Blame your hubby for your being fat!

Tried everything but can’t seem to get rid of your post-marriage love handles? Well, don’t question your determination for the failed plan, for the real culprit behind all weight worries is your hubby.

Yes, you heard it right. According to health experts, a husband is more of a hindrance than help in a wife’’s battle with the bulge.

"For some women, marriage definitely can be fattening," the Courier Mail quoted Dr Brian Steadman, a leading British authority on nutrition, as saying.

"It’’s hard enough for them to stick to good eating habits when they’’re single, but they can find it impossible after they’’re married.

"For a start, they’ve got to prepare food for two people, and it gets worse when children come along. Suddenly, she is constantly thinking about food - buying it, cooking it, fixing snacks and meals at different times of the day.

“And if the husband doesn’t need to diet, then with all the best intentions in the world, the poor woman is going to find it very tough preparing big wholesome meals for the family and low-calorie snacks for herself,” he added.

Dr Richard B. Stuart, an American authority on slimming and nutrition, and former psychological director of Weight Watchers International, the author of Act Thin, Stay Thin, agrees.

"If a woman can’’t stay on a diet, it could easily be her husband’’s fault," he said.

"In fact, a husband might subconsciously be encouraging his wife to remain fat, and make it harder for her to lose weight,” he added.

Dr B. Stuart has given some reasons as to why this could be so: if he feels in any way insecure in his relationship, then he reasons that a plump wife is less likely to leave him or make other men jealous, if he has a low sex drive then having a fat wife is a very good excuse for lack of interest or potency.

If he’’s the kind who isn’’t prepared to put a lot of effort into the marriage, then it will be much easier for him to keep her "fat" than "happy", Dr B. Stuart said.

If his wife is a failure as a dieter, it "allows" him to have his workaholic schedule or an affair and there are many other ways that a husband, perhaps unwittingly, can hinder his wife’’s ambitions to keep her weight down, the health expert added

Good sex everyday, keeps doctors away

You would have never thought that a kiss could help keeping dental worries at bay or a gratifying sexual act at night make you feel fit and fresh the next morning. But that’s what studies across the web claim.

Healthy sex leads to a healthy life. You may have tried copious measures to get that extra glowing skin and shiny hair. You must have also worked out rigorously to achieve that perfect ten figure you’ve desired. But the key to your mind and heart is fulfilling sex. Even for those who lose their temper or are always in a depressed state of mind, ’sex’ can be the solution.

A happy sexual life with your partner not only gets you in shape with better skin texture and silken tresses, it also burns extra calories, keeps you fit, combats asthma, relieves headache, reduces depression and tranquilises your mind. From make-up experts, hair stylists, sexologists and fitness connoisseurs – there’s a common consensus that a vigourous sexual life leads to a healthy life – both physically and emotionally. We get them share more on this...

There have been several notions stating that ’sex’ produces certain hormones that bring happiness, which lead to a fit body and a healthy mind. Shedding some light on this, Dr. Sanjay Chugh, specialist on sexual issues, states, "Sex contributes to general good health. Any sexual intimacy that is enjoyable and pleasurable promotes well being by providing several physical and psychological benefits. It is believed that sex boosts chemicals in the body that protects us against diseases. Research also suggests that sex and masturbation can help ease joint and muscle pain, combat depression, promote heart health and lengthen one’s life span."

Dr. Samir Parikh, clinical physiatrist adds, "The basic fact is that a good sex life also means in a larger picture, a good relationship with one’s partner and this makes the partner happier, less stressed and by virtue of that physically healthier."

Not just this, sex also accelerates blood circulation and one’s basic metabolic rate, which further enhances the well-being of our mind and soul and helps us calm down.

On these emotional benefits, Dr Chugh adds, "A satisfying sexual relationship strengthens the bond between couples, making them feel secure and loved. The feeling of emotional connectedness adds to ones sense of belonging, which in totality helps them achieve a positive physical, psychological and spiritual state that is necessary for one’s general health."

