Go on, make sex hotter this summer

Sparks can certainly fly and there can be wonderful spells of romantic undertaking even in the sultry summer evenings.

And summer can be the best time to discover the bliss of togetherness. All you need to do is to make sure that you've got the right ingredients to make the nights and days too, sizzle. Read on...

Ice ice baby:
A cube of ice, if used as a prop with imagination, can work wonders. Pick one of the ice cubes from the freezer and let it act as a tool of foreplay. How? Use your imagination – hold the ice cube in your mouth and begin by trying to plant a kiss and then simply put – carry forward if the formula clicks.

Summer coolers:
Is there any better mode of seduction than wearing a translucent top? Make sure that it is wet enough to tempt your partner to take notice of what you want to say. What about wrapping yourself up in a damp towel just before going to sleep? If you have a water bed, fill it up with cold water. And then let the chemistry sizzle. Remember, cold is hot.

The morning after:
If the long summer day makes you feel pooped out during the night, don't worry. Both of you can make some effort to get up a tad early. Well, an ice cold coffee topped with vanilla flavored ice cream can act as an appetizer. What about sharing the coffee together?

So, indulge yourself. Fantasize. Buy yourself something that will melt with the sweat 'cause 'salty is sexy'. What is food without salt anyway?

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Do you suffer from sexomnia?

The condition of sexsomnia, the bizarre act of having sex while asleep, could be genetic, according to evidence found by an Australian researcher.

Gerard Kennedy, an associate professor in psychology at Victoria University, who studied four sexsomnics in 16 years, has found an unusual case of a father-son duo.

"This could be the first case in the world where we can see it runs in families," he was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald . Kennedy will present the case at the Australasian Sleep Conference in Christchurch Saturday.

He said, in both men, the sex started about 50 to 70 minutes after falling asleep, always when they were in the first deep stage of sleep, before dreaming begins.

Both men were "rough and mechanical with no concerns for their partner's position or comfort" and neither could be deterred from their mission, even if they were yelled at or hit, Kennedy said.

The part of the brain that controls movement is gradually switched off during sleep as a child becomes a teenager, which is why many children "grow out" of sleepwalking or night terrors.

But in some teenagers that never happens, leaving them as parasomniacs with inappropriate arousals during sleep, causing them to walk, eat or have sex, he said.

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Share sexual woes with partner

Older men who talk to their partner about sexual problems report greater happiness, says a new study.

Published in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, the study shows that the way men and women deal with sexual health and stress in their later years varies greatly and that there is not one solution that can help ease unhappiness caused by sexual problems.

The research was conducted by Ryo Hirayama, a Ph.D. student in Oregon State University's Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, and professor Alexis Walker, who is the Jo Anne L. Petersen Chair in Gerontology and Family Studies at OSU. The study was conducted with data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project.

To reach the conclusion, the Oregon State researchers looked at 861 people ages 57 to 85 who were married or had an intimate partner, and who reported having at least one sexual problem.

The sexual problems reported by older adults included lack of interest in sex, inability to climax, physical pain during sex, maintaining an erection, or lubrication issues. Respondents were asked to indicate on a scale from 1 to 3 how bothered they were by each problem they listed. They also were asked about their well-being, which the researchers measured by using typical scales for happiness and for depressive symptoms.

The study found: fewer than half of older adults with sexual problems discussed these problems with their doctors, although men were more likely to do so than women. In addition, whether older adults discussed these issues with their physicians did not make a difference in their well-being.

"This was our most unexpected outcome," Hirayama said. "Older adults are advised to talk to their doctors about sexual health issues, but not all people do so and talking with a physician is not as helpful as you might expect."

However, confiding in a partner or with friends was found to be effective for many men in reducing stress and unhappiness related to sexual problems. Unfortunately for women, this same benefit was not reported.

"In fact, women with higher levels of sexual stress who confided in their close friends reported lower happiness," Hirayama said. "We aren't quite sure what to make of this finding."

Women did not see any reduction in stress or well-being (unhappiness and depression) when they talked to their spouses either.

"What this tells is that women's sexual issues are complex, and that complexity needs to be recognized," Walker said. "A woman with a great deal of sexual concerns could feel threatened by talking to her spouse about it, or perhaps simply confiding in a friend is not enough.

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Hair care before you say 'I do'

Every bride wants her hair, and everything else, to look gorgeous on the big day. Here are a few beauty tips that you can use...

In the days preceding the wedding, the bride does not even get time to breathe, but there are certain aspects that she simply cannot afford to forget, and one of them is hair and skincare.

