Women to keep away from your guy

Making your friends meet your guy might seem like a normal thing to do, after all they are the ones who know you best and are seen with you almost everywhere.

But it is not always safe to let the two ends meet, lest it turn fatal.

Overtly friendly types : These girls just don't seem to know where to draw the line. The Miss Congeniality type is commonly seen falling over other men. She may mean no harm, but tries to keep on touching him all over; would want to rest her body on him or laugh even at the silliest joke he cracks, giving out wrong signals. Such women are bound to make you feel awkward and left out since they don't know how to give space to a couple.

Manisha Kishore, 27 years, a PR consultant says, "We all had gone out to a pub once. When the music started to play and drinks started to roll, this pretty friend of mine dragged my boyfriend on to the dance floor. She was falling all over him making me feel embarrassed to the core. I didn't know how to handle the situation and I left the place fuming. I had a huge row with my boyfriend regarding this."

Expert Tip : "It's best to act mature in such cases and let your guy know that you don't like any woman takes such liberty with your beau. Also explain to him that he should shun such women so to avoid problems between the two of you. Do not over react since your guy is not exactly at fault in this situation. He might just be trying to be sweet to your friend," says psychiatrist Anjali Kumar.

Grabby types : She just can't resist a good catch. She is infamous for dating several men at the same time, some of whom may even be already engaged.

Swati Sharma, 22 years, an MBA student recalls, "I had this lass in college who we all friends knew was sleeping around with almost every man she could lay her hands on. Once our college gang had gone out for a movie where my guy was supposed to join us. This girl also came along. When my guy came, she started acting strange. She tried everything possible to grab some private moments alone with him and my guy didn't even resist her overtures. I got mighty pissed off and two days later found her raunchy text message on his mobile phone. I dumped him the same day."

Expert Tip : "Take your guy into confidence and tell him everything about the girl. This should do the trick since he won't then try to take her advances seriously," suggests Dr Bhavna Uniyal.

Gossipy kinds : She is not one of your best friends, yet knows a lot about your past (rather, all the secrets of your past). You can't leave your man alone with her because she might just spill the beans from your past that you don't want your partner to find out just yet.

Priyanka Sinha, 25 years, a legal executive with an MNC says, "I used to often hang out with a colleague (cum friend) from my workplace. We were like the best of bitching partners in office. Once it so happened that we got late outside and my guy had to drop her home. I was so restless all the while and my worst fears came true the very next morning. She told my guy about an ex who was a common friend my boy was really wary of. I didn't know what to say."

Expert Tip : "It's safest to keep this woman away from your guy or best to confide in him about your past and make him understand that it's history now. If you are successfully able to do that then you don't really need to worry about the woman," says psychologist Pankaj Vohra.

Desperate singleton : These women are constantly seen cribbing about their single status. She has tried her luck with almost every guy. She sees every man as a prospective target and leaves no stone unturned to make her seem available.

Ritu Kapoor, 29 years, a content writer states, "I took my fiancé out to our college alumni. I wanted him to meet my friends. A single friend started to take a lot of interest in him asking him about his profession, his interests, while I was busy mingling with other long lost friends. She even asked for his number. My eyes were constantly glued on to them and as a result I could not enjoy the evening at all. It was awful. I never want them to meet again."

Expert Tip : "If you are good friends with the girl, it's better to confide in her about the seriousness of your relationship and if you two aren't really good friends, then you should try to make your guy do something to put her off," says relationship expert Namita Krishnamurthy.

'I am sexy and i know it' : This best defines women belonging to this category. They know that they can win over any guy if they want to and are a dream catch for almost every guy they meet. Such friends pose a higher risk because they could very well catch your guy's fancy.

Ruchika Aggarwal, 22, a freelancer adds, "I had this super hot friend in college who met my guy soon after we started dating. Thereafter, he kept on asking me about making a plan with that group. It made me feel superbly insecure and I confided in him. He confessed that he found her quite hot and fun. So I had to cook up this really 'mean' story about her being a lesbian to turn him off."

Expert Tip : "Try to dress up well for your man. Accentuate your strengths. He won't have time to take his eyes off you," opines relationship expert Priya Saxena. Source

How to combat body odour

Every region of the human body has a different odour; sometimes the odour is so distinctive so as to allow immediate identification of its origin . For instance, underarm and feet odours are easily recognised .