Elaborating further, on a scientific angle, Dr Avdesh Sharma, a consultant psychiatrist, and an expert on relationship issues shares, "Sex is a way of bonding at the physical, mental and emotional level and leads to health (including psychological) benefits. If it is used as a mechanical process, it may have limited benefits. There are physiological benefits of positive changes in parameters like pulse, heart rate, reduction in blood pressure (after an increase in B.P. specially if vigourous sex is tried), dilation of blood vessels and capillaries of the skin, leading to a ’glow’, burning of a few calories (depending on the duration of the act and vigour), exercising of some of the muscles, thus improving lung capacity (during heavy breathing)."

However, we also need to understand that sexual acts work more in terms of improving resistance, but are not a safe guard or a treatment to illnesses. Any sexual act can neither be used as a treatment nor would it change your stresses of life, which one would need to resolve irrespective.

"The extra edge of sex may be due to the feeling of being wanted, an expression of emotions and certain hormonal and physiological changes that happen as an expression of love for another individual. Unfortunately, the benefits of sexuality are usually quoted out of context and people may look at this as a panacea for everything. But sexuality without emotions have limited value," concludes Dr Avdesh Sharma.

Problems of ageing

BRAIN
We start losing the brain cells in our 20s but it’s a slow process. About 40 per cent of the people above 65 years have some memory impairment – one per cent of them develop dementia every year. One’s personality stabilises by 30 and any sudden change after that may indicate a degenerative illness.

EYES
Difficulty in focusing on something that’s close starts in the 40s and by the 70s, it is harder to distinguish between the fine details.

EARS
Age-related hearing loss occurs in 25 per cent of the people between 65 to 75 years and in 70 to 80 per cent of those over the age of 75.

SENSES
The ability to taste and smell deteriorates with age and this can start as early as 60. Around 30 per cent of 70 to 80-year-olds experience problems with their senses.

SKIN
Ageing begins at 20 but signs are not visible for another 20 years.

HEART
The risk of a heart attack increases with age – especially over 45 for men and over 55 for women.

HEIGHT
By the time we reach the age of 80, we lose as much as two inches in height due to the curving forward of the spine or because of the compression of the discs between the vertebrae.

PROSTATE
Almost doubles in weight between the ages of 20 and 90. Men over 50 are at a much greater risk of developing prostate cancer.

LIVER
We lose around one-third of our body weight between the ages of 30 and 90.

SEXUAL PEAK
Women are best in bed at 35, while men are thought to peak at 18, when testosterone is highest. However, it must be noted that peak hormones doesn’t mean peak sexual performance. After all, the average age of men buying medicines for this is 41.

MUSCLES
Muscle loss begins around 30. Without regular exercise, muscle mass in women declines by 22 per cent between 30 and 70 years, and 23 per cent in men.

JOINTS
Normal movement puts pressure on our joints and, with the added stress created by sports activities, they usually start to wear out between the age of 40 and 50. This can then lead to osteoarthritis – severe joint pain – in the over 65s.

BONES
These begin to lose density at 50, exposing us to a higher risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

SPINE
At about 60, the number of cells in the spinal cord begin to drop, which leads to a decrease in sensation.

Turmeric can help fight cancer

Synthetic molecules derived from curcumin, main ingredient of Indian spice turmeric, can help kill cancer cells and stop them from spreading, say researchers at Ohio State University.

Curcumin has long been known for its multiple disease-fighting features, including anti-tumour properties. "Newer evidence describes how curcumin interacts with certain proteins to generate anti-cancer activity inside the body. We’re focusing on the pathways that are most involved in cancer and trying to optimise for those properties," said James Fuchs, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy at Ohio State University and principal investigator.

While presenting his study results, Fuchs described a selection of the 40 compounds developed to date, emphasising the synthetic molecules that appear to have the most potential to serve as the basis for anti-cancer
drug development. Fuchs and colleagues are continuing to refine compounds that are best structured to interact with a few overactive proteins that are associated with cell activity in breast and prostate cancers.

