How To Make Love Last

If you've got the basics covered - like being faithful, remembering to talk to each other and having great sex – you might be wondering what else you can do to make it through the years. Here are seven lesser known ways to keep the spark alive in your relationship.

1. Have Secrets

Everyone will tell you that good communication is vital in keeping love alive, and it is. But it's also essential to keep some things to yourself. If you suddenly develop a crush for the intern in Accounts, don't do anything about it, and also don't tell your other half that you were tempted.  What's more, your partner does not need to know how much you spent on those shoes or that gadget you craved, if you have your own bank account. You'll both be happier, if you forget to mention it. 

2. Tell Lies

Most of the time, honesty is the best policy in relationships, but not always. The answer to the question “Do I look fat in this?” is not “yes” if you want your relationship to survive. And if he's feeling like a loser, there's no need to agree with his assessment, even if you secretly think he could have done things better. It's time for an ego boost, not honesty.

3. Don't Share

Talk about your day, your plans, your dreams, your ideas, your interests – yes – it's important to talk, but don't share every thought and every detail of your life. It's no more fun listening to you going on about the minutiae of your boring day at work than it was experiencing it. And if you have a tendency to complain all the time about every minor thing, that kind of sharing can drag your partner down as soon as you open your mouth.  Unless you have a really bad day (when it's good to get support), share to communicate and uplift, not to offload your frustration. 

4. Lead Separate Lives

Spending time together is important, but there's such a thing as too much togetherness. The more time you spend together, the less you have to talk about, and the less interesting you are. Someone who relies on one relationship for everything, seems needy and less attractive than someone with a degree of independence. If you each have your own friends, interests and hobbies, as well as those you share, you can keep the spark of interest and attraction alive forever. 

5. Be Selfish

Keeping love alive involves patience, tolerance and compromise, and all those good things. But don't give up your own needs entirely, for the sake of your relationship.  While it can feel good for a time to get your own way, no one respects or loves a doormat forever, and especially not a doormat who is unhappy. 

6. Be Irresponsible

It's all very well taking your responsibilities for the kids and the mortgage seriously most of the time, but now and again it's important to shake off your cares, and pretend you are teenagers again. Do something a bit mad (though still legal!) together and laugh like you were sixteen and not forty-six with car payments and school fees. Create memories that will keep you going when you are really old and not able to get up to mischief. 

7. Forget Valentine's Day

It's probably safer for your relationship to actually give a gift or flowers, and book a table on Valentine's Day, if that's the expectation your other half has, but you may hate the commercialism of it all. Made a pact to ignore the whole event and treat it like any other day, though generally laugh and wish each other “Happy Valentine's Day!” Romantic gestures are great now and again, but what really counts is the love you show day in day out. Show it. Mean It. Live it. You can't make up for hundreds of days of ignoring someone with a wildly expensive gift on Valentine's Day.  





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Improve Digestion For Better Health

When we improve our digestion, we can boost our immune system, lose weight, feel less bloated, and uncover hidden food allergies. In other words: when we digest with ease, we look and feel fabulous! Here are five simple tips to improve your digestion: 

1. Slow down. 

Stop and actually sit down when you eat. Your body needs your mind to be calm in order to digest. If you're nervous, your digestive system is in "fight or flight" mode. It cannot work properly when it is stressed. 

Before you eat, remember to take a deep breath. Be grateful for the food you're about to eat. Also, check in with your body. Focus on being present in the moment and have awareness. Don't shove food in your mouth as you're running out the door or eat while standing at the counter. 

2. Chew, chew, chew. 

Digestion begins in your mouth. Remember when you were little and your mother would tell you slow down and chew your food so that you would not choke? That may annoyed me as a child, but Mom had a good point. When you do not chew your food, it sets the stage for poor digestion. Poor digestion opens the door to weight gain, acne, constipation,to name a few. Serious health issues are not far behind. Most importantly, when you do not digest properly your body cannot transform your food into energy. Remember that your stomach does not have teeth!

3. Check out!

Yes, you heard right. Put down the phone, blackberry, and iPad. Turn off the TV and sit down and enjoy the activity of eating. Give yourself some quiet time so you can de-stress and digest! Life gets busy but living and eating this way is causing you to miss the moment you're in. 

Start by taking just one minute out of your day to breathe and think of anything that makes you happy.

4. Get cultured. 

Start adding a good, quality probiotic to your daily routine. Incorporating cultured foods and drinks to your life, such as yogurt, dairy or non-dairy kefir, kefir water, cultured vegetables, and other cultured foods is a great way to improve digestion and overall health. These foods have been around for centuries. 

