Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Coffee Beer and Exercise May Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk | Prostate Cancer Treatment and Symptoms
emaxhealth.com - Research presented this week at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Houston, Texas shows benefits to men having an extra cup of joe, a bottle of brew, and just 15 minutes of intense exercise a day. They may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Kathryn Wilson and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health studied data on 50,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow Up Study. Between 1986 and 2006, 4,975 developed prostate cancer. Men who drank six or more cups of coffee a day had about a 19 percent reduced risk of prostate cancer overall, and a 60% lower risk of developing an advanced form of the disease. Men who drank 4 or 5 cups had a 25% lower risk.
The link was found with both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, both of which improved insulin and glucose metabolism. A number of studies have found that coffee is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes. Higher insulin levels have been associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.
"I wouldn't recommend that people change their coffee-drinking habits based on this study," said Wilson. "But if you like coffee, there is no compelling reason to cut back at this point."
The second study, by Stacey A. Kenfield, a research associate at the Harvard School of Public Health, reviewed the levels of physical activity among 2,686 men in the same study who were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Men who reported exercising vigorously three or more hours per week had a 35 percent lower death rate from all forms of disease, and reducing risk of death from prostate cancer by 22%.
Men who exercised in some form for at least 90 minutes a week had reduced risk. Those who exercised with more intensity showed greater benefit that those who exercised at a slower pace.
The beneficial mechanism is an improvement to immune function and reduction of inflammation. “We saw benefits at very attainable levels of activity. We recommend that men with prostate cancer do some type of physical activity for their overall health,” said Dr. Kenfield.
The third study, from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany, found that an ingredient in beer, xanthohumol, blocked a biological pathway in lab rats that inhibited the secretion of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and blocked testosterone effects in hormone-sensitive tissue. Xanthohumol works similarly to the medications used to treat prostate cancer.
“We hope that one day we can demonstrate that xanthohumol prevents prostate cancer development…but we are just at the beginning,” said lead researcher Clarissa Gerhauser.
Xanthohumol is derived from hops, the bitter flavoring agent in beer, and is classified as a flavonoid, an antioxidant that has anti-cancer properties.
Approximately 200,000 men in the United States were diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. It is the second-deadliest malignancy among men after lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Testicular Implants
cosmeticsurgerytoday.com - Thousands of men have chosen to replace testicles that have been lost due to trauma such as testicular torsion or disease such as testicular cancer to increase the self esteem and restore confidence.Some men may also have a genetic condition such as undescended testicles which have caused emotional distress since childhood.
Testicular implants were banned in the United States until 1992 but are now readily available for male surgical enhancement.
About Testicular Implants
Testicular implants are fairly easy to place. The testicular plastic surgery procedure is a relatively simple one that only takes 30 minutes or so to perform. Most testicle reconstruction procedures will take place in a hospital setting by a plastic surgeon, though the procedure can sometimes be performed by a urologist or cosmetic surgeon who has a sterile operating area.
Men who are needing scrotal implants have two choices of the type of prosthetic testes to place, a solid silicone implant which is slightly heavier and more rigid than a natural testicle or a saline filled implant which has a more natural feel but has the possibility of rupture and may only last for 10 years or so.
About the Male Testicle Implant Surgery
Depending upon the patients specific needs, the procedure may be done under local anesthesia but some men may choose to have IV sedation as well. The cosmetic surgeon or urologist will make a small incision and insert the implant.
The testicular prosthetic may then be sutured in place after which the incision will be carefully closed with stitches designed to minimize scarring. Bandages will be placed to minimize swelling and fluid loss.
Recovery From Testicle Implant Procedure
Most patients report moderate pain and swelling following the procedure. Sensitivity to physical contact will also be noted by most and many patients are recommended to follow a regimen of bed rest for a few days. Most men will be able to remove bandaging within 5 days or so and return to normal activity within 2 weeks though sexual activity may be limited for 4 to 6 weeks.
Risks of Testicular Implant Surgery
The most common adverse events experienced by those who receive this type of male plastic surgery is the risk of infection. This can be minimized by following post operative instructions exactly. Some patient may develop scar tissue around the implant which causes hardening of some parts of the scrotal tissue, however this is a fairly rare occurrence. If hardening does occur, a testicle revision surgery may be recommended by a board certified plastic surgeon.
Choosing a Physician
When considering any type of plastic surgery, it is important to choose an experienced cosmetic surgeon for optimum results, though in this case some urologists may also be able to offer excellent skills. It will be important to interview the physician and ensure that he or she is experienced in performing similar surgeries and has produced excellent results for other patients.
Establishing a good rapport with a surgeon who can completely explain the procedure and expectations, along with viewing of before and after testicular implant surgery can help you be sure that you are making the correct choice for this important procedure.
Testicular implants were banned in the United States until 1992 but are now readily available for male surgical enhancement.
About Testicular Implants
Testicular implants are fairly easy to place. The testicular plastic surgery procedure is a relatively simple one that only takes 30 minutes or so to perform. Most testicle reconstruction procedures will take place in a hospital setting by a plastic surgeon, though the procedure can sometimes be performed by a urologist or cosmetic surgeon who has a sterile operating area.
Men who are needing scrotal implants have two choices of the type of prosthetic testes to place, a solid silicone implant which is slightly heavier and more rigid than a natural testicle or a saline filled implant which has a more natural feel but has the possibility of rupture and may only last for 10 years or so.
About the Male Testicle Implant Surgery
Depending upon the patients specific needs, the procedure may be done under local anesthesia but some men may choose to have IV sedation as well. The cosmetic surgeon or urologist will make a small incision and insert the implant.
The testicular prosthetic may then be sutured in place after which the incision will be carefully closed with stitches designed to minimize scarring. Bandages will be placed to minimize swelling and fluid loss.
Recovery From Testicle Implant Procedure
Most patients report moderate pain and swelling following the procedure. Sensitivity to physical contact will also be noted by most and many patients are recommended to follow a regimen of bed rest for a few days. Most men will be able to remove bandaging within 5 days or so and return to normal activity within 2 weeks though sexual activity may be limited for 4 to 6 weeks.
Risks of Testicular Implant Surgery
The most common adverse events experienced by those who receive this type of male plastic surgery is the risk of infection. This can be minimized by following post operative instructions exactly. Some patient may develop scar tissue around the implant which causes hardening of some parts of the scrotal tissue, however this is a fairly rare occurrence. If hardening does occur, a testicle revision surgery may be recommended by a board certified plastic surgeon.
Choosing a Physician
When considering any type of plastic surgery, it is important to choose an experienced cosmetic surgeon for optimum results, though in this case some urologists may also be able to offer excellent skills. It will be important to interview the physician and ensure that he or she is experienced in performing similar surgeries and has produced excellent results for other patients.
Establishing a good rapport with a surgeon who can completely explain the procedure and expectations, along with viewing of before and after testicular implant surgery can help you be sure that you are making the correct choice for this important procedure.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Study: Mad Honey Sex Stimulant Sending Men to ER With Food Poisoning – Men’s Health
People hoping to boost their sex lives with the help of “mad” honey may find themselves in the emergency room instead, according to a new report.
lmstr.com-The honey, produced from the nectar of a particular rhododendron species, has long been linked to food poisoning, with most of the documented cases seen in Turkey. In the country’s Black Sea region, mad honey is used as an alternative medicine for gastrointestinal problems and, more often, as a sexual stimulant.
Reporting in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, Turkish researchers document 21 cases of mad-honey poisoning that passed through their ER over five years. Nearly all patients were middle-aged and older men — a demographic that, according to local beekeepers, usually buys mad honey as a way to enhance sexual performance.
The problem with mad honey is its concentration of substances called grayanotoxins, some of which can cause low blood pressure, slowed heart rate, vomiting, dizziness and fainting.