Recent medical research has shown that people with body odour are prone to less confidence levels which ultimately affect their personal and social relationships.

Feelings of shame, embarrassment, low self-esteem, isolation, frustration, anxiety and depression are extremely common where Body odour is present. Body odor refers to the unpleasant smell that is emitted by the body. The smell results from the presence of bacteria on the body.

The most common body parts that are associated with body odor include hair, feet, groin, skin, armpits, genitals, pubic hair, belly button and ears. Though sweating is seen as the most common reason for body odor, there are other reasons as well, due to which your body may emit a foul smell.

Sweat is not caused only by outside heat; it can also be caused by nervousness, sudden anxiety, unease, apprehension or fear. Perspiration, or sweat, is body's way of cooling itself, whether that extra heat comes from hardworking muscles or from over-stimulated nerves. Body odor is primarily generated in the area under the arms where there is a high concentration of sweat glands.

Body odour can be an embarrassment, which many face from time to time. Zodhita Inc., a successful pharma company from US is launching a range of Antiperspirants and Deodorants in Indian market to combat the typical body odour and perspiration problems of Indians. The range is available in the Indian market from October 2009 onwards. Go check out the Personal Hygiene shelves for the latest solutions available in the range of anti-perspirants and deodorants from Zodhita.

Seven simple home remedies to kill body odour
Alivia C suggests these simple and effective steps to reduce body odour and the ill effects there of:
Wash yourself: Take bath twice a day and always wash your self with soap and water, particularly areas that are likely to smell, such as the armpits and genital areas and the mouth. A few drops of rose water or tea tree oil added to the bath, will give long lasting freshness.

Use an Antiperspirant: Antiperspirants leave chemicals on the skin that kills the bacteria that causes body odour.

Kitchen comes to rescue: Applying baking soda, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, alcohol, lime or ashes, tomatoes, which are readily available at home, can also help reduce perspiration.

Eat healthy: What you eat is directly related to your body odour, so eat healthy and avoid processed foods and too much red meat. Frequent consumption of garlic, cumin and masala can be the cause of foul smell, avoid alcohol and tobacco – this worsens your problem. According to medical experts, extracts of proteins and oils from certain foods and spices remain in your body's excretions for hours after eating them and can also impart on your body odour. Drink lots of water and fresh vegetable juices to reduce sweating and hydrate the body. Drink a glass of water in the morning, on an empty stomach, along with 500mg of wheatgrass. The chlorophyll present in the grass will help in reducing odour.

Cotton is the answer: Make it a habit of wearing fabrics such as cotton rather than synthetic materials. Cotton fabrics allow air to pass through it. So it reduces sweating and the odour associated with it. Choose your colours carefully; the colour black is known to produce heat which can make you sweat profusely. You can wear other cool colours like blue and white. You should avoid repeating your clothes without washing them and make it a point to wash the parts under the armpits thoroughly.

Waxing: The underarms tend to accumulate more sweat, removing hair by waxing or shaving helps prevent sweat rings.

Keep Calm: Keeping calm can also do the trick. Getting excited, feeling anxious or nervous make you perspire a lot. If you know you will go through these emotions, you have to use an extra dose of the antiperspirant in the morning. Source

Different forms of Love

Whether you're 80 or 18, everyone just needs to be loved! Let's discover how notions of love expand and how falling in love has lost its retirement age!

We're living in a world where the age span of love is rising. From teenagers who are being told, 'How to be a Perfect Kisser', to middle-aged women who figure out '10 Ways to Please your Man in Bed' from magazines, and old couples who are advised on '20 Ways to Better Loving' – can anyone ignore love at any age? Why, even author Gabriel Garcia Marquez said, "I would prove to men how wrong they are to think that they stop falling in love as they get older, since they actually start getting older as soon as they stop falling in love."

Says relationship guru, Dr Rohit Juneja, "We're expanding our notions of love and are finding new expressions to show it; this makes us energetic and lively. The increasing divorce rate, in a way is healthy, because that shows that people don't want to be in loveless relationships."

Finally, the pursuit of love is making us get out of our comfort zone.

Desire to love: When you're 14, you don't need a reason to be in love. The love gurus have marketed love in every space of a youngster's life. At 14, for Vandana Sareen, boys are a fascinating subject. "We can't stop talking about guys. I'm in love with a boy in my class. At my age, the pressure to fall in love is intense. I don't know the difference between attraction and love yet. So, I'll just experiment."

