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Cheating can help a marriage – experts

how to keep affair discreet

Having an affair can help a marriage – that’s a view echoed in media every time a celebrity’s affair is exposed either by the mistress or media.

The latest turmoil is being faced by Auckland mayor, Len Brown, whose mistress exposed their two-year affair within a week after he won the second term in the office of New Zealand’s most populous city.

Among the many reactions expressed in media, a central theme was to leave the mayor alone, so that he could deal with his personal crisis.

Similar views were shared after the Tiger Woods affair, and the most recent  Weiner affair.

Cheating can help a marriage and relationship, says Dr. Drew Pinsky. In his CNN interview after the Weiner affair became public, Drew said: “I’m not saying that what Weiner did was OK. But let’s allow him to get his personal life in order. That’s what the priority is now.

how to keep affair discreet

“His marriage can be saved. With treatment, he and his wife can end up in a relationship that is stronger, and better, than ever. ”

The Browns of New Zealand have shown similar faith in their relationship.  While Len Brown’s wife did not make a public statement, one of his daughters, Sam Brown, expressed solidarity with her father. “We stand by our father today more than ever before.”

While having an affair with married women, or married men, create ripples in social circles, these extra-marital affairs are very common.

Some dating websites like Ashley Madison even provide a safe environment for having an affair discreetly.

The website with 20 million users around the world, goes with the advertising line: “Life Is Too Short. Have An Affair”.

The site promises to help married men and also women who have lost the spark in their marriage.

“Before you knew it you were on the Internet with a wandering eye, looking for cheating partners and women to have an affair with to bring that happiness and excitement back into your life,” says the website.

The site shows some interesting insights into the modern world of cheating.

“You might believe that affairs are typically engaged in by middle to upper class individuals who have good jobs, a family life, and are financially stable, but the truth of the matter is that cheating does not discriminate.

“Typically, people who are seeking cheating partners have found their lives to be stuck in a rut or found their personal happiness buried somewhere along the way of their home life.

And internet is playing a critical role in this. “Long gone are the days of working late and having an affair with the office secretary.

“With today’s technology the ability to have a discreet emotional or sexual affair is at your fingertips.”

But why do people have an affair?

“The image that I have is like someone who has been wandering around with a couple of empty wine glasses who suddenly meets someone with a bottle of wine,” says Mira Kirshenbaum, who has counseled couples for 30 years, and has shared her experience in her book, When Good People Have Affairs: Inside the Hearts & Minds of People in Two Relationships.

“It starts very innocently. And it feels wonderful because it was a line they were hungry to cross. But it also feels terrible because they know it’s cheating.”

“If you don’t want to divorce, this is a way people cope. They have the illusion that no one will know.”

Should you confess if you are cheating?

Mira has a strange advice for cheating spouses with a strong feeling of guilt and an urge to confess. Don’t!

“Because how does it make a person less guilty to inflict terrible pain on someone? Which is exactly what the confession does.”

Mira goes a step ahead and claims that an extra-marital affair is actually good for a marriage.

“I really thought that affairs were fatal for relationships, but they’re not. If the person who has been cheated on has a talent for forgiveness and the cheater is truly sorry — this is one of the surprising findings — many, many people are able to use the affair as a wake-up call and end up so much happier with a relationship that gives them what they need, instead of just being on automatic and pretending that everything’s O.K.”

Who is having affairs?

  • Over 50 million married men in the United States are currently cheating on their wives. (Source: Ashley Madison)
  • About 50 percent of cheating husbands have multiple affairs.
  • About 10 percent of cheating husbands say their marriages have absolutely nothing to do with their cheating.
  • More than 50 percent of cheating husbands never admit to cheating.
  • About one-third of husbands say they never feel guilty about cheating on their wives.

How to know if your husband is cheating?

  • The number one signal that a husband is cheating or on the road to cheating is him spending more time away from home.

Why do husbands cheat?

  • Not even 10 percent of unfaithful husbands say they cheat because they’re predominantly unhappy with their sex lives.
  • Just as surprisingly only about 10 percent of cheating husbands say their wives’ appearance is the number one cause of sexual dissatisfaction in the relationship.
  • Again, about ten percent of men say their mistresses are better looking or have better bodies than their wives.
Editor recommends Featured Lifestyle News

Cheapest Ways To Heat Your Water

how to lower water bill

What is the cheapest way to heat water – gas or electricity? That’s the question commonly asked with increasing electricity prices.

As of April 2013, water bills in the UK increased by as much as 5.5 per cent (3.5 per cent on average). Not only that, we have to pay for heating our water, too.

There are many methods and options available when it comes to heating water, though your main water supply will usually be heated by your central heating system – this is either stored within a tank or cistern, or if you have a combi boiler, hot water is available on demand.

Combi boilers are thought to be more energy efficient than heating water using a cistern or tank system. Other ways of heating water include solar hot water systems, electric showers and immersion heaters.

how to lower water bill

The prices of these heating methods vary; for instance, an electric shower can cost anywhere from £50 right up to £700. If you decided to take the solar route, a water heating system could cost you around £5,000.

Standard immersion heaters generally cost around £150 for purchase and installation (around £120 of that is for the installation itself).

How much of our energy is used for heating water?

It’s difficult to tell how much energy we used to heat water, because it’s particularly tricky to measure, especially when factoring in the energy your gas boiler uses to heat your home.

However, a typical home uses over 10 per cent of their energy on heating water, or around a quarter of the fuel which the boiler uses to heat your home.

After all, hot water is a requirement all year round, whereas heating is dependent on the season.

The real cost of your hot water should also take into account your water supply – in some cases, this can be just as high as the price you’re paying to heat it.

