Secrets to a Long Life

Scientific studies have uncovered the secrets of living longer -- and a good sex life, eating chocolate and positive thinking are all in there.




In fact, those who indulge in life's little pleasures are shown to outlive miserable abstainers in any number of studies.



But living as long as possible is, according to one piece of research, also dependent on making healthy choices and by adopting just four healthy behaviors -- regular exercise, not smoking, avoiding alcohol abuse and eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day -- you could add 14 years on to your life.



Research has also shown that a healthy weight, religion and staying out of debt are all other all ways of ensuring you have a long, happy life.



Here we have put together a list of 10 steps you can take to prolong your life, although women be warned ... while marriage can add as much as 10 years to a man's life, the stress of living with a man has been shown to take years off a woman's life.



Have a Good Sex Life

2.5 years



There is plenty of evidence to suggest that lots of sex is good for you. Research from Bristol University proved that men who have frequent orgasms live longer, while a University of California study reckoned a great sex life could add up to two years on your life. Men who have sex less than once a month had twice the risk of an early death than those who had sex twice or more a week.

A New Solution That Stops Snoring and Lets You Sleep

If you’re like most Americans you probably don’t get eight hours sleep each night.




But, if you also constantly feel exhausted, experience headaches for no obvious reason or have high blood pressure, you could have a more serious problem.



That’s because these can all be the result of snoring—which is, in turn, the most common symptom of a potentially serious health problem—obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).



While most people think of snoring as a minor annoyance, research shows it can be hazardous to your health. That’s because for over 18 million Americans it’s related to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). People who suffer from OSA repeatedly and unknowingly stop breathing during the night due to a complete or partial obstruction of their airway. It occurs when the jaw, throat, and tongue muscles relax, blocking the airway used to breathe. The resulting lack of oxygen can last for a minute or longer, and occur hundreds of times each night.



Thankfully, most people wake when a complete or partial obstruction occurs, but it can leave you feeling completely exhausted. OSA has also been linked to a host of health problems including:



1.Acid reflux

2.Frequent nighttime urination

3.Memory loss

4.Stroke

5.Depression

6.Diabetes

7.Heart attack

People over 35 are at higher risk.



OSA can be expensive to diagnosis and treat, and is not always covered by insurance. A sleep clinic will require an overnight visit (up to $5,000). Doctors then analyze the data and prescribe one of several treatments. These may require you to wear uncomfortable CPAP devices that force air through your nose and mouth while you sleep to keep your airways open, and may even include painful surgery.



Fortunately, there is now a comfortable, far less costly and invasive treatment option available. A recent case study published by Eastern Virginia Medical School's Division of Sleep Medicine in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine concludes that wearing a simple chinstrap while you sleep can be an effective treatment for OSA.

The chin strap, which is now available from a company called MySnoringSolution, works by supporting the lower jaw and tongue, preventing obstruction of the airway. It’s made from a high-tech, lightweight, and super-comfortable material. Thousands of people have used the MySnoringSolution chinstrap to help relieve their snoring symptoms, and they report better sleeping, and better health overall because of it.



An effective snoring solution for just $119



The “My Snoring Solution” Chinstrap is available exclusively from the company’s website which is currently offering a limited time “2 for 1” offer. The product also comes with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.



If you want to stop snoring once and for all, without expensive CPAP devices or other intrusive devices, this may be the solution you’ve been waiting for. The free additional strap is great for travel or as a gift for a fellow sufferer.



Best of all, this product comes with an unconditional 90-day, money-back guarantee!

How to Get Shiny Hair

QUESTION: My hair seems so dull. How can I make it look healthier?




ANSWER: First, determine why your hair looks less than lush: Perhaps you colored it but haven't been using color-protective products. Or maybe you have product buildup -- the result of applying too many styling aids and not removing with the right shampoo. Or it might be the result of daily damage from overstyling. Once you have identified a culprit (or two), use the advice below in your routine regularly, advises Paul Labrecque, creative director of Paul Labrecque Salon and Spas in New York City.



Heat-style wisely. "Heat flattens your hair's cuticle (theouter layer of the hair shaft), allowing light to reflect off it andcreate a glossy finish," Labrecque explains. But when used improperly(for example, heat-styling without a protective product), hotappliances can burn the hair strand. Labrecque's advice: Spritz hairfirst with a product that coats the hair. We like Tresemm Instant HeatTamer Styling Spray ($4; at drugstores).

