Fitness Tips

Links for 2012-01-30 [Digg]

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PST

Naya Rivera Enchants in Naeem Khan at the 2012 SAG Awards
Jaws dropped on the red carpet as Naya Rivera stepped out in a low-cut grayish purple gown from Naeem Khan at the SAG awards January 29, 2012.
Angelina Jolie Uber-Hot in Packham at the 2012 SAG Awards
The 2012 Screen Actors Guild awards were held at the Shrine auditorium in Los Angeles January 29, 2012. Looks encompassed everything from classic Hollywood styles to more daring numbers, all making their wearers turn heads on the red carpet. Of course, no red carpet event would be complete without actress Angelina Jolie.
Lea Michele Glimmering in Gray at the 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards
While her fellow Glee star Dianna Agron had us drooling in a low-cut purple gown, Lea Michele turned up the sartorial heat clad in chiffon from head to toe at the 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards January 29, 2012. Read more: http://masalamagazine.blogspot.com/#ixzz1l09a313a

Depression Linked to Excessive Work

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:27:00 +0000

Depression Linked to Excessive Work

A new British study has established that those working more than 11 hours a day face a 2-fold increase in the likelihood of a major depressive episode as compared to those working 7-8 hours a day.
The study is published in the January 25 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.
The authors, led by Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London, followed about 2000 middle aged British civil servants and found a robust association between overtime work and depression. This correlation was not affected when the analysis was adjusted for various possible confounders, including socio-demographics, lifestyle, and work-related factors.
There have been a number of previous studies on the subject, with varying results, but the researchers emphasize that it is hard to compare results across these studies because the cut-off for "overtime" work has not been standardized.
"Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the individual and society, it is important to recognize that working excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major depression", says Dr Virtanen.

Weight Loss and Female Friendship

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:27:00 +0000

Weight Loss and Female Friendship

Psychologists believe that weight loss leads to a less close female conversation.
Do not rush to lose weight, if you do not want to lose pleasant chatting. According to the results of the survey, involving 10,000 female residents of the UK and commissioned by the manufacturers of weight loss products, rapid correction of the waist is dangerous for female friendship.
One-third of the interviewed women have sincerely admitted that they secretly envy their friends, who are losing weight. One in six respondents wants her friends to have extra weight. 20% of the survey participants feel happy when their best friends have more extra pounds than they do.
No matter how much we praise friendship and how often we talk about wishing only the best to our friends, human jealousy is often stronger than the relationship.
10% of the respondents tell their friends that they have lost weight. But it does not happen in reality. Do you think this is done in order to encourage the friends? No, these words are uttered to make them stop dieting. A significant amount of women aged 16-17 years mark their friends only in those general photographs on social networking sites where they look ugly.

Peacocks Files for Bankruptcy

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:26:00 +0000

Peacocks Files for Bankruptcy

More than six hundred stores of the Peacocks brand across the UK can forever shut their doors for customers. The company and the eponymous Peacocks brand, which had been working in the high street fashion niche, turned out to be on the verge of bankruptcy.
The company has recently made an official statement saying that the managers have failed to solve the financial problems. More than 9,600 employees of the large network of stores may soon be left without their jobs.
When it became clear that the company could not solve the financial difficulties by itself, an active though (unfortunately!) fruitless search for new investors began. The debt of 240 million pounds has remained on the company’s bank account. The negotiations with Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland had no result, so it made the company announce a state of emergency.
According to Richard Kirk, the chief executive officer of the brand, Peacocks is a company with great heritage. The brand is deeply sad to announce that they have no other way out, but to declare bankruptcy. Peacocks worked tirelessly over the past year to negotiate their new financial policy in order to survive in the current harsh conditions of retail marketing. In particular, the representatives of the company were looking for new investments for business development.

Multivitamins Intake Helps Get Pregnant

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:24:00 +0000

Multivitamins Intake Helps Get Pregnant

According to the researchers from University College London, multivitamins make the chance of pregnancy twice bigger.
According to them, 60% of the women, who are taking the appropriate supplements during the course of IVF, get pregnant.
Dr. Rina Agrawal claims that the pills contain substances such as vitamins A, C, E, zinc, selenium, and folic acid that can increase fertility and that our diet usually lacks.
The scientists have tested this theory on 56 women aged 18-40 years. All of them were unsuccessfully trying to conceive a baby during the last year, using the IVF technology.
One half of the women, who participated in the experiment, received miltivitamins daily, and the other half had only pills with folic acid (which is believed to help get pregnant). As a result, it turned out that 60% of the women from the first group successfully conceived a child in the first three months. In the second group, only 25% of the women got pregnant after three months.

