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Summer Beauty 2012 Trends: What You Need From A To Z (PHOTOS)

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Last week we gave you the rundown on your summer wardrobe must-haves.

This week, The Huffington Post Style team has pulled together the ultimate summer 2012 beauty guide for all you fresh-faced beauties!

Just to recap what we've divulged so far: if you're looking for a summer fashion upgrade, add cuffs, high-low skirts and vintage watches to your wardrobe.

For beauty, this summer, we envision lots of yellow-coloured toes and flip-flops, fun and creative nail art and the return of classic summer must-haves like bronzer, waterproof makeup and bright coloured lipsticks. We also predict tangerine nails and lips and pops of other shades like plums and greens will be hot for makeup. Oh, and don't forget the sunscreen ladies and gents -- at least SPF50 and over.

Ready for your own beauty makeover? Here is your summer 2012 beauty must-haves list.


TV Time Linked With Unhealthy Eating Habits In Kids And Teens: Study

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We all know that too much TV is bad for us, but a new study illustrates how it can negatively affects kids and teens, in particular -- specifically their eating habits.

Researchers from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that the more TV a pre-teen or teenager watches, the more likely he or she is to skip daily breakfast, eat fast food, candy and sugar-sweetened beverages, and avoid fruits and vegetables. This was even after adjusting for factors like physical activity, age, family wealth, computer use and race/ethnicity.

"The relationship of TVV [television viewing] with this unhealthy combination of eating behaviors may contribute to the documented relationship of TVV with cardiometabolic risk factors," study researchers said.

The study, published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, included 12,642 children and teens in grades 5 through 10 (average age of 13.4). The researchers found that older students were, in general, more likely to skip eating breakfast every day, while younger students were more likely to eat fruits and vegetables daily. Girls were also more likely to eat fruits and vegetables than boys.

Older students and boys were more likely to drink soda at least once a day, than the younger students or girls, researchers found.

Diet isn't the only thing that my be affected by too much TV. Last year, a study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that watching at least two hours of TV a day raises Type 2 diabetes risk by 20 percent and heart disease risk by 15 percent. The risk of premature death also goes up by 13 percent.

"The message is simple. Cutting back on TV watching can significantly reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and premature mortality," study researcher Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, said in a statement. "We should not only promote increasing physical activity levels but also reduce sedentary behaviors, especially prolonged TV watching."

Could Living Near A Major Road Increase Risk Of Early Death?

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For heart attack survivors, how close you live to a major roadway might be an indicator for how long you'll live.

New research published in the journal Circulation shows that people who live fewer than 100 meters (328 feet) from a major roadway are 27 percent more likely to die of all causes over a 10-year period, compared with people who live 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) or more from a major roadway. In the study, major roadways were defined as major interstate or state roads.

"We think there is exposure to a combination of air pollution near these roadways and other exposure, such as excessive noise or stress from living close to the roadway, that may contribute to the study findings," study researcher Dr. Murray A. Mittleman, M.D., Dr.PH, director of the Cardiovascular Research Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said in a statement.

The study included 3,547 people who have survived a heart attack, with an average age of 62. Over a 10-year period, 1,071 people died, with 63 percent of those people dying from heart-related causes. Cancer was the cause of 12 percent of deaths, and respiratory ideas was the cause of 4 percent of deaths.

The researchers found that people who live between 100 and 199 meters (or 328 to 653 feet) from a major roadway were 19 percent more likely to die during that 10-year period compared to people who live 1,000 meters or more away. And people who lived 200 to 999 meters (653 to 3,277 feet) away from a major roadway were 13 percent more likely to die over the study period.

The researchers said that air pollution is linked with heart health, and living next to a major roadway -- where there is constant exposure to air pollution from the traffic -- could put people who've had heart problems at an higher risk for early death.

"From the public policy point of view, the association between risk of death and proximity of housing to major roadways should be considered when new communities are planned," Mittleman said in the statement. "From an individual point of view, people may lessen the absolute risk of living near a roadway by paying attention to the general prevention measures, including quitting smoking, eating a heart-healthy diet exercising regularly, and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol under control."

Last year, Reuters reported on a study in the journal Epidemiology showing that there is a link between adults' heart disease risk and living near traffic.

And in 2004, a scientific statement was published in Circulation explaining the impact of air pollution on heart health.

The statement said:

Of special interest are several environmental air pollutants that include carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, ozone, lead, and particulate matter. These pollutants are associated with increased hospitalization and mortality due to cardiovascular disease, especially in persons with congestive heart failure, frequent arrhythmias, or both.

Could A Midlife Crisis Lead To Dementia?

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New research has associated depressive symptoms in midlife, or late in life, with an increased risk of developing dementia.

According to research, appearing in the current issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, depressive symptoms that occur from midlife are associated with an increased risk of developing vascular dementia, while symptoms that occur in late life only are more likely to be early signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco and healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente, explained that vascular dementia, the second most common type of dementia, develops when impaired blood flow to parts of the brain deprives cells of nutrients and oxygen.

See Also

"The findings have important public health implications because they raise hope that adequate treatment of depression in midlife may reduce dementia risk, particularly vascular dementia, later in life," said Rachel Whitmer, PhD, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and the principal investigator of the study, in a statement.

The results comes from a study of more than 13,000 long-term members of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California integrated care delivery system, examining the association between depressive symptoms and dementia over the course of 45 years.

Participants were evaluated for depressive symptoms in midlife and again in late life between 1994-2000.

Prince Harry's First Trip To D.C.

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WASHINGTON -- His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales, better known as Prince Harry, and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon offered complementary perspectives on international conflict Monday night at the annual Atlantic Council Awards Dinner.