In Turkey, most mad-honey buyers know they are getting a “special honey,” and discuss possible side effects with the beekeepers selling it, according to Dr. Ahmet Demircan, of Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey, the lead researcher on the new study. Poisoning typically happens because the consumer downs more mad honey than is recommended, Demircan told Reuters Health in an email.
For their study, Demircan and his colleagues reviewed the records of more than 200,000 patients treated in their ER between December 2002 and January 2008. They identified 21 cases of mad-honey poisoning; patients typically developed symptoms like dizziness, nausea and vomiting about one hour after ingesting the honey.
Of the 21 patients, 18 were men, and the group as a whole ranged in age from 41 to 86. All were treated successfully and released from the hospital within 18 to 48 hours, the researchers report.
Demircan’s team also conducted a survey of local beekeepers specializing in mad honey to get an idea of the typical reasons customers buy the product. According to beekeepers, men in their 40s and 50s usually seek out the honey to improve their sexual function.
The findings, according to Demircan, suggest that ER doctors should consider the possibility of mad-honey poisoning in cases where low blood pressure and slowed heart rate cannot be attributed to other, more common causes — especially in middle-aged men.
And while most cases have been seen in Turkey, the researcher said that ERs elsewhere should be aware of mad-honey poisoning. He pointed to case reports from Europe where men of Turkish descent ended up in the ER with apparent mad-honey poisoning.
Other researchers have also pointed out that, with the growing consumption of imported and unprocessed “natural” honey worldwide, the possibility of honey intoxication should be kept in mind whenever a healthy person has an unexplained drop in blood pressure and heart rate.
Processed honey is unlikely to contain grayanotoxins.
SOURCE: Annals of Emergency Medicine, December 2009.
Reporting in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, Turkish researchers document 21 cases of mad-honey poisoning that passed through their ER over five years. Nearly all patients were middle-aged and older men — a demographic that, according to local beekeepers, usually buys mad honey as a way to enhance sexual performance.
The problem with mad honey is its concentration of substances called grayanotoxins, some of which can cause low blood pressure, slowed heart rate, vomiting, dizziness and fainting.
In Turkey, most mad-honey buyers know they are getting a “special honey,” and discuss possible side effects with the beekeepers selling it, according to Dr. Ahmet Demircan, of Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey, the lead researcher on the new study. Poisoning typically happens because the consumer downs more mad honey than is recommended, Demircan told Reuters Health in an email.
For their study, Demircan and his colleagues reviewed the records of more than 200,000 patients treated in their ER between December 2002 and January 2008. They identified 21 cases of mad-honey poisoning; patients typically developed symptoms like dizziness, nausea and vomiting about one hour after ingesting the honey.
Of the 21 patients, 18 were men, and the group as a whole ranged in age from 41 to 86. All were treated successfully and released from the hospital within 18 to 48 hours, the researchers report.
Demircan’s team also conducted a survey of local beekeepers specializing in mad honey to get an idea of the typical reasons customers buy the product. According to beekeepers, men in their 40s and 50s usually seek out the honey to improve their sexual function.
The findings, according to Demircan, suggest that ER doctors should consider the possibility of mad-honey poisoning in cases where low blood pressure and slowed heart rate cannot be attributed to other, more common causes — especially in middle-aged men.
And while most cases have been seen in Turkey, the researcher said that ERs elsewhere should be aware of mad-honey poisoning. He pointed to case reports from Europe where men of Turkish descent ended up in the ER with apparent mad-honey poisoning.
Other researchers have also pointed out that, with the growing consumption of imported and unprocessed “natural” honey worldwide, the possibility of honey intoxication should be kept in mind whenever a healthy person has an unexplained drop in blood pressure and heart rate.
Processed honey is unlikely to contain grayanotoxins.
SOURCE: Annals of Emergency Medicine, December 2009.
What Sex Does to a Man's Brain
Lifestyle - MSN CA -
You're sitting behind the wheel of your van at an everlasting traffic light. The only thing slower than the traffic is your perception of time's passage.
Then you notice her.
She appears at the curb, waiting to cross. No, she's not the love of your life. She's more like the heat of the moment. It's fortunate that your wife isn't there, otherwise you'd be in deep trouble as you take in the stranger's hips and breasts, and the way her waist scoops in to accentuate both. Time is enhanced; there's a pleasing buzz connecting your temples.
Your reaction is automatic, reflexive, and quite possibly the most powerful one you'll have this day. It temporarily blots out your long-range commitments — that 10-year marriage, that kid in second grade, that responsibility to keep eyes forward at traffic lights. You've surrendered control; you're captivated by the pleasure in the vision.
"You dog!" you may whisper under your breath, embarrassed by what you're envisioning as you sit there in your family van. But it might be more correct to say, "You dopamine fiend!" As a neuroscientist of 25 years, I know that your brain is command central for everything sexual.
When you spot the object of your desire, the neurotransmitter dopamine lights up areas deep within the brain, triggering feelings of pleasure, motivation, and reward. (Cocaine acts the same way.) You feel a rush, and your heartbeat quickens. Attraction, too, is a powerful drug. The brain stem also gets into the act, releasing phenylethylamine (PEA), which speeds up the flow of information between nerve cells. It's no wonder your neck and eyeballs track her every movement.
But she's not gawking back at you, and it's not just because you're driving a family bus with a paint scrape on the fender. Her brain acts very differently from yours. You're keyed in to beauty, shape, fantasy, and obsession; on some biological level that she may be unaware of, she's trolling for a mate who will sire healthy children and protect and provide for her and them. And yes, maybe even buy them a family van.
Her goals are programmed for the long range; yours are often shockingly short term, right up to and including thoughts of pedestrianophilia. And she knows it, which is why she presses those short-term buttons shotgun-style: She never knows when a suitable mate might be looking.
The whole encounter can leave you quivering with pleasure, hoping for more.
It can also hijack and ruin your life.
And between the "walk" and "don't walk" signals of delight and disaster, your brain is sorting information, making choices, spurring actions. But you don't want to passively accept all that, especially because your whole life is riding on the choices you make.
That's where I come in. I know the brain processes behind the temptations, and I can help you steer clear of trouble. After all, that woman in the crosswalk could help you realize your destiny, or derail it entirely. All the more reason to get to know that big sex organ between your ears so you can control the smaller, less important one between your legs.
Why You've Always Been Horny
You've been lit up on testosterone right from the start, even when you were just a multicelled notion in your mother's womb. The inherited Y chromosome that makes you male (thanks, Dad) triggers two bursts of testosterone that change your brain and body.
The first produces a male brain: one that's more interested in objects, actions, and competition. The left (parietal) lobe flourishes in the testosterone bath and helps you visualize objects in three dimensions (good for catching a football or watching a woman cross the street), and it boosts your aptitude in mathematics (that's how you estimate that she's about a 34DD). In addition, testosterone beefs up your hypothalamus, the area of the brain that's interested in sex. The hypothalamus is twice as large in men as it is in women.
Why You Become Hornier as a Teen
That's when the second big burst of testosterone hits, causing your hair to sprout everywhere, your voice to flip from Norah Jones to James Earl Jones, and your interest in third base to go from literal to metaphorical. (Touch 'em all!) Your body now harbors 20 times the level of testosterone found in girls your age, which accounts for your sexual obsessions.
Unfortunately, your brain is maladapted for sociability, so she can overwhelm you with words, and all you have to counter them is silent (thank goodness) adolescent lust. It's an advantage she has that you'll never make up. On your side of the ledger: Your left brain — the planning center — is massive, which helps in planning the Panama Canal, a rocket launch, or a lifetime of wedded bliss.
Why She Looks at Your Ring Finger
Because it knows and tells all. University of Liverpool researcher John Manning has determined that the size of a man's ring finger is related to how much testosterone he received in the womb. That's true of your penis, as well. The more T, the longer they grow. It's interesting to note that your digital symbol of virility is also the finger on which she slips the golden shackle during the wedding ceremony.