For the hair
Begin your hair care at least six months prior to the wedding because some treatments take time. Go for regular hair spa — twice a week; if you can't afford it, once a week is a must. Oil your hair every week. Do not oil overnight because the oil blocks pores and doesn't let the hair breathe at night. Oil improves blood circulation and helps the hair grow stronger. Use two tablespoons of any Ayurvedic oil or mix olive oil with castor oil and apply an hour before washing your hair. Do not apply hair colour just before the wedding because you would want your hair colour to match your outfits. You can't be seen with strong highlights on your special day. Go for a regular trim every six weeks to two months. If you are planning to grow your hair, don't touch it for six months. Get a haircut at least six weeks before the wedding so that the hair is well settled. Have a lot of vitamins in your diet to make your hair healthy. No amount of treatment can save damaged hair if your diet is not well balanced. Always use a wide-toothed comb to remove the tangles from your hair. Avoid using a brush when it's wet.

For the skin
Start your beauty treatments six months in advance. Go for regular facials and skin exfoliation to remove dead cells. Your daily beauty regime must include cleansing, toning, exfoliating and moisturizing. Use a sunscreen when you step out. Go for regular manicures and pedicures. Get them two days before the wedding. Use red jewelled gel nails on the toes. They look really nice with mehendi. Plan all your hair and beauty treatments well in advance to avoid last minute mishaps and stress. Be in a happy state of mind because the results reflect on your skin.

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Between the slices

Sandwiches don't have to be boring affairs. We tell you how to put the zing into this summertime fare  ...

Summer is the perfect season for eating without cooking. And what better than sandwiches to quell your hunger and still not have you sweating it out ove r a hot stove. But these don't have to be merely tomatoes and cucumber in white bread or boring cheese and chutney. With the right ingredients and some imagination, sandwiches can be a gourmet meal.

The bread is all important. Throw away the sliced white bread in plastic packets. Good chewy bread with lots of texture and add-ons like multigrain, seeds and nuts is what you are looking for. If you have access to freshly baked baguettes, do use them. Panini and foccaccia are also great bases on which to build a sandwich.

Then, you will need something to slap on the bread. I think there's nothing better than butter – salted, fresh, and creamy. The other day I had at a French-style café a simple sandwich of ham and emmental in a well-buttered baguette. It was heavenly! Do not even consider margarine, not even if you've been duped into believing it's good for your health. Some fillings work well with mayo; here again, eschew light and low-cal versions and go for the real thing. The taste is its own reward.

Other spreads, such as pesto, sun dried tomato paste and all form the base of your sandwich.
Next, you should focus on your main ingredients. Will it be cheese or cold meats, roast meats, grilled veggies such as peppers, eggs or something out of a can, such as tuna in brine? Take your pick and play with the things you will add on.

Some salad greens, chopped celery or a slice of crisp cucumber can add texture to your sandwich filling. Perk things up some more with gherkins, capers or jalapeno peppers.

Grill y our sandwich if you want a warm meal. There's nothing as good as some melting cheese in a grilled sandwich. And now, here are some sandwich filling combinations to get you started:

- Hummous topped with black olives and jalapeno.
- Tuna, flaked, blended with soft butter, with a dash of lemon juice and pepper; add some celery bits for crunch.
- Hard boiled eggs, mashed with mayo and some fresh herbs such as parsley.
- Sliced, grilled chicken with mayo and some fresh mango or mango chutney.
- Ham, cheese and a dash of mustard.
- Slices of beetroot on buttered bread with mustard.
- Masala omelette on well-buttered bread.
- Mashed avocado with lemon juice, coarse salt and freshly milled pepper.
- The classic of grilled bacon, lettuce and tomato on mayonnaise.

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When money makes you sick

A former New Zealand bank teller, who fell sick after handling large amounts of currency notes in an unventilated vault, says "money is the filthiest stuff you could ever imagine".

Stephanie Connell, 52, suffered from depression, body rash and exhaustion and some some of the symptoms remain 18 months after leaving the job.

She took up a bulk teller's position in March 2007 after working as a Westpac teller for almost 10 years, The Press reported Monday.

Connell worked in "an unventilated vault, about the size of a double garage" where she constantly handled notes and ripped the tops of plastic bags containing money.

"There was a lot of green dust coming off the $20 bills that we ran through the bill counter.

"Money is the filthiest stuff you could ever imagine. You can absorb the dust through your hands, but I was inhaling it as well," she was quoted as saying.

By July 2008, Connell had "waves of anxiety, difficulty breathing, and a chemical, metallic taste" in her mouth.

The symptoms would clear overnight, but return at work. She was bedridden for several weeks and referred to a psychiatrist.

"They took my health and my livelihood. I thought, if this is the way I'm living, I want to die."

She browsed the internet and found the multiple-chemical sensitivity syndrome that matched her symptoms.

General practitioner Ted Pearson said in a letter to the bank's union: "The symptoms and harm suffered by Stephanie were the direct result of her exposure to dust and fumes whilst handling money, not from any other non-work activities or environments".

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