SIGNS HE LIKES YOU THROUGH BODY LANGUAGE

How to Know if Someone Likes You

It is often difficult to tell if someone likes you. Most people aren’t direct enough to come right out and say what they mean, so looking for other, less direct, cues can help. Body language often says just as much, if not more, than our verbal interactions, and a better understanding of body language can help you figure out what people think of you. The following article may help you

tell if someone likes you before you’re in a relationship.

Many of these actions are gender neutral, but some would definitely be strange coming from a woman. Women tend to have other cues of signaling interest, in some ways more complicated and discrete than men, whether they realize this or not.

Remember, even if someone is interested in you, that doesn't mean they are ready to move forward. If you like somebody, try encouraging their interactions and responding in kind. If you react in a neutral or indifferent way, your prospect is likely to think that you aren't interested. If you like something someone does, remember you can reinforce it with a compliment. Communication is key to relationships, along with being honest and vulnerable.

Noticing You

A guy who likes you will be very aware of your presence, and you may notice him noticing you: glancing, smiling, trying not to stare. He may laugh at your jokes, pay close attention to what you say, and consciously or unconsciously mimic your movements.

1. He laughs when you laugh. One of the key things to look for is synchronicity. When two of you are amused at the same things, this is a major plus. Try not to force this, but laugh naturally. If he laughs at your jokes, that's extra points.
2. He mirrors your movements. When you drink from a glass, he does also. If you cross your leg, he'll have his leg crossed. If you both have your legs stretched out, you're both wearing similar clothes, similar colors, or have the same posture -- these are all good signs.
3. He smiles often when looking directly at you. Of course men smile, and they can be friendly. But if he has a certain extra smirk for you that he doesn't for the rest of people, or if he particularly is giving you extra attention -- then there's something that's positive happening.
4. You catch him with a "deer in the headlights" look at you. Once I decided to run outside with one of my friends in the rain because I was overwhelmed by a party. This was a totally insane feminine thing to do, but when crossing one of the windows I definitely saw a pair of eyes fascinated by this splurge of a moment, not to mention being covered in rain and stuck in your clothes doesn't hurt.
5. Looks to you to see if you caught something strange in a group setting to see if you'll laugh too. He wants to be on the same wavelength. Men desperately want to believe in ESP.
6. His eyebrows raise. Not dramatically, but enough to acknowledge that you are a special, keen woman.
7. He uses your name frequently because he likes it.
8. He may awkwardly compare you to women in his life whom he admires -- like his mom.

Proximity: Getting Close to You

A guy who really likes you will want to spend time with you and be as close to you as he can without being too obvious about it. The easiest way to tell this is his physical proximity. Does he try to get a seat next to you at group hangouts? Does he constantly appear in places you frequent? These are all signs that he likes you.

1. He appears in places you frequent randomly, whether on purpose or not.
2. He stands near you in social scenes.
3. He actively prevents other guys from connecting with you. He'll find ways to block them, so that he has your attention instead.
4. He uses his feet to communicate with you. He taps to music, he points to you, he touches you with his feet
5. If he is driving you in a car by himself, he'll act particularly altogether to try to impress you. He may give off clues that he likes you considering (1) part of his brain is needed to concentrate on the road (2) the setting is more private and intimate. Consider if he is trying to be personal while he drives, or if you are but a shadow in the car that he never knew was even there.
6. He offers his jacket when it's cold. Again, he wants to come off as a gentleman. I suggest keeping the jacket and giving it back another day so that you have some kind of form of connection with him for a later day.
7. He scoots closer to you.
8. When seated he gives you less space than usual if by you.
9. He leans into you when talking. This way he can hear you better and be closer to you.
10. He crouches inward to be cuter to you. Sometimes guys know that they are intimidating, so if they try to make themselves cute, than they're trying to be more accessible to you.

Touch

Touch is a huge indicator of desire, and a guy who likes you will want to be in physical contact as much as he can. Here are a few big signs related to physical contact and touch.

1. He looks for excuses to hold your hand, whether palm reading, helping you off a ladder, being scared, high fives, handing you an object, etc.
2. He looks for ways to touch you in non-creepy ways, such as your shoulders and arms. He wants to break the physical barrier between you, and get you used to his sense of touch. He also wants to come off as gentlemanly. He may squeeze your shoulder during an emotional moment, or he may touch you when someone else is around who is flirting with you... because he wants you to remember him, not some other guy.
3. He really likes you if he randomly plays or touches your hair. Men like hair a lot more than you think, and it is a huge sign of affection if he goes for the fro. The longer his hands stay on your head caressing hair, more likely he has a thing for you.
4. He lays his head on your shoulder. He obviously feels comfortable enough with you.
5. If he lays his head in your lap, he feels even more comfortable with you.
6. He hugs you on sight.
7. He hugs you several times in a single day. If he can't stop hugging you for every small deed, then he really wants to be close to you.
8. He guides you through a crowd by the small of your back.
9. Random high fives. He gives you lots and lots and lots of high fives... for everything.
10. He hugs you from behind. This is unusual, but probably means they are super excited to see you and can't even wait for you to turn to look them in the face.
11. He gives you big bear hugs.
12. He picks you up and spins you.
13. He kisses your hand.
14. He kisses your forehead.
15. He grabs at your elbow.
16. He dances with you or next to you.
17. He wraps his arm around yours while walking.

Nervous Behavior

We’re all familiar with the anxious, overwhelming feelings that can arise from having a crush on someone. If a guy is kind of flustered and odd around you, it may be because he likes you and doesn't know how to deal with it.