Unlike gas and electricity suppliers, you can’t just switch your water supplier. The market, although privatised, isn’t open to competition which means you can’t easily do an energy comparison, and you’re really left with two options which boil down to how you’re billed.

You can choose whether to change from rateable bills to having your own water meter, and some households in England and Wales could save hundreds of pounds per year by switching.

Rateable Bills

Most homes in England and Wales pay their water bills using the water bill system, where they pay a fixed price based on the home’s rateable value, meaning the amount of water you use is irrelevant.

The simplest way to think of it is, the more you can rent your home out for, the more you’ll be paying for your water.

Unfortunately there are no plans in the works to change this system, and no real way to get the value of your home re-assessed. Scotland have their own system based on council tax bands, and Northern Ireland have no domestic water charges.

Pay as you go?

Already around 45 per cent of homes have water meters, which means your bills are charged at fairer rate, going by how much water you use. These meters calculate your sewerage bill too.

Before you decide to install your own water meter, it’s smart to figure out whether it’d really be a wise investment that could save you money. The easiest way to do this is by going on the amount of bedrooms you have in your home.

If you have bedrooms equal to or more than the number of people living in your home, it’s probably a good idea to look into getting a meter installed – unless you live in Scotland, where doing so isn’t free and can actually cost you quite a bit of money.

Lowering your water heating bills

Back to heating your water, there are some steps you can take to reduce you water heating costs:

  • Choose carefully how you choose to heat your water.
  • Be practical about when you choose to heat your water.
  • Try to only heat your water when necessary.
  • Try heating your water to a lower temperature.
  • When you’ve heated your water, make sure you use it and don’t let it cool down before you do.

R Newman is an energy writer who has been writing since 2007. He has worked in various marketing and creative positions over the past six years and has a BA (hons) in English Language and Creative Writing. His energy related work can be found online as well as in print.

Editor recommends Health Lifestyle News

Never leave kids alone in car – Plunket

not safe to leave child in car

A New Zealand-based parenting NGO is reminding parents not to leave children alone in cars after the latest incident in Porirua.

Passers-by spotted a 17-month old child left alone in a car at a Porirua supermarket earlier this week. When rescued by police, the toddler was crying and covered in vomit, according to a news report.

Sergeant Maurice Parker told media a window was wound down, but the car was heating up in the sun.

Plunket Clinical Advisor Allison Jamieson said the risks of leaving a baby or young child alone in a car were significant.
not safe to leave child in car

“It’s never safe to leave a child alone in a vehicle, even for a short time. Babies, particularly newborns, can dehydrate quickly and become very distressed.”

In New Zealand, it is illegal for a parent or guardian to leave a child under the age of 14 alone for an unreasonable time or in unreasonable conditions. Doing so could result in a fine of up to $2000.

People have been prosecuted for leaving children in cars in the past, says a police spokesperson. “But equally, short of prosecution, they may well be referred to Child, Youth and Family.”

Instances of children left alone in cars have resulted in casualties not just in New Zealand, but in many other countries.

“In the U.S. this year there has been a total of 23 children that have died from heat stroke inside vehicles and two in Canada,” says Amber Rollins, with Kids and Cars, a U.S. advocacy group, reported a Canadian media outlet. “In the U.S., children have died from heat stroke in vehicles on days when the temperature was in the lower 60s.”

What to do if you see a child left unattended

“The first step is to call 911, explain exactly what is happening and do what they tell you – they might tell you to break the window,” says Toronto EMS spokesperson Kim McKinnon. “If you can’t call 911, get them out of the car as quickly as possible.”

why not to leave child in car

Keep your child safe

Be sure that all occupants leave the vehicle when unloading. Don’t overlook sleeping babies. (Source: Washington Post)

Always lock your car and ensure children do not have access to keys or remote entry devices. If a child is missing, check the car first, including the trunk. Teach your children that vehicles are never to be used as a play area.

Keep a stuffed animal in the carseat and when the child is put in the seat place the animal in the front with the driver. Or place your purse or briefcase in the back seat as a reminder that you have your child in the car.

Have a plan that your childcare provider will call you if your child does not show up for school.

 

Lifestyle News Travel

Five attractions in Liverpool

Beatles in Liverpool UK

Liverpool is probably most famous for the English premier team and the city from where the Beatles hail. Liverpool has a lot more to offer than most people realise, with its rich maritime history, imposing architecture and cathedrals it is a city definitely full of old world allure.

Today Liverpool is a combination of old and new and many people continue to flock there for various reasons.

The Docks

Liverpool has a long and rich history and during the Empire days it had an abundance of wealth and trade. Albert Dock is a reminder of Liverpool’s former glory and has been named a UNESCO world heritage site.

The docklands are a favourite among visitors and along the busy waterfront a great selection of cafes, restaurants and boutique shops can be found. Along the dock many remarkable places can be found including the Tate Liverpool, the esteemed Beatles story, the International Museum of Slavery and Merseyside Maritime museum. You can fill your day easily without even leaving the dock.

what to see in Liverpool

The Tate in Liverpool

The Liverpool Tate is the sister of London’s great modern and contemporary art gallery, the Tate Modern. The old converted warehouse houses some great works by leading 20th century artists and the ever-changing exhibits keep the art enthusiasts coming back on a regular basis.

The Beatles

Beatles in Liverpool UKAll avid Beatles fans will absolutely love the Beatles Story which showcases the curious lives of John, Paul, George and Ringo. This museum tells the story carefully of how four young humble boys from Liverpool started out and became the world’s best and most coveted boy band.
The story is lovingly narrated by Julia Lennon, the sister of the late John Lennon and tells of their rapid rise to fame. Full of memorabilia and rare photographs, this is a must for anybody with an interest in music and its history.

