-so avoid them.

4) Eat Yourself…Kissable!

Kissability is about more than pricey lipgloss: it’s about having a mouth that’s healthy on the inside too. It can be tempting to reach for the chewing gum to give you confidence, but gum only masks problems without fixing them.
• Parsley: Opt for a natural breath freshener. Parsley can make breath fresh and sweet. The green pigment called chlorophyll takes care of bad odors. It’s perfect if you’ve had stinky food on a date!
• Milk: Healthy teeth and gums result in a flirty smile. Drinking milk or soy milk with added calcium will give you strong, white teeth. Avoid coffee or cola as they stain your teeth.
• Ginger: Head over to a juice bar and down a drink containing citrus fruits and ginger. It will boost your circulation, making your cheeks rosy and your lips appear bigger!

Preventing and Fixing Bad Breath (Halitosis)

Preventing and Fixing Bad Breath 

(Halitosis)

Many people have bad breath without even realizing it. This can cripple your likelihood of enjoying a healthy social life, finding a significant other, and even advancement in your career. Halitosis or bad breath is mostly a result of poor hygiene and is completely treatable. It is quite easy to prevent and fix bad breath with the following guidelines.

• Brush your teeth and scrape your tongue first thing every morning, and also after each time you take a nap. Foul-smelling bacteria have had a chance to take over your mouth while you slept, and are most likely causing yucky "morning breath." Tongue scrapers can be found in most health food stores, and also in drug stores and convenience stores as they become more popular.


• After you brush your teeth and scrape your tongue, rinse your mouth thoroughly and gargle with fresh, cool water. This is a very important step, one that many people overlook. Nobody likes to smell your breath when it's laden with dirty, used toothpaste scum.


• Drink plenty of water - Insuring that you drink plenty of water throughout the day can help to control bad breath (halitosis). This can be an especially important consideration for those people who suffer from xerostomia (chronically dry mouths).
  
  If you allow yourself to become dehydrated your body will try to conserve moisture by reducing its production of saliva. Saliva has a cleansing and diluting effect on the bacteria and bacterial waste products that cause bad breath. A reduction in the amount of saliva in your mouth can make it harder for you to control odors associated with your breath.


• Rinse your mouth with water often - Rinsing with water can mitigate bad breath problems for brief periods of time. Rinsing will both dilute and partially remove the bacterial waste products that are the cause of breath odors.


• Stimulate your mouth's flow of saliva - You can help to minimize bad breath odors by stimulating your body's flow of saliva. This is because saliva has a cleansing and diluting effect on the bacteria and bacterial waste products that cause bad breath.
  
  One way to stimulate salivary flow is to chew on something. Doing so will trick your body in to thinking that it is getting a meal. And in preparation for digesting this meal your body will increase its production of saliva.
  
  Chewing gum, cloves, breath mints, or lozenges can also be used to stimulate salivary flow. If you elect to use one of these products make sure it is sugar-free since sweets will promote the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay.


• After you eat or drink anything (besides water), thoroughly rinse your mouth and gargle with water. Use this practice without fail, day and night, and you will keep abreast of nasty bacteria buildup in your mouth, which cause bad breath. Run your tongue along the surfaces of your teeth throughout the day, and if you ever notice any plaque buildup, brush your teeth again and rinse thoroughly with water, making sure that you feel your teeth, not plaque buildup, which is a contributing factor in bad breath.

Fixing Bad Breath on the Spot -

• Drink water and ask for lemon to be included. Surreptitiously squeeze as much of the lemon into the water as possible, as it will help cover up the odor.


• Chew a piece of gum or eat some mint candy.


• Gargle with salt to neutralise some of the odour.


• Sneak a spoon into the bathroom. Check to make sure you're alone. Look into the mirror, stick out your tongue and check for a pasty white goo on it. Turn the spoon upside down and use it to scrape your tongue, using a back to front motion. If you can't manage to sneak off with a spoon, head to the restroom, wash your hands, use your fingernails to scrape your tongue.

4 mistakes men make when dealing with women!

4 mistakes men make when dealing with women!

It’s a known fact that women are complex creatures. We, as women understand that too. But that does not excuse some of the behavior that comes our way. We may not know exactly what we want but we definitely know what we don’t want.  From men who come on too strong to the nonchalant breed, we’ve seen it all and come out stronger. In addition, times have also evolved drastically.  More than the feeling of wanting to be independent and have our own careers and opinions (yes we have them) we feel as if we deserve all that and much more.  Men receive a lot of dating advice, from friends to mothers.  Some of it is useful while the rest is useless.  If you don’t want to send a woman screaming in the opposite direction, then don’t commit any of the following mistakes.