Children Eat Veggies

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:24:00 +0000

Children Eat Veggies

Why don’t our children like to eat vegetables? One of the reasons may be sensitivity to bitterness.
This phenomenon is quite common among children. For example, 70% of the kids, who participated in the study conducted by American scientists in the laboratory for the study of obesity, said that they would rather be drawn to an apple or a banana than eat lettuce or even less desirable Broccoli.
Dr. Jennifer Orlet Fisher, who led the study, says that the gene TAS2R38, which is responsible for the way we perceive the bitter taste, should be blamed for it.
What does the doctor recommend to the parents, whose children fail to eat useful vegetables? One should just reduce their taste with low-fat yogurt or buttermilk and add applesauce or hummus to the salad.
Cook delicious dishes – from the point of view of your children, – and then your kids will eat broccoli, lettuce, and other vegetables.

Eat to Get Rid of Fat

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:59:00 +0000

Eat to Get Rid of Fat

The people, who constantly consume more calories, than are burnt in their body, and eat little protein, lose muscle mass each day and accumulate fat faster.
The study, whose results have been recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved 25 people. They were placed in a carefully guarded (for the security of the experiment) research center for three months. During this time, men and women consumed 1,000 calories more than required to maintain a stable weight, but at the same time their diets contained different amounts of protein.
The representatives of the first group, whose extra ration by 90% consisted of fat, lost an average of 700 grams of muscle mass, whereas the participants of the second and third groups, whose diets contained normal and high amounts of protein, increased their muscle mass for the average 2.7 or 3.1 kilos respectively.
The results of this study refute the old myth about protein diets. It has been believed that increasing or decreasing the amount of protein, you can gain and lose fat. The truth is that you will lose muscle mass, rather than fat, which is especially bad for older people.
The daily recommended rate of protein is 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men. However, the experts say this amount is very approximate and is capable of maintaining muscle mass in some people, but not everyone. It is necessary that one should use up to 78 grams of protein a day, to provide the complete “nourishment for the muscles,” and control the appetite. You can rely on low-fat foods – white meat, cheese, yogurt, and ocean fish – since they are high in protein.

Pros and Cons of Liposuction After Childbirth

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:57:00 +0000

Pros and Cons of Liposuction After Childbirth

Pregnancy puts on extra pounds on a woman. Some women put on just a few that they lose right after the baby is born, and some unlucky women even put on hundreds. It all depends on the woman and her nutrition, body type, and other uncontrollable factors. After having a baby, of course most women want to get rid of the extra pounds. One idea is to have liposuction to get rid of the excess fat.
There are a few pros and a few cons to this procedure. Technically after giving birth to a child and waiting about 6-8 months, there is nothing wrong with having liposuction, especially if it is going to help you feel better as a woman and therefore as a mom. It is advised however to wait at least that amount of time to give your body time to heal from the damage done by the arduous process of childbirth and to get back to a somewhat normal health level. The issues with liposuction is that it removes the fat, but fat can grow back. If you don’t learn how to maintain your weight and follow the doctor’s orders during the liposuction recovery stage then it will be pointless. In a matter of weeks, you’ll be back to square one. It can also be dangerous if too much fat is removed. If you are opting for liposuction do not opt for more than 6-8 pounds in one session. Even this is usually divided into two sessions.
Another alternative to liposuction might be a tummy tuck or tummy liposuction. A tummy tuck can get rid of the excess skin and might give you a more permanent, lasting result as opposed to liposuction after the birth of a child. However, moms planning to have this procedure must be done with having more children as it involves having the skin on the tummy area permanently improved. So mothers, the choice is yours.

Women Need to Feel Labor Pain

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:57:00 +0000

Women Need to Feel Labor Pain

It might seem that if there is no pain, there is no problem. However, doctors insist that pain is necessary: it forces a woman to complete the process of birth – to strive to end it with the birth of a baby. If there is no pain, there is no desire to make an effort.
According to Doctor of obstetrics Dennis Walsh from the University of Nottingham, England, the pain during childbirth has its own advantages for both mother and baby. He emphasizes that painkillers, such as epidural, violate the natural process of psychological connection between the mother and the child.
Dr. Walsh says that labor pain often helps to regulate the time of delivery, reinforces psychological connection between the mother and the baby, and prepares the woman for motherhood responsibilities.
Over the past 20 years, the use of epidural anesthesia has doubled. In fact, it is used only on demand of women in labor, even despite the fact that the medicine increases medical risks during childbirth and despite the availability of alternative and less invasive ways to control pain symptoms.
Meanwhile, according to Dr. Walsh, the pain has positive physiological effects, allowing to set the rhythm for the contractions and activate the production of endorphins, the hormones that help to adapt to the feeling of pain.
The doctors have noted that the use of epidural anesthesia facilitates side effects, such as the need for hormone replacement therapy during labor and the use of forceps for the child to be born safely.
According to the research by Swedish doctors, one should not overuse these painkillers at least because of the fact that the risk of drug addiction among the adolescents, whose mothers received morphine drugs during labor, is five times higher.
The nervous system of the baby “remembers” the narcotic analgesic. And then, if one day the teenager gives it a try, there will develop a fast and strong addiction.
Dr. Walsh says that alternative methods of reducing pain are safer for both the mother and the newborn baby. For instance, he suggests using the technique of hypnosis, massage, yoga, and birthing pools.
It is believed that the woman, who is psychologically ready to deliver a baby, who is able to breathe properly, is well aware of all the phases of labor, who is able to control herself and is aimed at the result, can cope well without painkillers.