Why You Must Watch Your T-Levels
Women are more predisposed (in brain structure and hormone secretions) to settle down and start a family than you are. But committing to family life is easier for men who have lower testosterone levels. A study of more than 4,000 men found that men with high testosterone levels were 43 percent more likely to get divorced and 38 percent more likely to have extramarital affairs than men with less of the hormone.
Guys with high levels were also 50 percent less likely to marry in the first place. Men with the least testosterone were more likely to get and stay married, maybe because lower testosterone levels make men more cooperative. If you're too cooperative for your own good, build some muscle: It will increase testosterone levels over time. You can even coordinate dating with workouts. A study at Baylor University determined that testosterone levels were highest 48 hours after weight lifting.
Why You Should Marry After 25
Quite simply, a man's brain is incomplete before then. Sure, his sexual organs are all present and accounted for, but his prefrontal cortex (PFC) is still developing. Which is too bad, because that's the part of his brain that's involved in judgment, impulse control, organization, planning, forethought, and learning from mistakes. And it won't be fully developed until he's 25.
Why Beauties Make You Stupid
You act like a goof with the Hooters waitress, leaving a tip that doubles the bar bill. But why? Beautiful women cause a man's limbic system (the amygdala and other brain-stem structures, which are in charge of emotion) to fire up at the same time that his PFC checks out, leaving the judgment area vacant. Las Vegas casinos hire beautiful cocktail waitresses, dress them in low-cut tops and miniskirts, and have them pass out free alcohol — all of which encourages men's self-control to take the day trip to Hoover Dam. No wonder the house has the edge.
How You Can Get the Edge Back
When faced with the dilemma of a bad bet on a beautiful woman, remember that her beauty is fleeting, but a bad decision can last a lifetime. It's a very PFC sentiment, in fact.
Why You Love Porn
Guys aren't shallow; it's just that the visual parts of their brains are strong and tend to twang their emotions. Using sophisticated imaging equipment, researchers at Emory University in Atlanta found that the amygdala, which controls emotions and motivation, is much more activated in men than in women when they view sexual material for 30 minutes, even though both sexes report similar levels of interest.
This may be one of the reasons men are much more captivated by pornography than women: For men, it's not just porn, it's personal. Back in the real world, women hijack men's brains by appealing to their strong visual sense. But women can take in a guy's visuals and think, 'Yeah, but how much does he have in his 401(k)?' To avoid the tyranny of the visual, you need to kick-start your responsible prefrontal cortex by asking yourself, What's my goal in a relationship? That can divert you from those short-term, erotic visions.
How Your Nose Triggers an Erection
There's a direct connection between the olfactory bulb, at the top of your nose, and the septal area, the arousal center of your brain. When cells in your nose are stimulated, they send signals to your libido (and hers) to stand up and pay attention. You know what smells turn you on — the evidence is obvious.
As for her, a study at the University of California at Berkeley found that women become aroused when exposed to a chemical called 4.16-androstadien-3-one (AND). The good news? AND occurs naturally in men's sweat, hair, and skin. Take her someplace cold on your date — the favorite jacket or sweater you'll conveniently have on hand to lend her should be loaded with the stuff.
Why You Lose Your Erection in Bed
Maybe little Willie is nervous during his big moment onstage. Performance anxiety is about the fear of being judged or not living up to expectations. The body is programmed to see anxiety as a threat, and the nervous system sets up the fight-or-flight response, sending out chemicals to protect us: Our heart races, muscles tense, and blood is shunted from our hands, feet, and penis to the large muscles of the shoulders and hips so we can fight or run away. That's not such a good strategy in bed, however.
Why You Can Be Addicted to Love
As with obsessive-compulsive disorder, love decreases brain levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for mood and flexibility. Low serotonin means you can get stuck on ideas — you become obsessed. Which is just fine, unless she suddenly dumps you. That's when the short supply of serotonin makes you vulnerable to depression. In extreme cases, the serotonin shortage can trigger obsessive behaviors, such as exhibiting extreme jealousy or even stalking.
To get those serotonin levels back up before the police come, try exercising more, eating more carbs, and generally distracting your lonesome thoughts. (Road trip!) All of them will boost your serotonin levels.
Why Touch Strengthens the Bond
Oxytocin is your brain's love juice: the bonding and attachment hormone. When you feel connected, empathic, in love, the oxytocin jets are spurting. Women have naturally higher levels of this chemical: It boosts nonsexual bonding between a mother and newborn, and it's responsible for putting babies to sleep after they nurse.
Though both men and women secrete an extra jolt of oxytocin during orgasm, we men go through a 500 percent surge — which explains our special talent for falling asleep immediately after sex. If she complains that she doesn't feel close enough, ask for her help readjusting your oxytocin levels.
Why Women are the Dumpers
Women have greater access to the more negative right side of the brain, one of the reasons they suffer from depression twice as much as men. The right hemisphere also allows women to see the gestalt, or big picture, of relationships, so they tend to know before men when a relationship is not working out.
Where the Thrill Goes
Dopamine and PEA — your powerful attraction chemicals — are strong stuff. But, as with any high, it can't last. Intense feelings of euphoria and obsession start to wane. You again wonder what's been going on in the NFL or whether you should see your buddies. As you come down off the hard stuff, you may actually go through withdrawal, missing the high of the attraction stage.
How to Get the Love Buzz Back
You have a choice to make. Either you go right out and chase that high (and some comely tail) again, or you settle into the longer-term buzz of a committed relationship. Oxytocin and serotonin are your two best chemical friends for the drive toward your 25th wedding anniversary. They're not as exciting to the brain as the attraction chemicals, but they have longer-lasting effects. So you can trade the dizzying high for a sustainable one.
Of course, if you're really smart, you can inject the hot stuff back into any love relationship. Take her away on a trip, spoil her rotten with La Perla lingerie, send her flowers with a dirty note attached, and the little dopamine chemicals come back out and play. Just like the night you met her.
What Makes Your Eye Wander
Blame vasopressin. This hormone is involved in regulating sexual persistence, assertiveness, dominance, and territorial marking. And men have lots of it, naturally. In male voles (night-loving rodents, which probably describes you perfectly), the levels of vasopressin seem to make the difference between stay-at-home dads and one-night-stand artists. Your hormone levels are probably set at the genetics factory, but the more you give in to vasopressin, the more of it you produce. It's your choice.
Should You Stay or Should You Go?
Only your prefrontal cortex knows for sure. Men who have healthy activity in their PFCs have greater empathy, can focus for longer periods of time, and tend to make better husbands. Men who have overactive PFCs tend to be obsessive, oppositional, and argumentative. This can turn them into major chick repellents.
Likewise, men who have low activity in the PFC tend to be impulsive (more vulnerable to affairs), easily distracted (lousier at listening), easily bored (more "business" trips to Vegas), and constantly scamming for that attraction high (more given to looking for love in all the wrong places). To keep your PFC firing on all cylinders, protect it from injury, which can come from using too much alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine. Better still, exercise your PFC by setting goals and following through on them.
Why the Guys in Bands Get Lucky
In a study in Finland, eight male volunteers underwent brain scans while they were having orgasms. (Must have been a fun study.) Overall bloodflow in the brain decreased during orgasm, but it skyrocketed in the right prefrontal cortex — as it does in creative people (like musicians) when they do their creative thing. Now, exactly why did you give up those guitar lessons?
Why She Moans During an Orgasm
It almost certainly doesn't have anything to do with you. In addition to its duties as an orgasm assistant, the right hemisphere has also been called the "God" area of the brain. When scientists stimulate the right hemisphere, their subjects have more religious or spiritual experiences. So it's not too much of a leap to guess that when she moans "Oh, God" in the throes of sexual ecstasy, she may be connecting pleasure to a deeper spiritual place in her brain. Music and dancing can jumpstart the right hemisphere, which means the nuns at your high school were right to discourage it.