Slavery Museum

The International Slavery museum is one of a kind and the first in the world. This touching museum follows the history of slavery right up into modern times. It carefully tells the tale of entrapment, slavery, abuse and of course the uprising and rebellion of those enslaved. It’s a fascinating museum to visit and you’ll see how racism prevailed throughout the centuries and learn about the slow death of this brutal period of history.

Maritime Museum

Liverpool is rich in maritime history so it’s no wonder that it is home to one of the best and influential Maritime museums. Here you’ll see the in depth story of the doomed Titanic, the dark undercover world of people and drug smuggling and you’ll also be able to gain a clearer insight into how it was to work on the docks.

It makes for a wonderful family day out and the variety of exhibits and artefacts will keep you amused for hours.

When visiting Liverpool you’ll be overwhelmed with the amount of things to see and do. Plan your trip carefully and decide what needs to be done. The Docks will take you at least one day to explore and you’ll instantly fall in love with the charm of this lively city and the gracious locals.

Chris Clayton a London Tour Guide with one of the leading tour companies who organise trips across London and to Liverpool and other leading UK cities. (All images are author owned.)

Featured Lifestyle Travel

Book now for cheap Thanksgiving fares – Travelocity

Cheap air tickets for thanksgiving

The best time to buy cheapest air tickets for Thanksgiving is between 8 October and 9 November, says a travel website.

According to Travelocity’s Booking Barometer, prices for Thanksgiving begin to drop during this time, and will pick back up at a steep increase beginning the week of November 10.

With the holiday season just around the corner, the time to start looking for flights and hotels for Thanksgiving is now. The air tickets for Thanksgiving have already become more expensive by 7% compared to this time last year.

Travelocity data shows that the average round-trip domestic airfare this Thanksgiving is $415, inclusive of tax, up nearly 7 percent from last year.

Travelocity calls this the ‘price to beat’ and it should be used as a gauge while shopping for airfare. Good news for some travelers, however, a closer look at the most popular routes shows many prices are well under that average.

cheapest airfares in US

“While average airfare is up for Thanksgiving we are still seeing some of the most popular routes well under the national average,” explains Courtney Scott, senior editor at Travelocity.

“So if $415 is out of your price range, don’t assume you can’t make it home for the holidays. Check your route, be flexible on your dates and you can still find a great deal.”

Tips for holiday travel

Be flexible

Look at returning on Friday 29 November or Tuesday 3 December for lower fares. According to Travelocity’s booking data, returning over the weekend will result in higher prices.

Search alternate airports

Take New York City – always one of the most popular holiday destinations – as an example. While LaGuardia might be the closest airport to your turkey dinner, flying into JFK or Newark instead may be worth the extra effort and could translate into big savings. Use the easy “Compare Surrounding Airports” feature in the advanced search options when you book your flights on Travelocity.

Take the first flight of the day

Not only will the lines at security be shorter, but planes traveling earlier in the day have a better on-time performance in general. However, if your flight is cancelled, you will have the option of taking a flight later in the day.

Pack smart and light

Look at shipping any gifts ahead of time, and try to only pack a carry on. This can help you avoid checked baggage and overweight baggage fees. In addition, if your flight is re-routed because of bad weather or delays, it will be much easier if your luggage is with you. If you do check, don’t put anything in your luggage you can’t live without – like medication, cell phone chargers or your child’s favorite toy.

Average airfares for top 5 Thanksgiving routes

New York City to South Florida – $375

Los Angeles to Dallas/Fort Worth – $338

Chicago to New York – $365

Denver to New York – $382

San Francisco to Los Angeles – $192

Books Immigration Lifestyle News

Learning a foreign language just a book away

learn a foreign language

An Australian language teacher believes that anyone can learn another language.

Andrew Weiler, a teacher of English as Second Language (ESL), Indonesian and Hungarian, is so confident that he has written a book – Language Learning Unlocked, to help people learn a foreign language.

“I have been intrigued over the course of my professional life (as to) why it is that once we go to school our language learning abilities plummet.”

Andrew argues that we developed the necessary capacities to learn languages when we acquired our first language. However they have been neutralised by ineffective practices taught to us in school, creating the problems we have now.

learn a foreign language

The reasons we have such poor success rates and why we have put up with it for so long is explored in this book.

As well as unmasking the causes of the poor success rates, the book also provides many practical ideas and exercises that language learners can use to help address the factors at work.

Andrew maintains that once people are given the understandings and the keys, anyone can learn languages to the level they desire as long as they do what it takes. This involves letting go of various practices and beliefs and learning to approach learning as a game, where we need to be at the helm.

Language learning is looked at in ways that many language learners may not be accustomed to but the ideas stem from the understanding that we already have learned a language so the exercises and approach have a common sense about them that learners will be able to readily grasp.

The book is suitable for language learners who are setting out or who are well on their way.

(Samantha Phillips is a keen book-reader and a regular visitor to local libraries.)

Immigration Lifestyle News Work Abroad

Australia celebrates 65 years of citizenship

get australian citizenship

Australia’s Channel 10 personality and Spanish celebrity chef Miguel Maestre is among the new Australians who received Australian citizenship today. Miguel says he is becoming an Aussie because of his Australian-born two-year-old daughter.

Also receiving citizenship were Egyptian-born pharmacists, Bahar Derias and Ereny Ghabrial and their 11-year-old triplets, Andrew, Marian and Peter.

Sydney witnessed the citizenship ceremony involving people from 65 different countries, marking the completion of 65 years since the passage of Australia’s citizenship law. Before he Citizenship Act 1948 was passed, migrants could not become Australian citizens.

get australian citizenship


Celebrity chef Miguel Maestre takes Australian citizenship

The event the Parramatta Riverside Theatre was part of the Parramasala festival programme, in recognition of the diversity of Parramatta.

