Are We Genetically Programmed to Fall in Love?

Valentine’s Day, love songs, romance novels—do they influence falling in love? On the surface it seems like they do, but scientific research suggests that there’s another cupid at work: instinct. Love, specifically the passionate variety, is an emotion that is almost beyond our control. Humans, it seems, are programmed to take this amorous tumble. Forget the roses and heart-shaped box of chocolates—it’s our genes that are on the hook for our addiction to love.According to Elizabeth Pillsworth, assistant professor of evolutionary anthropology at California State University, passionate love has been around since the dawn of time. “It's hard to say with any great confidence when the emotion of love may have evolved,” says Pillsworth, “but given...

The 3 Best Foods to Boost Sex Drive

1. WatermelonThis juicy red fruit could be the new sexual star. While watermelon is 92 percent water, the remaining eight percent contains the phytonutrient citrulline, which converts to arginine, an amino acid that relaxes blood vessels, according to 2008 research from Texas A&M University’s department of horticultural sciences. Although not as organ-specific as drugs that treat men’s erectile dysfunction, watermelon may help improve blood flow to erectile tissue (present in the female clit¬oral area as well as the male penis), increasing arousal. Scientists at the university’s Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center are now working on increasing the fruit’s citrulline content.But if you are trying to conceive, don’t overdo it! Watermelon,...

How Weight Affects Your Sex Life

Sometimes what’s needed to boost libido isn’t a specific food, but sufficient calories. In a 2010 multi-centre study including the department of psychiatry at Toronto General Hospital and universities in the U.S., the U.K. and Germany, two thirds of 242 young women age 18 to 32 who had eating disorders that restricted calories reported low sexual functioning. The study concluded that a low body weight is associated with sexual anxiety, a loss of libido and avoidance of sexual relationships.Being too thin can also hinder fertility, says Sierra, by disturbing the delicate interplay of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovaries, preventing regular cycles. “It can also affect the synchrony involving signals to the uterine lining, so that...

4 Signs You're an Internet Addict

However, surfing the web can become an addiction for some people, says Linda Bell, CEO of Bellwood Health Services, an addiction-treatment centre in Toronto that offers both publicly funded and fee-for-service programs. “An Internet addiction is the same as any other addiction—you get [online] and you find that your behaviour becomes out of control,” she explains.The U.S.-based Center for Online Addiction Recovery defines Internet addiction as a compulsive behaviour that dominates a person’s life. Though cyber sex and pornography use are the most common types of Internet addictions, people can also become addicted to online chatting, shopping, gambling and even website surfing. Here’s how to tell if it’s time to seek help for an Internet...

10 Steps to Increasing Your Energy

1. Prioritize yourself dailySo much to do and so little time to do it. If you don't make an effort to put yourself on your daily to-do list you know you'll be overlooked...wait, you already have been overlooked haven't you? Well, it's time then to make that extra effort and carve out just a little bit of time each day where you do something just for you. Make up your mind!2. Move your body every daySince you know that physical activity is so important for health, energy, weight management and longevity, today find a way to get to it, even if you lack desire or don't believe you have the time. Exercise energizes, and once you make it a regular part of your day, even in small increments, excuses like lack of time, energy or motivation will...

How to Save Money on Gift Giving

I’m a sucker for the holidays. Heading into the season last year, I was more determined than ever to make it count: It would be my first Christmas in our new home, and my first as a new mom. I could have rationalized why this was the year I should make a splash, despite all the spending restraint I had displayed during the rest of the year. Luckily, I remembered a simple mantra: The happiest people don’t have the best of everything; they make the best of everything.Before I got financially responsible along with my circle of close friends (we eventually became the Smart Cookies), I would spend about $1,500 for holiday gifts—money I didn’t have. But last November, my husband and I set a gift budget of $250. Then we drew names with our family...

How to Boost Your Self-Esteem

1. Stop comparing your body to other people’s, as most of us have been doing since childhood. There’s nobody with a sharper perception than a person in their midlife—not only about what they look like, but what everyone else looks like compared to them, says Dr. Jean Marmoreo, a Toronto physician and the author of The New Middle Ages: Women in Midlife.If you work out regularly, you’ll discover a more affirming comparison. What can you do today that wasn’t possible a few months ago?2. Combine fitness with friendship. Whether you’re power walking in the park or slogging on an elliptical machine, conversation elevates your workout from a necessary chore to a highlight of your day. As you grow stronger together, you’ll empower each other.3....

What is Heart Disease?

The basic mechanism of heart disease is a buildup of cholesterol-laden plaque (a fatty deposit) inside the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart. Plaque narrows the inner channel of the vessels and makes them less flexible. This process is called atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. As normal blood flow to your heart is restricted, you may experience angina (chest pain). If a clot forms or lodges inside a narrowed artery, it can completely cut off blood flow and cause a heart attack. Heart disease is often “silent”—producing no symptoms—until it causes a heart attack. Who is at risk for heart disease?Both your genes and your lifestyle habits contribute to heart disease. To calculate your...