Why Her Orgasms are Like Paxil
Sexual climax has an antidepressant effect. Orgasms cause intense activity in the deep emotional parts of the brain, which then settle down when the sex is over. Antidepressants calm the same part of the brain. This calming effect may be why people who regularly have sex experience less depression.
Why It's Better if She Swallows
Prostaglandins, fatty acids found in semen, are absorbed by the vagina and may have a role in modulating female hormones and moods. I also feel duty-bound to report that women who perform oral sex on their mates are less likely to suffer from preeclampsia, a condition that causes a dangerous spike in women's blood pressure during pregnancy. Plus, sperm carries TGFbeta, a molecule that can boost the activities of her natural killer cells, which attack the rogue cells that give rise to tumors. Don't make her beg. Offer.
Why a Foot Massage is Foreplay
When you rub the arch of her right foot, you affect her about 30 inches higher, and a little to the left. The foot-sensation area of the brain is next door to the clitoral (and penile) region, which may be a big reason that women are so focused on shoes — yours and hers.
Carrie Bradshaw was on again, off again with any number of men, but her Manolos endured. And perhaps now we know why Imelda sought solace in 1,060 pairs of shoes. But even if you're not a Filipino dictator, you can make this work for you.
"There are 36,000 nerve endings in the foot," says Kathleen Miller-Read, a massage therapist and spokeswoman for the American Massage Therapy Association. "By exploring these, you can find sore spots all over the body."
If your girlfriend has her feet crammed in high heels all day, she's bound to have aching toes and a sore back. Use your thumb and forefinger to gently pull, twist, and rub below her toes. For her back, focus on the heel of her foot, moving your knuckles in a circular motion all over the heel. She'll let you know when it's working.
Where Your Kinkiness Come From
Weird sexual fetishes or fantasies are brain symptoms. They fall into the category of impulsive-compulsive disorders: impulsive when you can't control the behavior and compulsive when, even though you may want to, you can't stop.
A person who's prone to voyeurism, exhibitionism, bestiality, transvestism, S&M, or infantilism (deriving sexual pleasure from being treated like a baby) often has too much activity in the emotional parts of the brain, as we see in people who have obsessive-compulsive disorders, and too little activity in the PFC, or judgment center. A study of 26 men with unusual sexual fantasies found that using medications to balance these two areas of the brain gave the men significant relief. But then, so did wearing an adult diaper and being handed a rattle. You can't tell with some people. Some of those fantasies you can fulfill.
How to Control Your Brain
Even though men are programmed to look at beautiful women and populate the earth, the human brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, has evolved to the point where, with proper training, we can be thoughtful, goal-oriented, and focused on our families. You are not a rodent, doomed to follow the pattern of hormone receptors in your brain. Ask yourself: What are my goals for my relationships? Stay focused on loving and protecting the people in your life, and it's mind over what really matters.
The male brain on sex reacts similar to the way a cocaine addict's does. We investigate the science behind your most powerful natural drugs — sex and attraction.
Then you notice her.
She appears at the curb, waiting to cross. No, she's not the love of your life. She's more like the heat of the moment. It's fortunate that your wife isn't there, otherwise you'd be in deep trouble as you take in the stranger's hips and breasts, and the way her waist scoops in to accentuate both. Time is enhanced; there's a pleasing buzz connecting your temples.
Your reaction is automatic, reflexive, and quite possibly the most powerful one you'll have this day. It temporarily blots out your long-range commitments — that 10-year marriage, that kid in second grade, that responsibility to keep eyes forward at traffic lights. You've surrendered control; you're captivated by the pleasure in the vision.
"You dog!" you may whisper under your breath, embarrassed by what you're envisioning as you sit there in your family van. But it might be more correct to say, "You dopamine fiend!" As a neuroscientist of 25 years, I know that your brain is command central for everything sexual.
When you spot the object of your desire, the neurotransmitter dopamine lights up areas deep within the brain, triggering feelings of pleasure, motivation, and reward. (Cocaine acts the same way.) You feel a rush, and your heartbeat quickens. Attraction, too, is a powerful drug. The brain stem also gets into the act, releasing phenylethylamine (PEA), which speeds up the flow of information between nerve cells. It's no wonder your neck and eyeballs track her every movement.
But she's not gawking back at you, and it's not just because you're driving a family bus with a paint scrape on the fender. Her brain acts very differently from yours. You're keyed in to beauty, shape, fantasy, and obsession; on some biological level that she may be unaware of, she's trolling for a mate who will sire healthy children and protect and provide for her and them. And yes, maybe even buy them a family van.
Her goals are programmed for the long range; yours are often shockingly short term, right up to and including thoughts of pedestrianophilia. And she knows it, which is why she presses those short-term buttons shotgun-style: She never knows when a suitable mate might be looking.
The whole encounter can leave you quivering with pleasure, hoping for more.
It can also hijack and ruin your life.
And between the "walk" and "don't walk" signals of delight and disaster, your brain is sorting information, making choices, spurring actions. But you don't want to passively accept all that, especially because your whole life is riding on the choices you make.
That's where I come in. I know the brain processes behind the temptations, and I can help you steer clear of trouble. After all, that woman in the crosswalk could help you realize your destiny, or derail it entirely. All the more reason to get to know that big sex organ between your ears so you can control the smaller, less important one between your legs.
Why You've Always Been Horny
You've been lit up on testosterone right from the start, even when you were just a multicelled notion in your mother's womb. The inherited Y chromosome that makes you male (thanks, Dad) triggers two bursts of testosterone that change your brain and body.
The first produces a male brain: one that's more interested in objects, actions, and competition. The left (parietal) lobe flourishes in the testosterone bath and helps you visualize objects in three dimensions (good for catching a football or watching a woman cross the street), and it boosts your aptitude in mathematics (that's how you estimate that she's about a 34DD). In addition, testosterone beefs up your hypothalamus, the area of the brain that's interested in sex. The hypothalamus is twice as large in men as it is in women.
Why You Become Hornier as a Teen
That's when the second big burst of testosterone hits, causing your hair to sprout everywhere, your voice to flip from Norah Jones to James Earl Jones, and your interest in third base to go from literal to metaphorical. (Touch 'em all!) Your body now harbors 20 times the level of testosterone found in girls your age, which accounts for your sexual obsessions.
Unfortunately, your brain is maladapted for sociability, so she can overwhelm you with words, and all you have to counter them is silent (thank goodness) adolescent lust. It's an advantage she has that you'll never make up. On your side of the ledger: Your left brain — the planning center — is massive, which helps in planning the Panama Canal, a rocket launch, or a lifetime of wedded bliss.
Why She Looks at Your Ring Finger
Because it knows and tells all. University of Liverpool researcher John Manning has determined that the size of a man's ring finger is related to how much testosterone he received in the womb. That's true of your penis, as well. The more T, the longer they grow. It's interesting to note that your digital symbol of virility is also the finger on which she slips the golden shackle during the wedding ceremony.
Why You Must Watch Your T-Levels
Women are more predisposed (in brain structure and hormone secretions) to settle down and start a family than you are. But committing to family life is easier for men who have lower testosterone levels. A study of more than 4,000 men found that men with high testosterone levels were 43 percent more likely to get divorced and 38 percent more likely to have extramarital affairs than men with less of the hormone.
Guys with high levels were also 50 percent less likely to marry in the first place. Men with the least testosterone were more likely to get and stay married, maybe because lower testosterone levels make men more cooperative. If you're too cooperative for your own good, build some muscle: It will increase testosterone levels over time. You can even coordinate dating with workouts. A study at Baylor University determined that testosterone levels were highest 48 hours after weight lifting.