One new young citizen, Angela Lopez from Spain, celebrated her sixth birthday in the company of 10 other family members who were also becoming citizens.

Since the first citizenship ceremony was staged, 4.5 million people have chosen to become Australian citizens, with a million new citizens in the past decade.

In 2012-13, about 120,000 people were conferred Australian citizenship. As much as 95 per cent of the nation’s population are Australian citizens.

This was the first citizenship ceremony for Australia’s Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Scott Morrison.

“We encourage anyone who is eligible to formally become a part of our community as Australian citizens,” says Scott.

“Australian citizenship means accepting Australia as our home, embracing the Australian way of life and providing a settled environment for our children where they feel part of the country in which they will probably live for the rest of their lives,” he says.

Featured Lifestyle News Travel

Five Tips for Traveling with Kids

travelling safely with children

Traveling with kids can be an exciting adventure.

Taking children along with you can make you learn a lot of things, since children view things in a different manner and can ask you questions that you might have never thought of.

They can even suggest some places of sight-seeing which can really make your trip memorable. With kids, trips can be educational.

There are many things that you need to take care for resolving the situations that may come across while you are having kids with you for traveling. You should plan well when you are taking kids with you for your trips.

1. Keep the Kids Engaged

travelling safely with childrenYou should remember to pack the various things that can keep the kids engaged. Toys, comics, snacks etc that the kids like can make them get engaged while you are in flight, car or train. Take their favourite movies with you.

If you do not have any such stuff with you, they can get irritated with the traveling and can create problems. It is always better to plan for something that can make them interested and keep them engaged till you reach the destination.

2. Sleeping Arrangements

Depending on the number of family members involved in the trip, you need to plan for the number of rooms required for accommodation for your family. It is always better to spend less for your accommodation and more over the various activities that are related with the visit.

Two adults can easily share a room with two kids. Make the arrangement in such a way that is comfortable and also affordable.

While you are on the trip, you may not have the privacy you have in your home but you can make the night amazing with the kids by playing some games or by watching some movies.

3. Take First Aid

When kids are with you, and you are traveling to a distant place, there are chances that the kids may get infected with an illness like cold, or fever.

Carry medicines to handle such situations. The kids may meet with small accidents as they are very active. So your first aid kit should contain bandages, ointments, tweezers, gauze pads, cotton and similar things that can help you in tackling the situation of an accident.

You should also have an insect repellent cream with you that will suit the kids so that they do not get any insect bites and allergies.

4. Vaccinations and Medications

first aid kit for travellingIf you are planning to fly abroad, the first and foremost thing that you need to do is to find out about the various diseases that are present in the place that you are visiting.

Many websites provide you with information on the vaccinations that you and your kids should take for making yourselves safe from the diseases that are prevalent in the place of your visit. You can even choose some homeopathic kits for fighting against the diseases in natural and organic manner without vaccinations.

5. Travel Games

Travel games can help in passing the commute time easily. This can keep you and your kids fresh and energetic. Once you start getting bored, you may lose the whole excitement of visiting the destination, and therefore keeping yourself and your kids engaged is very important.

(Lisa Holland loves to write about Travel. She recommends Billeje Spanien for car rental services in Spain.)

Featured News Travel Work Abroad

4 mistakes of a business traveller

cheap business class tickets

Travelling with a work colleague? Lisa Holland warns of these common mistakes to avoid.

Business trips excite almost every young professional who has just started the job and is profoundly dedicated in making a successful career out of it.

Official tours may be for trainings or meetings, may it be a sole trip or with a partner who can be a colleague or supervisor. In either case there are certain protocols that one must bear in mind.

The simple little happy posts on Facebook and pictures of waving at the international airport of the destination can at times be at the cost of personal image, professionalism and wrong messages sent across.

When there are many other colleagues who could have been selected, being the lucky one can have many envious people behind ready to contribute to the grapevine and shoot!

Here’s how to be at one’s best behavior and be professional to make the business trip a success and climb the corporate ladder.

cheap business class tickets

1. Avoid too much personal information

Some pep talk is always good when it comes to a travel partner on a business trip. It acts as a networking tool and builds a comfort zone which aids in performing better at work. However, keep in mind that this discussion should stick to general and lightweight topics such as education, work history, interests and hobbies.

Stepping ahead and spilling too much personal information is a hazard of jeopardizing personal image in front of the colleague and most probably everyone finding it out once back at work.

2. Don’t get in the holiday mode

When leaving the workplace, be sure that all relevant documents and supporting files have been taken along. Despite of the fact that the colleague must be carrying the same information, it is one’s responsibility to be fully prepared and make the organization’s investment in  the trip worth it.

Carrying copies of the same important file is also important. Re-check, as getting there and then finding out that a page or some information is missing can be embarrassing and also show careless attitude which is a big negative.

Once at the destination, do not get the adrenaline rushing, avoid tossing around stuff in the room. Be as organized as possible.

3. It’s not a food tasting holiday

Some lucky employees have easy-going bosses or managers accompanying who do not mind fun. Even if the boss is the happy-go-lucky kind, refrain from feeling too easy. Maintain professional behavior.

When ordering food beware that the new place might be cooking stuff that can prove to be allergic and harmful. Unnecessary bowel movements and sickness may hinder the productivity of the trip.  Avoid any food tasting and stick to safe foods that one knows the tummy would be friendly with – sandwiches, rolls, salads and steaks. These don’t get messy while eating too. Spurring on a noodle or spaghetti unconsciously is also a no-no.

