13 Flat-Belly Foods to Beat the Bloat

13 Flat-Belly Foods to Beat the Bloat

Oranges and Watermelons
Because water flushes waste and excess water out of your system, enjoying water-rich foods is ideal. Watermelons, as their name suggests, are almost all water — 92 percent. Oranges too are approximately 80 to 90 percent water.

Yogurt
Not only does yogurt have a high water content, but it promotes the growth of good bacteria in the stomach. This bacteria is responsible for the reduction of excess gas that accumulates in the organ over time.

Garlic
This plant helps reduce the levels of fat in the liver, whose main functions include detoxification and the production of biochemicals necessary for digestion — major aspects of the prevention of bloating.

Bran Cereal and Oatmeal
Fiber helps relieve constipation, which is an all-too frequent cause of bloating. By adding bulk in the form of certain cold or hot cereals, everything moves through the intestines more quickly. Because women need at least 25 grams of fiber daily, eating a bran cereal with at least five grams of fiber per serving helps reach that goal. Just be certain to not add too much fiber to your diet too fast, or worsened bloating can occur.

Strawberries and Blueberries
Fiber also takes the form of certain delicious fruits and berries. Snacking on high-fiber foods such as strawberries and blueberries, as well as dried apricots and dried plums, can help clean out one's system regularly.

Grapefruit
Like other fruits with high water content, grapefruit is nearly 90 percent water. An added benefit of snacking on this pink treat: It's high in fat-burning enzymes.

Broth-Based Soup
Soups based on broth — not chowders, purees, or cream soups that are high in saturated fat — have an extremely high water content yet can be filling. Plus, the sodium levels should not be high as long as the soups are made with natural ingredients and don't come from a can. Canned soups often have as much as 1,000 milligrams of sodium, which is half of the daily recommended limit, in a single serving.

Lettuce and Spinach
These green leaves, in addition to kale and chard, require ample chewing and provide a healthy dose of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They also help with acid indigestion, constipation, and urinary tract infections.

Peppermint and Ginger
Carminative herbs, which include peppermint as well as chamomile and ginger, are gas reducers and can be enjoyed in tea form. In addition to these herbs, bitter herbs, despite their taste, are effective at stimulating the digestive tract as well as the flow of saliva.

Chili Peppers
Not just a spice to heat up a meal, these peppers reduce the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. Capsaicin, an active ingredient found in the peppers, can also increase metabolism and curb food cravings, especially for sweets.

Broccoli and Cauliflower
Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, break down harmful forms of estrogen for safe elimination from the body. Still, they do contain sugars that are sometimes difficult to digest and thus should be eaten in moderation (a half-cup serving at a time).

Cucumbers
This veggie may not have much nutritional value, but it serves as a natural diuretic, helping to increase urination and the flushing out of toxins from the body. Cucumbers are rich in sulfur and silicon to stimulate the kidneys into better removal of uric acid. Because cukes are low in both sodium andcalories, they're also a favored vegetable in most diet plans.

Pineapples
This tropical fruit, which is approximately 85 percent water, also contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins, promotes good digestion, and helps to eradicate some stomach problems.

( 13 Flat-Belly Foods to Beat the Bloat )

Scent of a woman: Men's testosterone responses to olfactory ovulation cues

Scent of a woman: Men's testosterone responses to olfactory ovulation cues

Women around the world spend billions of dollars each year on exotic smelling perfumes and lotions in the hopes of attracting a mate. However, according to a new study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, going "au natural" may be the best way to capture a potential mate's attention.

Smells are known to be critical to animal mating habits: Animal studies have shown that male testosterone levels are influenced by odor signals emitted by females, particularly when they are ovulating (that is, when they are the most fertile). Psychological scientists Saul L. Miller and Jon K. Maner from Florida State University wanted to see if a similar response occurs in humans. In two studies, women wore tee shirts for 3 nights during various phases of their menstrual cycles. Male volunteers smelled one of the tee shirts that had been worn by a female participant. In addition, some of the male volunteers smelled control tee shirts that had not been worn by anyone. Saliva samples for testosterone analysis were collected before and after the men smelled the shirts.

Results revealed that men who smelled tee shirts of ovulating women subsequently had higher levels of testosterone than men who smelled tee shirts worn by non-ovulating women or men who smelled the control shirts. In addition, after smelling the shirts, the men rated the odors on pleasantness and rated the shirts worn by ovulating women as the most pleasant smelling.

The authors note that "the present research is the first to provide direct evidence that olfactory cues to female ovulation influence biological responses in men." In other words, this study suggests that testosterone levels may be responsive to smells indicating when a woman is fertile. The authors conclude that this biological response may promote mating-related behavior by males.

Sex and the City 2 Red Carpet Premiere

I cannot wait to watch it!