Woman Gets Pregnant Again and Again Despite Birth Control Techniques

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:57:00 +0000

Woman Gets Pregnant Again

When it became clear that a young Englishwoman had got pregnant again despite taking the contraceptive pill, the doctors decided that she simply had not followed the instructions as for taking it. But she became pregnant again and again, though she had referred to a more reliable method of intrauterine spiral.
Gemma Potter, the resident of the English city of Plymouth, is only 23 years old now. In 2006, when she met her future husband, she was a very young girl. Their love was passionate and mutual, but soon Gemma noticed a strange thing: all the contraceptives, which she resorted to, were completely ineffective.
As a result, she has given birth to three children during 5 years, and two pregnancies ended in miscarriages.
But the most piquant is the fact that the woman with three children and a young mother – judging by modern standards – is pregnant for the sixth time, although she took every precaution to prevent pregnancy.
Gemma and her husband Glenn made love no more than three times from the beginning of September until early December – once a month, as it turns out. The woman was very worried that she would get pregnant once again. But there was no way to escape her fate. Neither pills, nor intrauterine devices and hormone injections could help her. During the fall, she and Glenn used condoms, but Gemma still got pregnant.
At first, the doctors, whom she spoke with, only smiled and advised her to comply with the prescribed rules for the use of various contraceptive methods more carefully. But now they look at the woman as a kind of a medical phenomenon.
Gemma complains she has forgotten what a party with friends is like. She has forgotten the taste of champagne, whiskey, and wine. She will never be able to find a good job again, and all of that is because she is constantly pregnant. Gemma loves her children and her husband, but she is terribly afraid to once again discover that she is pregnant.
The woman decided that in future she would take advantage of this feature of her organism. After giving birth to their fourth child, Gemma is going to become a surrogate mother.

Girl Has No Fear of Lions

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:54:00 +0000

Girl Has No Fear of Lions

While a visit to the wildest section of a zoo can be frightening for some kids, a New Zealand kid has proved to the Internet that “little” doesn’t necessarily mean “easily scared.” The video of her confronting a lion at the Wellington Zoo earned her the title of “the world’s littlest lion tamer.”
Naturally, there was a safety glass wall between Sofia Walker, 3, and the lion Malik, but that did nothing to diminish the ferocity with which the animal tried to get at the girl with his paws. It paused and then continued to strike at the glass making his anger manifest – yet failing to get the undaunted girl to cringe away from the sight.
The Wellington Zoo’s Paul Hatton explained that the threatening pawing was intended to show that Malik wasn’t going to share his breakfast with the girl.

Links for 2012-01-17 [Digg]

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PST

Top 5 Best Dressed 2012 Golden Globes
The 2012 Golden Globes featured a number of devastatingly gorgeous stars strolling the red carpet, all of them worthy of a magazine cover or a spot on the runway. But we've narrowed the selection of immaculately-styled actresses to five, whom we feel best exemplify sartorial grace. Read more: http://masalamagazine.blogspot.com/2012/01/top-5-best-dressed-2012-golden-globes.html#ixzz1jmoVRjHs
Top 3 Best Makeup 2012 Golden Globes
As we all know, what face in Hollywood would get noticed without an expert application of color to set it off. Our top three choices for Best Makeup at the 2012 Golden Globes were Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon and Charlize Theron. Read more: http://masalamagazine.blogspot.com/#ixzz1jmokXBPL
Top 3 Best Jewelry 2012 Golden Globes
When you're on the Hollywood A-list, every jeweler in town is going to come knocking come awards season. Three actresses on the Golden Globes red carpet this year made beautiful choices, not only in their attire but the gems to make them red carpet special.