Blocking these molecular targets can initiate cell death or stop cell migration in the cancers. With the help of structure-based, computer-aided design, a relatively new technology in the drug discovery field, scientists can make manipulations to computer-designed molecules and observe simulated interactions between molecules and proteins to predict which structural changes will make the most sense to pursue.

"Most of the interaction between our compound and the overactive protein comes from what are called hot spots on the protein’s surface," said Chenglong Li, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy at Ohio State.

"For each spot, we can design small chemical fragments and link them together to make a molecule. This is what computer-aided design and modelling can do," said Li, an expert in computational chemistry. The computer-based predictions have suggested that the most effective compound developed to date can interact with proteins believed to be active in about 50 percent of all breast and prostate cancers.

"To be able to develop a drug that in the future could have potential to treat 50 percent of these cancers would be a major contribution," said Jiayuh Lin, an investigator in Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and an associate professor of pediatrics.

Are you sniffing out right partners?

Women are said to have an inbuilt ability to pick up the scent of a partner who differs genetically. Falling for this type of man helps ensure that the couple’s children will have broad immunity against disease.

But researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that birth control pills disrupt a woman’s power to recognise the aroma of a compatible mate. The study has been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Disturbing a woman’s instinctive attraction to genetically different men could result in difficulties when trying to conceive, an increased risk of miscarriage and long intervals between pregnancies. Passing on a lack of diverse genes to a child could also weaken their immune system.

Called the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), different MHC molecules fight different diseases, so it is important to have a mix of MHC types. Previous studies have shown that, even though humans have a relatively poor sense of smell compared with other creatures, women tend to identify partners with suitable MHC molecules - preferring males with the correct mix of immune genes critical for the survival of future offspring and to curb inbreeding, which is harmful.

To reach the conclusions, the research team analysed how the contraceptive pill affects odour preferences. In the study, one hundred women were asked to indicate their preferences on six male body odour samples, drawn from 97 volunteer samples, before and after they began to take the contraceptive pill.

They did not find that women who were not on the pill were more attracted to men with a different MHC, showing that the preference for genetically dissimilar odour varies from study to study. But they did find that the pill made women more likely to be attracted to a man with a similar immune makeup.

"The results showed that the preferences of women who began using the contraceptive pill shifted towards men with genetically similar odours," Telegraph quoted Dr Craig Roberts, who carried out the work in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, as saying.

"Not only could MHC-similarity in couples lead to fertility problems but it could ultimately lead to the breakdown of relationships when women stop using the contraceptive pill, as odour perception plays a significant role in maintaining attraction to partners," he added.

Gold ETFs and gold mutual funds good investment options

In order to cushion the losses resulting from stock market slowdown and rising inflation levels, Rajesh Gupta, a 43-year-old salaried professional, was advised to invest a part of his money in gold. His financial planner backed this advice with the fact that gold has traditionally worked as a hedge against inflation and the declining dollar and has given the investor steady returns.

But Rajesh didn’t want to deal with issues associated with storing gold in its physical form or ensuring the purity of the gold. His financial planner then told him to invest either in Gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) or gold mutual funds. But the question remained, which one? To help you make the choice, SundayET gives you a lowdown on how to buy gold ETFs and gold mutual funds.

DIFFERENT ASSET CLASSES

According to Lakshmi Iyer, product head-vice-president, Kotak Mutual Funds, “The basic difference between gold ETFs and gold mutual funds are that they belong to two different asset classes.” Gold ETFs give the investor the opportunity to invest in units of gold, which are then traded on the exchange as a single stock. The units issued under the scheme represent the value of gold held in the scheme. Gold ETFs hence fall into the category of commodities.

Gold mutual funds, however, fall into the equity category as they invest in equity and equity-related securities of gold mining companies. Since gold mining companies are not listed on Indian stock exchanges, the gold mutual funds invest in world gold funds that invest in gold mining companies across the world.

