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Birthstones have a place of importance in almost every ancient culture. Traditionally, birthstones have been associated with zodiac signs. Birthstones supposedly render legendary powers and unique personality traits to people born under the zodiac signs of their ruling planet. Vedic astrology and the ayurveda stream of medicine, believe that birthstones are influenced by the cosmic powers of planets and they symbolize the respective birthstones. Hence, wearing a particular birthstone imparts the cosmic powers of that planet to your body and mind, and brings about positive changes in your life.

The basic theory revolves around the existing forces in the nature and vibrations flow around us all the time. These vibrations are minerals which force these vibrations in our lives. These forces can either be positive or negative. Therefore choosing the right birthstone would increase the positive flow in the body. In addition, the gemstones possess living energy and each of them has different attributes. In accordance to the energy required, there are several stones and each stone works differently on all individuals.

‘Mom’, ‘Maa’, ’Mae’, or ‘Haha’, the words might be different in different languages but signifies same everywhere: unconditional care, love, concern and sacrifice.

In each country and every culture, mothers are respected for their selfless devotion towards child. Mother’s day is the day to acknowledge her unconditional love, support, and the efforts in raising her kid. This day is celebrated across the globe though on different dates. In most of the countries, this day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. However, there are countries like Thailand, where Mother’s Day is celebrated on Twelfth August of every year.

The 12 August is Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s birthday. This public holiday is celebrated nationwide as Mother’s Day -. Starting a few weeks before the Queen’s birthday, all buildings are covered up with Royal symbols and portraits of Her Majesty all over the Thai kingdom.

On 12 August, jasmine, symbolic of the selfless virtue of a mother who gives life to her children, is seen everywhere in Thailand.

Not only limited to birthday celebration of the Queen, Thai people also take this day as an opportunity to thank their dear mother for her unconditional love. Mother’s day morning in Thailand starts by giving alms to the monks. Following the Thai tradition, kids kneel down before their mother to show their love and gratitude. They present her with white jasmine flowers or garlands, in return, mother shower her blessings on kids. On this day, white jasmine flowers are a common sight in Thailand as they are the symbol of maternal love. The white color of the flower symbolizes purity of mother’s true love, which will never change. Charitable activities, donations, offering to monks are also an important part of the day to express child’s love and gratitude towards mother.

What is Thai massage?

Thai Massage is relatively new to modern spas, but it was actually developed by Buddhist monks in Thailand as a healing modality 2,500 years ago. Thai massage uses passive stretching and gentle pressure along the body’s energy lines to increase flexibility, relieve muscle and joint tension and balance the body’s energy systems. Thai massage is both deeply relaxing and energizing.

Thai massage takes place on a futon mat on the floor, and you wear loose fitting clothing. Some spas, like The Mandarin Oriental, Miami, provide you with an outfit to wear. Others may ask you to wear something loose and comfortable, like sweat pants, during your Thai massage. You start by laying on your back, and the therapist uses gentle compression and stretching techniques to open up your body, beginning with you legs. Some people say Thai massage is a little like doing yoga without any effort, because the therapist will push your body into various positions without any work on your part.

What does Thai massage feel like?

Thai massage is more energizing and rigorous than more classic forms of massage. Thai massage is also called Thai yoga massage, because the therapist uses his or her hands, knees, legs, and feet to move you into a series of yoga-like stretches. Many people say Thai massage is like doing yoga without any work. Muscle compression, joint mobilization, and acupressure are also used during treatment. People describe Thai massage as both relaxing and energizing.

What should I expect during my visit?

Thai massage is usually done on a padded mat on the floor. No oil is applied, so you are fully dressed. You are usually asked to bring or wear comfortable clothing to the massage. A typical Thai massage is 60 minutes to two hours long.

What conditions is Thai massage used for?