VelaShape - Cellulite Treatment That Lasts

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:32:00 +0000

VelaShape - Cellulite Treatment That Lasts

FDA cleared VelaShape - a non invasive treatment that uses a combination of Bi-Polar Radiofrequency (RF), Infrared Light Energy, plus Vacuum and Mechanical Massage - can dramatically reduce cellulite.
A full Velashape treatment spans 4-6 sessions, spaced a week apart, and costs upwards of $400 / session.
After the last session, it takes about three months to see the final result of the treatment.
The results last several months in the case of patients who eat well and exercise regularly, and when you do need to come back, it is only for touch up treatment, not another 4-6 sessions.
Velashape works by delivering heat energy deep into the skin (dermis) without damaging the upper layer (epidermis). The device uses a combination of optical energies and bipolar RF to create a synergistic effect that allows for lower treatment levels of both the RF and the optical light, reducing the risk of side effects associated with each.
Velashape has vacuum and specially designed rollers for mechanical massage that smooth out the skin and facilitates safe and efficient heat energy delivery.
The heat energy delivered under the skin increases the metabolism of stored fat, stimulates lymphatic drainage and reduces or shrinks the size of the actual fat cells and fat chambers.
The net result is gradual smoothening of the skin's surface with a noticeable reduction in cellulite.
Precise heating ensures safe, effective, and fast treatment with no downtime.
Velashape was recently featured on Dr Oz.

Victoria’s Secret Angels Lose Pregnancy Weight

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:31:00 +0000

Victoria’s Secret Angels Lose Pregnancy Weight

We will not stop admiring how great – even better than before – Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima look after the birth of their children (and their kids are also our favorites!).
The head of Victoria’s Secret marketing says that “angels” have become “more beautiful than ever”, because, in his opinion, they have a special confidence now, they are committed and they know they are capable of anything. Of course, genetics, physical exercise in a gym, and a strict diet played an important role in weight loss and the girls’ changing.

Miranda Kerr

Perhaps, of all the mothers, Miranda Kerr benefited most. Her slender figure got feminine shapes, her movements became more graceful, and her smile became more radiant – not for nothing, after all, was she entrusted with the demonstration of a precious bra!

I was asked to do it after I gave birth. That was awesome. It’s such an honour.
The girl struggled with her extra pounds with the help of yoga, pilates, and strength training. And she deliberately chose the programs that she could run at home, in her living room:
I do have less time, but I do try to exercise every day. I exercise at home with my son playing around with his toys on the floor.
The model believes that watching the way she trains, Flynn, her rosy-cheeked and handsome son, will get used to the idea that sport is an essential part of daily routine. The same can be said about a healthy diet, of which Kerr is a follower.

As a rule, her breakfast consists of fresh fruit with yogurt, eggs, and rye bread with avocado. For midday lunch, she usually has a salad with tuna and green tea, while fish steak with vegetables (pumpkin is a priority here!), green salad, and tea are for dinner. It sounds, by the way, very appetizing!

Doutzen Kroes

Doutzen Kroes says that ABS (Abdominal – Back – Spine) strength training helped her return the usual shape:
Abs, abs, lots of ab exercises all the time.

In addition, she excludes carbohydrates from her diet before important events, replacing them with protein food (several times a day in small portions), and drinks fresh juices (no chemicals!). The result is obvious. And it can easily be seen on her body, of course.
The model is convinced that after the birth of the first baby, her body has changed, and she likes this metamorphosis:
I wish every woman can feel so sexy after birth. It’s your body but it’s also a feeling.
Despite the high fees, the Dane model firmly believes that the main thing is to stick to a regime. And if she has to work overtime, she may allow herself a few days of rest.
The beautiful blonde gladly takes Phyllon to the shooting with her, but only if it is not far away from home. Kroes says that the boy is too young to become a traveler.

Alessandra Ambrosio

Alessandra Ambrosio, who became a mother nearly three years ago, quickly gained the previous shape. Now, the “angelic” beauty is happy with her body, like never before:
I’m definitely more proud of my body now. Our bodies are changed as we get older, and I’m more conscious of it now. Now, I’m a woman doing the show, not a girl.

The young mother says that her preparation for the show begins a few weeks before it. In particular, she does not eat chocolate (though it is not always required of her). Recently, she does not have much time for sports, so she prefers to spend time with her daughter Anna, who, despite her young age, is a true fashion lover:
She loves dressing up, and there is always a lot of dress up here. There are wings – so much fun for her!

Adriana Lima

But Adriana Lima had to do her best (both literally and figuratively) more than others. A week before the very important display, the model had to start an extremely strict diet, which consisted of only water and special protein shakes. She also began to actively attend sports classes (twice a day!), boxing in particular.