Sex and the City 2 Red Carpet Premiere

Evolution of Women

pretty amazing...
animation worth watching...>>>(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_F4dBqsbB4)

Dear Darwin,

I’m seeking the ideal mate, and I just don’t know what to do. I could mate with the biggest, strongest male in my niche, but all the other females are just as interested in him as I am, and I’m worried he won’t give our offspring and me the attention we deserve. I could have a less-attractive male all to myself, but then I run the risk of having inferior offspring. I’m half-tempted to pair up with a runt, but then mate with the hunk on the side. What do you think? Is monogamy all it’s cracked up to be?

— Evolving in Evanston

Dear Evolving,

You said it, sister! True monogamy is actually quite rare among animals. Take birds, for example. While there are lots of socially monogamous birds, pairing up for a season or even for life, true loyalty is much more rare. As Jeremy Yoder, a graduate student who studies symbiosis in moths and Joshua trees notes on his blog, as many as 90 percent of bird species “cheat” on their mates, and about 11 percent of chicks aren’t fathered by the bird the mother has paired with.

As you point out, female birds may be cheating in order to improve the fitness of their offspring, choosing a social partner for loyalty but getting their eggs fertilized by a stronger, more attractive male, and also possibly to reduce the chances of inbreeding. Males are motivated to cheat by the prospect of disseminating their genes more widely. But in the real world, the results aren’t always as straightforward. Yoder points to a 2010 study led by Andrea Townsend and published in The American Naturalist. The researchers found that female crows, while exhibiting social monogamy, did indeed engage in “infidelity,” both with males inside and outside the family group.

But far from being more fit, the offspring that resulted from such promiscuity tended to be more inbred than the “legitimate” offspring of a pair. The only beneficiaries seemed to be the adulterous male crows, who indeed did disseminate their genes more widely.

So for a female like you, cheating might seem like a good option, but it may not pay off as handsomely as you might hope.

— Darwin

{TO CHEAT OR NOT TO CHEAT? / BY DAVE MUNGER }

SMACKS OF HAPPINESS: Couples who kiss frequently are 8 times less likely to have stress or depression

Stressed out? Kiss more...

6 Surprising Stress Fixes. Simple, Field-Tested Strategies You Can Use Right Now

You know what stress looks like: The sun rises; so do you. Your child suddenly remembers that he needs cupcakes for the school party. The dog's gotten sick in the living room. Your spouse leaves for work in a
huff after a pre-breakfast tiff over finances. You leave for work without a report that's due today. You double back, grab it from the kitchen counter, trip over an Everest of laundry -- must we go on?

You know what stress feels like: Your pulse quickens, your lungs squeeze shut, your ears ring, and you wonder if this is the time your head actually explodes. Sensing anxiety overload, your brain orders up a chemical surge that makes your blood vessels narrow, heart race, blood pressure rise, and muscles tighten. Your body is mobilizing to deal with threat.

Good plan, nature! But you weren't meant to stay on red alert forever. Prolonged stress leads to health problems. High levels of the stress hormone cortisol are associated with heart disease and cancer; stress
has also been linked to gastrointestinal problems, eczema, asthma, and depression.

And you probably already know what's involved in long-term, big-commitment stress reduction: physical changes (exercising, eating right, getting plenty of sleep); organizational changes (planning ahead, divvying up chores equitably); attitude changes (letting go of what you can't control, for starters); and relationship changes (finding ways to talk through, directly and respectfully, the problems that are the sources of anxiety). All of these transformations are definitely worth the effort.

But here's what you may not know: Recent studies have suggested six new stress reducers -- research-tested, rather surprising, and relatively simple. You can ease these strategies into your life right now.


*Strategy 1:* Smooch spontaneously
"When I come home from a hard day at work and kiss my husband, the bad
stuff doesn't seem to matter anymore," says Cheryl Kennedy Henderson,
47, an accountant in Knoxville, TN. Science says she's on to something.
A recent study of 2,000 couples showed that those who kiss only during
lovemaking are eight times more likely to report suffering from stress
and depression than those who frequently kiss on the spur of the moment.
Study leader Laura Berman, Ph.D., an assistant clinical professor of
psychiatry and ob-gyn at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of
Medicine, explains why: "Kissing relieves stress by creating a sense of
connectedness, which releases endorphins, the chemicals that counteract
stress and depression."


*Strategy 2:* Take the cuddle cure
More good news from the annals of affection: Researchers at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently found that holding
hands and hugging can measurably reduce stress. Fifty couples were asked
to hold hands for 10 minutes, then hug for 20 seconds. A second group of
85 people rested quietly, not touching their significant others.
Researchers then asked people in both groups to talk about a past event
that left them angry or anxious. Those who hadn't cuddled before
revisiting the past exhibited signs of elevated heart rate and blood
pressure. But couples who had hugged and held hands weren't nearly as
ruffled. "The gentle pressure of a hug can stimulate nerve endings under
the skin that send calming messages to the brain and slow the release of
cortisol," explains Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the University of
Miami Medical School's Touch Research Institute. And if your honey isn't
on hand? Field says other studies have found that a hug from a friend or
a professional massage can also help banish tension.