Many people find that Thai massage has the following benefits:

- Relaxes

- Reduces stress

- Improves circulation

- Increases energy

- Increases flexibility

- Improves range of motion

- Centers the mind and body

Precautions

Massage is not recommended for certain people:

- Infectious skin disease, rash, or open wounds

- Immediately after surgery

- Immediately after chemotherapy or radiation, unless recommended by your doctor

- Prone to blood clots. There is a risk of blood clots being dislodged. If you have heart disease, check with your doctor before having a massage

- Pregnant women should check with their doctor first if they are considering getting a massage. Massage in pregnant women should be done by massage therapists who are certified in pregnancy massage.

- Massage should not be done directly over bruises, inflamed skin, unhealed wounds, tumors, abdominal hernia, or areas of recent fractures.

Additional tips

- Don’t eat a heavy meal before the massage

- If it’s your first time at the clinic or spa, arrive at least 10 minutes early to complete the necessary forms. Otherwise, arrive 5 minutes early so you can have a few minutes to rest and relax before starting the massage.

- Be sure that your massage therapist has your complete health history, because people with certain conditions should not have Thai massage.

- If you feel discomfort at any time, let your massage therapist know.

After pregnancy and delivery, in spite of the joy of a new baby, you are worried about the extra weight and the extra flab that you have gained during the last few months.  Losing weight after pregnancy is not a simple thing.

However, you should exercise patience and make committed efforts to achieve weight loss. Here are a few guidelines:

The moment you decide to get rid of extra weight you have put on during the pregnancy, do not aim for major results. You just cannot lose kilos within a few days after delivering the baby, whatever celebrity moms may claim.

Since you have taken nine months to get to this size, be patient in losing the weight and getting back to your original weight; naturally it would also take couple of months. If you are patient and remain persistent in your efforts to lose weight, the results will be there for you to see.

Don’t starve for losing weight since crash diets have never helped people. Instead of this starvation, follow a strict regimen of diet and exercise. Eat food which is healthy and if you are breastfeeding the child, take care to get some extra calories, from fruits and vegetable sources, instead of oily and fatty food. Instead of dieting, your efforts should be towards eating healthy.

Exercise regularly for losing weight after your pregnancy. Don’t start this program after a couple of days of giving birth to the baby. Your body has undergone major changes during pregnancy and it takes some time for it to get back to normal. You should think of exercises only after a few weeks of returning home and that too under the guidance of your doctor.

Breastfeeding can help a woman to get rid of extra weight, after she delivers. Therefore you must breastfeed the baby regularly. However, this alone is not sufficient to lose weight. You have to combine this with other weight loss programs, like healthy eating and good exercise. All this will help you to lose extra kilos.

Thus it is necessary to formulate a program for monitoring what you eat and how you exercise to regain the pre-pregnancy figure by losing weight after pregnancy.

- CHOCOLATE -

In almost every country, chocolate is a popular ingredient which is able to add to many types of desserts and foods to increase deliciousness. And each year, the best cocoa beans are selected out and many different varieties are carefully blended to achieve that deep, rich flavor that chocolate lover’s prize.

A type of chocolate depends on quantities of different ingredients which are added in chocolate and also depend on the temperature and the length of roasting to develop the chocolate flavor. These are types of chocolate which are generally produced around the world.

1. Unsweetened chocolate
Unsweetened chocolate is chocolate in its rawest form. This unadulterated chocolate is also known as baking, plain or bitter chocolate and popularly used as the base for cakes, brownies, confections, and cookies. Unsweetened chocolate is made from pure chocolate liquor that has been refined and contains 50-55% of cocoa butter. Since no sugar has been added to the chocolate it has a strong, bitter taste that is used in cooking and baking but is never eaten out of hand. Unsweetened chocolate, if well wrapped and stored in a cool, dry place with good air circulation, could be kept for several years.