The results were quite soon to come: some argue that the Brazilian model has become even “hotter”, while others criticize her for promoting anorexia.
Adriana says that she just has the same approach to many things, as athletes have, and she does not have to stick to this severe diet all the time! That is the way she prepares for the show. After the show, she again goes back to normal life and eats whatever she wants.
Judging by how elegant Lima currently is, she has not yet kept her word about eating everything she wants.

Perfect Breakfast for Active People

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Perfect Breakfast for Active People

The scientists have always known that caffeine combined with carbohydrates can increase endurance. But only now they were able to prove how this combination affects the effectiveness of training.
A research team from Sheffield Hallam University asked eight volunteers to play three football games in order to assess the quality of the game. For the first time, the volunteers had a drink without caffeine. Before the second game, they were offered a caffeinated beverage, and before the third game they had a drink containing a mixture of caffeine and carbohydrates.
That last drink resulted in improving the volunteers’ performance during the game. Mayur Ranchordas, the author of the study, says that caffeine itself is able to improve one’s performance, but only for a short period of time. But adding carbohydrates can increase the endurance for more than an hour.

Forget the Reason You’ve Entered the Room

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Forget the Reason You’ve Entered the Room

The researchers from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana have decided to study the well-known phenomenon occurring when a person forgets the reason why he or she entered the room. The researchers believe that the passage through the doorway impairs short-term memory.
To conduct the research, they had a series of experiments in virtual and real environments. During the first experiment in virtual reality, the volunteering students were offered to pack some items into boxes and either take them to another room, or move them indoors. After this, the experiment was repeated in the real world. In the third experiment, the packed objects were moved through several rooms, so that in the end they would be found in the same room where the experiment began.
It was found that in all cases the participants of the experiment found it more difficult to remember what was in the box, if they went to another room. The third experiment confirmed that the memory was affected by passing through the doorway, rather than by the differences in the environments where the packing took place and when it was needed to remember what was inside the box.
The leader of the study, Gabriel Radwanski, believes that entering or going out through a doorway is a barrier in the thinking processes, which delineates the episodes of activity and sends them to the “archive”.

British Midwife Delivered Her Own Baby

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:19:00 +0000

British Midwife Delivered Her Own Baby

A British midwife had to deliver without assistance. The birth of her child began three weeks before the scheduled time. The incident occurred with Claire Clarke-Wood, a worker of Croydon University Hospital.

As reported by The Daily Mail, the midwife felt premature contractions a few hours after she went home from her work at hospital in the evening of December 10. According to the 28-year-old woman, it was the first birth, so she knew that the contractions would be long. The woman decided to wait, until they subsided.

Despite this fact, the frequency of the contractions continued to increase, and the pregnant woman decided to move to the bathroom. The woman’s relatives called the team of doctors. However, Clarke-Wood managed to give birth to a child before their arrival. She delivered the baby, using a small make-up mirror and towels.

The midwife gave birth to a daughter in the morning of December 11. The weight of the newborn girl was about three kilograms.

Clarke-Wood has been working as a midwife at Croydon University Hospital since 2008. According to the newly formed mother, she had assisted the delivery of thousands of women during the period of her work, and many of those women gave birth at home.

Walk Prevents You from Eating a Dessert

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:18:00 +0000

Walk Prevents You from Eating a Dessert

Professor Adrian Taylor of the University of Exeter found out that moderate physical activity, such as a 15-minute walk, allows us to reduce up to 50% in the consumption of chocolate.For many of us snacks is the way of coping with stress or boredom at work. Strolling helps to overcome this habit.

This statement has been confirmed by an experiment: 78 people who regularly ate chocolate at work received a number of tasks. People who walked to work ate about 15 grams of chocolate. The people who were deprived of exercise ate 28 grams in average. The difference in the complexity of tasks did not affect the amount of the consumed chocolate.

Earlier, the professor and her colleagues had proved that exercise can reduce the craving for chocolate.

The conclusion is as follows: in order not to overeat sweets, try walking in the fresh air, and the desire to eat a dessert will disappear!

Yeast Helps Slow Down Aging

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:16:00 +0000

Yeast Helps Slow Down Aging

It turns out that yeast can be successfully used to stop or slow down the process of human aging.

It has been established by the team of the researchers from John Hopkins University and National Taiwan University that unicellular organisms of yeast contain a special protein that is responsible for their age-related changes. When its activity was artificially suppressed, the organisms were growing old more quickly, and the term of their life expectancy reduced. Conversely, when the function of the protein recovered, aging took place more slowly.

