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20 winter revival tips
Forget the pressure of new year resolutions. It's time to stop
planning and start relaxing!
By Alison Garwood-Jones
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7 Pet project
Pets make great companions but, according to a new Australian study, they can also serve as "four-legged introduction agencies for their owners." Of those surveyed, more than one in 20 credited Fluffy or Rover with introducing them to their soulmates, but a whopping 72 percent of horse owners found love in the stable swapping hoof picks and fly sprays.
8 Kiss away the carbs
Want to burn more calories? The latest stats are in: three kisses a day burns nine calories. Making love twice a week burns 425 calories. And we'll bet that you didn't know that most of us can guess someone's sex with 95 percent accuracy just by smelling their breath!
9 Art therapy
Forget surrealism and cubism, the newest movement in art stimulates your digestion. The next time you're on a gallery crawl, you might want to scope out the restrooms ahead of time. A Swedish study claims that viewing art does more than spark your imagination; it also helps to cure high blood pressure and constipation. Twenty women who met once a week over a four-month period to look at and discuss different works of art reported experiencing lower blood pressure and using fewer laxatives.
10 Socks and a smile
A frigid attitude is apparently not the only barrier to hot sex. A new Dutch study shows that cold feet inhibit women and men from achieving orgasm. Of the 13 hetero couples that took part in the University of Groningen study, 80 percent were able to reach orgasm in socks compared to 50 percent who went barefoot. So by all means wear the peignoir, but don't forego the fuzzy footwear!
11 "I don't believe makeup and the right hairstyle alone can make a woman beautiful. The most radiant woman in the room is the one full of life and experience."
-- Sharon Stone
12 Repeat after me
If stress has turned you into a giant clenched fist, try to meditate. Close your door and tune out the world. Focus on your breath, replacing shallow breathing with deep inhalations that go right to the bottom of your lungs. As you exhale, choose a favourite word-like ‘ah'-and repeat it until you feel your whole body relaxing.
13 Beauty myth
Good news for those who partied a little too hard this holiday season. Sleep deprivation doesn't affect your looks, so say British scientists. Fifteen volunteers, aged 18 to 45, spent two days living Big Brother-style -- with sleep, cosmetics and toiletries banned -- while researchers tested their skin's hydration and elasticity and carried out psychological tests. After two days, they found no significant dermatological changes (i.e., no dark circles, puffiness or additional wrinkles), although it was agreed that the men looked more haggard than the women. However, negative self-impressions rose 23 percent. "The more tired people became, the greater the emphasis they placed on sleep being the answer to looking good," said Alex Gardner, clinical psychologist. Eight hours of sleep only makes us feel more attractive -- apparently our looks don't depend on it.
Photo courtesy of Tahiti-Tourisme.com
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