RETURNS AVAILABLE

The predominant criterion for all investment remains the returns that can be expected from these funds. An investor should expect a return of around 15% per annum over a two to three-year time horizon. Says Pankaj Sharma, executive V-P and head, business development and risk management, DSP Merrill Lynch Fund Managers: “The world gold fund has given absolute returns of 31.9% in the period since its inception in August 2007 to July 2008.” He adds that the gold fund they invest into has given an annualised return of 29.5% over the last three years. However, most financial advisors advise that investment in gold must be made for the purpose of diversification and at any point in time, about 10-15% of your assets must be invested in gold.

NATURE OF FUNDS

There is also a strict difference with the regard to the aims of this fund and how they are managed.
Gold ETFs are known to follow a passive investment strategy. “The fund simply buys and holds gold on behalf of the investor without actively managing it. The aim is to give returns as close as possible, post-expenses, to that given for gold as a commodity,” says Iyer. However, when choosing between ETFs, investors need to be aware of the tracking error, which is the difference given by the gold ETF and those given by physical gold.

In fact, when investing in a mutual fund, the investor can rely on the expertise of a fund manager who indulges in active portfolio management and is able to make crucial decisions regarding selecting stocks of gold companies. “The fund manager has an understanding of the quality of gold reserves to mined and will be able to decide which companies will do better than others,” says Ruchir Parekh, fund manager, AIG World Gold Fund.

THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT
The reason most gold mutual funds give for choosing a mutual fund is that stock prices of gold mining companies have risen much more than the price of gold itself. According to Parekh: “The GDM index, an index of gold miners, has moved up close to 6.5 times since 2000 as compared to a gold price increase of over three times in the same period.” “There is a multiplier effect on the profitability of gold mining companies with the rise in gold prices, on account on operating leverage,” adds Sharma.

COST BENEFITS

ETFs give investors the opportunity of buying as less as 1 unit on the exchange. Since investors can enter the trade through brokers, there is no entry or exit load and brokerage expenses are not very high. This is favourable in comparison to mutual funds, which have a defined load structure, entry and exit loads and other expenses. However, things like minimum unit size vary for investors who invest in ETF via asset management companies.

THE TRADING EDGE

The advantages of holding ETFs are seen during trading, given that ETF units can be traded like shares. It gives the investor the ability to buy and sell quickly at market price, making them highly liquid assets. Moreover, intra-day trading is also possible with an ETF, which is not possible with open-ended mutual funds. Moreover, portfolio disclosures occur only once a month in a mutual fund but everyday in an ETF.

Working mums are happier!

If you think that working mums become gloomy as a consequence of toiling both at office and home, you need to get your facts checked.
An academic research has revealed that working mums are happier than stay-at-home mums irrespective of the hours they have to spend in the office. The study was led by Alison Booth and Jan Van Ours and was carried out by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex.

It was found that even those mothers who work more than 45 hours a week benefit from much higher levels of “life satisfaction” than full-time mums. This finding counters the long held assumption that mothers would be more pleased if they stayed home with their children.

It was concluded three years ago by a research conducted by the Centre for Policy Studies that almost half of the mothers were working only because they needed money. The popularity of David Cameron’s promise to offer tax breaks to married couples to help mothers stay at home was also doubted by the researchers.

However, the report guaranteed Job Satisfaction and Family Happiness, high levels of life satisfaction was found among women working part time, those who work 30-34 hours a week and 41-45 hours a week also reported high levels of wellbeing.

“Women without children do not care about their working hours, while women with children are significantly happier if they have a job, regardless of how many hours it entails,” Times Online quoted the authors of the report, as saying.

The data compiled in eight years of the British Household Panel Survey, which questions 5,500 households on an annual basis, had been utilized for the report.

It was also found that children had no role in increasing life satisfaction for men. However, among women, it increases only when children start going to school.

The Conservatives will be charting out plans to make single parents, who have children at school, work and to make joining a training programme a condition of receiving benefit.

August is the break-up month of the year!