1. He crashes into objects in the area out of nervousness.
2. He forgets where he is going out of nervousness. He may forget incredibly basic information about you too, because he is nervous.
3. He has a sudden amount of energy and wanders everywhere like a kid on sugar.
4. He adjusts his crotch area. This should be understood.
5. He plays with any rings on his fingers out of nervousness.
6. He plays with objects on the table out of nervousness. He needs to do something with himself because he is brooding with emotion.
7. He suddenly has the need to adjust one of his socks and pull it up. This is an old trick, but for whatever reason if you do something entirely endearing, this is a knee-jerk reaction by men that is telling of only one thing: I like her.
8. He grooms his hair when around you. Any kind of knee-jerk reaction to groom shows they want to look their best, whether for vanity or because you are in the room.
9. He stares at you for too long.
10. He smells of cologne.

Open, Confident Body Language

If a guy really likes you, instead of acting nervous he may actually act extra confident and happy around you because you simply make him feel good. If he's using lots of open body language, and it seems as though he can really relax in your presence, this is a sign that he feels comfortable and free when you're around.

1. He has better posture because you gave him a surge of confidence.
2. His body language allows him to show his wrists meaning he is comfortable around you since this is a vulnerable place on humans.
3. He licks his lips, generally subconsciously.
4. His nostrils open. Essentially, the more open the body language, the better. This can manifest in the strangest of ways, such as the nostrils.
5. He stretches out his legs and body. If he can make more of himself prominent in a room, then you're more likely to gander at him.
6. He stands taller. You make him feel confident, and women dig tall guys over just about anything else.
7. Puffs out chest. He is feeling confident, and he wants you to see him as a protector.
8. Has more open body language rather than crossing arms, legs, keeping his palms toward himself.
9. He sings random songs around you or whistles. He is happy and free.

TOP 10 WAYS MEN DESTROY THEIR MARRIAGE

Neglected Wife Symptoms—Ways Husbands Destroy Their Marriages

It is important to remember that the main goal of marriage should be peace and happiness. So, while this list below may seen daunting, always remember that. If life is stressful, then work on changing your perception. You can see peace instead of stress. You are only one thought away from a peaceful life. If you feel unhappy, seek the things that will fulfill you in life. Just be happy. The simplest route to something is to just be. The only person you can change is yourself.

Also, while both the husband and wife should take responsibility for their part in a marriage, below are ten mistakes common to men. Read on to learn about the behaviors of men which can completely destroy a marriage.

1. Leaving Her Alone

One of the quickest ways to destroy your marriage is to leave your wife alone. This means things like spending long hours at work and following it up by a beer or several afterward with the guys. Then, when you get home, you don't engage her or your children. Instead, you lose yourself in baseball or computer poker. Also, on the weekends, you'll complain about the messy house, then leave to run errands, and then you don't come back for several hours.

One of the most most miserable experiences for a wife is that feeling of isolation when her husband emotionally leaves the relationship. Yes, she has friends and a job. Yes, she spends a lot of time running the kids around and partaking in activities outside of her husband. It's not the same. Her desire is to spend time with you, the man she loves. To be left alone by her husband causes deep heartache for women. For most women, their largest fears boil down to isolation and deprivation. When she feels abandoned by you, she attacks with hurtful and disrespectful behavior. Her ability to verbally hurt you is her strongest weapon, and she uses it out of fear in an effort to try to get your attention.

When a wife begins to nag because you never spend time at home, never hang out with her, and never engage with the kids, chances are she is feeling abandoned and isolated. When you stop spending time together, the emotional distance between you two grows quickly.

2. Not Getting Close Enough

Your wife feels energized when she feels close to you. Refusing to let her know you is destructive to her and your marriage. While you strive to keep your independence, she longs to connect with you. It is not fair to either of you if you are only affectionate and attentive on the days you want sex or something from her. Affection and closeness ought to be an end in themselves, not a means to a different end.

Talking is not the only way women feel close, although it is an important one. Simple ways to fulfill your wife in this area are to hug her often, hold her hand, and to spend some time alone with her. When her need for closeness is met, she will be more inclined to respect your need for independence. When your wife feels close to you, she will also be more willing to engage with you on a more intimate, sexual level.

The important thing to remember is to help her feel connected. Try talking to her about your day, your fears, hopes, and dreams. Hold her hand when you go out together. Kiss her unexpectedly in the kitchen while she makes dinner. Sit next to her. Ask her how she is doing, and for a few minutes, give her your undivided attention while she answers. A little bit will go a long way and mean everything to her and, in turn, your marriage.

2.1. Closing Yourself Off to Her

Women exist as an integrated circuit. The mind, body, and soul are closely linked — so, hurt feelings affect the entire system. A wife whose spirit is crushed may suffer from fatigue and confusion. Like a strand of Christmas lights — when one light goes out, they all go dark. Men compartmentalize. If one light goes out on his strand, all the other lights function properly, unaffected. Men are able to fully function when one area of their lives is not working properly.

Your wife does not understand the closed-off and mysterious way you operate. Things don't seem to bother you. You never want to talk to her. She knows you are stressed about work, yet you don't show it or express that further to her. She wonders how you can even function. Your wife is not trying to pry or sneak her way into no-man's land. She simply wants you to be open. She wants to truly seeyou. She feels loved when you share your fears, worries, and troubles. She wants to be that person for you and committed to being so when you got married. She won't try to fix you. She will listen.

Try talking to her about what is going on in your life. Women like to vent, without seeking a solution, and she wants to give you the freedom to share yourself verbally.

3. Always Trying to "Fix" Her

Even when she doesn't always say it, your wife sees you as her strength. As the bearer of her burdens. When she comes to you for help to lighten the load from the weight of her world, it is a compliment. She knows you can handle it.