Why You Should Marry After 25
Quite simply, a man's brain is incomplete before then. Sure, his sexual organs are all present and accounted for, but his prefrontal cortex (PFC) is still developing. Which is too bad, because that's the part of his brain that's involved in judgment, impulse control, organization, planning, forethought, and learning from mistakes. And it won't be fully developed until he's 25.
Why Beauties Make You Stupid
You act like a goof with the Hooters waitress, leaving a tip that doubles the bar bill. But why? Beautiful women cause a man's limbic system (the amygdala and other brain-stem structures, which are in charge of emotion) to fire up at the same time that his PFC checks out, leaving the judgment area vacant. Las Vegas casinos hire beautiful cocktail waitresses, dress them in low-cut tops and miniskirts, and have them pass out free alcohol — all of which encourages men's self-control to take the day trip to Hoover Dam. No wonder the house has the edge.
How You Can Get the Edge Back
When faced with the dilemma of a bad bet on a beautiful woman, remember that her beauty is fleeting, but a bad decision can last a lifetime. It's a very PFC sentiment, in fact.
Why You Love Porn
Guys aren't shallow; it's just that the visual parts of their brains are strong and tend to twang their emotions. Using sophisticated imaging equipment, researchers at Emory University in Atlanta found that the amygdala, which controls emotions and motivation, is much more activated in men than in women when they view sexual material for 30 minutes, even though both sexes report similar levels of interest.
This may be one of the reasons men are much more captivated by pornography than women: For men, it's not just porn, it's personal. Back in the real world, women hijack men's brains by appealing to their strong visual sense. But women can take in a guy's visuals and think, 'Yeah, but how much does he have in his 401(k)?' To avoid the tyranny of the visual, you need to kick-start your responsible prefrontal cortex by asking yourself, What's my goal in a relationship? That can divert you from those short-term, erotic visions.
How Your Nose Triggers an Erection
There's a direct connection between the olfactory bulb, at the top of your nose, and the septal area, the arousal center of your brain. When cells in your nose are stimulated, they send signals to your libido (and hers) to stand up and pay attention. You know what smells turn you on — the evidence is obvious.
As for her, a study at the University of California at Berkeley found that women become aroused when exposed to a chemical called 4.16-androstadien-3-one (AND). The good news? AND occurs naturally in men's sweat, hair, and skin. Take her someplace cold on your date — the favorite jacket or sweater you'll conveniently have on hand to lend her should be loaded with the stuff.
Why You Lose Your Erection in Bed
Maybe little Willie is nervous during his big moment onstage. Performance anxiety is about the fear of being judged or not living up to expectations. The body is programmed to see anxiety as a threat, and the nervous system sets up the fight-or-flight response, sending out chemicals to protect us: Our heart races, muscles tense, and blood is shunted from our hands, feet, and penis to the large muscles of the shoulders and hips so we can fight or run away. That's not such a good strategy in bed, however.
Why You Can Be Addicted to Love
As with obsessive-compulsive disorder, love decreases brain levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for mood and flexibility. Low serotonin means you can get stuck on ideas — you become obsessed. Which is just fine, unless she suddenly dumps you. That's when the short supply of serotonin makes you vulnerable to depression. In extreme cases, the serotonin shortage can trigger obsessive behaviors, such as exhibiting extreme jealousy or even stalking.
To get those serotonin levels back up before the police come, try exercising more, eating more carbs, and generally distracting your lonesome thoughts. (Road trip!) All of them will boost your serotonin levels.
Why Touch Strengthens the Bond
Oxytocin is your brain's love juice: the bonding and attachment hormone. When you feel connected, empathic, in love, the oxytocin jets are spurting. Women have naturally higher levels of this chemical: It boosts nonsexual bonding between a mother and newborn, and it's responsible for putting babies to sleep after they nurse.
Though both men and women secrete an extra jolt of oxytocin during orgasm, we men go through a 500 percent surge — which explains our special talent for falling asleep immediately after sex. If she complains that she doesn't feel close enough, ask for her help readjusting your oxytocin levels.
Why Women are the Dumpers
Women have greater access to the more negative right side of the brain, one of the reasons they suffer from depression twice as much as men. The right hemisphere also allows women to see the gestalt, or big picture, of relationships, so they tend to know before men when a relationship is not working out.
Where the Thrill Goes
Dopamine and PEA — your powerful attraction chemicals — are strong stuff. But, as with any high, it can't last. Intense feelings of euphoria and obsession start to wane. You again wonder what's been going on in the NFL or whether you should see your buddies. As you come down off the hard stuff, you may actually go through withdrawal, missing the high of the attraction stage.
How to Get the Love Buzz Back
You have a choice to make. Either you go right out and chase that high (and some comely tail) again, or you settle into the longer-term buzz of a committed relationship. Oxytocin and serotonin are your two best chemical friends for the drive toward your 25th wedding anniversary. They're not as exciting to the brain as the attraction chemicals, but they have longer-lasting effects. So you can trade the dizzying high for a sustainable one.
Of course, if you're really smart, you can inject the hot stuff back into any love relationship. Take her away on a trip, spoil her rotten with La Perla lingerie, send her flowers with a dirty note attached, and the little dopamine chemicals come back out and play. Just like the night you met her.
What Makes Your Eye Wander
Blame vasopressin. This hormone is involved in regulating sexual persistence, assertiveness, dominance, and territorial marking. And men have lots of it, naturally. In male voles (night-loving rodents, which probably describes you perfectly), the levels of vasopressin seem to make the difference between stay-at-home dads and one-night-stand artists. Your hormone levels are probably set at the genetics factory, but the more you give in to vasopressin, the more of it you produce. It's your choice.
Should You Stay or Should You Go?
Only your prefrontal cortex knows for sure. Men who have healthy activity in their PFCs have greater empathy, can focus for longer periods of time, and tend to make better husbands. Men who have overactive PFCs tend to be obsessive, oppositional, and argumentative. This can turn them into major chick repellents.
Likewise, men who have low activity in the PFC tend to be impulsive (more vulnerable to affairs), easily distracted (lousier at listening), easily bored (more "business" trips to Vegas), and constantly scamming for that attraction high (more given to looking for love in all the wrong places). To keep your PFC firing on all cylinders, protect it from injury, which can come from using too much alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine. Better still, exercise your PFC by setting goals and following through on them.
Why the Guys in Bands Get Lucky
In a study in Finland, eight male volunteers underwent brain scans while they were having orgasms. (Must have been a fun study.) Overall bloodflow in the brain decreased during orgasm, but it skyrocketed in the right prefrontal cortex — as it does in creative people (like musicians) when they do their creative thing. Now, exactly why did you give up those guitar lessons?
Why She Moans During an Orgasm
It almost certainly doesn't have anything to do with you. In addition to its duties as an orgasm assistant, the right hemisphere has also been called the "God" area of the brain. When scientists stimulate the right hemisphere, their subjects have more religious or spiritual experiences. So it's not too much of a leap to guess that when she moans "Oh, God" in the throes of sexual ecstasy, she may be connecting pleasure to a deeper spiritual place in her brain. Music and dancing can jumpstart the right hemisphere, which means the nuns at your high school were right to discourage it.
Why Her Orgasms are Like Paxil
Sexual climax has an antidepressant effect. Orgasms cause intense activity in the deep emotional parts of the brain, which then settle down when the sex is over. Antidepressants calm the same part of the brain. This calming effect may be why people who regularly have sex experience less depression.
Why It's Better if She Swallows
Prostaglandins, fatty acids found in semen, are absorbed by the vagina and may have a role in modulating female hormones and moods. I also feel duty-bound to report that women who perform oral sex on their mates are less likely to suffer from preeclampsia, a condition that causes a dangerous spike in women's blood pressure during pregnancy. Plus, sperm carries TGFbeta, a molecule that can boost the activities of her natural killer cells, which attack the rogue cells that give rise to tumors. Don't make her beg. Offer.