By adding these foods or another high quality probiotic to your lifestyle, you will lose weight, assimilate your nutrients better, have clearer skin, better sleep, and decrease your body’s inflammation. Preventing inflammation prevents disease.

5. Clean the junk off your plate. 

Eat simple and eat clean. Our digestive system cannot digest junk. When we eat junk, we end up feeling like junk. Simple, right? People often think that they are eating clean, but actually they're eating foods that are wreaking havoc on their body and causing inflammation. Food either gives us inflammation or fuel. Always vote for fuel!

What is the food on your plate really doing for you? Remember that what worked for you at one point in your life may not be working any more. Listen to the cues or signals your body is giving you.

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Some Interesting Nutrition & Fitness Fun Facts

Fitness Facts

• Fitness consists of 4 components: 1) The body’s ability to use oxygen as a source of energy. 2) Muscular strength. 3) Endurance. 3) Flexibility/body composition.
• On average, it takes about 12 weeks after beginning to exercise to see measurable changes in your body.
• Approximately 25% of adults are sedentary
• No matter how poor your current level of fitness, you can start an exercise routine and become fitter and healthier at anytime.
• Walking at a fast pace burns almost as many calories as jogging for the same distance.
• The word ‘gymnasium’ comes from the Greek word “gymnazein”, which literally means “to exercise naked.”
• It is scientifically suggested that walking at a fast pace for 3 hours or more at least one time a week can reduce your risk for heart disease by up to 65%.
• Just adding any type of movement into your daily routine can increase your level of overall health and well being.
• Strength training involves training both the muscles and the nervous system. Together, they make what is called the “neuromuscular system.”
• Men who workout with a female partner are shown to lift heavier weights and get better results.
• Wearing steel toe boots will burn more calories than normal shoes.
• To lose one pound of fat, a person has to burn roughly 3,500 calories.
• When the body is at rest, it takes in about 10 litres of air per minute.
• There are over 640 muscles in your body.
• Muscle is about three times more efficient at burning calories than fat, even when at rest.
• You should always breathe correctly when exercising. It is said that underwater swimming is the only time you should hold your breath during physical activity.
• Since your brain is distracted by what you are hearing when you listen to music, you don’t concentrate on what you are lifting. This causes you to lift more weight.
• Exercise is more effective at increasing your energy levels than caffeine.

Nutrition Facts

• It takes about 12 weeks after beginning to exercise to see measurable changes in your body.
• You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
• An Italian research team found out that people who ate pizza on the regular were far less likely to develop esophageal, colon and mouth cancer.
• Seafood is a nutrient rich food that is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals.
• Eating breakfast regularly will also help keep weight off because it gets your metabolism going
• One can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar.
• The average adult drinks 500 cans of soda every year.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  does not require manufacturers to list trans fats if they are present in amounts less than .5 grams.
• An unhealthy diet can lead to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers, obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies.
• You can drink too much water. “Hyponatremia” is when a person consumes too much water, usually during endurance sports, which causes their sodium levels to be very low and can even result in death.
• Ten healthy, filling snacks…banana, hard boiled eggs, nuts (almonds & pistachios), peanut butter, oatmeal, cottage cheese, plain greek yogurt, sunflower seeds, apples and watermelon, and natural fruit smoothies.
• A study done by American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition states that eating a bowl of  ice cream 2 hours after a workout triggers your insulin, which is a hormone that is essential in the muscle building process.
• One gram of alcohol equals 7 calories.
• Half of the carbs you consume should come from whole grains.
• Weight can have an effect on a woman’s ability to conceive.
• Need a quick healthy snack at the gas station? Bananas, raw almonds, beef jerkey, pretzels, string cheese, protein bar and a giant water.
• Bottle water contains more bacteria than tap water.
• Olive oil can help in lowering cholesterol levels and decreasing the risk of heart complications.
• Examples of iron rich foods are red meat, fish, chick peas, tofu, beans and lentils.
• 8 foods you should consume on an everyday basis: yogurt, red tomatoes, walnuts, spinach, oats, carrots, blueberries, and black beans.
• Drinking normal amounts of beer can gives you a healthy dose of silicone, which will help strengthen your bones and teeth.
• On average, it only takes three years after one quits smoking to have their chance of having a heart attack the same as someone who has never smoked before in their lifetime.