For youngsters in the love market, it's about experimentation and glamour. Says psychologist Anu Goel, "Love in the teens is dreamy." There's an openness in the post I-pill generation. Explains marriage counsellor, Dr Kamal Khurana, "It's more fairy-tale and fantasy-like, where they think that everything is possible."

Young love
Spring is in the air; There's magic everywhere; When you're young and in love — The Marvellettes, American band

Maintenance of love : "There's hardly any maintenance required; love comes easy, and also goes easy," says psychologist Goel. "Women are more upfront in expressing love, which is all about deep intimacy, sexual longing and exploration fuelled by a consumer mentality," says Radhika Chopra, a sociologist at Delhi University. When you are young, and you fall in love, it's an illusion. For singer Hard Kaur, "Love is understanding... it's about making pancakes at three in the morning!" Why, even Rakhi Sawant is trying to look for love on India's national television. "I feel the need to find love and share my life with someone."

Middle-aged love
Love gets me every time my heart changed my mind – Shania Twain, singer

Desire to love: Even Google doesn't have a clear description of love for a middle-aged person! You're supposed to be looking after your babies and making a success of your career or having great sex outside marriage! This is the most vulnerable group; 'settled' couples feel 'unsettled', and divorce isn't uncommon, as most feel there's still time to find love. Says relationship expert Dr Rohit Juneja, "These are people living lives in quiet desperation. They want to break free. So, they start by having affairs. Monogamy is the monopoly of one individual, which leads to monotony."

Says author Kishwar Desai, who met Meghnad

Desai when she was 47. "Love happened to me. We share everything and have a deep sense of bonding!" Dr Avdesh Sharma says, "You cannot imagine how unhappy mid-lifers are with their marriages. When they meet attractive people, the chemistry is lethal. There's a craving for deep emotional intimacy in this group." So, what do men and women look for in love at this age? Says Anu Chadha, 52, accessory exporter, "I'm looking for love that is serene not heady and hip-hop." Sanjeev Khatri, VP, Queen's International Travels, believes, "Being in love makes you vivacious. For men, it's to be with someone who is emotionally and sexually attractive."

Maintenance of love : Growing up doesn't cool off desire, rather, it fires it up. "Love is about intimacy, appreciation and communication. Remove your conflicts," advises Dr Juneja. Meera Bhardwaj, a recently-married Delhi University lecturer at 42 feels, "Keeping love alive is about indulging in small romantic gestures, giving compliments and showing gratitude."

Old love
I wanna make you smile/ Whenever you're sad/ Carry you around/ When your arthritis is bad/ All I wanna do is/ Grow old with you – Adam Sandler, actor

Desire to love : Don't just blame Viagra; the desire to find love is intense at 62 for Col Raj Khanna. He says, "I lost my wife some years ago and was looking for friendship. So, when I found love for the second time, it was more about sharing." Dr Avdesh Sharma, psychiatrist, opines, "I've had men come to me, who have spouses who don't want sex. There are a lot of mismatched couples looking for emotional fulfillment. The solution is to find newness in your daily routine."

Maintenance of love : At 77, Mehtab Singh's definition of love is, "Loving stays young; the body grows old. Love can give you a glow even in your 70s." Says Dr Kamal Khurana, "Many people face the empty nest syndrome, so love in this stage has to be supportive." The need for physical intimacy is reflected in the attitude of 60- plus men in Joggers' Park, where conversations revolve around sex! Says Dr Raj Bhrambhat, sexologist, "There's new hope with Viagra. Men want sexual gratification even after 70. There's no age for love and sex. It can happen anytime." source:The Times of India

Love style

Research has conclusively proved that love comes in several different forms that can be further categorized. These few styles may be a blend of two or three styles!

Love! Ah, what does one say - it's like a cool breeze on a hot, muggy summer night, a magical droplet from the sky, a warm kiss from a lover, a hug from a buddy. Although, the experience may be very divergent, what's certain is that love means different things to different people.

Hues of love:

How do I get this done love: Some people experience love as a game to be played with other people's emotions. The desire is to gain control over a partner through clever calculation. People who experience this kind of love have multiple love interests where they are in complete control. Lying, cheating and deception are common for these people as it is part of the game. For people who experience such love, it is satisfying to outwit a partner and exploit his or her weak spots.