4. Avoid casual dressing

Although the destination can be anywhere from the far east to north, maintain professional attire and wear semi-casual while traveling. Dropping in with a spaghetti strap for flight while others have coats on may simply turn to a nightmare.

Be wise, carry less and opt for coats, shirts and formal looking attire only.

As for the trip, times when two colleagues are away can be enticing to make either one or both vulnerable. To avoid falling into weak moments and risking personal reputation at work and worse, chances of promotion, maintain a distance and stay to oneself whenever business work is not being conducted.

Lisa Holland loves to share knowledge about travel. She refers locationvoiturealicante.net for providing best services in Location de voiture Alicante. 

Featured Health Lifestyle News

NZ to celebrate Diwali with Yoga

yogathon, dr prasad

While Diwali usually provides an excuse to eat sugary sweets and fattening dishes, a community group in New Zealand is hopeful of using Diwali to get people more active.

An yoga competition will try to improve health at Dipawali celebrations in Rotorua.

On Saturday, 12 October, the Rotorua Convention Centre will witness the “healthy” festival organised by Maori Indian community.

yogathon, dr prasad

In association with Yogathon New Zealand, Rotorua Deepawali Festival committee will run a ‘Health for Humanity’ Yoga competition from 10.30 am to 11.30 am, just after the opening ceremony.

The free competition “aims to create awareness about Yoga,” says a festival organiser.

“Before the competition, all participants will be taught how to do ‘Surya Namaskar’ (Sun salutations), which are a series of Yoga postures.”

New Zealand cities will also witness ‘Health for Humanity’ yogathon programme from 12th to 26 October.

Deepawali, a well-known Hindu festival, is not only celebrated by people of India, but also by people of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Fiji and many other countries.

“In an increasingly multi-cultural New Zealand not only Hindus from all over the world, but all communities participate in events like Deepawali and share their cultures with each other.”

Hindu Council of New Zealand made Deepawali a public festival in Rotorua in 2008.

“In the first year, a message of healthy lifestyle and care for environment was promoted through smoke-free, alcohol-free and meat-free festival, which is also in accordance with Hindu cultural practice.

Diwali celebrations New Zealand

“In the following years, the themes were Hindu Maori relations, Developing Youth Leadership, Women Empowerment, and Unity in Diversity.”

For more information, please contact: Dr Guna Magesan JP, by emailing at the gmail address: rotorua.deepawali

Featured Health Lifestyle

7 Clever Tricks To Thicken Your Hair

Think women are the only ones with a few beauty tricks up their sleeve? Guess again!

If you’re searching for ways to make your thinning hair appear thicker, these clever tricks will help you achieve a full, lush look.

1. Wash that hair!

One glance at the hair-clogged drain following a shower can understandably scare many men away from frequent washing.

After all, it would appear that a wash makes the hair fall right out! However, the average person can lose up to 100 hairs a day, regardless of how frequently they wash their hair.

In fact, skipping a wash allows dirt and grease to build up, which makes hair lie flat and appear to be filled with gaps. Wash regularly to maintain a look of thickness.

2. Be gentle

Though washing your hair doesn’t make it fall out, being rough with it can send it flying.

Keep in mind that hair is three times weaker when it is wet, so vigorous towel-drying or combing can easily cause hair to snap and break.

Let your hair dry naturally, or gently pat it try, to avoid damaging your strands. It is essential to protect the hair you still have!

3. Ditch the comb

Many men with thinning hair obsess over their hairdos, leading them to constantly comb or brush their locks. Don’t do this!

Over-combing thin hair will suck the volume right out of it, making it appear flat and limp. Forget the comb and instead use your fingers to style your hair.

Not only will this be less likely to flatten your ‘do, it will add texture and volume, making hair appear thicker.

4. Use the proper products

In times of desperation, many men reach for gels, waxes, and other heavy-duty styling products in an attempt to achieve the illusion of thickness.

However, such products can seriously weigh hair down, in turn making it appear flat and thin.

Mousse is actually the most effective product, followed closely by root-boosting hair sprays. Choose these over thick pomades and gels.

5. Banish cigarettes

You already know that smoking is bad for your health; but did you know it’s bad for your hair too?

Smoking harms your hair with a one-two punch. First, it increases the levels of hormones that can cause hair loss.

Second, it constricts small blood vessels, thus depriving hair of the nutrients it needs to grow. As if you needed another reason to quit!

6. Don’t underestimate the importance of a good cut

Everyone laughs at Donald Trump and his hideous combover that is fooling exactly zero people.

Yet many men attempt to disguise their baldness by growing their hair extra long and getting tricky with fancy parts.

However, a shorter, classic crop is much more flattering, as it will divert attention from your hair loss and back to your face.

If you still have some hair to work with, ask your stylist about cutting techniques like “slicing” and “brick cutting,” which will give you a textured look and make your hair seem thicker.

7. Include soya in your diet

When your body digests soya, your intestines are prompted to create a molecule that could potentially stop balding. How?

It takes a hormone that promotes hair loss and stops it in its tracks.

Try incorporating some soya in your diet and monitor the results!

Gina Volpe is a writer living in New York City, where she is constantly devising tricks to appear more attractive. Gina gets a lot of her hair tips and tricks from NuHart Hair blog.

Featured Health Lifestyle News

How Age Affects The Safety Of Having Children

If you’re thinking of having your first child later in life, you’re not alone. Over 20 percent of women in the United States are waiting till their mid 30’s to have their first child.
This is an exciting decision and most women don’t consider aspects regarding fertility. Unfortunately though, deciding on conceiving later in life can bring on a few extra hurdles to overcome.

However, this does not mean that you will be unable to conceive or even conceive naturally.