2. Dark chocolate

Also known as “plain chocolate”, Dark chocolate is chocolate without milk as an additive. The U.S. Government calls this “sweet chocolate” and determines a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor as its ingredient, different from Europeans who requires a minimum of 35% of chocolate liquor. Dark chocolate is considered as healthy chocolate. According to studies of two prestigious scientific journals, it states that eating more dark chocolate can help lower your blood pressure, but you have to balance the extra calories by eating less of other things.

3. White chocolate

In fact, white chocolate cannot be called “chocolate” because it does not contain chocolate liquor. White chocolate is the combination of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, vanilla, and lecithin, and is able to be kept from 6-10 months if stored in a cool, dry place. Generally, white chocolate is ivory-colored, but white chocolate which is made with vegetable fat is white-colored. White chocolate was first made in New Hampshire after World War I and become popularly distributed in America in 1984 with the introduction of Nestlé’s Alpine White Chocolate bar.

4. Milk chocolate

Milk chocolate is the combination of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, vanilla, milk solids, and lecithin. This type of chocolate could be kept up to a year if stored in a cool, dry place. Milk chocolate must contain at least 10% of chocolate liquor, 3.7% milk fats, and 12% milk solids. The U.S. Government requires a 10% concentration of chocolate liquor while EU regulations specify a minimum of 25% chocolate liquor. This makes European milk chocolate better than American milk chocolate, because the more chocolate liquor added the more delicious it gets. Generally, milk chocolate is popularly used in decorating cake and cookies.

5. Semi-sweet chocolate and Bittersweet chocolate

Semi-sweet and Bittersweet chocolate are the same kind of chocolate, both refer to dark chocolate. In America, dark chocolate refers to Semi-sweet chocolate while in Europe dark chocolate refers to Bittersweet chocolate. The two  types of chocolate are able to use interchangeably. Both Semi-sweet and Bittersweet chocolate contain cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, and sometimes lecithin. Semi-sweet and Bittersweet chocolate, if well wrapped and stored in a cool, dry place with good air circulation, could be kept for several years.

6. Couverture chocolate

The word “couverture” translates to “covering” and refers to one of the finest quality of chocolate in the world. Couverture is produced with premium cacao beans and a high percentage of cocoa butter. Additionally, this type of chocolate also contain a total fat content of 30-40%. Couverture are often used by professional pastry chefs in many famous chocolate manufacturers such as Valrhona, Felchlin, Lindt & Sprüngli, Scharffen Berger, Cacao Barry, Callebaut, and Guittard.

7. Ultra Couverture chocolate

In fact, Ultra Couverture chocolate is equal in terms of quality to Couverture chocolate. Because because this type of chocolate contains a higher content of cocoa butter, the name “Ultra” is therefore added. Ultra Couverture chocolate is not easy to produce because it is difficult to balance higher cocoa butter content while retaining superb taste and texture. Therefore, a few chocolate manufacturers are able to successfully produce this type of chocolate.

8. Compound Chocolate

The term ”Compound Chocolate” refers to a type of chocolate which is made by a combination of cocoa and vegetable fat, usually tropical fats and/or hydrogenated fats, as a replacement for cocoa butter. Compound Chocolate is primarily used for candy bar coatings, but because it does not contain cocoa butter, then it is not called “chocolate” in the US. Compound Chocolate is sometime added with flavors such as mint, orange, or strawberry to increase its deliciousness.

Being in general an aerobic exercise, dance brings well known benefits, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, weight control and other ones commonly associated with physical fitness.

Dance yourself healthy

‘Half an hour of ballroom dancing is equivalent to the same length of time of brisk walking in terms of calorie consumption, while disco, rock n roll and so on will burn even more,’ says Lyndon Wainwright, former Honorary Secretary of the British Dance Council’s Teachers’ Committee

Dance has many advantages over exercise. You can set your own pace: a slow foxtrot is no more energetic than walking, while a salsa will really get your heart pumping. It’s great fun too, and a great way to meet people, so it never becomes a bore or a chore.

Take a look at the health benefits:

Protect your heart

Cardiovascular experts recommend that we all do 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity most days of the week for heart health. Dance uses oxygen, burns calories and increases your heart’s workload, so it’s ideal.

