Tag Archives: Ever

Is This the Craziest Sex Debate Ever?

Posted on by
Reply
Fb-Button

If you had to choose between toe-curling foreplay and a creamy brie, which would you pick? This hilarious—and heated—debate sparked some fascinating research at Columbia University.

Columbia’s online edition of The Blue and White magazine has an annual tradition of interviewing graduating students for their Senior Wisdoms feature. Every year, they ask the question, “Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese?” This year, a student reviewed 222 responses to that question from 2006 to 2012 and found that overall, more people were willing to give up oral sex than cheese—and women were even more likely to prefer fromage. (The student didn’t analyze whether this is a trend that’s increased over time or not.)

We get that it would be practically painful to swear off macaroni and cheese forever, but how can that number of people be so willing to toss oral sex aside? Here’s the full breakdown from Columbia: Out of 103 women, 46 percent would rather give up oral sex, while 26 percent would give up cheese and the remaining 28 percent avoided the question. Out of 119 men, 36 percent would rather give up oral sex, compared with 32 percent who would give up cheese and 32 percent who didn’t answer. Exactly what kind of cheese are they serving over at Columbia?

While we admire this student body’s curiosity, you have to wonder if the results would be different if Columbia polled seniors in a more anonymous way, rather than asking them for a response that will live online with their picture. To settle the debate, we polled Women’s Health and Men’s Health readers on the subject. According to our survey, the majority of Men’s Health readers (80.5 percent) would give up cheese before they would give up oral sex, compared with 56 percent of Women’s Health readers. While that sounds much more realistic, it’s still surprising that women are pretty evenly split on this one.

So which would you give up? To make things more interesting, we’ve beefed up the arguments for both sides.

Three reasons you should NOT give up oral sex:
The Best Oral Sex Positions
How to Have More Oral Sex
Have More Fun With Foreplay

Three reasons you should NOT give up cheese:
The Grown-Up Guide to Grilled Cheese
Healthy Pizza Recipes
Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Where do you stand on this one? Tell us in the comments!

photo: Stockbyte/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
Sex Quiz: Have You Ever?
Dating Quiz
Are You “Normal” About Sex? 

javahut healthy feed

Could This Be the Worst Flu Season EVER?

Posted on by
Reply
Fb-Button

It’s beginning to look a lot like flu season—about a month too soon. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48 states and Puerto Rico have already reported cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza and, nationally, the percentage of people testing positive for influenza is rising fast.

This is the earliest start to the flu season in nearly a decade. Last year, it didn’t officially begin until mid February, which, although considerably late, is better than the early start we’re getting this year.

Some health officials worry that the flu’s early arrival may be an omen for a particularly rough flu season ahead. And, in some places, it’s already begun: Various Midwest schools have had to shut down because of the harsh impact of the virus. The Whitehaven News in Memphis, TN, reports that at least three schools in West Tennessee have confirmed they will not re-open until after the weekend, and that a school near Knoxville has also shut down with nearly 200 kids sick at home.

“Increasing flu activity should be a wake-up call,” says Melinda Wharton, M.D., acting director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “For anyone who has put off vaccination: It’s time to get your flu vaccine now.”

The good news is that the flu vaccine is widely available, according to Tom Skinner, senior public affairs officer for the CDC, who spoke at a press briefing last week. “There are already over 120 million doses out there to be had,” he said during the briefing.

While the vaccine is the best tool at preventing the flu, the CDC also recommends following these six steps so you can have a healthy and happy winter.

Avoid close contact
If your loved ones are sick, lay off the smooches until they’re better. It’s also best to avoid close physical contact with many strangers (like, say, in a New York City subway car). That might not be possible for many people, though, so if you must use mass transit, be sure to keep your hands away from your face until you get a chance to wash them well.

Stay home when you are sick
Chances are your coworkers did not ask Santa for a whopping dose of the flu for Christmas, so if you find yourself feeling ill, do everyone a favor and stay at home. Not sure where to draw the line? Check out the 5 times you should definitely call in sick – and the times you can tough it out.

Cover your mouth and nose    
Your mom taught you to do this for a reason, and now is not the time to rebel against her advice. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. If you don’t have a tissue on hand, it’s best to cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm, rather than your hand. That prevents the transfer of germs to the next thing you touch.

Wash your hands religiously    
Soap, water, and alcohol-based hand rubs are totally in season. Use them as much as possible to protect yourself from germs. To wash your hands the right way, use antibacterial soap, rub your hands together vigorously for 20 seconds, and be sure to scrub up to the wrist, including the back of your hands, between the fingers, and beneath the nails. Then use an elbow to turn off the faucet, and a paper towel or air dryer instead of a reusable cloth.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
The flu doesn’t get into your body through your pores. It makes its way into your body through your eyes, nose, and/or mouth. The most-common way to get the flu: Touching something that is contaminated with germs and then touching your face.

Practice other good health habits
Bottom line: If you act healthy, you’ll be healthy. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from WH:
Should You Get the New Flu Vaccine?
Alternative Cold and Flu Remedies
Your Body On…The Flu


Reprogram your metabolism, and keep the weight off for good with The Metabolism Miracle. Order now!

javahut healthy feed

Easiest Workout Trick Ever

Posted on by
Reply
Fb-Button

Does exercise excite you? If not, there is a way to rev yourself up and make the most of your workout: sipping a caffeinated beverage can give you more enthusiasm about exercising–and boost your performance, according to a new study done by researchers at Coventry University in the UK. 

In the experiment, 13 people were split into two groups: one received caffeinated beverage one hour before hitting the gym, while the second group gulped a placebo. How’d their workouts go? The caffeine group completed an average of 38% more repetitions of each exercise, and they also reported having more energy and enthusiasm about exercising, compared to their non-caffeinated counterparts.

Here’s why caffeine helps: When you put your muscles to work, a molecule called adenosine builds up in your muscle cells. That molecule muddles communication within your central nervous system, and so hinders muscle activity and limits your workout potential, explains study author Michael Duncan, PhD, an applied sports science lecturer at Coventry U. But caffeine appears to limit the build-up of adenosine, he says. Past studies have shown that caffeine can also improve aerobic performance, Duncan adds.

How much caffeine do you need to experience this benefit? Roughly 10 to 15 milligrams per 10 pounds of body weight, Duncan says. For a 130-pound woman, that works out to about 175 mg of caffeine—or the equivalent of one cup of coffee (depending on who’s doing the brewing). Another option? The caffeinated banana.

Here are a few more scientifically proven ways to maximize your workout:

Turn it up. Listening to music with a fast, energetic beat while you work out has been shown to improve both muscle endurance and performance during aerobic and resistance training, finds a University of New Mexico review study.

Grab a buddy. Research from the University of Pittsburgh found those women who work out with a friend lose roughly 30% more weight than those who go it alone.

Cool your mitts. Study participants with cooler hands—via specially designed gloves—upped their heart rate, improved their times on a walking test, and lost two more inches compared to women without the gloves, according to a recent study. Cooling your hands reduces the energy sapping effects of heat stress, the study authors explain. Hold a frozen water bottle during your next walk to reap the benefits.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from WH:
Benefits of Coffee
5 Best Nighttime Workout Tips
Look Better Naked Workout

NEW Abs Diet Cookbook Fuel your workout with The New Abs Diet Cookbook!

javahut healthy feed