1) Acting Cheap

Even in today’s modern times, chivalry is appreciated. While it’s true that you don’t want the sort of women who runs behind a fat wallet, we are drawn to men to can protect us and provide for us. This includes picking up the tab, at least the first few times (without whining about it). This does not mean that you have to blow your paycheck by taking her to the most expensive restaurant in town. Simply taking her out for a nice meal at a decent restaurant will send across the signal that you’re a man who knows how to take care of a woman. Boasting about how much you make but not dishing out the goods when needed? Major turnoff and we will rethink how much you actually like and respect us. Treat her for a meal the first few dates and by the third or fourth date, she herself will suggest splitting the bill or even offer to pick it up. Make her pay earlier on, she’ll rethink whether she wants to have a future with you.

2) Neediness

It does not matter to us if you look like the Ranbir Kapoor’s cousin if you don’t have attitude to go with it. Nothing screams desperate more than being clingy from day one. Being constantly needy and insecure will not make us special. Instead you will lose a few points in the respect column. Women are attracted to a man’s attitude and confidence. We want a man who can take care of us, not a scared little boy who needs reassuring every five minutes. If you want her to hang around, then give her some space of her own. Show her how strong and great you are even without her and see how she chases you.

3) Acting too nice

It’s a fact that women love compliments. However, we also know when we deserve them and when we don’t. Telling her she looks hot when she’s feeling a little low will earn you brownie points but showering her with compliments non-stop will have the opposite effect. She’ll think you’re being insincere and fake. Act like a man and make her work for her compliments. Women love challenges just as much as men do! Plus, we both know you won’t be able to keep the façade forever, so just tone it down a bit and show her the real you. Agreeing with everything a woman says and does is also a big no-no. This does not make us like you more. Rather you come off as having no opinion or spine. Even though it may not seem like a good idea at the time, standing up for your beliefs and opinions will earn her respect in the long run.

4) Coming on too strong

There is a difference between letting her know that you’re interested and tell her how your life has changed since you met her. While it may feel great to dive into a new relationship headfirst, getting too caught up in a new relationship is unhealthy. A woman will lose interest in you if you show her how besotted with her you are in the first few weeks. Instead, make her work for it. If she can get all your affection and time easily, she won’t be satisfied with it. Ease yourself into the relationship gradually instead of showing too much interest earlier on.

How to protect your Email address book

How to protect your Email address book 

As you may know, when/if a worm virus gets into your computer  

 it heads straight for your email address book,  

 and sends itself to everyone in there,

This trick won't keep the virus from getting
into your computer, but it will stop it from using your address book
to spread further, and it will alert you to the fact that the worm has
gotten into your system.

Here's what you do:

First, open your address book and click on
'new contact,'  

 just as you would do if you were adding  

 a new friend to your list of email addresses.   

 In the window where you would type your
friend's first name, type in 'A'.

For the screen name or email address,  

 type AAAAAAA@AAA.AAA

Now, here's what you've done and why it works:

The 'name 'A' will be placed at the top of your address book  

 as entry #1.

This will be where the worm will start  

 in an effort to send itself to all your friends.

When it tries to send itself to AAAAAAA@AAA.AAA,  

 it will be undeliverable  

 because of the phony email address you entered.  

 If the first attempt fails  

 (which it will because of the phony address),  

 the worm goes no further  

 and your friends will not be bothered.

Here's the second great advantage of this method:   

 If an email cannot be delivered,  

 you will be notified of this in your In Box almost immediately.  

 Hence,  

 if you ever get an email telling you that an email addressed to AAAAAAA@AAA.AAA could not be delivered,  

 you know right away that you have the worm virus  

 in your system.  

 You can then take steps to get rid of it!

If everybody you know does this  

 then you need not worry about opening mail from friends. 

Health Risks of Sitting Down

Health Risks of Sitting Down

Did you know, Sitting down for more than six hours a day can increase your risk of death by as much as 40%! From increased risk of heart disease and obesity in the long term, to sharply hampered cholesterol maintenance in the short term, the negative health effects of sitting are starting to weigh heavily against the benefits.

Here is a fantastic info-graphic on the health risks of sitting, very informative!