How Age Affects Pregnancy

There are many reasons you may have heard as to why it is more difficult for women to conceive as they get older: fertility drops after the age of 35; the chances of a pregnancy resulting chromosomal abnormalities are slightly higher; as well as risks in miscarriages are slightly higher.


There is also another reason that may not be as well known: reasons concerning your follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). The follicles are stimulated to produce a mature egg, which in turn will be released during ovulation.

FSH levels increase as you get older, which actually sounds like a good thing. But FSH levels typically increase because the reserve of eggs a woman has is actually depleting. Thus, a high FSH level can actually decrease the likelihood of conceiving.

Using Assisted Reproductive Technology

Since in vitro fertilization (IVF) was introduced many decades ago, there has been an increase in the number of births via Assisted Reproductive Technology (also known as ART).

The reason for this increase is that this method is often prescribed as a first line of defense, resulting in ART methods becoming grossly overprescribed.

Dr. Sami David explains in his book, Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility, Dr Sami David, that in his experience, more than half of women who receive IVF treatments could have successfully conceived with minimal intervention or even naturally.

It’s important to understand that if you’re at first having difficultly conceiving, immediately turning to IVF treatments could do more harm than good, as these treatments come with risks.

Risks with IVF treatment

One of the major risks is multiple births – IVF treatment will increase the chances of  having multiple births, including early labor, complications and lower birth rates than if you were pregnant with a singleton. Both the mother and baby could face both short- and longterm health issues. Other risks:

    • Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome – Using fertility drugs to induce ovulation can cause your ovaries to swell and become painful. This condition is known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Pregnancy may prolong the symptoms of this condition.
    • Birth Defects – As discussed previously, becoming pregnant after 35 years of age can increase the likelihood of a baby being born with chromosomal abnormalities. In addition, if you receive IVF treatments in this age range, can increase the risk of putting the woman into early menopause and even cancer.
    • Stress – The financial costs as well as the physical and emotional toll that IVF can have on the couple may cause chronic stress, making it harder to become pregnant even with the assistance of IVF.

Despite these risks, however, there is still hope. Dr. Sami David also explains that before committing to IVF treatments, natural remedies could be all that you need to conceive, no matter your age.

Simple changes like lowering bath temperature of the father-to-be by 4 degrees, cutting out alcohol, or even gaining a few pounds can all lead to a successful, natural pregnancy.

Featured image License: Creative Commons image source

Haley has been writing for more than five years in many industries. She has a varied background and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others.

Health Relationships

Causes and cure of menstrual irregularity

Women can experience irregularities in menstrual cycle if they are suffering from Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome, the most common women’s hormonal disorder.

Here I will discuss ayurvedic treatment for PCOS – a disorder involving Tridoshas, fat metabolism and water retention. Treatment involves -detox or Panchakarma.  Most important factor to remember here is body metabolism.

Symptoms of PCOS

Lack of regular ovulatory cycles (i.e. no ovulation), menstrual irregularity, infertility, obesity, acne, excessive hair growth, and even hair loss.

It causes increased weight, diabetic tendencies, coldness, slow metabolism, depression, mood swings.  Sometimes it has nothing to do with weight and patient still has all above signs in PCOS.

Premonitory signs

Slight irregularities in menstrual cycle or no cycles at all.

Mild pain on ovulation or severe pain

Weight gain

Irregular appetite

Constipation

Mild acne

Facial hair

What causes PCOS

Eating excessive sweet and fatty food.

Low digestive fire-leads to toxins accumulation which blocks the channels

Stress, lack of love,  lack of contact with inner self, low self esteem

Simple remedies

Fenugreek : Good for detoxifications

Karela or bitter melon: reduces sugar levels

Guduchi: Helps to balance Tridosha

Organic Ashwagandha

Exercise: Enhances tissue sensitivity and increase body metabolism.

Trikatu is one good mixture to try. (Long pepper-black pepper and ginger mix.)

Black pepper is good to increase digestive fires. Breathing exercise (kapalbhati) doing daily for 20 minutes is the most important remedy.

(Dr Priya Punjabi (B.A.M.S.) is an Ayurvedic consultant based in Auckland, New Zealand. This article is for information only. Please consult your doctor.)

Editor recommends Lifestyle News Technology

Kiwi developer releases ‘Get Home Safe’ App

Safety app for iPhone android

With violence against women getting more gruesome and frequent in India, a new mobile application by a New Zealand developer could offer some safety help.

The free app privately monitors users’ location during an activity or task and raises a pre-set alarm if they don’t ‘’Get Home Safe’.

The app could be helpful for women returning home late at night, elderly going for a walk, children walking home from school alone,  and people working unsupervised.

App users register with GHS what they intend on doing, such as walking home after dark, and the time they will be ‘home safe’, for example in 15 minutes.

The app records GPS location data and  watches over the user’s movements throughout their chosen activity.

Safety app for iPhone android

If something unforeseen happens and the user doesn’t stop or extend tracking as planned, an alarm is raised and the GPS information is sent to pre-selected personal emergency contacts.

As the alarm is sent from the GHS servers not the phone, users don’t need a working phone or coverage for the alarm to be raised.

“GHS actually calls for help when you can’t, it’s truly amazing and really could save someone’s life,” says Kiwi entrepreneur Boyd Peacock, who developed the app with design company Firebrand.

“Who knows you’ve gone for that run or bike ride? Who knows you’re walking home late at night from the pub or bus stop, or that you’re driving the back road home this time?

“Who knows where your secret fishing spot is? Who knows exactly where you are working this afternoon? Who will know if you don’t get home safe?

“Regular alarms prompt you to check-in, so if you ever did need help the alarm would be raised far quicker and your last location mapped by our servers,” he says.