Planning a vacation with your partner in the month of August? Well, in that case, better watch out, or you could come home with your love life in ruins.

According to a new research, August is the month when you are most likely to be dumped by your partner. Researchers have found we make crunch decisions on our romantic life while lying on the beach or by the pool.

During the rest of the year, say the researchers, people are so stressed by work and caring for the children they don’t have time to stop and think. But during their summer holidays, many couples spending time together realise they have nothing in common and are trapped in a duff relationship.

“We frequently receive feedback from customers asking for a ‘you’re dumped’ card,” The Daily Star quoted Andrew Gibson of The Card and Gift Company which carried out the research, as saying. “The number getting in touch has shot up, suggesting August is the time when they consider ending their relationship,” Gibson added.

Want to spice up your sex life? Try hot curry

Want to make your bedroom life more adventurous? Well, in that case, turn to Thai green curry, which has been found to give a person’s libido that much needed boost.

The conclusion is based on a new research, which found that the ’magical’ meal is full of aphrodisiacs. The curry includes cardamom, ginseng, garlic, ginger, basil, lemon grass and asparagus - all considered to get you feeling sexy.

The top-10 list of takeaway meals based on the number of aphrodisiac ingredients per meal was compiled by takeaway company Just-Eat. Hot and spicy pizza topped with tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, olives, meatballs and chillis grabbed the second position, according to research for takeaway website Just-Eat.co.uk.

Chicken Korma comes in at number three, thanks to its blend of coconut, garlic, chilli, ginger and almonds - all said to improve sex drive in females. Seafood Laksa is fourth because of its coconut milk, ginger, garlic, basil and onions. "Thai green curry has long been known in the East to boost sex drive," The Sun quoted Just-Eat’s Ash Ali, as saying. "The British public instead only tend to know more expensive aphrodisiacs such as oysters and caviar," Ali added.

Other foods sure to steam up more than just the kitchen are meatballs and pasta, king prawns with ginger, sushi and even chicken tikka masala, say the experts.

The top ten are:

Thai green curry, Hot and spicy pizza, Chicken korma, Seafood Laksa, Mole poblano, Sushi, Chicken tikka masala, Spicy balinese curry, Spicy Meatballs and pasta, King prawns with ginger and spring onions.

Work hard, sleep harder

Cut down screen time
You may be logging in to your email account or maybe watching a movie every night before you go to sleep, or even playing a game on your mobile, and SMSing your friends while at it. You may only be killing time and waiting for your eyes to get droopy. However, that’s exactly what you shouldn’t be doing. When you sit in front of a computer monitor or maybe a TV, it stimulates the brain and makes it even more difficult for you to sleep. Simply put, darkness makes the body realise that it’s bedtime and exposure to light interferes with the body clock by creating a fake sense of alertness.

Exercise enhances sleep
Exercising has many benefits – good sleep being one of them, provided you exercise in the morning or at the most during the afternoon. Research has shown that those who follow a regular fitness schedule during the day sleep much better during the night. However, those who exercise just before bedtime enjoy no such benefits.

Eat right
Remember the age old trick of having warm milk before going to bed? It was certainly not without a reason. Some foods are more beneficial for a good night’s sleep as compared to others. Eating fruits like bananas and pears and foods like whole wheat bread help one sleep better. So does having a glass of warm milk, or hot chocolate. Going by that logic, if you find yourself struggling to keep your eyes open during the day, make sure you cut down on similar foods in your day time meal.

The power nap
The benefits of a power nap have been recognised all across the world, with more and more companies even moving a step ahead and providing ‘power nap’ breaks for its employees. Depending on how feasible it is for you, get a power nap when you are feeling exhausted. It energises you and provides the same benefits as a sound sleep in the night.

Avoid the strong Alarm
You are enjoying your beauty sleep and suddenly your buzzer (that sounds more like the emergency fire alarm) goes off. As a result, you wake up, extremely startled, and ready to spend the rest of your day in a zombie like state, and with a severe headache. However, the catch-22 situation is that anything mild will not wake you up. In cases like these, use the dual alarm system. Set up a soft alarm (that can be heard) near your bed and the fire alarm-like buzzer away from you and set to go off exactly two minutes after the softer alarm. This way, you won’t be jolted from sleep and yet have the stronger backup to pull you out of bed.

Visualise
Few things in life are as frustrating as lying on the bed and waiting for sleep to take over. And it gets worse every passing second and as you get desperate for sleep that simply refuses to come by. The problem in this case is your overactive mind that’s still focusing on the fact that you are not getting sleep. Visualise a beautiful beach, breathe in and out and use meditation techniques to get your mind off the issue.

Musharraf resigns as Pakistan President

Pervez Musharraf has stepped down as president of Pakistan to avoid impeachment charges. He made this announcement during a televised address to the nation on Monday. “After viewing the situation and consulting legal advisers and political allies, with their advice I have decided to resign,” Musharraf said.

"I leave my future in the hands of people," he added. “Please forgive me, I am human,” he said.

“I don’t want Army to be dragged into this controversy,” he added.

(Watch: All charges against me are baseless, says Musharraf)

In his address to the nation Musharraf said, "I have confidence in self and on God that no chargesheet can stand against me. No charge can be proved against me, because I have never done for myself. I have done all for Pakistan." ( Watch)

Musharraf said he was proud of his achievements. He defended his economic record. “We have taken the nation forward,” he said.

Musharraf said his priority has been to evolve democracy in Pakistan

He also criticised his detractors during the speech. “I have kept Pakistan’s interests over and above everything, I am proud to have fought for the country,” he said. The Pakistan president added all allegations against him were baseless.

Musharraf said he had always been open to reconciliation with political parties.

Meanwhile, the country’s ruling coalition had prepared impeachment charges accusing Musharraf of violations of the constitution and misconduct.

Musharraf, 65, came to power in a 1999 coup and has anchored Pakistan’s alliance with the United States, especially since Pakistan signed up for the US-led campaign against terrorism after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Following are some of the political, economic and diplomatic implications of his resignation.

INTERNAL POLITICS
* Opposition to Musharraf has bonded rival parties in the coalition government. His departure could see them drift apart.

* The Pakistan People’s Party of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto leads the coalition, with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) its main partner. The two main civilian parties are old rivals and despite recent cooperation, will compete in the next election.

SECURITY
* The coalition government has vowed full commitment to the campaign against violent militancy. Despite questions over its policy of trying to negotiate with militants, recent operations in the northwest should have reassured Washington and other allies the government will match Musharraf’s security efforts.

* The military plays a dominant role in security policy, and its cooperation with the new government has been smooth.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
* The United States, apparently resigned to Musharraf’s exit, says Pakistan’s leadership is a Pakistani matter. Ties between the new government and Washington are good and should remain so as long as the latter is satisfied the government is doing enough to stop militancy, in particular attacks into Afghanistan.

* The new government is committed to the peace process with India launched under Musharraf in 2004.

ECONOMY
* The government has vowed to turn its attention to economic problems after Musharraf leaves. Inflation is at its highest in years, and trade and fiscal deficits are widening. High oil prices have depleted foreign reserves while the rupee has lost about a quarter of its value this year. An end to the uncertainty over Musharraf should ease investor worry. Stocks rose 3.6 percent on Friday as investors cheered his possible departure as a milestone toward easing tension.

THE NEXT PRESIDENT
* Who becomes next president could depend on the powers the position retains. Musharraf has authority to dismiss parliament and make top military and judicial appointments. Coalition partners vow to strip the presidency of those powers and make it a largely ceremonial post.

However, analysts say Bhutto’s widower, Asif Ali Zardari, might want the job, in which case he will want to keep the powers. Zardari has also suggested the next president might be a woman.

Newspapers have speculated an ethnic Pashtun leader, Asfandayr Wali Khan, whose liberal party is part of the coalition, might get the job.

The president is elected by the four provincial assemblies and the national parliamen