According to one of the leading authors of the study, Professor Geoff Buck, he and his colleagues have managed, perhaps for the first time, to discover the way to preserve youth longer at the molecular biochemical level, and it has nothing to do with diet. If to dwell upon this issue in detail, the effect is based on the process called acetylation, or addition of acetyl to the existing molecules. It is noteworthy that later they can also be divided.

Acetylation can radically change the function of the protein that allows the body to quickly adapt to the changing environment. So it is this process that allowed to increase the life expectancy of yeast organisms up to 50%. The experts believe that such phenomena occur in mammalian cells as well, and after a more careful study, it will be possible to take them under control and finally discover the secret of eternal youth, which has been intriguing the mankind for such a long time.

Paid for Dropping Weight

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:16:00 +0000

Paid for Dropping Weight

As part of the Weight and Win program, the people from Colorado, who have dropped weight, will get from $15 to $150.

The American Kaiser Permanente Insurance Company in Colorado offers the residents of the state to participate in the Weight and Win campaign, which presupposes payment for losing weight and keeping the new weight.

As part of the program, there have been opened 12 special stations in the medical institutions, libraries, and even furniture stores of the state, where one can get weighed and record the results on video.

For getting rid of excess weight and maintaining the achieved weight, the participants of the Weight and Win campaign will receive from 15 to 150 dollars every three months.
Since April, 2011, 8900 people have agreed to participate in the program. Their average weight loss was about five kilograms.

The launching of the program cost the insurance company 500 thousand dollars. In early 2011, a similar program was launched in the UK. Depending on the weight lost, the participants could get from 70 to 425 pounds.

Bee Poison Is the New Botox

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:14:00 +0000

Bee Poison Is the New Botox

According to Dr. Sang Mi Han from the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences of South Korea, poison is able to activate the production of collagen, which is essential for skin elasticity.

He has created a line of cosmetics, which is based on bee poison. And the New Zealand Manuka Doctor company promises that this product will replace Botox in the markets, as its alternative.

The creators warn that when the products based on poison are applied onto the skin, people feel some tingling. At this moment, the organism thinks that it has been bitten by a bee. As a result, the place of an imaginary bite is supplied with blood, and the production of collagen and elastin is stimulated.

By the way, a special technology has been developed to collect bee poison without killing the insects. Bees are forced to bite the collecting glass. When enough poison is accumulated on the collecting surface, it is dried and cleaned. Only purified poison is used in a cream.

Prefer Jogging to Walking Fast

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:13:00 +0000

Prefer Jogging to Walking Fast

Walking fast tends to get uncomfortable beyond a speed – about 4.5 miles per hour, or 2mt per second - prompting us to break into a jog. Now scientist have an explanation for it.

North Carolina State University biomedical engineers Dr. Gregory Sawicki and Dr. Dominic Farris have discovered that running makes better use of an important calf muscle than walking, and therefore is a much more efficient use of the muscle's – and the body's – energy.

Published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study combined ultrasound imaging, high-speed motion-capture techniques and a force-measuring treadmill to examine a key calf muscle and how it behaves when people walk and run.

The high-speed images revealed that the medial gastrocnemius muscle, a major calf muscle that attaches to the Achilles tendon, can be likened to a "clutch" that engages early in the stride, holding one end of the tendon while the body's energy is transferred to stretch it. Later, the Achilles – the long, elastic tendon that runs down the back of the lower leg – springs into action by releasing the stored energy in a rapid recoil to help move you.

The study showed that the muscle "speeds up," or changes its length more and more rapidly as people walk faster and faster, but in doing so provides less and less power. Working harder and providing less power means less overall muscle efficiency.

When people break into a run at about 2 meters per second, however, the study showed that the muscle "slows down," or changes its length more slowly, providing more power while working less rigorously, thereby increasing its efficiency.

The finding sheds light on why speed walking is generally confined to the Olympics: muscles must work too inefficiently to speed walk, so the body turns to running in order to increase efficiency and comfort, and to conserve energy.

The research could help inform the best ways of building assistive or prosthetic devices for humans, or help strength and conditioning professionals assist people who have had spinal-cord injury or a stroke, Sawicki and Farris say.

Do People Yawn

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:13:00 +0000

Do People Yawn

The scientists are still interested in the phenomenon of “contagious” yawning. The recent studies suggest that transmitted yawning is a form of social empathy, and it helps people interact with each other.

This version is proved by the fact that children display the ability of “contagious yawning” from the age of 4-5 years. It happens simultaneously with the development of the skill to interpret other people’s emotions. However, it has been unclear what determines whether a yawn can be passed over to other people.

The researchers from the University of Pisa have analyzed 480 episodes of yawning involving 109 volunteers, who live in different corners of the globe – in North America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The results confirmed the existing theory.