Rather than trying to resolve and repair every issue, however, try to just listen to her. You might even ask if she needs a solution or just an ear. It will be a relief for both of you when you realize that sometimes you don't have to fix all the problems. Furthermore, when you listen, she will feel like you understand her (even if you don't, which is okay).

4. Never Saying "I'm Sorry."

All marriages have conflict. The refusal to apologize is a quick way to destroy yours. While conflict is not a pleasant thing, growth and closeness can increase as conflict is resolved. For your wife, an apology means she has moved forward through the conflict, and she is now seeking peace.

Many husbands see apologizing as a sure sign of weakness. They think, "If I apologize, she won't respect me." On the contrary, if you humbly apologize and ask her forgiveness, your wife will be putty in your hands. Your small act of contrition soothes her spirit, and acts as a healing balm over her heart. Furthermore, it shows that you're open and willing to make things work, that you care enough to admit to your faults and move past and through them.

5. Taking Her Insecurities Too Lightly

Your wife knows she is highly committed to you. When she sees you looking at other women, in the mall, on TV, on the computer, and in other places, she fears that you may be unfaithful and at the very least, it may make her uncomfortable and question your attraction to them, especially if she is solely just looking at you. Regardless, she is insecure and needs your reassurance, not any belittling, joking, or teasing. These activities all devalues her feelings, which are real. When you stare at a cute young thing as she saunters by, it may be a reminder to your wife of her many imperfections. She feels insecure because she wants to know that you still love her and you looking at other women may not be so reassuring of that. It's okay for you to look at other women, in fact, it's perfectly natural. The danger is when you are blatant and aggressive, disregarding your wife's feelings and staring in spite of her discomfort.

Your wife is motivated by your love and loyalty. She has committed her life to you, and wants to feel secure in the fact that you are equally committed to her. A big symbol of your loyalty to your wife is a wedding ring. For a woman, this is a sign of your fidelity. A married man without a ring seems to be trying to hide something. This requires very little effort, if any, on your part to reassure your wife in this way, and yet it would mean the world to her. Her peace of mind ought to be worth the cost of an inexpensive, outward expression of your fidelity. You have nothing to hide. A ring is a simple, outward expression of your devotion to your wife and to your marriage. This small gesture can have deep impact.

When your wife feels insecure, she may ask if you still think she is pretty. She may ask if you love her. She may ask if you think someone else is more attractive. This is not a trap. She feels she is moving toward you, by asking a question and starting a conversation. Talking is how women feel close. She is seeking your assurance of love and loyalty. Rather than make light of the moment, look at her. No, really look at her. Tell her she is the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. Give her the assurance she seeks, and ease her troubled mind.

6. Ignoring the Importance of Simple Gestures

Your wife does not require fancy jewelry or expensive meals. Granted, those things are nice, and you like to treat your wife. However, it isn't always necessary.

She feels most loved by the small tokens of your love and appreciation. When you neglect the small things, it may feel to her like you are trying to buy her affection — or ease your own guilt — with the big things. Let your wife know that she is on your mind during the day. A single rose when you walk in the door speaks volumes to her language of love. Give her a call or send her a text during the day to let her know you are thinking of her. Offer to help with dinner, or wash the dishes. These are small gifts of your time that mean the world to your wife.

For your wife, the most important days of the year are her birthday and the day she married you. Celebrate these days by spending time with just her. It will mean more than any expensive gift ever could. The cost of the gift is secondary to the thought you put into it. She wants to feel special and important to you. The way to help her feel loved is to spend time with her alone. Even if you sit home and watch a movie, give her your undivided attention.

7. Taking All the Fun Out of Sex

When you confuse sex with intimacy, it's no fun. When you only focus on your own orgasm, it's no fun. When you only show interest in your wife when you want to get lucky, it's no fun. When you devalue the depth of your sexual relationship with crude jokes and pornography, it's no fun. When you expect her to get excited instantly, it's no fun. When you neglect your wife's sexual needs, it's no fun.

When you are married, sex is supposed to be fun.

An intimate sharing, designed to bring you closer, sex should cement the bond between you. For example, think of your wife as a crockpot. Meanwhile, in this comparison, you are a microwave. Put a meal in a microwave, and you are eating within three minutes. A crockpot meal takes a lot of forethought. You need the proper ingredients. You have to put everything together, turn it on, and wait. Six or eight hours later, you enjoy a delicious meal. Your wife needs the same thoughtful consideration. Start in the morning with a kiss. Tell her she's beautiful. Women never get tired of hearing that from the man they love. Help get the kids ready for school. After work, ask about her day.

Slow, slow, slow. If you want to bring the fun back into sex, think crockpot, not microwave. You can microwave in the shower (not literally, obviously).

8. Getting Lost in Bitterness and Anger

When you shut your wife out to brood in your despair, it fills her with fear. Women like to talk things out. Men like to shut things out. When you feel stressed about work, about money, about your relationship, you turn inward. This provokes your wife's fear of abandonment and rejection.

She thinks you don't love her when you refuse to speak. This fear, and her desire to resolve conflict, cause your wife to pursue you. She wants to talk it out, not to belittle or demean you, but to feel closer. She wants you to trust her, so she can trust you. She follows you around, asking if everything is alright. You run away from her and avoid wanting to discuss what is bothering you. She knows something is wrong, and she begins to assume that she is the problem.

You can stop this train wreck before it happens by opening up to your wife. She loves you. You can trust her. Share your real feelings with her, and she will open her heart to you.