Why a Foot Massage is Foreplay
When you rub the arch of her right foot, you affect her about 30 inches higher, and a little to the left. The foot-sensation area of the brain is next door to the clitoral (and penile) region, which may be a big reason that women are so focused on shoes — yours and hers.
Carrie Bradshaw was on again, off again with any number of men, but her Manolos endured. And perhaps now we know why Imelda sought solace in 1,060 pairs of shoes. But even if you're not a Filipino dictator, you can make this work for you.
"There are 36,000 nerve endings in the foot," says Kathleen Miller-Read, a massage therapist and spokeswoman for the American Massage Therapy Association. "By exploring these, you can find sore spots all over the body."
If your girlfriend has her feet crammed in high heels all day, she's bound to have aching toes and a sore back. Use your thumb and forefinger to gently pull, twist, and rub below her toes. For her back, focus on the heel of her foot, moving your knuckles in a circular motion all over the heel. She'll let you know when it's working.
Where Your Kinkiness Come From
Weird sexual fetishes or fantasies are brain symptoms. They fall into the category of impulsive-compulsive disorders: impulsive when you can't control the behavior and compulsive when, even though you may want to, you can't stop.
A person who's prone to voyeurism, exhibitionism, bestiality, transvestism, S&M, or infantilism (deriving sexual pleasure from being treated like a baby) often has too much activity in the emotional parts of the brain, as we see in people who have obsessive-compulsive disorders, and too little activity in the PFC, or judgment center. A study of 26 men with unusual sexual fantasies found that using medications to balance these two areas of the brain gave the men significant relief. But then, so did wearing an adult diaper and being handed a rattle. You can't tell with some people. Some of those fantasies you can fulfill.
How to Control Your Brain
Even though men are programmed to look at beautiful women and populate the earth, the human brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, has evolved to the point where, with proper training, we can be thoughtful, goal-oriented, and focused on our families. You are not a rodent, doomed to follow the pattern of hormone receptors in your brain. Ask yourself: What are my goals for my relationships? Stay focused on loving and protecting the people in your life, and it's mind over what really matters.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Sources of Protein - 8 Worlds Best Muscle Building Foods - Recipes
menshealth.com- Did you know there's an all-natural, muscle-building snack that's free? It's called Onthophagus gazella Fabricius, and a big handful contains 17 grams (g) of protein, just 4 g fat, and almost no carbohydrates. The downside: You know it better by its common name--the dung beetle.
But don't be disappointed. We've found eight better-tasting ways to help you boost your protein intake. And, specifically, at the times when you need it the most: breakfast, lunch, and the snacks between meals. Why? Because most men consume two-thirds of their daily protein after 6 p.m., says Donald Layman, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois. In fact, Layman found that to optimally feed your muscles, you need 8 to 12 g of an amino acid called leucine spread evenly throughout the day. Trouble is, it takes 30 g of high-quality protein--such as that found in meat, eggs, and cheese--to provide a 2 to 3 g dose of this essential amino acid. And that's where most pre-dinner meals fall short. Make sure yours don't, by using the following recipes.
OATMEAL AND WHEY
1 c rolled oats
1 c low-fat milk
1/2 c berries (fresh or frozen, your choice of berries)
Dash of salt
Dash of ground cinnamon
Splenda to taste
1 scoop (28 g) vanilla whey-protein powder
Combine the oats and milk in a large bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for an additional minute. Mix in the berries, salt, cinnamon, and Splenda. Let the oatmeal cool slightly, then stir in the protein powder. (Very hot oatmeal can damage protein powder, causing it to lump and sour.) Makes 1 serving
Per serving: 580 calories, 45 grams (g) protein (4.5 g leucine), 83 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 14 g fiber
FRENCH TOAST WITH WHIPPED FRUIT TOPPING
1 1/2 c low-fat cottage cheese
Splenda to taste
1 c blueberries
2 eggs plus 2 egg whites, beaten
3/4 c low-fat milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 slices whole-grain bread
To make the whipped topping, blend the cottage cheese, the Splenda, and ½ c of the blueberries on high for 30 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. Then set it aside. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Soak the bread one slice at a time until it's saturated with liquid, then grill it over medium-high heat on a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray until lightly browned on both sides. Serve with the whipped fruit topping and put the remaining blueberries on top. Makes 2 servings
Per serving: 565 calories, 46 g protein (3.8 g leucine), 66 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 9 g fiber
CHOCOLATE PEANUT-BUTTER SHAKE
1 c Hood Calorie Countdown chocolate 2% dairy beverage
1/2 c low-fat cottage cheese
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 1/2 c ice
Splenda to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high for about 30 seconds, until the shake is smooth and creamy. Makes 1 serving
Per serving: 400 calories, 35 g protein (2.8 g leucine), 17 g carbohydrates, 21 g fat, 2 g fiber
NUKE-AND-EAT ASIAN STIR-FRY
Make this recipe on Sunday, then freeze it in single-serving portions--you'll have a healthy fast-food meal ready anytime you want it.
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 lb beef sirloin, sliced into 2" strips
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 carrots, sliced into 2" strips
1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bunch scallions, sliced into 2" strips
Rice Expressions Organic Brown Rice (This frozen rice is precooked and packaged in individual microwavable pouches. You can find it at riceexpressions.com.)
In a bowl, combine the egg, the salt, and 1 Tbsp of the soy sauce, and stir well. Then add the sirloin strips and set aside to marinate. Next, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet while you mix the remaining soy sauce, the cornstarch, and the crushed red pepper in a bowl--this is your sauce, to be used later. Once the skillet is hot, stir-fry the garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Then, at 30-second intervals, individually add the carrots, water chestnuts, onion, and scallions. Next, remove all the vegetables from the skillet and place them in a bowl. Put the beef-marinade mixture in the skillet, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then pour in the sauce, stirring and cooking until it's thick and bubbly. Finally, add the vegetables back to the skillet, and cook everything together for a couple of minutes, or until hot.
Let it cool, then place individual portions in plastic containers and freeze. When you're ready for a quick lunch, microwave the stir-fry for 3 minutes or until hot and serve with one pouch of the brown rice. Makes 3 servings
Per serving: 486 calories, 42 g protein (2.2 g leucine), 45 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat, 7 g fiber
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
Crust
1 c graham-cracker crumbs
1/4 c milled flaxseeds
1/4 c raw oat bran
1 oz fat-free cream cheese, warmed in the microwave
1/3 c water
Filling
2 c low-fat cottage cheese
1 package (28 g) powdered Jell-O Sugar Free, Fat Free Instant Pudding, cheesecake flavor
3 oz fat-free cream cheese
3 scoops strawberry or vanilla whey or casein Protein powder
Topping
1 c sliced strawberries
4 Tbsp sugar-free strawberry jam
To make the crust, mix the crust ingredients in a large bowl. Stir this mixture until it's all the same consistency, then press it into a 9-inch pie pan coated with cooking spray, easing the crust up the sides of the pan. For the cheesecake filling, blend the ingredients in a blender on high until smooth and creamy. Pour the blended mixture into the crust and refrigerate for 1 hour. Top with the strawberries and jam. Makes 6 slices
Per slice: 240 calories, 27 g protein (2.8 g leucine), 27 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber
YOGRANOLA
1 c low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 c low-fat granola
For this snack, simply put the yogurt in a bowl and stir in the granola. If desired, the plain yogurt can be sweetened with Splenda.