Madly, deeply, irrevocably in love: Some people experience love with a lot of passion, intimacy and intensity. Here the love has a strong sexual and emotional component. People who experience love this way want to be emotionally and physically close to their romantic partners and tend to idealize love. Such love is marked by passion as well as compassion (kindness and consideration). This kind of love is best viewed as romantic, passionate love - the type that creates excitement at the beginning of a new relationship.

Obsessed, possessed love: For some people, love is being out of control! It turns one's life upside down and results in a complete loss of one's identity. People who experience this kind of love fall in love quickly, but their love tends to consume them, and is likely to burnout even before it gets the chance to mature. Such love is often marked by extreme delusions, rash decisions and vulnerability.

Steady slow love: Some people experience love as a gradual and slow process. When love is like this, getting to know a potential partner comes before having intense feelings for that person. Falling in love requires genuine liking and understanding and it develops slowly over time. It is often compared to the love that one has for a friend. In fact, people who experience this kind of love often fall in love with their friends.

Nurturing love: For some people, love is taking care of a person. It is the overwhelming desire to look after a partner like one would after a child or a parent. Such love is attentive, caring, compassionate and kind - an altruistic type of love.

Logical love: However oxymoronic it may sound, but there are some people who take a practical approach to love. It is a clear-cut way of thinking based on common sense and reason. People who experience this kind of love tend to pick a 'suitable' mate after much deliberation and thinking. Practical concerns underlie this type of love. source:The Times of India

How To Have A Successful Office Romance

 

Chances are, you've gotten it on with a colleague. According to a 2009 survey by the job search Web site CareerBuilder.com, four out of 10 workers say they've dated a colleague at some point in their careers. Three in 10 say they married the person they dated at work.

The office seems to be a hotbed of romance and a more effective one than dating Web sites or the corner bar. Helaine Olen, co-author with Stephanie Losee of Office Mate: The Employee Handbook for Finding--and Managing--Romance on the Job, says the workplace is where most people find love these days. "The office has turned into the village of the 21st century," she says. "Where else do you spend 12 hours a day?"

 

And fewer workers are keeping their romances secret. CareerBuilder found that 72% of workers who have office relationships are public with them, compared with 46% five years ago. The survey, of 8,000 workers, was conducted for CareerBuilder by Harris Interactive.

While people are more relaxed about office dating than they were in the post-Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas 1990s, workplace romance is still fraught with peril. Worst case scenario, says employment attorney Kathleen McKenna, of New York's Proskauer Rose law firm: A boss-underling affair that goes south and results in a sexual harassment suit. Such suits are based on either a claim of a hostile work environment or a charge that there was f-me-or-you're-fired quid pro quo harassment.

Which brings us to our first rule of office dating: Avoid a supervisor-supervisee relationship. Especially for the person in the supervisor's seat, such a relationship is "criminally stupid," says McKenna. "You might as well put a sign on your forehead that says, 'Kick me here.'" McKenna acts mainly as a defense lawyer.

Edward Hernstadt, a plaintiff-side employment lawyer with the New York firm Hernstadt Atlas, agrees. An employee can make a claim that she (it's usually a she) wouldn't have dated the boss if she hadn't felt compelled. "The supervisor will say, 'I just asked you to go on a date,'" says Hernstadt. "But the subordinate says, 'I felt I couldn't say no.'"

If a supervisor and an underling just can't resist each other, McKenna recommends that they sign what she calls a "cupid contract." They should spell out in writing the fact that both are engaging in a consensual relationship. If the company has a sexual harassment policy, they should make it clear they understand the rules.

Helaine Olen agrees. "Set some ground rules you can use if the relationship flames out," she advises. "It's like a prenup for an office romance."

Olen also suggests that the senior partner in the relationship step up and report the romance to the human resources department. In so doing, the supervisor should volunteer to take the hit if the company decides the pair should no longer work together.

Far preferable is finding someone outside your department to date. Connie Thenasoulis-Cerrachio, a career coach who has worked with companies including Merrill Lynch, Pfizer and Citigroup, recommends looking for love at office philanthropic activities and social events like softball games rather than in the next cubicle.

Another piece of perhaps obvious, but valuable, advice: Pause before you plunge. "Stop and think about yourself in relation to the other person," advises Pepper Schwartz, a relationship expert at the dating Web site Perfectmatch.com and the author of 16 books on dating and romance.