9. Not Taking Responsibility

Whether it's an addiction, an affair or poor performance in your life, many times, husbands point to their wives as the reason for their weakness. "She makes me drink because of her nagging. I cheated because she wouldn't take care of me. I'm doing poorly because she never encourages me."

It's time to take full responsibility for your own behavior. You need to take ownership of your actions. You choose to drink. You choose to cheat. You choose to work or not work. You actively do all these things on your own. Rather than blaming someone or something else, stand up and take control. Make your life reflect the values you desire. Your life is completely under your control. Today, you can choose differently. You can create exactly the life you want. Furthermore, if your wife really is the root of all the problems in your life, then take control of that as well and man up and tell her the truth. She can't change if you aren't willing to express the problem.

10. Picking the Wrong Woman. Again.

A woman in distress, who just moves from crisis to crisis, will continue to be in distress after you marry her. A nitpicking woman who criticizes your every decision will continue to nitpick. A control freak always wants control, even after the wedding. The bottom line is: if she is the wrong woman before the marriage, she'll be the wrong woman when and after you get married.

If you want a nice wife, then date a nice woman and marry her. Treat her with love and respect and she will return the kindness. Trying to rescue a woman in distress will only lead you to feel used and unappreciated. A strong marriage begins with a good-willed woman and a good-willed man. It flourishes as you both grow in love and respect toward each other.

Choosing the wrong woman sets you up for failure every time. Although you might like the feeling of being a knight in shining armor rescuing a damsel in distress, the reality of being married is much harder and much less idealistic. Marriage takes work, from both the husband and the wife. When both are committed to making the marriage a good experience, then it has a better chance of succeeding.

Work on Yourself

While this list may seem daunting, it is important to remember that the main goal of marriage should be peace and happiness. If life is stressful, work on changing your perception. You can see peace instead of stress. You are only one thought away from a peaceful life. If you feel unhappy, seek those thing that will fulfill you in life. Just be happy. The simplest route to something is to just be. The only person you can change is yourself.

HANGOVER VS ALCOHOL POISONING

So You're Too Legit to Set Down that Drink?

We've all been there at least once in our lives. Saturday night rolls around and your buddies beg you to go out with them for a "few beers." Before you know it, you're crawling out of the stinky backseat of a taxicab at 4 in the morning, wishing you had never left your couch eight hours before. It takes you ten minutes just to find your keys and then you step on the innocent cat's tail on your way in the door. You collapse on the bed and fall asleep, hoping the spinning feeling will be over soon.

And then the next morning arrives, and you are HATING life. Your head is pounding and the spins are still ever-present. Are you having a normal hangover or could you be on the brink of alcohol poisoning?

Signs of a Hangover

Maybe you still reek of alcohol; maybe you can still taste the booze on your breath. Did you puke last night? You can't quite remember, but this headache is killer! How do you know if you just have a regular hangover? How do you know it's not something more?

Here are the cardinal signs that you are having a typical (but quite unpleasant) hangover:

• headache
• sensitivity to light and noise
• nausea, potential vomiting and diarrhea
• irritability, decreased attention span
• you may feel extremely tired and weak
• muscle pains are possible
• you don't want to eat much (or you may prefer to eat something filling and greasy)

Hangover symptoms are different for everyone and vary depending on the quantity of alcohol consumed in a night. Obviously the more you drink, the more intense your symptoms will be the next day. But why do we experience these symptoms and how can we avoid them? We'll find out soon enough, but let's first see how a hangover is different from alcohol poisoning.

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning is a step up from a hangover. It is more intense and more dangerous to one's body, and it can occur faster (a hangover is usually experienced the next day, while alcohol poisoning can be experienced around the same time as the alcohol consumption).

Alcohol poisoning can also be experienced the morning after the partying. So how can you tell the difference between a hangover and alcohol poisoning?

Here are the cardinal signs of alcohol poisoning:

• low body temperature: chills and you just can't get warm no matter what you do!
• increased heart rate, lower blood pressure
• continuous vomiting
• a difficulty breathing or slower breathing rates
• confusion or stupor
• potential seizures
• cyanotic (blue-tinged) skin around lips, nail beds, etc.

If the person experiencing these symptoms is a friend, check their body temperature with a thermometer if you are unsure. If the person is unconscious, passed out, or cannot be roused, you need to get help immediately.

What To Do If You Suspect Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning is very serious and can be fatal. If you are with a friend and your friend begins to have trouble breathing, is vomiting profusely, is confused or in a stupor, or you notice any other signs of alcohol poisoning, call an ambulance or the poison control center immediately. You don't ever want to leave a person with alcohol poisoning in a tub or sleeping by themselves because they can lose their gag reflex. This means if they vomit and no one is around, they can easily choke on their own vomit and die.

Cold showers or baths are also not good, as the body temperature is already growing increasingly low. Wrap them up in a blanket and monitor their breathing until the ambulance arrives. Prop them up with pillows or blankets to prevent potential vomiting and aspiration (choking).

If the person is you, and you suspect that you have alcohol poisoning (hopefully you are alert enough to realize it) you need to get help. Call 9-1-1 or a poison control center to get help ASAP. If it's the next day, you might feel severely dehydrated along with the other alcohol poisoning symptoms. Rehydrate yourself with lots of water (even if you continually vomit it back up), and try to eat something filling. If you have anything beyond mild dehydration and a headache, you need to go to the hospital.

How to Avoid Alcohol Poisoning

To avoid all of this, the easiest thing to do is to control your drinking (if indeed you still plan on drinking). Stop yourself after two drinks, as hard as that might be. This will help you to avoid even a hangover the next morning and will definitely prevent you from getting alcohol poisoning. You should also be drinking water between drinks and after drinking to prevent the alcohol from dehydrating your body (alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it makes your body flush out fluids). Also, make sure you have a good heavy meal before drinking.