Reasons Why Chocolate is Healthy

1. It’s loaded with antioxidants Dark chocolate contains hefty amounts of disease-fighting flavenoids, antioxidants also found in red wine and many fruits and vegetables. In fact, it appears to have more flavenoids than any other food. 2. It helps you through PMS “There’s a reason we crave certain foods, such as chocolate, at that time of the month,” says Toronto-based raw foods coach Nathalie Lussier. “Chocolate releases calming endorphins that reduce anxiety. Plus, it’s high in magnesium,” which lifts moods and reduces water retention. But overindulging in sugar, salt and caffeine can backfire, causing bloating and fluid retention (not to mention weight gain). Try one of these recipes to get your chocolate fix the healthy way: •...

Tips to Fight Fatigue

Many cases of unexplained tiredness are due to stress, not enough sleep, poor diet and other lifestyle factors. Use these self-help tips to restore your energy levels.Eat often: a good way to keep up your energy through the day is to eat regular meals and healthy snacks every three to four hours, rather than a large meal less often.Get exercise: you might feel too tired to exercise, but regular exercise will make you feel less tired in the long run and you’ll have more energy. Even a single 15-minute walk can give you an energy boost, and the benefits increase with more frequent physical activity.Start with a small amount of exercise. Build up your physical activity gradually over weeks and months until you reach the recommended goal of...

Low Mood and Depression

Many difficult events and experiences can leave us in low spirits or cause depression – relationship problems, bereavement, sleep problems, stress at work, bullying, illness, and pain being just a few. Changes to hormones, such as during puberty, after childbirth and during the menopause can also have an effect on your emotional and mental health.However, sometimes it's possible to feel down, without there being an obvious reason.What is the difference between low mood and depression?A general low mood can include: sadness an anxious feeling worry tiredness low self-esteem frustration anger However, a low mood will tend to improve after a short time. Making some small changes in your life, such as resolving a difficult situation or talking...

Struggling with stress?

Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure. Pressure turns into stress when you feel unable to cope. People have different ways of reacting to stress, so a situation that feels stressful to one person may be motivating to someone else.Many of life’s demands can cause stress, particularly work, relationships and money problems. And, when you feel stressed, it can get in the way of sorting out these demands, or can even affect everything you do. Stress can affect how you feel, think, behave and how your body works. In fact, common signs of stress include sleeping problems, sweating, loss of appetite and difficulty concentrating.You may feel anxious, irritable or low in self esteem, and you may have racing thoughts,...

How to Relax Your Mind

In today’s world, it’s hard to avoid feeling stressed. Life is fast-paced, and it’s more important than ever to slow down and make time for yourself. Relaxation techniques can make you feel calmer, happier and more productive. Try these five easy steps to relax your mind and improve your mental well-being.Step 1: Find a relaxing spaceBefore you start to relax, it’s important to choose the right environment — a place perfectly tuned to your unique needs. Turn off your phone, step away from your computer and commit to relaxing in your favorite quiet space. Some people like to relax outside, but your relaxation zone can simply be a room or corner in your house. You might want to listen to gentle music while others prefer only the sound of the...

Why Women Are So Complicated

Women are often labeled as ‘complicated’. It is often said that the mysteries of their heart are as deep and unfathomable as the depths of an ocean. But what exactly make women so complicated?Here’s a list of 10 reasons that may provide an explanation:1. They experience a lot of biological changesBiologically, women undergo so many changes within a month. With the end of each menstrual cycle to the ovulation period and then again to the start of next menstrual cycle, a woman’s body experiences so many hormonal and biological changes that it is bound to have an effect on them. Under the effect of such hormones, they often behave differently, thus making their behavior ‘complicated’ and ‘complex’ to others.2. They think with their heartsA...

Link Between Anger and Anxiety

A new study suggests anger is a powerful emotion that intensifies anxiety and compromises therapy leading to serious health consequences.Researchers from Concordia University discovered anger can exacerbate symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition that affects millions of individuals.Sonya Deschênes investigated the subject after conducting a literature review for her Ph.D. research. In her review of published studies she realized that anger and anxiety were linked, yet poorly understood.“This was surprising to me because irritability, which is part of the anger family, is a diagnostic feature of Generalized Anxiety Disorder,” she explains.GAD is a serious affliction characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry...

Why Sex So Complicated

Sex can lead to fun, fights, babies, break-ups, make-ups and sometimes even disease. Why is a basic biological behavior like sex so complicated for humans?  Is that just part of our nature? Well, yes and no. Sex is complicated for nearly all organisms that engage in it, but “sex” in humans is not exactly the same as sex in other organisms. For humans sex is not confined to genitals or even to purely physical contact.  Human sex can be had in conversation, over the phone, while dancing, over a well cooked meal, in one’s mind, as well as physically between two (or more) people. For humans sex is a seriously complicated and totally biocultural act. It is never just about biological processes, ever.  A bit of evolutionary and...

Narcissism vs Authentic Self-Esteem

You may have heard about two studies last year on self-esteem in college students. A New York Times article reported that, when given the choice, most college students prefer to receive a boost to their self-esteem in the form of a compliment or good grade over eating a favorite food such as pizza or having sex.  The article begins with the following question: "Are young people addicted to feeling good about themselves?"At first, I found this question idiotic. I am sick and tired of how our culture has adapted the language of addiction to describe everything. The more I thought about it, however, it did make a (limited) kind of sense to me, especially if you consider addiction to actual drugs as a means to avoid some other experience...