Avoid overprocessing your hair. Add color orhighlights as needed, but not more than once every four months. Then,post-processing, try products specifically designed for color-treatedhair; these are gentler and less likely to strip your strands of theirnatural shine-inducing oils. Editor's pick: color-specific shampoos andconditioners from John Frieda ($6.50 each; at drugstores), available inSheer Blonde, Brilliant Brunette and Radiant Red.

Read the ingredient label. "Some styling aids containalcohol, which can dehydrate hair and make it look dull," Labrecquesays. Instead opt for creamy, water-based products. Try Paul MitchellExpress Style Quick Slip ($13; paulmitchell.com)or Dove Straight & Soft Sleek Styling Cream ($4.29; at drugstores);both tame the frizzies while keeping hair vibrant and healthy.

Pro tip: Use clarifying shampoo twice a month to rid dulling product residue.

Source: Shape. Powered by Yellowbrix.

How to Flirt ... and Why Men and Women Do It

Flirting is such an integral part of the dating scene that we pretty much take it for granted. But what happens when we dig a little deeper and start asking questions about this bizarre behavior. What is flirting? Why do men flirt? Why do women flirt? How do you go about flirting? A new survey aims to shed light on the issue.




Results from a flirting test on Queendom.com reveal that men and women not only enjoy flirting, but many do it in order to get what they want. Their data showed that while women did have a slightly higher tendency to flirt, it was men who fared slightly better in terms of flirting expertise and techniques.





"Men aren't as cavemen-ish when they flirt as some women may think," according to Vrat Jerabek, president of the company. "For instance, 11 percent of men who took our test would easily and shamelessly flirt with a female officer to get out of a ticket, compared to 8 percent of women. Men also used their flirting skills to get a deal on a car (20 percent), and a surprising 6 percent of them would actually date her in order to get a deal later on."



Among women, 27 percent did admit they would do that 'shyly picking off a lint on a guy's sweater' thing, but 21 percent also stated that they would flirt mercilessly with a bouncer to get into an exclusive club if they heard that their favorite celebrity would be there. And 6 percent of women admitted that they would go even further than that if they had to.



"We are certainly hot-wired to flirt by our genetics, and the best flirts have had the best chances of propagating. The body language used in flirting in various cultures has the same basic components intense eye contact, smile, hair toss and coy glances for the ladies, chest puffing in men... So there is certainly a genetic component," Jerabek said in a release about the survey. "Flirting is more than genes dictating our movements. It's also a skill based on social learning and learning by observing adult subject matter experts."



The study also revealed that men's most popular flirting gestures when chatting with a woman are to smile and to lean in to show interest, while women smile and look deep into a man's eyes. Other interesting tidbits:



45 percent of men would converse with someone they found hot at a funeral;



36 percent would ask that person out, while still at the funeral (55 percent and 19 percent respectively for women).



Only 10 percent of women would flirt with a male car salesman in order to get a better deal.



Apparently, both men and women love to flirt. It's fun and relatively harmless. But, does flirting with an ulterior motive cross the line?

How to Look Beautiful on a Budget

Sure, we've got problems with the economy. But no one wants to look stressed-out about it.




Some ideas for keeping your skin, hair and nails in shape without breaking the bank:



Face Stuff



Skip the expensive creams. Janet Luhrs, author of the newsletter, "Simple Living" and the book, "The Simple Living Guide," used to buy moisturizing cream at the dermatologist's office, spending $108 for a 4-ounce jar. Now she uses 100 percent jojoba, apricot or avocado oil, that she gets for around $4 for the same size container.

Make your own acne treatment. Dina Falconi, an herbalist and author of "Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair," offers this recipe: Combine a quarter cup of water, a quarter cup of 80 proof liquor, and 20 drops each of sage, grapefruit and lavender essential oils. Apply to the problem area, she said.

Forget about toner. If you want that squeaky, clean feeling, that's fine, said Nadine Haobsh, beauty expert and author of "Beauty Confidential." But there's no need to incporate a toner into your routine, she said. She recommends simplifying things by using just a cleanser and an SPF 30 cream or serum. At night, use a cream or serum that has retinol and peptides, she said. Dab on pimple cream from the drug store when you feel a pimple coming. For more problem skin, go to the derm, she said.

Grab a lemon or cucumber. Take a make-up brush, dip it in lemon juice and use it to fade age spots and freckles, said Haobsh. If you are prone to oily skin, soak a cotton ball in lemon juice and rub it on the T-Zone. Slice a cucumber and put a slice over each eye to deflate puffy eyes, she said.