"If you're in heavy lust, you've got to slow down." Kathleen McKenna agrees. "Think about the fact that 50% of marriages don't make it," she says. "The batting average for other relationships is much worse."

One more piece of advice: Consider how you would feel if you lost your job. Everyone who has experienced heartbreak knows that sometimes proximity to an ex can be unbearable. All too often, say experts, failed office romances result in one person leaving the job--willfully or not.

"The possible consequences here are not just the loss of the person you're ga-ga over," says Schwartz. "It could mean the loss of your livelihood."Source:in.news.yahoo.com

Home remedies to look good

When we buy expensive cosmetics, little do we realise that there are many home-made products available in our kitchen that can make our skin glow. If you want to have flawless and glowing skin using natural products, and keep those chemicals away, then here are some easy tips.

For glowing skin
A facemask of egg white and honey gently removes the tan from your face. While egg white tightens the skin, honey adds moisture. Apply this combo once a week for healthy skin.
Mix oats with honey, yogurt and ground almonds. Apply this on your face, leave it for five minutes and wash with lukewarm water.
Cucumber is a natural cleanser. Mix cucumber juice with milk and use it instead of a cleanser.
Take 1/3-cup cocoa, three teaspoons of heavy cream, 1/3-cup ripe papaya, 1/4-cup honey and three teaspoons of oatmeal powder. Mix them thoroughly and apply on your face. Rinse after 10 minutes.

For oily skin
To get rid of persistent oiliness on your face, using elements with astringent properties gives the best results.
Apply a mixture of grapes, lemon extracts and egg white. Leave it on or 20 minutes and rinse with warm water.
Lemon cleanses the skin while egg white tightens it.
Cut a lemon and rub its wedge all over your face. Leave it on for about 20 minutes, then rinse off with cold water. This will refresh your face instantly.
Prepare a mask by mixing a slice of pumpkin with milk. Let this mask set on your face for 30 minutes and see the oil on your skin disappear.

For black spots
Make a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and glycerin and apply it on the spots. A regular use of this will gradually reduce the spots. Apply a paste of turmeric and curry leaves on the face and wash it after 15 minutes.
Grind dried basil leaf, neem and mint (100 gm each). Add some turmeric powder and rose water to make a paste and apply it on the spots.
Grind betel leaf and add a little coconut oil and apply it on the spots.
Make a paste of saffron and add some honey.

For acne
Apply a mixture of turmeric and neem on the face.
A mixture of crushed mint leaves and oats will reduce pimples. Leave this for 20 minutes and wash it with warm water.
Mix thick curd, turmeric and two drops of oil. Apply twice a week.
Crush garlic and take the juice and apply it on the face daily to reduce pimples.
These home remedies will aid in improving your skin and gradually lead to a healthy glow. Look good naturally.

Source:The Times of India

Food that defy age

Who says you need botox shots and complicated diets to stay young? Just include the following in your everyday diet...

Olive oil
Various studies have proved that the monounsaturated fats found in olive oil result in low rates of heart disease and cancer. Not to forget, olive oil contains antioxidants like polyphenols that play a pivotal role in warding off some of the various age-related disorders. So henceforth, use olive oil in your everyday cooking to add up years to your youth.

Yogurt
There haven't been any studies till date that directly connect having yogurt with a longer life span and staying young. However, there's no denying the fact that yogurt is a rich source of calcium, having enough of which significantly reduces the risk of osteoporosis, especially among women. The beneficial bacteria that yogurt contains also helps to deal with potential intestinal diseases, something that becomes common as you age.

Fish
Fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. It helps keep your cholesterol levels in check. As a result, there are less chances of blockage in arteries and this leads to better cardiac health.

Chocolate
Cocoa is unusually rich in flavanols that is required for the healthy functioning of one's blood vessels. And if you have healthy blood vessels, chances are, that you will be better protected against high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, kidney disease and even dementia.

Nuts
A recent study that has been conducted has proved that those who have nuts on a regular basis actually manage to add up an extra two and a half years to their average lifespan. Rich in unsaturated fats, the consumption of nuts offers benefits similar to that of olive oil. Not to forget, they are a rich source of various vitamins and minerals and other antioxidants.

Wine
Alcohol protects against heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss, but only if it is consumed in moderation. For example, red wine contains resveratrol, the compound responsible for the various above mentioned benefits.

Source:The Times of India