Did you know, Sitting down for more than six hours a day can increase your risk of death by as much as 40%! From increased risk of heart disease and obesity in the long term, to sharply hampered cholesterol maintenance in the short term, the negative health effects of sitting are starting to weigh heavily against the benefits.

Here is a fantastic info-graphic on the health risks of sitting, very informative!

So its time to get off your chair more often and move around!

So its time to get off your chair more often and move around!

worlds mysterious landscapes

Efflorescent tower-like rocks, "The Fireplace Fairies" in Turkey. Peculiar desert landscape, in Eygpt. "The Chocolate Hills", in Philippine. World's largest saltmarsh during rainy season, in Bolivia Twixt Israel and Jordan, the Dead Sea: bird's-eye view. Monument Valley, in the United States. The Sahara Desert, in Tunisia. Turkana Lake, in Kenya. Red dunes in Namib Desert. Peculiar Hawaii Island landscape. Lake in Blue Mountains National Park, in Chile Geyser, in the State of Nevada, the United States The Sahara Desert, world's largest desert. Dracaena draco, on Yemen islands. Peculiar circular landscape, about 50 kilometers in diameter, center of the Sahara Desert. "Twin Towers" Monument Valley, in the United States. Desert, in Eygpt. Geyser named "Strokkur", in Southeast Asia.

Effective Ways to Lower your Cholesterol Levels

The lifestyle of today is such that people always have too many balls in the air and are competing with time. However, that is no excuse to eat junk food on the go all the time. It leads to obesity and high cholesterol levels which are harmful for health. Even though awareness regarding this has been generated, the number of people suffering from high cholesterol has continues to increase steadily over the years. High cholesterol can easily be managed by following a few basic rules. Read on, before it’s too late. 

1) Diet: The types of food you eat and they way they’re prepared can have an immense effect on the cholesterol levels in your body. Certain food themselves contain cholesterol which are known as dietary cholesterol. Some examples of such foods are kidneys, eggs and prawns. However, the as compared to saturated fats, cholesterol found in such food has much less effect on the level of cholesterol in your blood. It is essential to cut down on saturated fats in order to reduce your cholesterol levels.

i. Fats and Cholesterol : Saturated and unsaturated are the two main types of fat. Consuming foods that are high in saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels in the blood. Foods high in saturated fat include ghee, cheese, cream, cakes, biscuits, fatty cuts of meat and foods containing coconut or palm oil. Unsaturated fat can actually help in reducing cholesterol levels. Foods high in unsaturated fats include oily fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils and spreads. As nuts are high in calories, only a handful is enough per serving. Include nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts etcetera. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids which are very good for the heart. Finally, reduce the total amount of fat in your diet by avoiding fried and roasted foods. Steam, boil or grill your food. If you must use oil, use olive oil.

ii. Fiber and cholesterol: The two different types of fiber are soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber can be digested by your body whereas insoluble fiber cannot. Foods containing soluble fiber include oats, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas and of course, fruits and vegetables. Bananas are an excellent source of fiber. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream.

iii. Another important point to be considered is the size of the portion being consumed. Try to eat 5 balanced meals, containing small portions, a day. Reducing your intake of caffeine can also help in lowering your cholesterol levels.

2) Exercise: Studies have shown that exercising even 3 times a week can reduce your cholesterol levels. The best form of exercise is to go for long walks. It doesn’t require anything and can be done anytime, even in between your work. If you are looking more vigorous activities then you can try cycling, running, dancing and go to the gym. The most important thing is to enjoy what you do.

3) Drink Water: Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day as drinking more water keeps the body fitter as it reduces fats. Our kidneys also do not function properly if adequate amount of water is not supplied. Moreover, it also eliminates water retention properly. It makes the endocrine gland function properly which helps in balancing our body’s electrolytes, minerals such as sodium, chloride and potassium, which regulate body temperature and control blood pressure. Finally, it helps in the transportation of water-soluble vitamins and nutrients such as protein, minerals and vitamins across the body.

4) Quit Smoking: Smoking not only increases the LDL (low density lipoproteins, the bad cholesterol, while decreasing HDL (high density lipoproteins), the good cholesterol levels. This damages the arteries. The nicotine in cigarettes can also lead to heart palpitations. Smoking also makes the blood stickier by raising fibrinogen levels and platelet counts. Carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke also raises blood cholesterol levels. Research has found that giving up smoking leads to the rising of the HDL levels and depleting of the LDL levels. Within 24 hours of quitting, risk of a heart attack subsides. Due to all the above, it is proven that it makes sense to quit smoking.