Make-Up

Hit the drug store. Luhrs purchases foundation, eyeshadow and mascara at the local drug store.


Cheap and better eye liner. Eyeliner at a fancy make-up counter can run you $13.00, said Luhrs. She lightly moistens her powder eye shadow with water and then uses a fine brush to line her eyes.

Don't match eyes to the outfits. Luhrs finds one or two colors that look great on her, and sticks with them.



Hygiene



Here's a secret. You can make your own deodorant using baking soda, said Falconi -- try dusting some under your arms. To get fancy, add one drop of essential oil to the powder before applying, said Falconi.

Use olive oil to moisturize. At night, apply olive oil to your hands and feet and then cover them with gloves and socks. You'll wake up to smooth hands and and feet, said Marie Scalogna-Watkinson, owner of Spa Chicks On-The-Go, a mobile spa service in New York City.

A little bit of Crisco never hurt. If you have super dry skin, use Crisco as a moisturizer, whether it's the hands, feet or face, said Haobsh. "It's not glamorous, but it works," she said. Too biscuit like? Try Vaseline, she said.

Do your own waxes. Drug stores boast an array of home waxing kits for the face and body, said Haobsh.

Use baking soda as toothpaste. Mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to the consistency of toothpaste and use it daily to brush teeth, said NYC cosmetic dentists Drs. Marc Lowenberg and Gregg Lituchy in an email. This cleans surface stains, kills bacteria and makes teeth appear whiter.

Try some petroleum jelly. Another tip from the dentists: If you know you're going to be drinking red wine or coffee, protect teeth from stains by coating them with the jelly, such as Vasline. The coating acts as a barrier to prevent staining and also helps to keep lipstick off of teeth, they said. (Dr. Matthew Messina, spokesperson for the American Dental Association, said he can't see any harm in the practice.)

Eat your veggies. Chewing raw crunchy vegetables, such as celery and carrots, helps to remove surface stains, said Lowenberg and Lituchy.   Make your own shampoo. Falconi's recipe: Six to eight ounces of an herbal tea, 3 ounces of liquid castile soap, which can be purchased at a health food store, a quarter of a teaspoon of vegetable oil and up to 60 drops of an essential oil.

Grab some condiments. If you have dry hair, put mayonnaise and olive oil on your hair while it's dry and wrap it in a warm towel or in plastic rap for 20 minutes before rinsing, said Haobsh. Or rinse your hair with beer in the shower to seal in shine, she said. And if you are out of cream hair moisturizer, use your body moisturizer, she said. Rub it into your hands and run your hands through your hair.

DIY hair color. Modern hair color kits are pretty much fool-proof, said Haobsh. You can even do highlights yourself. Ask your regular hair stylist if he or she can recommend a kit to tide you between professional treatments, said stylist Peter Ishkhans, host of "Peter Perfect," which debuts a new season in January 2009 on The Style Network.

Cut your own bangs. Make sure your hair is dry, said Ishkhans. Cut the bangs flat on your face (don't hold the bangs up and cut) and don't go shorter than your eye brows, he said.

Use less. Only people with finer textured hair need to shampoo daily because their hair tends to get oilier, said Ishkhans. People with fine hair that has no body generally don't need a conditioner, he said. He suggests adding some water to shampoo and conditioner to make it last longer.

Skip salon and beauty store products. The products generally contain the same ingredients as products in a super market or drug store, said Ishkhans. Check the labels and compare.



Relaxation



Make your own spa. Turn the bathroom into a spa, said Scalogna-Watkinson. Carve out some "me" time, put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door, light a candle, add some esssential oils to the water and soak. If you want it more spa-like, purchase a remote control massaging bath mat, she said. NailsDo your own manis and pedis. It's not about the color, said Haobsh. "If you keep the cuticles moisturized and keep your nails to a uniform shape, it'll look nice, like you had a manicure done." Use olive oil on the cuticles and gently push them back. File the nails to the same shape and length. Do this regularly, she said.

Make your own spa. Turn the bathroom into a spa, said Scalogna-Watkinson. Carve out some "me" time, put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door, light a candle, add some esssential oils to the water and soak. If you want it more spa-like, purchase a remote control massaging bath mat, she said.



Nails



Do your own manis and pedis. It's not about the color, said Haobsh. "If you keep the cuticles moisturized and keep your nails to a uniform shape, it'll look nice, like you had a manicure done." Use olive oil on the cuticles and gently push them back. File the nails to the same shape and length. Do this regularly, she said