*Strategy 3:* Lash out less
You may have already concluded what a series of studies has confirmed:
When married couples argue, men are more likely than women to withdraw
-- and this frustrates their wives. The studies also revealed something
not as obvious. The way a woman deals with frustration during hostile
arguments can measurably affect her stress load, and thus her physical
health. Women who responded to their husbands with verbal hostility
showed elevated stress-hormone levels during arguments and for hours
afterward. Their mates didn't show these physical signs of stress, says
Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Ohio State
University College of Medicine and a member of the research team.
Prolonged surges of stress hormones can damage the immune system, she
notes. (One serious physical consequence of a hostile fighting style was
discovered last year by researchers at the University of Utah, who found
that wives who lashed out at their husbands during disagreements had
twice as much coronary artery calcification, a sign of heart disease, as
wives who stayed calm. Hostile husbands weren't affected.) "Conflict
isn't necessarily bad," says Kiecolt-Glaser. "It's the /way/ couples
disagree that affects health." Her advice: Concentrate on the issue at
hand and forget about getting even; drop the sarcasm and name-calling.
"Generally it's best to try to keep the emotional temperature as low as
possible," she says. "The more heated the words or tone of voice, the
harder it is for husbands and wives to hear each other. If necessary,
take a deep breath and respectfully end the conversation, promising to
talk about the situation later, when you're calmer."


*Strategy 4:* Put the kettle on
Tea is the most popular beverage in the world (after water); even
coffee-worshipping Americans guzzle more than 2 billion gallons of tea a
year. Part of the appeal may be its tension-taming powers. In a recent
study, scientists at University College London noted that people who
drank black tea four times a day for six weeks had lower levels of
cortisol after a stressful task than those who drank a caffeinated fruit
beverage. Research also shows that a substance in green tea leaves,
L-Theanine, may shift brain wave activity from the beta waves that
accompany anxiety to the alpha waves associated with relaxation. Maxine
Friedman, 43, of New York City, the mother of 7-year-old twin girls,
builds tea breaks into her busiest days. She finds the ritual as calming
as the beverage. "I start relaxing even before I start to drink -- at
the sound of the kettle, the feel of the cup in my hand," she says.


*Strategy 5:* Loosen your electronic leash
Thanks to high-tech gadgets, your kids can reach you 24/7. Knowing where
they are and what they're up to? Priceless. But there's a hidden cost. A
two-year study of 1,367 working men and women in New York State,
two-thirds of them parents, found that all were overburdened by a
blurring of the divide between the workplace and home. But while both
men and women reported bringing job-related worries home with them, only
women felt stress because of home worries spilling over into the
workplace. Researchers speculate that cell phones and pagers are
responsible for this blurring of boundaries. "When your kids have a
crisis or a relative gets sick, it's usually the women, not the men, who
get the call at work," says Noelle Chesley, a professor of sociology at
the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the study's author. She
suggests you take turns with your spouse being "on call" for minor
emergencies, and make sure the sitter and the school have his number as
well as yours. You may have to retrain the kids, too.


*Strategy 6:* Reflect on what you value
When your frazzle level is so high you feel yourself spiraling out of
control, a quick way to re-center is to remind yourself of what's most
important in your life. Researchers at the University of California, Los
Angeles, asked 85 people to complete a questionnaire ranking their
values from what matters most to what matters least. Then the group was
divided. Half the people were asked to talk about their top-ranked
values; the other half discussed what mattered least to them. Afterward,
everyone took part in a stress-inducing task (giving a five-minute
speech in front of a heckling audience, then counting backward from
2,083 by 13s). People who'd reflected on their most cherished values had
a lower stress response than those who'd discussed matters that didn't
mean much. "Affirming your values changes the way you appraise a
situation," says David Creswell, Ph.D., the study's lead author and a
research scientist at UCLA. "In this case, the stressful event became
less of a threat and more of a challenge." He suggests one way to put
the research findings to work: In a stressful situation, think about
people important to you, and how you've been a good mate, mother,
daughter, sister, or friend. "Affirmations of close relationships are
powerful sources to draw on," Creswell says.

In Poor Neighborhoods, "Fresh" Produce Isn't Always What it Seems

Very windy day in Vancouver

English Bay on a windy day, May 3, 2010.
It was very windy and cold yesterday, I had to wear my winter jacket on the beach...
Nevertheless, my walk was great; the clouds on the sky and the white caps on the ocean created such wonderful canvas,  almost painting-like, so beautiful! In the city was 14 degrees C, not cold at all...