Boyd wishes to provide  ‘peace of mind’ for families with teenagers doing after school or weekend activities, especially as so many youngsters now have phones.

“GHS is not your mother, your boss or big brother and it’s certainly not the police. GHS does not judge or ask probing questions”.

“The neutrality of GHS provides a guardian for the activities in life that may carry a small element of risk giving people reassurance that their actions are being privately monitored should anything unforeseen happen.

While the app is free to download from iTunes app stores, it is free in the email alert only format. Within the app users can also choose to buy pre-paid text messages for 50 cents each, with a minimum purchase of $2.59, and use the text alert method. Unused text alerts are credited back to users if they check in on time.

Kiwi entrepreneur Boyd Peacock creator of Get Home Safe app_media

Users can opt to send their emergency contacts a pre-trip itinerary to allow them to follow the activity in real time or share ‘home safe’ summaries via social media.

The GHS idea was inspired after Boyd read about a boating accident in Southland’s Foveaux Straight in 2012 when a group of fishermen’s boat sank with all their mobile phones and emergency equipment on board.

“I thought to myself, if only someone was monitoring the use and location of a smart phone on board it could have been apparent much earlier that the fishermen had capsized and even where it happened, the alarm could have been raised much earlier,” Boyd says.

“GHS sends alarms independently of mobile phone coverage so if the fishermen had set regular half hour alarms with GHS then the alarm would have been raised as soon as they missed their first check-in and their last known location identified,” he said.

While the app is currently available only in Apple’s New Zealand App Store, it will be rolled out into the New Zealand Google Play store for Android users late August and then internationally in coming months.

 

Editor recommends Lifestyle News

NZ drivers exposed to high pollution – study

New Zealand’s clean-green image may be mis-leading motorists, as a new study has found that, despite New Zealand’s major cities having less congestion and lower traffic than other big cities in the world, they still produce high commuter exposure to finer pollution particles.

New Zealand’s University of Canterbury (UC) transport expert Professor Simon Kingham (pictured below) has led a major project with other researchers from the University of Auckland and NIWA, collecting data from New Zealand’s main cities of Christchurch and Auckland.

Simon Kingham

The study, a first for New Zealand, found that the air that Kiwi commuters breathe while travelling is similar for fine particulates for some of the world’s biggest cities.

“The air inside cars is generally more polluted that the air in buses, trains and for cyclists. People cycling on the road experience significantly worse quality air than people cycling on routes away from roads.

“While people travelling by bicycle on roads travel in cleaner air, they can be exposed to higher peaks of pollution than other travellers.

The results are surprising. “This was one of the first studies worldwide in a city with little or no long range transport of pollutants, lower population density and relatively little traffic congestion and, consequently, in an environment where the traffic is consistently moving, albeit sometimes at a slower speed.

“Despite this, the result showed that occupants in cars are exposed to the poorest air quality.

“It is widely accepted that transport emitted air pollution has an adverse effect on health outcomes such as mortality, morbidity and hospital admissions.

“In addition the economic costs can be great. It has been estimated that each year there are 500 cases of premature death in New Zealand due to exposure to air pollution.

“We wanted to investigate the issue of air pollution to gauge how significant it was in a small city such as Christchurch.

“Previous studies have taken place in larger or more densely populated urban areas with significant traffic congestion,’’ Professor Kingham says.

Health News

Micronutrients to help quit smoking – study

Taking micronutrients could stop relapses for people trying to quit smoking, says a New Zealand researcher.

The University of Canterbury masters student is hoping to demonstrate that micronutrients help with withdrawal symptoms. One in five adults currently smoke in New Zealand.

Researcher Phillipa Newton says there is a history of using nutritional supplements in the treatment of addiction, mood, anxiety and many more psychological disorders.

“Previous research on the use of micronutrients for addiction has shown that relapse rates and drug hunger can be reduced and psychological functioning can be improved while on the nutrients.

Phillipa Newton 1

“My study uses a broader array of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, to evaluate the impact micronutrients have on withdrawal symptoms from smoking.

Smoking costs government over $1.5 billion a year because of early death, loss of production due to illness and smoking-related healthcare costs, Phillipa says.

“Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand accounting for around 4300 to 4600 deaths a year. Second-hand smoke is the leading environmental cause of preventable death in New Zealand and kills around 350 people a year.

“More than 60 percent of Christchurch smokers have relapsed since the earthquake. Research indicates that the prevalence of smoking in Christchurch has increased since the earthquake while the rest of New Zealand rates are declining.

Phillipa is conducting a four-month trial, supervised by associate professors Neville Blampied and Julia Rucklidge, using micronutrients to reduce the withdrawal symptoms and improve the mood of the participants when they quit smoking.

“We expect that consumption of nutrients should result in the reduction of withdrawal symptoms at a faster rate compared to somebody who quits without the supplement on a placebo. Fewer withdrawal symptoms and better mood after quitting should in turn reduce the rate of relapse.

Art Lifestyle News Work Abroad

Live-work apartments launched in Sydney

SydneyApartments

Six affordable live-work apartments are on offer for artists and other creative Sydneysiders as part of the City’s support for the creative community.

The apartments, which feature space to live and work, will be part of the city’s new creative hub on William Street in Darlinghurst.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the affordable live-work space initiative – one of the first of its kind in Australia – showed how seriously the council took local creative workers struggling with Sydney’s rental crisis.

SydneyApartments

“We know how tough it is finding affordable spaces to live and work in the inner city,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Our creative spaces initiatives have housed more than 50 organisations and entrepreneurs in Council-owned buildings, allowing them to showcase their ideas and host hundreds of exhibitions and performances.

“We’re now increasing that support with these unique new spaces.”