Makes 1 serving
Per serving: 349 calories, 19 g protein (1.8 g leucine), 63 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 3 g fiber
BREAKFAST BURRITO
2 Tbsp salsa
1/4 c shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese
1/4 c fresh cilantro
1 large egg plus 4 large egg whites, Beaten
1/2 c diced lean ham
1 large (8'') whole-wheat tortilla
In a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, sauté the diced ham over medium-high heat, just until the surface starts to brown. Place the cooked ham in the tortilla, then add more cooking spray to the skillet and scramble the eggs together with the cilantro. Add the eggs to the tortilla, top with the cheese and salsa, and fold. Makes 1 serving
Per serving: 410 calories, 48 g protein (2.4 g leucine), 33 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 3 g fiber
PITA PIZZA
1/2 c shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 c diced pineapple
4 oz lean ham
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or dried basil and oregano)
2 Tbsp marinara sauce
1 whole-wheat pita (6" diameter)
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the marinara sauce over the pita, add the Italian seasoning, and top with the pineapple, ham, and cheese. Bake the pita for 8 minutes on a baking sheet on the center oven rack. Makes 1 serving
Per serving: 650 calories, 55 g protein (3.5 g leucine), 62 g carbohydrates, 20 g fat, 8 g fiber
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Be a Better Kisser- Kissing Tips and Techniques
menshealth.com - Want to see her again? Leave her with a kiss she'll remember.
Good kissing technique can pave the way to a long-term relationship -- and the sex that comes with it -- or leave you spending the night alone.
And when you're in a committed relationship, your girlfriend or wife still judges you by your kisses.
Those are the conclusions from a new study of kissing.
Whether it's your first kiss or your fiftieth, "women, more so than men, use kissing as an assessment device," says Susan M. Hughes, Ph.D. "Men, however, would forgo kissing as long as they can have sex."
Hughes led the study at the University of Albany, which found that men and women not only kiss for different reasons, they also prefer different types of kissing.
And a good kiss can lead to many more.
"The first kiss is a deal-breaker in terms of determining how the relationship will play out. A woman feels a kiss can predict how good of a lover a guy will be. A bad kiss will deter her from getting involved with him," Hughes says.
Jen, a 27-year-old from New York City, says she'd start a relationship with a guy based on his kissing.
"If a man is conscientious and intuitive enough to kiss me in a way that makes me feel special and cared about, then that tells me he's the kind of man I'd like to be in a relationship with," she says.
The First Kiss
What's your best kissing strategy?
First, always carry a mint. Women evaluate you by the way your breath smells and mouth tastes.
Hughes says kissing provides information about potential health problems; your hygiene is important.
"An immediate turn-off would be bad breath," says Kristina, 22, from San Diego.
Lips are important too.
"Kissing requires good breath and moist, non-crusty or chapped lips," says Whitney, 27, of Philadelphia. "These things show a guy takes care of himself, a crucial sign he can care for others. Good breath and moist lips may also indicate that he was considerate enough to freshen up after the garlic-bread appetizer."
And take it easy on your first kiss -- the study found that men prefer wetter kisses and more tongue action than women.
"I like when the man initiates the kiss without being forceful or pushy," Jen says. "When I first met my boyfriend, I broke a strict personal rule and kissed him on the middle of a dance floor. It was a really perfect moment. We were both sweaty, wasted, and really digging each other -- and he just looked down at me and laid one on. His taking that initiative led to a 2-year relationship that's still going strong."
Kristina says overeager kisses are always bad. "Sometimes it seems like he's eating your face off. A good kiss would be relaxed and natural," she says.
Does that mean no tongue on a first kiss? Not always.
"A good kiss combines spontaneity, tongue but not too much force, light nibbling to my lower lip, and using your hands to touch other parts of my body," says Kristy, 24, of New York. "That combo equals euphoria for me."
Kissing and Sex
Don't think that a kiss guarantees you'll go back to her place.
"Men were much more likely to have sex with a bad kisser than women," Hughes says. "As long as males get sexual access, then kissing is rather irrelevant. For females, that's not the case."
"I try to stay away from guys who are sleazy, and if the guy only wants sex, that's super sleazy," Whitney says. "Why consider bringing yourself to his level by kissing him even after realizing that he only wants sex?
"Even if the physical attraction has a greater pull than the world's strongest magnet, at the end of the day, you'll wonder why you laid down your hand so willingly."
If you're in a relationship, you should know there's no sex without kissing.
"Kissing and making out are the ultimate foreplay -- how can you get in the mood without testing the waters first?" Jen says.
"Kissing is the starting line for sex," says Whitney. "It heightens my senses and sends me into overdrive. Kissing brings you face to face and forces you to look into the eyes of the person with whom you're about to share this incredible experience."
Women in the study said kissing was important before, during, and after sex -- and we're talking about her mouth here.
"Kissing helps get your partner aroused for sex," Hughes says. "And, afterward, women want more kissing because it creates more of a bond."
So if you want to keep her happy, kiss and cuddle after sex.
Many Kisses Later
The first smooch may score you a second date, but for women, kisses are important throughout a relationship.
"Once the initial excitement of a new relationship settles, kissing is sometimes the first thing that becomes routine -- if you let it," Kristy says. "If you don't, though, then a great kiss can let me know how much you love me even if I'm not wearing make up and I have old sweatpants on and my hair is frizzy."
"Long-term relationships need lots of rekindling on a regular basis, and a simple kiss is a great way to do this," Jen explains. "A kiss can mean anything from, 'I know you're working hard on a big project right now, but I want to remind you I love and support you' to 'Turn off the TV and come to bed with me.'"
Rebecca, 25, from Baltimore, agrees that kissing is really important and can help bring her out of a bad mood.
"A kiss can be anything from foreplay to a reminder that I've been missed all day," she says. "Sometimes when I'm upset, angry, or distracted, a kiss full on the lips can bring me out of a funk in a second."
The frequency and quality of kisses can also be a sign of potential problems, Hughes says. "Women use kisses to gauge how the relationship is going and to create a bond. If you kissed a lot in the beginning of your relationship, but you don't now, she may become concerned."
But don't try to kiss your way out of a fight.
"Men feel this can be a reconciliation gesture to recreate the bond," Hughes says. "They use kissing to make sure the status of the relationship is back to where it was before the fight."
And this attempt rarely works.
"If the fight is about anything more serious than a misplaced sock, it's insulting he would try to pacify me over an issue presumably important enough to fight about by using what's supposed to be a romantic gesture," Whitney says.
Kristina agrees: "What a cop-out that would be. I can't be won over by just a kiss. He needs to do better than that."
But some women have been known to give in to a well-executed, heartfelt smooch.
"It depends on what the fight was about," Rebecca says. "If I'm in the middle of a belligerent exclamation, kissing me is only going to make me more angry. But if he catches me in between, grabs my shoulders, looks me in the eyes, and kisses me like he means it, I've been known to discontinue the fight. It's much easier to have a level conversation after we're both sexually sated anyway."
Monday, December 7, 2009
Men Develop Breasts or Gynecomastia by Consuming Supplements with Estrogenics
According to Dr. Ismail Thamby a Men’s Health expert he states that men can end up with developing breasts or gynecomastia if they consume vitality supplements with steroids and estrogenics.
Men use vitality supplements to destroy stubborn belly fat, ignite energy and get leaner, stronger bodies. But we are not exposed to estrogenic chemicals through supplements alone. Estrogen mimickers, xenoestrogens, are in the air, car emissions, detergents, paints, nail polish, lotions, soaps, plastics (if you recall the ban of baby bottles), food and water. Most significant sours of estrogen chemicals are petroleum based products, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and plastics.
Health problems associated with xenoestrogens are; weight gain especially belly fat, sinus infections, water retention, fatigue and mood swings. Unhealthy lifestyle also contributes to excess estrogen. Obesity, aging, birth control, estrogen replacement drugs, anabolic steroids, hormones in meat and dairy, poor diet are also related disorders in men and women.