The reaction of people to yawning really reflects the relationships that exist between different groups of people. The most “contagious” yawns were among family members. They caused a desire to yawn among the half of the volunteers. This category was followed by friends. Their yawning was responded by about a quarter of the volunteers. Yawning acquaintances caused a corresponding desire of only one in eight people, and strangers influenced only one in ten. The results also showed that it took more time for yawning to be transmitted to strangers, than to the people, who know each other well.

Links for 2012-01-03 [Digg]

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PST

Emphysema - Symptoms of Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. What symptoms did you experience with your emphysema?

Common Cold During Pregnancy

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:28:00 +0000

Common Cold During Pregnancy

Expectant mothers are trying hard not to get sick during pregnancy, but, unfortunately, not all of them are successful. Here are some expert tips to help you recover quickly and without any harm for the baby.
Some medicines may contain the substances that are potentially hazardous to the embryo development. The doctors advise to limit the use of a wide range of medicines during pregnancy. Over-the-counter drugs may contain up to six components that relieve the symptoms of cough, a runny nose, a headache, etc. Choose the drugs that contain the ingredients which remove only your specific symptom.
Also here are some tips for pregnant women about how to cure the common cold:

Avoid decongestants in early pregnancy (oral taking). They are associated with the increased risk of abdominal wall defects in the fetus. Isotonic solutions in the form of a nasal spray are a good alternative.
Some medicines contain herbal ingredients that have not undergone testing for use during pregnancy. Study the composition of the medicine carefully and address your physician for advice.
Do not get too involved in taking the sprays that relieve pain in the throat. They often contain much sugar. Candies may contain zinc and vitamin C, but pregnant women are allowed to take only limited daily doses (80-100 mg of vitamin C and 11 mg of zinc).
Ensure that cough syrup does not contain alcohol.

Pregnancy Heartburn

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:28:00 +0000

Pregnancy Heartburn

Many pregnant women suffer from heartburn. In this article, we shall try to tell you how you can deal with heartburn and why it occurs.

What Causes Heartburn in Pregnant Women?

Heartburn during the period of early pregnancy is associated with the gastrin hormone, which controls gastric secretion and has special receptors in the cerebral cortex. Elevated level of the gastrin hormone in the body is a person’s genetic feature. During pregnancy, gastric secretion may be increased, and heartburn will be the result of it.
Another reason is that mother and fetus are connected with an umbilical cord. The fetus produces gastrin, which makes the pregnant woman increase the production of gastric secretion. In this case, there also appears heartburn.
When having heartburn, it is necessary to:

maintain frequent split meals
avoid such foods as onions, garlic, sauces, fatty and spicy foods
change the heat treatment of foods that cause heartburn.

Foods Causing Heartburn

Heartburn may also appear after eating such innocuous products as meat, chicken broth, and cabbage. At the same time, lemon is not the cause of heartburn.

Heartburn Treatment

To treat heartburn, antacid medicine is used. But the medication should be prescribed by a doctor. Therefore, if the fit of heartburn is very strong, you should ask for professional help.

Leanness Prevents Conception

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:26:00 +0000

Leanness Prevents Conception

The doctors call the weight, which is far from the norm, one of the factors that prevent conception. However, scientists have found that extreme thinness does more harm to our fertility than obesity.
In recent years, there has been a constant struggle with the excess weight, the nutritionists have insisted that extra weight, in addition to other health problems and appearance, leads to difficulties in conceiving. However, these risks have never been compared with those of underweight women.
The study conducted by the American scientists showed that thin women are less likely to become pregnant than those, who are overweight, and even obese.
During the study, 2,500 women (who were trying to conceive with the help of IVF at the Fertility Center of Chicago) were divided into three groups according to their weight: very thin, normal, and obese. During eight years, though at different periods, these women were observed in the center and were trying to get pregnant.
As a result, those who belonged to the group with normal weight, got pregnant in 50% of cases. Among obese women, 45% became pregnant, and only 34% of very thin women from the group were able to conceive.
Very thin women were those with the body mass index (BMI) ranging from 14 to 18. For example, a woman with the height of 162.5 cm and the weight of 44.45 kg could have such a BMI (BMI 17).
It is known that thin women have a reduced amount of the female hormone estrogen which is often associated with infertility among excessively thin women. However, this study considered only the women, who were undergoing the IVF procedure, and all their hormones were brought back to norm. The women from all three groups produced the same number of ovules, and the problem with the conception happened at a later stage, when the fertilized ovule was implanted in the uterus. The embryo finds it more difficult to penetrate into the uterus of very thin women. That is the verdict of the scientists.