The six apartments, on levels one and two of 113-115 William Street, vary in size from 35 to 53 square metres. Each includes a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen, along with a separate space suitable for creative work. Tenants will also have access to a common roof area and shared laundry facilities.

James Winter is the director of Queen Street Studio, a Darlinghurst-based organisation which offers non-profit rehearsal facilities and creative development spaces to artists.

“Artists in Sydney struggle with rising rents, pushing them further out into the suburbs and away from other creative communities,” James said.

“Offering subsidised rent will bring these artists back into the city, which will have a flow-on effect to local culture, business and general liveability for local residents.

“Assisting with their living overheads will mean more creative work gets produced in the city. More contemporary, riskier artists will be encouraged to stay, and Sydney will once again be a city of creative thinkers, makers and doers.”

The City also plans to open up another 14 artist live-work spaces on Oxford Street late next year as part of its long-term creative spaces program.

Lifestyle Travel

Air India launches direct flights from Australia

cheap flights to Australia, Europe

Air India has become the first airline to fly the new Boeing-787 Dreamliner to Australia – with 256 seats. The flagship carrier will run direct daily flights between India and Australia from 29 August.

India’s national carrier, which is currently making losses in the highly competitive domestic sector, hopes to turn the business around by running the fuel-efficient Dreamliner on new routes to Europe, Australia and Africa.

Air India, which is resuming direct flights to Australia after 16 years, will fly between Delhi, Sydney and Melbourne. The flights will benefit not only Indians in Australia but also those in New Zealand. Also, Indian visitors to Australia often plan a combined Australia-New Zealand tour.

cheap flights to Australia

Air India will pose competition to Singapore Airlines, which currently provide the critical link between Australia and India via Singapore.

Australia’s Acting High Commissioner to India, Bernard Philip,  expects Indian visitor numbers to Australia to nearly double by 2020. “So these direct flights will benefit many Indian business travellers, students, migrants, tourists and families,” he said.

According to the High Commission, 450,000 Indians live in Australia, and in 2012, India became the largest source of skilled migrants to Australia.

In the same year, India was the tenth largest source of visitors to Australia, with 159,000 people travelling.

Similarly, more than 180,000 Australians visit India each year.

Air India is also planning to start New Delhi-Rome-Milan flight from October and New Delhi-Moscow operations from next year on the new Dreamliner aircraft.

With the aim of giving the cheapest of all the flights to Australia, Air India is offering promotional air fares to Australia on the direct route in both directions, which are available for a limited period of time.

Lifestyle News

Sunju Min: need dramatic changes for women protection

Violence against women

As I like to travel to foreign countries, it was one of my dreams to go to India because I heard it is a really beautiful country. But I think it will just remain as a mere dream. Why? There is so much sexual violence in India. It was not even long time ago that a 23-year old girl died after being brutally raped. It became a nation-wide issue briefly, and there were big protests against rapes in India.

Violence against women

But situation has not been changed much after the protests. Still there are many articles about terrible crimes against women. Moreover another rape case of an American tourist became a national wide issue again. I think it’s time we should do something for protecting women in India.

There have been many rape cases in India continually, but people did not pay much attention to them. But things changed when the infamous 23-year-old girl rape case happened. After that, there was immediate reaction. Tourist number dropped by about 25%.

India government was so concerned about their national ‘rape’ images, they decided to make laws that give harsh punishments to rapists. Also they have decided to open all-women police offices in some areas. But it seems like they don’t function very well. I think we should consider why these cases happen so often and get rid of the root causes of them.

Socially in India, men have a higher social status than that of women’s. Men have more power than women, thus there are many crimes against women. For example, they have high sex crime rate. The National Crime Records Bureau reported that there were more than 25,200 rapes in India in 2011.

It’s about one rape in every 20 minutes. What is worse is that victims are not willing to report this to police. Still traditionally victims are blamed for the sexual crimes. For instance, when they report it to police, many people blame the victims for not wearing proper clothes.

Also, sadly there are many child sex abuse cases in India. According to the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), 48,338 children reported that they were raped between 2001 and 2011. Even experts are expecting that there should be a lot more unreported cases.

Besides sex crime, there is also rising domestic violence that India mwomen suffer from. In 2011-2012 there were 592 cases registered, and 2012-2013, it went to up to 3,175 cases. Vikram Patel, a psychiatrist and joint director of the Centre for Global Mental Health, says suicides of Indian women happens often because of relationships that include domestic violence.

Also women in India are suffering from acid attacks. It has been concentrated on women because acid destroys what women care for: their beauty. In many of these cases, the women were attached because they refused to date these men. It did not even classify as special crime a few months ago so there is no accurate record of it, but it has increased from 2002 to 2010.

Why women have lower social status in India? I think there are two main reasons for this. One is a dowry. When women get married, the bride’s family has to prepare the dowry. It’s a big burden.

There is a saying that Indian father spends most of his fortune on his daughter’s wedding. It is a common practice to go for an abortion when the foetus is a girl. As a result, there is severe gender imbalance in India. Dowry is forbidden by law.

The other reason is a socially accepted idea in India. It is accepted as a virtue that women should stay at home. It blocks the entry of women in public affairs. Consequentially men work and earn the money, so they have more power and women are subordinate to men.

I know that India government had tried to fix these problems.

However it’s been too long a time since women had lower social status in India; it is not easy to fix those problems. For the sake of women protection, there should be dramatic changes in Indian society. India government should make more laws for the equality of sexes and educate people to accept this.

Also companies should hire more women so that women could achieve financial independence from men. I hope they will make significant change as soon as possible. So one day in India, women can travel alone without worries and threats.

The author, Sunju Min, is a student at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea.