Tuesday, February 25, 2014

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex


10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

The perks of sex extend well beyond the bedroom.

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By Kara Mayer Robinson
WebMD Feature


Sex not only feels good. It can also be good for you. Here’s what a healthy sex life can do for you.

1. Helps Keep Your Immune System Humming

“Sexually active people take fewer sick days,” says Yvonne K. Fulbright, PhD a sexual health expert.

People who have sex have higher levels of what defends your body against germs, viruses, and other intruders. Researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that college students who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of the a certain antibody compared to students who had sex less often.

You should still do all the other things that make your immune system happy, such as:

·         Eat right.

·         Stay active.

·         Get enough sleep.

·         Keep up with your vaccinations.

·         Use a condom if you don’t know both of your STD statuses.

2. Boosts Your Libido

Longing for a more lively sex life? “Having sex will make sex better and will improve your libido,” says Lauren Streicher, MD. She is an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

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For women, having sex ups vaginal lubrication, blood flow, and elasticity, she says, all of which make sex feel better and help you crave more of it.

3. Improves Women's Bladder Control

A strong pelvic floor is important for avoiding incontinence, something that will affect about 30% of women at some point in their lives.

Good sex is like a workout for your pelvic floor muscles. When you have an orgasm, it causes contractions in those muscles, which strengthens them.

4. Lowers Your Blood Pressure

Research suggests a link between sex and lower blood pressure, says Joseph J. Pinzone, MD. He is CEO and medical director of Amai Wellness.

“There have been many studies,” he says. “One landmark study found that sexual intercourse specifically (not masturbation) lowered systolic blood pressure.” That's the first number on your blood pressure test.

5. Counts as Exercise

“Sex is a really great form of exercise,” Pinzone says. It won’t replace the treadmill, but it counts for something.

Sex uses about five calories per minute, four more calories than watching TV. It gives you a one-two punch: It bumps up your heart rate and uses various muscles.

So get busy! You may even want to clear your schedule to make time for it on a regular basis.  “Like with exercise, consistency helps maximize the benefits,” Pinzone says.

6. Lowers Heart Attack Risk

A good sex life is good for your heart. Besides being a great way to raise your heart rate, sex helps keep your estrogen and testosterone levels in balance.

“When either one of those is low you begin to get lots of problems, like osteoporosis and even heart disease,” Pinzone says.

Having sex more often may help. During one study, men who had sex at least twice a week were half as likely to die of heart disease as men who had sex rarely.

7. Lessens Pain

Before you reach for an aspirin, try for an orgasm.

“Orgasm can block pain,” says Barry R. Komisaruk, PhD, a distinguished service professor at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. It releases a hormone that helps raise your pain threshold.

Stimulation without orgasm can also do the trick. “We’ve found that vaginal stimulation can block chronic back and leg pain, and many women have told us that genital self-stimulation can reduce menstrual cramps, arthritic pain, and in some cases even headache,” Komisaruk says.

8. May Make Prostate Cancer Less Likely

Going for the gusto may help ward off prostate cancer.

Men who ejaculated frequently (at least 21 times a month) were less likely to get prostate cancer during one study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

You don’t need a partner to reap this benefit: Sexual intercourse, nocturnal emission, and masturbation were all part of the equation.

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It's not clear that sex was the only reason that mattered in that study. Lots of factors affect cancer risk. But more sex won’t hurt.

9. Improves Sleep

You may nod off more quickly after sex, and for good reason.

“After orgasm, the hormone prolactin is released, which is responsible for the feelings of relaxation and sleepiness" after sex, says Sheenie Ambardar, MD. She is a psychiatrist in West Hollywood, Calif.

10. Eases Stress

Being close to your partner can soothe stress and anxiety.

Ambardar says touching and hugging can release your body's natural “feel-good hormone.” Sexual arousal releases a brain chemical that revs up your brain’s pleasure and reward system.

Sex and intimacy can boost your self-esteem and happiness, too, Ambardar says. It’s not only a prescription for a healthy life, but a happy one.

 

Friday, February 14, 2014

Happy Valentine's day




How Love Keeps You Healthy

It doesn't just put a sparkle in your eye—love can fight disease, boost immunity, and lower stress

By Sarah Mahoney  

 

Who doesn't love being in love? A true Valentine listens to you vent about work, lets you have that last slice of pizza, and (usually) remembers to take out the trash. He doesn't expect you to watch the Super Bowl. And he always thinks you're sexy, even in thermal underwear and bunny slippers. 

Scientists have long been keen to prove that love gives us health benefits, too—beyond the obvious advantage of always having a date for New Year's Eve. Researchers can't say for sure that romance trumps an affectionate family or warm friendships when it comes to wellness. But they are homing in on how sex, kinship, and caring all seem to make us stronger, with health gains that range from faster healing to living longer. 

The benefits of love are explicit and measurable: 

·         Protects your heart A University of Pittsburgh study found that women in good marriages have a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those in high-stress relationships. 

·         Leads to a longer life The National Longitudinal Mortality Study, which has been tracking more than a million subjects since 1979, shows that married people live longer. Plus, they have fewer heart attacks and lower cancer rates, and even get pneumonia less frequently than singles.

·         Helps beat cancer University of Iowa researchers found that ovarian cancer patients with a strong sense of connection to others and satisfying relationships had more vigorous "natural killer" cell activity at the site of the tumor than those who didn't have those social ties. (These desirable white blood cells kill cancerous cells as part of the body's immune system.)  

Some experts think it won't be long before doctors prescribe steamy sex, romantic getaways, and caring communication in addition to low-cholesterol diets and plenty of rest.

(Read more at Prevention.com)

 


Friday, February 7, 2014



HIKING TO THE MONROVIA CANYON FALLS

One of the most beautiful hikes and waterfalls in the lower San Gabriel Mountains is the Monrovia Canyon Park (Bill Cull trail) hike to the 30 ft high waterfall. The trail winds up the canyon through thick forest crossing over several streams, a total distance of 1.7 miles (each way) and an elevation gain of 720 feet.

Here are a couple of pictures from my last hike.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014




HIKING TO THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN

 

What every Angeleno must do at least once, is hike up to the most iconic sign in Los Angeles – the HOLLYWOOD SIGN!

The views from the top are gorgeous and on a clear day, one can see all the way from downtown to the shimmering Pacific Ocean.

We did the hike a couple of weekends ago. A moderately strenuous hike, a 3 mile round-trip from the top of Beachwood Canyon with a total elevation rise of 600 feet.

It is a great way to begin a weekend morning. Follow it up with a cup of steaming coffee in one of many coffee shops in the area and by shopping for fresh produce at the weekly Farmer’s market nearby.

Note: The average person (150 lbs.) would burn up about 400 calories on this 90 minute hike.


Friday, January 24, 2014



Top 10 Habits That Can Help You Lose Weight

Making little changes can make a big difference

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By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Expert Column

 

Weight control is all about making small changes that you can live with forever. As you incorporate these minor adjustments into your lifestyle, you'll begin to see how they can add up to big calorie savings and weight loss. Here are my top 10 habits to help you turn your dream of weight loss into a reality:

 

1. Evaluate your eating habits. Are you eating late at night, nibbling while cooking, finishing the kids' meals? Take a look around, and it will be easy to identify a few behaviors you can change that will add up to big calorie savings.

2. If you fail to plan, plan to fail. You need a strategy for your meals and snacks. Pack healthful snacks for the times of day that you know you are typically hungry and can easily stray from your eating plan.

3. Always shop with a full belly. It's a recipe for disaster to go into the grocery store when you are hungry. Shop from a prepared list so impulse buying is kept to a minimum. Eating right starts with stocking healthy food in your pantry and refrigerator.

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4. Eat regular meals. Figure out the frequency of your meals that works best in your life and stick to it. Regular meals help prevent bingeing.

5. Eat your food sitting down at a table, and from a plate. Food eaten out of packages and while standing is forgettable. You can wind up eating lots more than if you sit down and consciously enjoy your meals.

6. Serve food onto individual plates, and leave the extras back at the stove. Bowls of food on the table beg to be eaten, and it takes incredible will power not to dig in for seconds. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes for your mind to get the signal from your belly that you are full.

7. Eat slowly, chew every bite, and savor the taste of the food. Try resting your fork between bites and drinking plenty of water with your meals.

8. Don't eat after dinner. This is where lots of folks pack on the extra pounds. If you are hungry, try satisfying your urge with a non-caloric beverage or a piece of hard candy. Brushing your teeth after dinner helps reduce the temptation to eat again.

9. If you snack during the day, treat the snack like a mini-meal. The most nutritious snacks contain complex carbohydrates and a small amount of protein and fat.

10. Start your day with breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. After a long night's rest, your body needs the fuel to get your metabolism going and give you energy for the rest of the day.

 


Tuesday, January 21, 2014



How To Stop Sugar Cravings

Natural solutions to free you from the sweet stuff


 

Is taming your sweet tooth your top New Year's resolution? I have two suggestions that should help:

 

1. Try gymnema
This vine, native to India, seems to reduce sugar cravings. Add 30 to 40 drops of gymnema tincture (sold at health food stores) to a little water, swish in your mouth for 30 seconds, and then swallow. Repeat every 2 or 3 hours as needed. Because gymnema works only when it comes in contact with the tongue, extracts in pills or capsules won't work.

2. Take bitters
Bitters may counteract your craving for sweets. Shake a few drops into water or club soda. I love urban Moonshine's elixirs. You can also try angostura bitters from the supermarket.


Friday, January 17, 2014


6 Weird Things That Make You Happy

Unexpected ways to boost your bliss


·         1. Tearjerker movies

·         2. Getting older

·         3. A fake smile

·         4. Thursdays

·         5. Doing less for your kids

·         6. Reading a newspaper

 

C'mon, get happy already!

There's the "duh" prescription for feeling good: Exercise more, hug someone, pet your Labrador retriever. Boring! Better: Positivity researchers are now turning up unexpected happiness triggers that can turn your frown upside down. Here are six fun ways that we love:

Published December 2012, Prevention

1. Tearjerker movies

Put Titanic and Atonement on your feel-good flick list. Sure, a tragic romance makes you cry in the theater, but after the credits roll, you'll remember what's good about your own main squeeze—thereby boosting happiness, Ohio State University researchers report. The sadder the plot, the happier you feel later, they say.

2. Getting older

Brain scans show that at any age, our little gray cells do a happy dance whenever we notice something good, whether it's a double-chocolate brownie, a cute baby, or a random act of kindness. Additionally, as we age, our neurons react less intensely to the negative things we see and hear. The result: Positivity prevails. Maybe that's why, in a recent national survey, 42% of those over age 50 said they felt optimistic about life's next chapters, and 60% thought they looked at least five years younger than their driver's licenses said they were.

3. A fake smile

"Grin and bear it" isn't such dumb advice after all. Faking a genuine smile—the kind that crinkles the corners of your eyes—eased stress and boosted moods in a University of Kansas study. Researchers used chopsticks placed in the mouths of the volunteers to create a broad smile, a standard smile, or a neutral face (that was to hide the reason for the study). Some were also asked to smile. Then all were subjected to stressful lab tests such as plunging their hands into ice water. Smilers, even the ones who faked it, had lower heart rates afterward, a sign that they weren't stressed out.

4. Thursdays

After we survive Blue Monday, Terrible Tuesday, and Woeful Wednesday, the 4th day of the workweek delivers a little happiness bounce. So say London School of Economics researchers who tracked the moods of 45,000 people via a smart-phone app called Mappiness. Thursday is the new Friday.

5. Doing less for your kids

Back off, Tiger Mama (and you too, Tiger Grandma). Women who practice "intense mothering"—believing that moms should always sacrifice their own needs, continually provide stimulating activities, and derive most of their happiness from their kids—tend to be more depressed than women who think that "good enough" parenting is, well, good enough. If you can't lighten up for yourself, do it for the kids. Maternal depression can interfere with the emotional bond between mother and child and can lead to increased risk of depression, anxiety, and cognitive, self-esteem, and school problems in children.

6. Reading a newspaper

If you're among the 19 million Americans who have canceled their daily paper, it's time to resubscribe or read the online edition of your local Daily Planet. Perusing a broadsheet instead of gawking at the TV emerged as a key difference between most-and least-happy folks in a University of Maryland study that analyzed how more than 30,000 people spend their free time.