Never drink and drive. Call a cab or a friend!

BEST WAY TO LOSE BELLY FAT FAST

Best way to lose weight – 16 Steps to Success

Tired of the belly bulge? Want to learn how to lose belly fat or how to get a six pack? Try these 16 fat busting foods and discover the best way to finally lose belly fat for good. While losing belly fat will take a lot more than just adding a few foods to your diet, there are things you can eat that will help you trim down as quickly as possible.

Whether you are trying to lose weight or are looking for the best way to get back in shape, these belly blasting weight loss tips will get you off to a great start and keep you going over the long haul.

Lose Belly Fat Fast!

How to Lose Belly Fat

Best Way to Lose Belly Fat

Italian Olive Oil Wikimedia Commons

There are many different weight loss programs and diets available that can teach you how to lose belly fat and get into great physical condition, but it is important to understand the effects that certain foods can have on weight loss success or failure. For example, high fructose corn syrup, which is common in many prepared or convenience food items has been shown to actually promote the retention of belly fat. Understanding our body's reaction to these foods is the basis of many successful programs aimed at developing the fastest weight loss strategies. In fact, with the right types of foods it is even possible to get rid of cellulite or at least minimize its effects. This relationship between food and the body is often referred to as metabolic typing and is worth looking into.

Oatmeal –

Your mid morning hunger attack is caused by a drop in blood sugar levels. Oatmeal is rich in soluble fiber and gives you a sense of fullness and satiety. It also stays in your stomach for hours and will help stave off your morning donut run. Whole grains have also been shown to be an excellent way to lose weight fast because they can actually promote fat burning.

Tip: Avoid the flavored varieties that are loaded with extra sugar. Choose plain steel-cut or rolled oats and use stevia or berries to sweeten.

Berries –

Berries have a lot of filling fiber packed into them. Raspberries have six grams of fiber in a single cup.

Tip: Jelly is not a fruit; it’s the junk food of the fruit food group. It’s loaded with sugar and contains almost no fiber.

Olive Oil –

Fat controls hunger and is vital to proper nutrition. Stick with monounsaturated fats like canola or olive oil, they will help control cholesterol and satisfy cravings.

Tip: Avoid hydrogenated vegetable oils; they’re loaded with trans fats.

Protein Powder –

Protein powder contains important amino acids that help build muscle and burn fat. For a delicious, fat-burning drink, add two teaspoons of protein powder to your smoothie. Protein powder is usually available at most health food stores.

Tip: Watch what you put in your smoothie. Adding protein powder won’t transform an unhealthy smoothie. Use fresh fruit, low-fat milk, and yogurt.

THE UNSEEN CAUSES FOR ITCHY SKIN?

There Are Numberous Reasons for Itchy Skin

Most of us have experienced itchy skin at some point. For the most part, it occurs in a localised area caused by a small insect bite or other minor irritant. However, persistent and widespread feelings of itching could be a symptom of a serious underlying condition.

What Exactly Is an Itch?

Itching—the medical term is pruritus—starts when an external stimulus alerts your body that some form of defence might be required. The stimulus could be anything from a tiny fibre to a bug, and it sets off a rapid response. In other words, itching results from one of your body's protective features. When something lands on your skin, there might not be an immediate reaction but as the stimulant brushes across your skin, receptors in the dermis of the skin become activated and respond. The split second reaction is in the form of a nerve impulse that goes from the skin receptors to the cerebral cortex in the brain, and a signal is sent back to cause an itch that we then scratch. The receptors involved in the itch response are the same as those involved in pain responses. Therefore, an itch can be viewed as being in a similar category as that of pain.

However, with some illnesses that may be present, other irritants within the body can cause skin to feel itchy. Mostly, these are toxins or other substances that build up due to a medical condition that may be developing. There are also natural life processes that we go through that can also contribute to feelings of itchy skin.

Skin receptors alert the brain to a stimulus brushing the skin, which will lead to an itching sensation. | Source

Ways to Stop Scratching
Scratching itchy skin can lead to more itching, damage to the skin, pain, and infection. Here are some tips on how to avoid scratching.
1. When wearing clothes, pinch the skin near to the itch site rather than scratch.
2. Rub or press the area with the palm of your hand.
3. Keep your fingernails short.
4. File your nails. Clipping or cutting can leave ragged edges that tear the skin.
5. Apply a fat-based cream to the itchy skin. This will protect the area if you do scratch.

There are many reasons why our skin becomes itchy, but the cause is not always apparent. There are both environmental and physical factors that will also lead to itchy feelings such as:

• Age
• Menopause and pregnancy
• Medicines
• Medical conditions, such as liver, kidney, or thyroid problems, diabetes, anemia, or poor circulation.
• Stress and anxiety

We'll take a brief look at each of these causes and give the main reasons why they may lead to itchy skin.

Age

Elderly people can be very prone to itchy skin. The medical term for this itching is called senile pruritus and can affect the whole body. It isn't clear exactly why this condition develops, but it is thought to relate to hormonal changes, deterioration in skin content, and poorer blood supply to the skin, all of which can result in itching either in a local or widespread area.

Menopause and Pregnancy

Itchy skin can happen on all areas of the body due to the lowering of oestrogen levels. Oestrogen helps the production of body oils and collagen maintenance in the skin. Low collagen and oil production can result in dry and itchy skin.

With pregnancy, there can be a higher risk of itchy skin mainly due to hormonal changes and stretching skin as the baby develops.

Medicines

The painkiller codeine can cause itchiness—which is sometimes intense—in a few people. This is one of the unfortunate side effects. And it isn't the only medicine that could cause this. Check the leaflet of any medicines, bought or prescribed, you are taking. Antibiotics may also cause itching as can all the other opiates and phenothiazines (used for some mental health conditions, severe nausea/vomiting).

Medical Conditions

General itching of the skin can be a sign of a serious underlying condition such as:

• Liver or kidney disease—in liver disease, itching of the skin is caused by a build-up of opioid peptides both in the skin and blood. When the kidneys are not working well, there is a build up of toxins in the body, which leads to skin irritation similar to that experienced when the liver is diseased.
• Iron deficiency anaemia—itching skin could be due to a number of metabolic factors.
• Thyroid problems—dry, itching skin can be a symptom of thyroid gland problems.
• Diabetes—itchy skin is also a symptom of the early stages of diabetes. It is caused by high glucose levels in the blood.
• Poor circulation—itchy skin can be a symptom of poor circulation leading to a condition called stasis dermatitis. This can cause intensely itchy skin. According to research carried out by the American Academy of Dermatology, approximately 15 million Americans over the age of 50 have this condition. Slightly more women are affected than men. Statistics from the National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care in the UK reports that around 25,000 people in the UK die each year due to complications from poor circulation conditions. For example, venous stasis can lead to life-threatening situations such as deep venous thrombosis.

Anxiety/Stress

When we are stressed for extended periods of time, the body can have an immune response that can lead to itching skin. High levels of stress activate white blood cells. These cells are always present within the skin, ready to fight off bacteria or other invaders. However, when the body is tense and anxious, these white cells are triggered and become overactive, which can cause itching.

Research carried out at Charite University in Berlin and McMaster University Canada found that high levels of stress both cause pre-existing inflammatory skin conditions to flare up and new skin complaints to develop.

Top tips to ease itchy skin

Tips
1. Take warm or cool showers instead of hot and use moisturiser immediately after.
2. Use moisturising cream at least twice a day.
3. Avoid harsh soaps and detergents for personal hygiene and laundry
4. Wear non itchy fabrics such as cotton
5. There are anti-itch creams you can buy and anti-histamines from a pharmacy

Don't Ignore the Symptoms

It goes without saying that continual itching of your skin shouldn't be ignored particularly if the itch is:

• Persistent and not relieved by over-the-counter creams or antihistamines. Antihistamines block the effect of histamine, a protein produced by the immune system to help prevent infection. However too much histamine can also cause the skin to become irritated.

• Severe, particularly if it interferes with sleep and daily routines.
• Accompanied by a rash.
• Accompanied by a discoloured are of the skin, which may bleed for no obvious reason.
• Painful and the area becomes swollen.

The majority of skin itches are not serious and usually have a mundane cause. However, as we have seen, the body can produce such symptoms to warn us that a more serious condition might be involved. If you have any concerns or see any other symptoms, speak to your doctor.

The body is very good at alerting us to situations that might be detrimental to our health. It's up to us to start listening to the signals our bodies are giving us and to act on them

Delicious Sports Snacks Approved by Athletes and Scientists

You don't have to stock up on sports drinks and protein bars to power through a tough workout and refuel afterward. A lot of foods you have in your cupboard actually make great training fuel, and some of them are downright delicious. Read on for tasty foods and drinks that have been proven to help you go longer or faster—and get more out of your trip to the gym.

1. COFFEE

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Caffeine is known to give a boost to athletic performance, but caffeinated coffee in particular is a helpful source of energy for athletes, according to new research from the University of Georgia. Reviewing nine previous studies about coffee and endurance, researchers found that consuming 3 to 7 milligrams of caffeine from coffee per kilogram of body weight improves endurance performance by an average of 24 percent. (To give an idea of how much that is, the amount of caffeine in a cup can range from 75 to 200 mg.) All the more reason to let yourself have a cup—or a few—of joe before you hit the gym.

2. DARK CHOCOLATE  

Got a sweet tooth? Good news for you: According to a new study from Kingston University in England, eating a couple squares of dark chocolate daily was shown to up recreational cyclists' endurance. Study participants who nibbled on dark chocolate also covered 17 percent more distance in a time trial than those who didn’t. Researchers think the candy aids performance by making your body use oxygen more efficiently..

3. CHERRY JUICE  

  Provided by Mental Floss

Drinking some tart cherry juice every day can help you recover faster after a lengthy workout, according to a study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. Researchers found that amateur marathon runners who downed the juice for five days before and two days after a race showed less inflammation and bounced back faster afterward than those who didn’t.

4. ALMONDS 

 

Eating almonds for four weeks helped cyclists pedal a longer distance in a timed trial during a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. The nuts’ fatty acids help contribute energy during endurance training, say the researchers. They suggest eating almonds on a regular basis, not just on the day you’re going out for a long run or ride, as it’s key to have a store of the fatty acids preloaded for muscles to pull from.

5. BANANAS

The fruit is already a favorite of endurance athletes because it packs a mega dose of potassium. But they might provide a bigger training boost than runners, cyclists, and triathletes realized: Eating the fruit improves cyclists’ performance during a 75-kilometer ride as much as a sports drink does, according to recent research in PLOS One. Even better, say scientists, bananas have a healthier combination of sugars and provide athletes with antioxidants not found in sports drinks; they also have more fiber and vitamin B6 (which helps your body convert food to energy).

6. WATERMELON JUICE 

 

Downing half a liter of this refreshing drink prior to exercise led to a lower recovery heart rate and less muscle soreness the next day, a recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found. Researchers suggest that the fruit has an amino acid, L-citrulline, that has this muscle-repairing effect. Try sipping the juice an hour before you work out to get hydrated and avoid achiness later.

Nutritious recipes for growing children by Indian Chefs

Here are two recipes which will provide adequate nutrition to your growing child.

1. Tava Rice ( Growing Kids Recipe) by Chef Sandeep Kumar
Your little ones will surely love this dish as it is both colourful and yummy! and you will love it too, because it is quick to make and easy to serve.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions with the greens
2 tsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste
2 tsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/4 cup thinly sliced capsicum
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh curds (dahi)
3/4 cup boiled rajma (kidney beans)
3 cups cooked rice (chawal)
salt to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania) for the garnish
Steps:
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the spring onions and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté again for a few seconds.
Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, capsicum, tomatoes and curds and cook for 5 minutes while stirring continuously.
Add the rajma, rice and salt.
Mix well and cook for another minute.
Serve hot garnished with coriander.

2. Beetroot Halwa on Saffron Toast by Chef Saransh Goila 
Unusual yet tasty. Beetroot is not a common favourite, though this halwa will change your perception!
Ingredients for Halwa:
500 grams Beetroot, peeled and grated
3 cups milk ½ cup Khoya / Dried whole milk solids
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons ghee (Clarified butter)
1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
4 drops rose water / essence
Ingredients for Rabdi:
100 grams Readymade Rabdi
10 strands Saffron
3 teaspoons milk
Ingredients for Chocolate Almonds:
100 grams White Chocolate 10 pcs.
Almonds: 10 nos.
10 pcs. Cashewnuts
Ingredients for Toast:
10 pcs. Bread slices
2 tablespoons Ghee/Clarified Butter
2 tablespoons Sugar
Steps for Halwa:
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan, Add the beetroot to the pan and saute on medium flame for 8 – 10 minutes.
Once it is tender, add the hot milk and keep stirring till it reduces and becomes thick.
Add the sugar, mix well and cook, till it reduces.
Add the khoya, 1 tbsp ghee and cardamom powder and mix well.
When the halwa is cooked and becomes thick, add the rose water and mix well and keep aside.
Step to make Rabdi:
Now in 3tsp warm milk mix saffron strands. After 5 minutes add Rabdi to this saffron milk and simmer for 2 mins. Rabdi will get a beautiful saffron colour.
Step to make Chocolate Almonds:
Melt chocolate on a double boiler. As soon as it melts add cashewnuts and almonds to it. On a greased tray place these chocolate coated almonds one by one.
Keep it inside the fridge for 5 – 7 mins or until the coating has set.
Step to make Toast:
Cut bread slices into bite sized round/ square shapes.
Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan and add 2 tbsp sugar to it. Once it’s hot and sugar starts to melt.
Start cooking the bread slices until they’re golden brown from both sides.
Assemble the dessert, spread saffron rabdi on toast, place beetroot halwa quenelle on top of it and garnish with chocolate almonds.

Does Marijuana Make You Stupid?

The stereotype of an avid marijuana smoker is not flattering: slow, unmotivated, a little bit dulled by all that weed. But the science to back up this stereotype is far from clear.

Research is mixed as to whether marijuana causes declines in intelligence and functioning over time. Animal studies and some brain scans in humans provide reason for concern: Marijuana is psychoactive, and may cause structural brain changes. In people, weed's cognitive effects seem to last at least several weeks after use, long after the person stops feeling intoxicated. But only a few studies have revealed insight into whether pot lowers IQ in the long term, and those studies have returned conflicting results.

Hazy research

The recreational use of marijuana is now legal in four states (Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington) and the District of Columbia. Many other states have decriminalized the drug, and some also allow the use of medical marijuana. And a 2013 Gallup poll found that 58 percent of Americans support marijuana legalization, up from a mere 12 percent in 1969. In other words, the drug has never been more mainstream.

Despite the loosened regulations, however, marijuana research has lagged. Much of the reason has to do with the difficulty of getting marijuana for study, said Nick Jackson, a statistician at the University of Southern California and a co-author of one of the few longitudinal studies (which follow people over time) on marijuana use. In fact, there has been about three times more animal research on cocaine than on marijuana.

"You didn't need to jump through the same number of hoops to get cocaine to test on your animals as you do to get marijuana," Jackson told Live Science. The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Drug Enforcement Administration contract with only one lab (at the University of Mississippi) to make marijuana available to researchers.

The Food and Drug Administration recently relaxed its rules for approving marijuana research, Jackson said. "Things are changing slowly but surely," he told Live Science. "But our research in this area is far behind where it needs to be." [The Drug Talk: 7 New Tips for Today's Parents]

That's why the answer to the question, "Does pot make people stupid?" is more complicated than it might seem.

Animal studies suggest that pot is not necessarily great for the brain. Rats exposed to marijuana's active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), experience brain changes and cognitive impairment. And short-term studies with human subjects clearly point to impacts on memory, learning and attention even once a user has sobered up. One 1996 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, for example, found that daily marijuana users did more poorly on tests of attention and executive function (such as planning and self-control) than people who'd smoked pot only once the month before, even though both groups abstained for at least 19 hours before the testing. The drug's effects may persist at least 20 days after smoking, according to a 2011 review on the topic.

But the burning question is whether pot hurts the brain in the long run. Does smoking the occasional joint as a teenager mess up your cognitive abilities for life? What if you pick up a pot habit as an adult, after the brain has completed its adolescent growth spurt? Does the dose make a difference?

Here, the answers are a lot fuzzier. Brain-scan studies in humans suggest that pot may be linked to anatomical brain changes, such as shrinking of the amygdala, a brain region that processes emotion, reward and fear. In some people with genetic vulnerability, such brain changes might be enough to tip someone into schizophrenia, which is more common in people who have used marijuana. However, the genes in question may lead people to smoke more pot and to be more prone to schizophrenia, rather than directly causing the link between pot and psychosis.

And that's the problem with trying to tease out pot's effects: People who use the drug are likely different from people who don't. Thus, studies comparing smokers with nonsmokers at a moment in time are of limited use: Maybe pot caused the cognitive effects you might find, or maybe some other factor explains the difference.

Looking long-term

To truly tease out the effect of marijuana alone, researchers have to follow people over time, ideally gathering information about their cognition and intelligence before they began using pot. Only a handful of studies have done this so far.

The first, published in the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology in 2005, found that being a current regular user of marijuana led to deficits in memory, IQ, processing speed and memory, but people who had used the drug in the past but had since stopped did not show long-term effects three months after quitting. However, that study followed 113 teenagers who used marijuana for an average of only two years.

A bigger, longer-term study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in August 2012, did not bode well for pot connoisseurs. Researchers followed 1,037 New Zealanders from birth to age 38, assessing their cognitive function at age 13 (before any participants had started using cannabis) and again at age 38. Participants reported their cannabis use at age 18, 21, 26, 32 and 38, giving researchers an opportunity to determine whether cognitive effects differed depending on when a person started using marijuana and how long he or she continued to use it.

That study found global declines in cognition, including an average drop in IQ of about 6 points in people who had used marijuana. The biggest effects were seen in persistent users — people who reported having consumed marijuana in at least three interviews between the ages of 18 and 38. Notably, the deficits were not found in people who started using marijuana as adults, but were strong in people who took up the habit as teens. The researchers also had participants' close friends or family members fill out questionnaires on the participants' daily functioning, and found that those who had used marijuana were worse off than those who had not.

"Marijuana is not harmless, particularly for adolescents," study researcher Madeline Meier, now a psychology professor at Arizona State University, concluded in a statement sent to Live Science. [10 Facts Every Parent Should Know About Their Teen's Brain]

Not all of the longitudinal data agrees, however. For a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology in January 2016, researchers followed 2,235 British teenagers, about a quarter of whom had tried pot at least once by age 15. The researchers found no link between cumulative marijuana exposure at age 15 and IQ or educational performance at age 16.

The study was based on a short time frame, but even longer-lasting investigations returned conflicting results. In February 2016, researchers published the results of a study following marijuana users and nonusers into middle age. They analyzed the verbal memory, processing speed and executive function (planning abilities and self-control) in 3,385 participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. About 84 percent (2,852) had used marijuana at some point, but only 11 percent (392) had used it in middle age. The study showed that after the researchers accounted for other factors that could have affected the results, such as other drug use and demographics, cumulative pot use was linked to worse verbal memory. For every five years of marijuana use, a person would remember one less word, on average, from a list of 15 they were asked to memorize. However, no declines in executive function or processing speed were found.

Turning to twins

Although all of these studies controlled for factors that might influence cognition — demographics, other drug use, education — those statistics aren't an exact science. Jackson, along with University of Minnesota Twin Cities researcher Joshua Isen, came up with a way to control the comparison.

The researchers were working with two data sets of more than 3,000 identical twins, meaning they had the same genetic makeup and the same home environment. The pairs of twins had undergone intelligence testing between the ages of 9 and 12 (before using marijuana), and between the ages of 17 and 20 (after some had started using the drug). By comparing marijuana users with their non-using twins, the researchers were able to control for the home and environmental factors that aren't necessarily captured in traditional statistical adjustments.

The analysis revealed that, overall, marijuana users were indeed cognitively worse off than nonusers in late adolescence. But the users were also worse off before they started using pot. And when researchers compared the pot users to their own non-using twins, they found that the sibling pairs ended up in the same place, cognitively speaking. Thus, it wasn't the pot use that was causing the differences between the group of pot users and non-users. It was some unexplored factor that affected both twins, whether they smoked pot or not.

"We believe that what we're looking at has something to do with the common environment that these twins share, something about their family environment or peer environment or school environment," Jackson said.

That does not mean that marijuana is harmless, Jackson said. Animal studies do show physiological effects of the drug, and it's likely that something similar is going on in the human brain. But it's not clear how strong the effects are, he said — if an animal exposed to pot runs a maze a few seconds more slowly, how does that translate to points on the human intelligence scale?

Jackson and Isen's research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academyof Science in February 2016, suggests that whatever marijuana's impacts are, they're dwarfed by the environmental factors that caused the pot use in the first place. Jackson said he suspects the results conflict with the 2012 study in New Zealand because in that study, researchers were following heavier users over the longer term, so the results reflect the problems those users had in childhood rather than problems caused by the pot use itself.

"I think the real question ends up being for kids, 'Should I be more concerned about how marijuana is affecting their brain, or should I be more concerned about what are the things that have led that person to seek refuge in marijuana?'" Jackson said. "What is going on in that 14-year-old's home life?"

Nevertheless, the research in this area is too nascent to draw firm conclusions about whether marijuana use is safe over time, all other things being equal. The National Institutes of Health announced last year that it is launching a longitudinal study of 10,000 children to track the effects of substance abuse, including marijuana exposure, over time. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study will use neuropsychological testing, as well as brain imaging, to delve into these questions.

The answers are likely to be complicated by ever-changeable factors, such as the strength of marijuana being cultivated, Jackson said. Modern weed has been bred to be higher in THC than strains smoked in previous decades, and those concentrations could matter to the brain.

"I think it's going to be a very long time until we know,"Sandeep said.