With age, men and women convert androgens to estrogen which leaves the body with an excess of renegade estrogen. Otherwise, our estrogen cup has spilled over due to estrogenic chemicals and the effect is excess estrogen and its related disorders.
Men’s bodies tend to soften if they have excess estrogen. Men get increase belly and chest fat or a condition the causes feminization such as genecomastia or man boobs. Estrogen sensitive fat tissues are also known as “stubborn fat” due to its high resistance to fat burning. Diet or exercise cannot help remove tenacious fat as excess estrogen works to promote fat gain enlarging fat tissue. Not attacking this problem can lead to an enlarged prostate or if left untreated cancer. Many times this condition of excess estrogen is overlooked leaving the person with almost no choice but to take drugs which in many cases accelerates the problems, causing other side effects.
Estrogen is a group of hormones and metabolites that compete with each other to bind estrogen receptors. These metabolites can convert into two kinds which are either beneficial or harmful. The bodies key defense against excess estrogen is by shifting its metabolism into producing the beneficial, anti-cancerous metabolites instead of the harmful toxic cancer causing metabolites.
It is known that certain compounds in plants that belong to the family of flavonoids and indoles can help counter estrogen action and defend the body against its excess. These estrogen inhibitors work better when they are combined. Researchers have found that plant compounds or phytonutrients treat metabolic problems including estrogen related disorders and lowering the risk for cancer. Unfortunately, due to today’s methods for harvesting and processing, food is often deficient in phytonutrients therefore is missing from our daily diet. New nutritional guidelines need to be incorporated with estrogen inhibitors to effectively balance our diet.
Plants with flavonoids and indoles are found in passiflora, chamomile, bee products, citrus fruits, onion, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage). Other beneficial estrogen supplement modulators are omega 3 fatty acids from fatty fish, flaxseeds or hempseed.
Supplements and food that are considered estrogenics are:
• Pesticides and herbicides in fruit and vegetables
• Hormones in meat and dairy
• Soy and products high in soy isoflavones (more on soy below)
• Black Cohosh Supplement
• Food and water packaged in plastic
• Diet high in fat and excess omega 6 rich oils such as; canola, corn, safflower and soy.
• Alfalfa
• Wild Yams Supplement
• Unicorn Root Supplement
• Hops Supplement
• Alluim Sativum Supplement
• American Ginseng, Garlic Panax Ginseng, Korean Ginseng
• Saw Palmetto Supplement
• Red Clover Extract
• Licorice Extract
• Angelica Sinesis Root
• Pomegranates
• Kudzu Vine Supplement
More information regarding some of these supplements can be found on www.greenbush.net.
Some Omega 9 fatty acids or monounsaturated oils are safe to use such as; olive oil, nuts, seeds. Also fruits with a peel are safer than grapes or berries. It is important to be proactive and make the right choices when it comes to food and supplements.
PS. One report on Kudzu Vine, the plant is in the soy bean family and is considered an estrogenic. It is like replacing a beer gut with a nice set of man breasts. Kudzu is known to calm males and has shown promise as a treatment for reducing the desire for alcohol. The estrogenics drop your testosterone so obviously your more relaxed and as a result of a lower overall proportion of testosterone to estrogenics.
Soy products such as soymilk tofu, tempeh or miso that mimic estrogen can be destroyed by cooking. It is up to some that there is little to no risk to men as long as they are not consuming raw or undercooked soy beans, but there is still more research needed to determine what types of compounds soy contains. One isolated estrogen-like compound has been identified by researchers called glycinol. The authors report that glycinol appears to be as potent as other, similar compounds found in the legume and its many food products, such as tofu and soy milk. Soybeans can also be more estrogenic if they are not pesticide free.
Collectively, these compounds are called isoflavone phytoestrogens. When researchers identify which compounds in soy can mimic estrogen, they take an important step toward understanding how soy can positively or negatively affect health.
Men use vitality supplements to destroy stubborn belly fat, ignite energy and get leaner, stronger bodies. But we are not exposed to estrogenic chemicals through supplements alone. Estrogen mimickers, xenoestrogens, are in the air, car emissions, detergents, paints, nail polish, lotions, soaps, plastics (if you recall the ban of baby bottles), food and water. Most significant sours of estrogen chemicals are petroleum based products, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and plastics.
Health problems associated with xenoestrogens are; weight gain especially belly fat, sinus infections, water retention, fatigue and mood swings. Unhealthy lifestyle also contributes to excess estrogen. Obesity, aging, birth control, estrogen replacement drugs, anabolic steroids, hormones in meat and dairy, poor diet are also related disorders in men and women.
With age, men and women convert androgens to estrogen which leaves the body with an excess of renegade estrogen. Otherwise, our estrogen cup has spilled over due to estrogenic chemicals and the effect is excess estrogen and its related disorders.
Estrogen is a group of hormones and metabolites that compete with each other to bind estrogen receptors. These metabolites can convert into two kinds which are either beneficial or harmful. The bodies key defense against excess estrogen is by shifting its metabolism into producing the beneficial, anti-cancerous metabolites instead of the harmful toxic cancer causing metabolites.
It is known that certain compounds in plants that belong to the family of flavonoids and indoles can help counter estrogen action and defend the body against its excess. These estrogen inhibitors work better when they are combined. Researchers have found that plant compounds or phytonutrients treat metabolic problems including estrogen related disorders and lowering the risk for cancer. Unfortunately, due to today’s methods for harvesting and processing, food is often deficient in phytonutrients therefore is missing from our daily diet. New nutritional guidelines need to be incorporated with estrogen inhibitors to effectively balance our diet.
Plants with flavonoids and indoles are found in passiflora, chamomile, bee products, citrus fruits, onion, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage). Other beneficial estrogen supplement modulators are omega 3 fatty acids from fatty fish, flaxseeds or hempseed.
Supplements and food that are considered estrogenics are:
• Pesticides and herbicides in fruit and vegetables
• Hormones in meat and dairy
• Soy and products high in soy isoflavones (more on soy below)
• Black Cohosh Supplement
• Food and water packaged in plastic
• Diet high in fat and excess omega 6 rich oils such as; canola, corn, safflower and soy.
• Alfalfa
• Wild Yams Supplement
• Unicorn Root Supplement
• Hops Supplement
• Alluim Sativum Supplement
• American Ginseng, Garlic Panax Ginseng, Korean Ginseng
• Saw Palmetto Supplement
• Red Clover Extract
• Licorice Extract
• Angelica Sinesis Root
• Pomegranates
• Kudzu Vine Supplement
More information regarding some of these supplements can be found on www.greenbush.net.
Some Omega 9 fatty acids or monounsaturated oils are safe to use such as; olive oil, nuts, seeds. Also fruits with a peel are safer than grapes or berries. It is important to be proactive and make the right choices when it comes to food and supplements.
PS. One report on Kudzu Vine, the plant is in the soy bean family and is considered an estrogenic. It is like replacing a beer gut with a nice set of man breasts. Kudzu is known to calm males and has shown promise as a treatment for reducing the desire for alcohol. The estrogenics drop your testosterone so obviously your more relaxed and as a result of a lower overall proportion of testosterone to estrogenics.
Soy products such as soymilk tofu, tempeh or miso that mimic estrogen can be destroyed by cooking. It is up to some that there is little to no risk to men as long as they are not consuming raw or undercooked soy beans, but there is still more research needed to determine what types of compounds soy contains. One isolated estrogen-like compound has been identified by researchers called glycinol. The authors report that glycinol appears to be as potent as other, similar compounds found in the legume and its many food products, such as tofu and soy milk. Soybeans can also be more estrogenic if they are not pesticide free.
Collectively, these compounds are called isoflavone phytoestrogens. When researchers identify which compounds in soy can mimic estrogen, they take an important step toward understanding how soy can positively or negatively affect health.
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