Chance of Getting Pregnant Depends on Man’s Age

noreply@blogger.com (ahsan) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:26:00 +0000

Getting Pregnant Depends on Man’s Age

It has been finally proved that it is not only women, who should be hasty in the question of conception and pregnancy. The stronger sex has the same problem. Their biological clock also says tick-tock.
The researchers have found that men have sharply reduced chances of becoming fathers after 41 years. There were cases when men had babies at the age of 60 as well as after 70 years, but most of them can be treated as the unusual ones.
For a few years, the professionals, who made these conclusions, had been examining the patients undergoing the IVF procedure of extracorporeal fertilization with donor ovules. In this case, the donor ovules were taken only from healthy young women, so any differences in the further course of the process depended on the quality of men’s sperm.
The results of the study are disappointing for men over 41 years. It is at this age that the fertility of men is annually reduced by 7%. It goes on till 45 years this way, and at the age of 45, the rate decreases rapidly. If the chances of 41-year-old men to have a baby are 60%, 45-year-olds have the chance of no more than 35%.
It turns out that men also have the so-called biological clock. It is certainly not the same as that of women. But the research shows that men cannot be equally fertile throughout their life. And it is worth remembering, especially when it comes to the 40th anniversary.
Other studies also do not encourage late fatherhood. For example, there is evidence that the children, whose fathers are of the older age, have the increased risk of heart defects, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. Of course, one should not panic because male sperm has the ability to renew, and not all older fathers have unhealthy babies. And for the conception, the health of the ovule is most important.
However, doctors still advise to monitor the quality of sperm. To do this, one needs to eat right, not to smoke, to drink alcohol in moderation, to have an active lifestyle, and to avoid taking hot baths since sperm likes cool temperatures. And do not postpone parenthood until later!

Links for 2011-12-25 [Digg]

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PST

Wonderbra Is the Deepest Pushup Bra
Some of ladies who mean to be belles of this year’s Christmas parties and kept racking their brains over how to be dressed to kill – and those who just want their assets appreciated
Designers of the Year 2011
The fashion of the year 2011 is distinguished by its retrospective character – the designers have been endlessly quoting their favorite epocs and trends.
Supermodel of the Year 2011
Despite the fact that, apparently, Gisele Bündchen will never give up her title of the highest paid model in the world, it is difficult to call her the main model in 2011.
Trend of the Year 2011
High and smooth balet bundles, tight and snow white tutus, pointe shoes, appearance in public to watch “Swan Lake”… Total interest in ballet has become the main trend of this year.

Links for 2011-12-23 [Digg]

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PST

Helen Mirren Appear on Glee | Masala Magazine
Veteran actress Helen Mirren has signed up to lend her voice to an upcoming episode of musical TV series Glee.
Babies - Pregnancies of the Year 2011
In 2011, Hollywood has celebrated a real “baby boom”. Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, January Jones, Lily Allen, Natalie Portman and many other actresses have become mothers.
Fiasco of the Year 2011
Stars are accustomed to the fact that their professional and personal life is carefully watched by the international media, and every rise or fall of theirs is discussed by the whole world. Read more: http://masalamagazine.blogspot.com/2011/12/fiasco-of-year-2011.html#ixzz1hQO4UsCj
Breakups of the Year 2011
After the official representative of Jennifer Lopez had announced her decision to divorce her famous husband Marc Anthony, the public was unexpectedly petrified. Read more: http://masalamagazine.blogspot.com/2011/12/breakups-of-year-2011.html#ixzz1hQOFRKW0
Couples of the Year 2011 | Masala Magazine
The participants in this category have not yet thought about the wedding, but they have already confessed their romantic feelings to each other. The most active girl, who has been non-stop looking for a boy-friend and has eventually found her happiness, is the star of Gossip Girl Blake Lively. Read more: http://masalamagazine.blogspot.com/2011/12/couples-of-year-2011.html#ixzz1hQOM2bAF
Weddings of the Year 2011
Love fever in 2011 has resulted in several high-society weddings, among which Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton‘s wedding ceremony was the obvious leader. The long-awaited marriage of a royal person with “a representative of the people” was covered on all continents. The ceremony, held at Westminster Abbey and attended by about 2000 people, was watched by more than 5 million people around the world.

Links for 2011-12-12 [Digg]

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PST

Apple iPod Classic 160gb Black 7th Generation Review
This is the best ipod they make in my opinion. Some people might think it's too big and like the smaller ipod nano, but the size is one of things I like. The...

Links for 2011-12-11 [Digg]

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PST

Shadi Dance Abroad
MUST DANCE IN SHADI Best Punjabi dance performed in Abroad on marriage ceremony