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How To Detoxify Your Body Overnight

In our everyday lives, we are faced with an onslaught of toxins. Whether in the air as pollutants or in our foods and beverages, most of us are likely to encounter a variety of toxins every day. These harmful substances can build up in our bloodstream over time, causing everything from fatigue to weight gain and headaches. Additionally, toxins in our bodies are linked with more serious diseases and chronic syndromes. Skin problems and digestive problems are closely linked with excessive toxins in the body as well.

If you are feeling sluggish and out of sync, take steps toward gently and naturally detoxifying your body. Strategies for detoxifying the body have been practiced for hundreds of years across many cultures. Generally, detoxification is a long process that can take weeks or months to work. In general, detoxifying involves resting and nourishing the body, and removing harmful elements through elimination. By cleaning the body from the inside out, the blood becomes purified and the body can heal itself more readily.

While it is not possible to fully detoxify the body in one night, there are many practices that support overnight detoxification processes. The following are some basic steps you can take to rev up your body’s natural detoxification in the course of a night. By making these strategies into habits, you will see profound improvements in your health, vitality and energy levels over time.

Rest Your Body, Rest Your Organs

When we sleep at night, our cells are busy repairing themselves. Sleep is essential to all human functions. If we are constantly deprived of sleep, we can develop serious mental and physical health problems. A key to deep, rejuvenating sleep involves creating the optimal situation for your inner organs to rest. This includes giving your digestive system time to relax and repair itself, without the presence of food. A simple way to do this is to avoid eating for at least three hours before sleeping. When the digestive system can rest overnight, you wake up with more energy — as your body has had time to undergo the processes of elimination and not only digestion.

Stimulate Your Liver

The liver is the key to removing impurities from the blood, so liver support is a mainstay of any detoxification process. While there are many ways to stimulate the liver through herbal supplements — and even certain yoga postures and breathing exercises — one of the simplest is to drink a detoxifying herbal tea before sleep. Thus, dandelion tea is an ideal choice for a bedtime detox tea because of its delightful taste and liver-cleansing properties. You may choose to have it as an early morning tea as well as it helps with elimination and kidney support. Detoxifying herbal teas are nature’s remedy for driving toxins from the body, gently and safely.

Improve Your Circulation

While we sleep, we tend not to get as much circulation throughout our bodies as when we are awake and active. To assist the overnight detoxification process, you need to improve blood circulation during sleep. Luckily, this is possible without having to do calisthenics while you snooze. Before sleeping and upon waking, you can improve circulation by practicing dry brushing or self-massage techniques. Dry brushing is done with a specialized brush, and self-massage can be practiced using your hands with a body oil or silk gloves. In addition to stimulating circulation manually or with a brush, you can practice some yoga-stretching for several minutes before sleeping and upon waking. With this habit, your circulation will improve while you sleep and allow your body to detoxify more efficiently.

Rise and Shine

When you wake up in the morning, it’s time to feel the vibrant energy from your overnight detoxification. To assist your body in morning elimination, drink warm water with lemon. This is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do for your body. The water needs to be at least room temperature, as this helps your body immediately rehydrate. Lemon is a natural astringent that alkalizes the body and soothes the digestive tract. It also helps to practice your physical exercise routine in the morning rather than at night, as this starts out your day with a nice sweat — one of the body’s main methods of detoxification.

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Simple Ways To Be A Romantic

Ok, so maybe Valentine's Day isn't for another couple of months, but that doesn't mean you can't show your partner some special attention now. Maybe you may want to experiment this. The plan is to show your love for your partner in a small and different way each day for a whole month and see what magic happens.

Here are a list of 50 things you can do to express your love. If things aren't good between you and your partner right now, this might be just the thing to slowly melt the ice between you both. If things are already good, this will strengthen your relationship further. By the way, there is nothing expensive on this list so there is no excuse not to give this a shot.

1. Write "I love you" in the steam on the bathroom mirror after he takes a shower.


2. Offer a back massage with some good smelling lotion.


3. Write a poem. Then use Google Translator to translate a poem into either French or Italian. Then handwrite it out with the translation on the back side. Or better yet, greet your partner at night and read it to them with passion and then hand them the translation.


4. While in public, declare "I love you, Matilda!" (not Matilda, but your partner's name.)


5. Make a CD with a few songs that are meaningful to your relationship.


6. Invite him to take a bath complete with bubbles, champagne, candles, and maybe a little Barry White. (the music, not actually Barry White in your tub.)


7. Surprise her at work and take her out to lunch, maybe take-out food in the park or maybe to a little diner, for a midday romantic interlude.


8. Put together a little gift on his pillow: chocolate and a note that says "Your love is like chocolate: sweet and delicious."


9. If your partner has a work presentation at an off site location, have flowers and a note of support delivered there.


10. Dedicate a song to him on the radio and send him an email telling him when to listen.


11. Cook a special love meal of your partner's favorite foods. Play his favorite music and turn the lights low for a romantic dinner.


12. Give your partner a pedicure and foot rub.


13. Send a text message or email that says "I love you!"


14. Mail a card and inside write down the top 10 things you love about your partner.


15. Give him a picture of you for his wallet that says "I love you."


16. Leave a love note in her car telling her to have a great day.


17. Carve your initials in a tree.


18. When your partner least expects it, give him a great big kiss, even if it's in public!


19. Go see a romantic movie, sit in the back row, hold hands, and cuddle.


20. King for a Day/ Queen for a Day. Declare that you will dedicate a particular day just to your partner to do whatever they want. Maybe start with breakfast in bed.


21. Buy a tree and invite your partner to plant it with you explaining that this tree represents the love between you both that will grow over the years.


22. In the midst of talking about how your days went, the chores that need to be done, etc. interrupt and say "I have something important to tell you. I love you and here's why." Then list 5 things (or more) that you really appreciate about your partner. Finish with a kiss and say, "Ok, so you were talking about the water heater."


23. Write an old fashioned love letter and mail it. Be romantic and lavish. Have some fun with it.


24. Before going to a party together come up with some secret code words you can use during conversation. You can be telling each other "I can't wait to get you alone tonight!" without anyone knowing!


25. Find a hotel that has a jacuzzi and book it for a one night getaway somewhere close but fun.


26. Place an ad in the classifieds declaring your love. Then take the newspaper, wrap it in a bow, and put a little note on it saying what page to look on.


27. Blindfold surprise. Blindfold your partner and drive them to the place where you had your first date, and have that date all over again!


28. Write a love poem for her.


29. Make an early valentine. Cut out some paper in the shape of a heart. Write something sweet on it in red and put it in her purse or his briefcase.


30. If your partner is going on a business trip secretly hide a love note inside their luggage.


31. Offer to help them with some dreaded chore they must complete and make it into a fun time maybe with some music. (cleaning out the basement, raking the leaves, shoveling after a big snow storm, giving the dog a bath, washing the car, etc.)


32. Do something romantic and spontaneous, like picking a flower and giving it to her right on the spot.


33. Invent a meal and name it after him or her.


34. Buy some body paint and write your love message on your body.


35. Record yourself reading a romantic love poem for your honey. Then give your partner a CD and tell them to play it in the car on their way to work.


36. Make a small postcard sized love collage. Then cover it with clear packing tape. Write a love message on the other side and mail it!


37. Keep a box with mementos of fun things you've done together. Later when the box is filled, arrange them on a board and have it framed.


38. Buy some underwear with special messages on it. Or buy your own and paint a special picture or message with fabric paints.


39. Make a donation to charity in the name of your love for your partner. Give your sweetheart a card that tells how grateful you are to share your life with her.


40. Keep a box with special cards, letters, photographs, and other mementos. On your anniversary or on Valentine's day take a little time to share fond memories together as you review the contents.


41. Create a mindmap of all the things you love about your partner and make it into a card.


42. Take a walk on the beach together. Run up ahead and write a message in the sand, and then call your partner to see what you "found."


43. Say "I love you" often, slowly, and with feeling.


44. Play hooky together. You work hard. Now today take a day to work easy at just sharing some fun time together. Call it an "I love you day."


45. Send an e-card to your sweetie to brighten his day. 


46. Make little "I love you" posters with either crayons, markers, collage, paint, whatever. Post them in surprising places: the bathroom, the closet, the car, under her pillow, on her pillow.


47. Create a small website or blog dedicated to your partner. Write a short love message each day for a month...or forever.


48. Complete that chore or favor that your partner has wanted you to do for a long time.


49. Be super kind for a whole day. Act like you would with a new love, a child, or a frail person. Show lots of kindness, generosity, and love no matter what for a whole day.


50. Take an interest in your partner's interests. For a woman it might be watching a football game with your guy. And for men it might be going to see a chick-flick. Do it with a spirit of enthusiasm and love. Have fun.

Print this out and do one each day. Make up your own. You don't have to tell your partner that this is something you are doing. Just do it. Who knows, maybe you'll establish a positive habit of expressing your love on a daily basis.

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