Lower blood fats

A study carried out in Denmark of men and women aged 60 to 82 who were healthy but did not exercise found that regular dancing markedly improved levels of unhealthy blood fats associated with furring of the arteries after just five months.

Lose weight

US research shows that a vigorous dance class can burn as many calories as a gym workout.

Calories danced away per hour

• Ballroom: 180-480

• Belly dancing: 180-300

• Jive/swing dance: 250-400

• Line dancing: up to 300

• Salsa: 400

Shape up

Regular dance shapes the muscles – particularly in the legs and buttocks – and improves posture. Regular dancers often find they drop a clothes size due to increased muscle tone.

Increase strength and stamina

Dance combines aerobic activity with weight bearing which will boost your strength and endurance. A 1994 study of female professional dancers found they had the same percentage of slow-twitch muscles fibres (associated with endurance) as top-level female runners or cross-country skiers.

Strengthen your bones

One woman in four and one man in eight is at risk of the brittle bone disease osteoporosis. Dancing slightly jars the bones, so encouraging the body to build new bone and helping strengthen the skeleton.

Boost relaxation

Dancing is a great way to forget your troubles for a while, while aerobic exercise will tire you physically and help you relax.

Improve breathing

Learning to control your breath – required in most kinds of dance – increases the capacity of your lungs, and improves stamina and concentration.

Ease aches and lift depression

Any sustained aerobic activity releases endorphins, body-made chemicals that ease pain, help banish depression and encourage feelings of well-being.

Boost immunity

People who exercise regularly get fewer minor viral illnesses like colds and flu.

Stay sharp

Exercise improves blood flow to your brain which helps keep it in good shape. Learning new routines encourages the brain to produce new dendrites (connections between nerve cells), which help your brain store and retrieve information more easily.

Energy drinks are very popular among young adults. Most of the energy drinks contain Caffeine and Sugar. Now a day’s people tend to replace their morning cup of coffee or tea with energy drinks to boost their energy.

Energy drinks are beverages which are meant to keep people energetic. Energy drink should not be compared with sports drink because both are totally different from each other and have a different role to play.

Energy drinks helps a person to remain fresh and work throughout the day. Caffeine is most widely used ingredient in energy drinks that keeps you energetic.

It is always advised that people check the label of the energy drink before purchasing the same so that they get to know the ingredients and then decide whether it would be suitable for their body or not. Energy drinks should be taken only when it is required by the body.

It is always recommended to take the energy drinks only once a day that too only when required because multiple doses of energy drinks can have ill effects on an individual’s health due to the high content of Caffeine present in it.

Energy drinks can give extra energy to a person to perform extra tasks. Energy drink helps sports people to remain active. Caffeine, which is the main ingredient in most of the energy drinks stimulates central nervous system and keeps people energetic. Ginseng which is a herbal plant extract is also usually present in these energy drinks and relives stress.

Carotene is also present in energy drinks which help in turning fat into energy. Glyconutrition is also present in energy drinks, which helps to sharpen a person’s memory. Energy drinks also contain carbohydrate that helps in enhancing the general performance of the body.

Some of the energy drinks also contains proteins in higher level. The main advantage of the energy drink is that is very easy to digest compared to food. The disadvantage of energy drink is acid that dissolves your teeth. Too much sugar in the energy drink may lead to rise in blood sugar levels.

Too much caffeine when used for a long period of time may be harmful to your nervous system. These energy drinks are harmful when it is mixed up with alcohol.

When coming to the questions how healthy are energy drinks, it is highly beneficial for people who are in sports and indulge in very active things. It is not suited for people who are less active and do less work. It is recommended that they take some other nutritional supplements instead of these drinks.

Stress and stress related illness is one of the prime matters of concern in the current times. More the people indulge in their quest of a better life and an even better lifestyle, stress just happens to follow. De-stressing has become an important aspect of the urban living, many taking a bee-line to follow various techniques.

The methodology varies from individual to individual, some have an inborn mechanism to de-stress and the others have to actually inculcate it. Stress relief can range fro m being basic and sober to simply outrageous. However, the fact that each of us need a bit of relaxation remains the need of the day.

There are various ways to de stress your self. ‘Release’ is one of the most important aspects of de-stressing. Surely, there is a friend who would love to listen to you with out being judgmental about you. Talk out your problems to a friend who is compassionate towards you and knows that you are in a ‘moisture laden mood’. Just cry out, it helps, even if you are a man.

Associate your selves to something more physical like a sports club. Sweating out your stress is sometimes the best to feel relaxed. Play your favorite sport and you will end-up a lot happier. Laughter is one of the best stress-busters, make sure you laugh enough and keep your humor charged. Sharing a good laugh with friends and family instantly relieves you of your stress, giving your mood a ‘kick’.

Keeping one’s family and friends close works like a therapy. Make sure you are well-knitted with your loved ones as loneliness can get the better of you. Spending time with people acts as a support system, helping you keep away anxiety and depression.

Indulging oneself in to some kind of a cause always works better for your self-confidence. Keep yourself involved into a charity or a welfare organization; this will keep your mind off stress and worry. While these are the traditional de stressing techniques, there the others that are simply bizarre.

Some individuals find popping their head into a bucket of water de stressing and the other feel relaxed after a bungee jump! There are still others who enjoy a certain kind of music and a few love to have an eating competition just to feel good. Whatever your de stressing technique might be, just be sure to go with it and enjoy.

Sure, we all dream about meeting the right person. . . the one that we are meant to be with forever. Dreaming about it is all fun and easy, but the real question is, where do you find this soul mate of yours? Fate? Well yes, if you believe in fate, then yes, it will have something to do with it, but not without effort on your part. Fate needs you to give it direction so that as a team, you can find the person you have always wanted as a part of your life.

The first thing you have to do before finding your soul mate, is finding yourself. What qualities are important to you? What are your morals and beliefs? How do you show your affection and how do you expect it to be presented to you? These are questions necessary for you to ask yourself before going out there. Giving yourself an interview will make things clearer of what type of person you are really looking for, instead of just going on a blind search.

It is very common for a person to date people just for �dating�. While dating is a fun and useful experience, it is not advisable to just go out with anyone just to have a date, or to enter a relationship because you do not want to be alone. When you go out on a date, it is important that you use that date as an opportunity to observe and see if the person is someone you would like to see again and if they carry the qualities you are looking for. If, for example, if you are searching for a person who is in touch with his or her romantic side, but go on a date with someone who likes acting rough at baseball games and loves hunting, then you could pretty much see where the relationship would go. You should be able to sense these qualities after a few dates.

Once you have realized that these dates will not lead to a relationship you have dreamed of, then obviously the person is not your dream mate either, and it would be best if you stop seeing each other to prevent any misleading expectations. Continuing to date someone just because you entered a comfort zone or do not want to hurt their feelings will only hold you back from meeting who you are really meant to be with, not to mention waste precious time for both you and your date�s. Gently break it to him or her that you find them to be a very interesting and nice person, but you feel like going solo for a while and then move on.

Tracking down your soul mate will require patience; so do not feel frustrated or hopeless if you do not find him or her in a certain amount of time. Good things take time to be brought together and you will come together when the time is right. The time becomes right when you look out for the right signs. Such signs would be:

1. Being strongly attracted to each other physically.
2. Being strongly attracted to each other�s personalities.
3. Having common interests.
4. Sharing the same values.
5. Major respect for one another.
6. Someone who makes you feel truly special and worthy.
7. Someone who puts in a great effort to show you their passion for you and the things that is important in your life.
8. Meeting on the same emotional levels. 

These are some major and important signs to look out for when trying to track down your soul mate. It will not be difficult to realize because you will know when things are right and the way you want it. When you have found such a person, it is good for you to remember to take things one-step at a time. Sometimes people jump in too fast and end up getting hurt or realizing they jumped to conclusions a little too soon. Take it slow and observe how things are going. See if the person who seems to be perfect in every way for you, remains to carry the same qualities as the relationship proceeds.

When time has proven that the two of you are truly compatible in ways you have always dreamed of, then the relationship may go to the next level and the two of you can make a serious commitment and start focusing on building a future together. Like before, it is important that you pay attention to how you handle a commitment together and if you both agree on what kind of future the two of have in mind. Staying on the same levels is a huge sign that you are with the right person.

Finding your soul mate will the best accomplishment you will ever make, but it does not stop there. Finding the right person is just the beginning. Keeping the right person takes work too, on both your parts. The two of you will have to continue valuing each other for the rest of your lives, respecting each other�s individuality and dreams. Refresh your memory of how the two of were brought together and why you both decided to make a commitment to one another. As long as you keep the magic between you alive, your relationship will continue to grow the love and care you both never imagined could ever happen to you!

Daydreaming autophiles and multi-millionaires alike can use the following list of the world’s top ten fastest production cars to find a speedster that’s just right for them. Ordered by speed (starting with the quickest), these automobiles are capable of breaking most speed limits three times over. However, in spite of their immense road power, all of the vehicles on our list are street legal along with being extremely cool and extremely fast.

SSC Ultimate Aero TT

Top speed: 257.41 mph
Price of entry: $654,500

With a top speed of 257.41 mph, the Ultimate Aero TT holds the title of the world’s fastest car, beating out its nearest competition, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, by just over 3 mph.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4
Top speed: 253 mph
Price of entry: $1.1 million

One of the fastest and most expensive production car ever made, the $1.1 million Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Reaching 60 miles per hour in just 2.5 seconds. This means that if you want to grab dinner in Los Angeles and a show in Las Vegas, the Veyron will get you there in one hour!

Koenigsegg CCX
Top speed: 250 mph
Price of entry: $720,000

The record-breaking CCX was developed to deliver superior performance – both on the track and on the road. We also wanted to show a clear lineage from its predecessor and avoid following design trends. So we’ve kept the distinctive CC shape and simply enhanced its unique appearance with tighter lines and a more aggressive stance.

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo
Top speed: 248 mph
Price of entry: $597,000

The Saleen S7 Twin Turbo is a high performance 2-door/2-passenger American supercar that was designed to compete with the fastest, quickest and most powerful supercars in existence.

McLaren F1

Top speed: 240 mph
Price of entry: $1,100,000

the McLaren F1 is world’s best supercar. Yeah, compared to modern standards it’s not the fastest, most powerful and most expensive.

Ultima GTR

Top speed: 231 mph
Price of entry: $118,000

Ultima GTR – The fastest accelerating and decelerating supercar of all time and multiple world speed record holder.The exciting Ultima GTR road car is the result of over 20 years of extensive research and development and is a product that takes the Ultima marque to sensational levels of fit, finish and performance.

Ferrari Enzo

Top speed: 218 mph
Price of entry: $652,000

Enzo Ferrari always felt that design of the road cars should stem from the racers. Therefore, it was entirely logical that the company’s latest creation should bear his name.  The Enzo, built in a limited run of 399, is an outstanding expression of the concept of extreme sportiness, developed for road use, yet epitomizing the most advanced concepts of Formula 1 racing technology.

Pagani Zonda F

Top speed: 215 mph
Price of entry: $740,000

The Zonda F is one of the fastest supercars ever made. Zonda F is a special edition car that will be built alongside the regular production model. It takes the modifications adapted to the C12-S Monza and refines them into a more appealing package. As a result the Zonda F is lighter, more powerful and faster than its predecessor.

Lamborghini Murciélago LP640
Top speed: 213 mph
Price of entry: $275,000

Lamborghini Gallardo LP560/4 Escape anonymity with the sharper, lighter and more powerful all-wheel drive Gallardo, an ultra-fast coupe boasting a 5.2-liter V10 engine capable of cranking out 560 horsepower.

Porsche Carrera GT

Top speed: 208 mph
Price of entry: $440,000

Porsche Carrera GT is a 2-door, 2-passenger convertible super car that competes with the Aston Martin DB9, the Jaguar XK, and the Toyota MR2 Spyder. If you are looking for a sleek, lightweight, beautiful roadster, the Carrera GT fits the bill. Count on our web page for information that adds value to the decisions you make.

Hangover

Almost everyone you know seems to have a sure fire theory about how to have a big night out and still avoid the dreaded hangover. Some just don’t add up while others can leave you feeling even worse. Here are 10 hangover myths debunked and some facts which will leave you feeling a little better the morning after!

Myth 1: Aspirin or ibuprofen while you drink can allay the headache

• FACT: Aspirin while you drink or after a hangover is a strict no-no. Asprin increases acid secretion in the stomach and does nothing to help eliminate alcohol from the body. On the contrary, aspirin was found to increase blood alcohol levels by 26% when taken before drinking. This was found in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
• Ibuprofen while you are drinking is also not advised as it may increase the risk of liver damage when combined with large amounts of alcohol.
• TIP: Ibuprofen the next day – about an hour before you need to be functional – will help.

Myth 2: Wine does not give a hangover, vodka does

• FACT: No, in fact, red wine can leave you with more of a hangover than vodka. It’s all got to do with something known as ‘congeners’ that are present in the alcohol. Congeners are toxic substances in the alcohol, and when you drink, these toxins are dispersed through your system. The level of congeners varies between different beverages. More expensive alcohol contains fewer congeners, as it undergoes a more rigorous distillation process and filters out a higher percentage.
• Dark colored drinks, such as brandy, whiskey and red wine, have more congeners than clear drinks such as gin, vodka, and white wine. So red wine can actually leave you with a hangover that is as bad as, or possibly worse than, a hangover from vodka.
• The British Medical Journal did tests that showed drinking bourbon whiskey is twice as likely to cause a hangover than the same amount of vodka.
• TIP: Stick to wine, beer or clear alchohol drinks in moderation

Myth 3: Beer before liquor – never sicker

• FACT: There’s nothing about the chemistry of these drinks interacting with each other that makes you sick the next day. What tends to happen is that once you start drinking beer your reluctance to drink more disappears and when you move onto the ‘harder’ stuff you are likely to drink faster.
• TIP: Sticking to beer means that you don’t get drunk as quickly due to the lower alcohol content. But ultimately, it’s the amount you drink and your pace that will determine how you feel, not the order in which you do it.

Myth 4: Not to worry ladies, a hangover won’t hit you that hard

• FACT: With an equal quantity of drinks, alcohol is likely to leave a woman twice as tipsy as her male partner. The constitution of a woman’s body, typically lower body weight with lesser water content and more fat, makes her more susceptible to getting drunk than a man.
• Besides increased alcohol absorption, men have higher levels of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which allows guys to metabolize alcohol better.
• TIP: Ladies – know your limits – there’s no need to keep up with your male counterparts.

Myth 5: Drinking helps get over stress and helps you sleep.

• FACT: If you are drinking to relieve stress or get sleep, think again. If the amount of alcohol in your blood is high, the brain is unable to enter the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, which is the relaxed state. Ultimately, you sleep all night and often all day to beat your headache, albeit without giving your mind and body the rest you really wanted.
• TIP: Rather than drinking to relieve stress try excercise or techniques like yoga and meditation. See the section on insomnia for more advice.

MYTH 6: I can sober up quickly if I need to

• FACT: If you think that taking a shower and drinking 5 cups of coffee will help you sober up – think again. The only thing your body needs is time — depending on your weight, it takes about three hours to eliminate every two drink you’ve had that night. All these techniques are likely to do is create a cold and alert drunk, the experts say.
• TIP: If you are set for a big night try and make sure there’s nothing that can arise that will need clear thinking, either during the night or the following day.

Myth 7: Drink lots of water the morning after

• FACT: While it’s certinly true that drinking water the next day will help, it’s more important to drink water while you are drinking and before your hangover sets in. Alcohol dehydrates your body by being flushed out along with water in the form of urine. This water has to be replenished. If you don’t drink water while drinking alcohol, your body will use the water needed by other vital organs, including the brain. This is one reason why you experience headaches.
• TIP: Try to match a glass of water for every couple of alcoholic drinks.

Myth 8: Eat before you go to sleep

• FACT: Well, actually, it’s better you eat before you drink rather than before going to sleep. After a meal the food in your stomach slows the absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream. And strangely, fried foods go well with drinking because fatty foods stay for a longer time on the stomach lining. If you are busy digesting a steak your body has time to process the alchohol and byproducts, thereby helping to prevent a hangover. So drink slowly and on a full stomach.
• TIP: Make sure you have a good meal prior to your night out.

Myth 9: Eat light after an hangover

• FACT: More than eating light, it’s important to eat the right foods that will rehydrate and energize you. Some examples are eggs, fruit juices and bananas. Apart from proteins, eggs contain large amounts of cysteine, the substance that breaks down the hangover-causing toxin acetaldehyde. Therefore, eggs can help cleanse your body off alcohol. It’s also a good idea to eat bananas in the morning after a night of heavy drinking – they not only provide lost electrolytes, but, more importantly, replenish the potassium lost because of alcohol’s diuretic (producing urine) properties. Other potassium rich foods or sports drinks are also good alternatives.
• TIP: Make sure you have the ingredients for a healthy breakfast the morning after. Boiled eggs, a banana and fruit juice are a great option.

Myth 10: Hair of the dog

• FACT: Don’t believe the folklore remedy that drinking more alcohol will cure your hangover. All the ‘hair of the dog’ will do is delay your hangover into later on in the day. More alcoholic drinks will only boost the existing toxicity of the alcohol already in your body, and according to research, may lead to further drinking.
• TIP: Just don’t do it! The best morning after drink would be a Gatorade to replace lost electrolytes and water.

So get out there and have some fun, but remember to eat well, drink lots of water and avoid those painkillers while you are drinking.

One of the main complaints I hear from women these days is that the men in their lives seem so insecure and unsure of themselves. “He just doesn’t seem like the man I married,” one woman told me. “He seems to have lost all confidence in himself. He’s depressed and withdrawn a lot of the time.” Another woman said, “I never know what he’s going to be like when I come home. I’m always walking on egg-shells. It seems like the least little thing will set him off.  Why is he so insecure?”

There are two things women need to understand about men and their levels of security and confidence in themselves. The first (and many women know or suspect this) is that men are inherently less grounded than women. Biologically and psychologically they are more vulnerable than women. Secondly, there are significant changes going on in society today that add to men’s basic insecurity.

Both of these types of insecurity are captured in the following quote by anthropologist Margaret Mead.

“Men have always been afraid that women could get along without them.”

Males are psychologically and biologically more vulnerable than females and hence more insecure

From the moment of conception males are more fragile and vulnerable than females. Male fetuses die more often than female. So do male newborns. So do male infants. So do male adolescents. So do male adults. So do old men. Think about, at every stage of life, males die more often than females.

The male fetus is at greater risk of death or damage from almost all the obstetric catastrophes that can happen before birth.  Perinatal brain damage, cerebral palsy, congenital deformities of the genitarlia and limbs, premature birth, and stillbirth are all commoner in boys than girls.  By the time a boy is born he is on average developmentally some weeks behind his sister.  A newborn girl is the physiological equivalent of a 4 to 6 week old boy.  No wonder we’re insecure.