Prince Harry and Mr. Ban accepted awards for humanitarian leadership and international leadership, respectively, before a black-tie dinner crowd of more than 800 at the Ritz-Carlton. The guest list included foreign policy heavyweights such as former Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Henry Kissinger, former National Security Advisers Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski, and former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.). Violin soloist Anne-Sophie Mutter accepted an award for her contributions to the arts, and Unilever CEO Paul Polman was honored for corporate leadership.

Founded in the early 1960s as a non-partisan, intellectual off-shoot of the N.A.T.O. alliance, today the Atlantic Council regularly convenes scholars and policy makers for talks and research projects, and it maintains a centrist, internationalist bent.

But for an organization that came to prominence during the Cold War, the takeaway from Monday's dinner was just how much the face of international conflict has changed in five decades.

On one hand there was Harry, a captain in the British Army who trekked to the North Pole last year to raise awareness for wounded British veterans, mostly from the war in Afghanistan, where he served in combat.

"This award is for the guys," he said. "So many lives have been lost, and so many changed forever by the wounds that they have suffered."

"The very least we owe them is to make sure that they, and their brave families, have everything they need in their darkest days. And in time, regain the hope and confidence to flourish again," continued Harry, who received a fittingly warm introduction, complete with a military salute, from Gen. Powell.

While Harry's speech reminded the audience of the shared sacrifice of British and American soldiers in uniform, Mr. Ban's speech had a much wider scope. He accepted his award with "deepest admiration" for the more than "120,000 United Nations peacekeeping operations staff from more than than 120 countries" deployed that night around the world, working "tirelessly for peace" in "very dangerous and difficult circumstances."

The U.N.'s top priorities, he said, were responding to human rights abuses in Syria, nuclear testing in North Korea, "dangerous" tensions between Israel and Iran, "militant groups" in Mali and Guinea-Bissau and crises in Sudan and South Sudan, which he said were "on the brink of a conflict that not long ago claimed two million lives."

Largely absent from Mr. Ban's speech was talk of the crucial role played by Europe and the United States in funding the U.N. Instead, Ban kept the crowd spellbound for 20 minutes with a powerful talk about what is top-of-mind for him right now -- notably former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's envoy mission to Syria and the successful conviction of former Liberian President Charles Taylor for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The evening closed with a brief violin performance by Mutter, her second of the night. About 40 guests who started to leave seemed surprised that the program didn't end after Ban, the "starring act." But they stopped dead in their tracks when Mutter began playing -- and stood still until she finished.

It was a fitting finale to an evening designed to make people pause and reflect.

Did Dinosaur Flatulence Help Keep Earth Warm?

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Huge plant-eating dinosaurs may have produced enough greenhouse gas by breaking wind to alter the Earth's climate, research suggests.

Like leviathan cows, the mighty sauropods would have generated enormous quantities of methane.

Sauropods, recognisable by their long necks and tails, were widespread around 150m years ago.

They included some of the largest animals to walk the Earth, such as Diplodocus, which measured 150 feet and weighed up to 45 tonnes.

Scientists believe that, just as in cows, methane-producing bacteria aided the digestion of sauropods by fermenting their plant food.

"A simple mathematical model suggests that the microbes living in sauropod dinosaurs may have produced enough methane to have an important effect on the Mesozoic climate," said study leader Dr Dave Wilkinson, from Liverpool John Moores University.

"Indeed, our calculations suggest that these dinosaurs could have produced more methane than all modern sources - both natural and man-made - put together."

The research is published in the journal Current Biology.

Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, with a stronger ability to trap heat.

Dr Wilkinson and colleague Professor Graeme Ruxton, from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, began to wonder about Mesozoic methane while investigating sauropod ecology.

Research on a range of modern species has allowed experts to predict how much methane is likely to be generated by animals of different sizes.

The key factor is the total mass of the animal.

Medium-sized sauropods weighed about 20 tonnes and lived in herds of up to a few tens of individuals per square kilometre.

Global methane emissions from the animals would have amounted to around 472m tonnes per year, the scientists calculated.

The figure is comparable to total natural and man-made methane emissions today. Before the start of the industrial age, about 150 years ago, methane emissions were around 181m tonnes per year.

Modern ruminant animals, including cows, goats, and giraffes, together produce 45 to 90m tonnes of methane.

Sauropods alone may have been responsible for an atmospheric methane concentration of one to two parts per million (ppm), said the scientists.

In the warm, wet Mesozoic, forest fires and leaking natural gasfields could have added another four parts per million.

"Thus, a Mesozoic methane mixing ratio of six to eight ppm seems very plausible," the scientists wrote.

"The Mesozoic trend to sauropod gigantism led to the evolution of immense microbial vats unequalled in modern land animals. Methane was probably important in Mesozoic greenhouse warming.

"Our simple proof-of-concept model suggests greenhouse warming by sauropod megaherbivores could have been significant in sustaining warm climates."

Heavy Rain Leads To Spike In 'Thunderstorm Asthma Attacks'

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Predictions of a stormy summer are cause for concern among Asthma experts, who point out that heavy rain can trigger serious attacks in sufferers.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Dr Prasanna Sankaran, a specialist registrar in respiratory medicine at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital, said: "The new cases are often after heavy rain and thunderstorms which can trigger an attack."

According to Dr Sankaran, damp weather increases the likelihood of fungal spores being released from soil into the air.

Scroll down to find out how to help an asthma attack sufferer

UK weather forecasters continue to predict more thunder and lightning after storms swept across the country yesterday, bringing tornadoes to some areas.

Angela Jones, nurse specialist at Asthma UK, agrees that the risk of an attack increases during thunderstorms.

Jones told Huffpost Lifestyle: "Large quantities of pollen can be released into the air that trigger asthma symptoms and raise the risk of an emergency hospital admission."

"It also believed 'downdraughts' of cold air sweep up high concentrations of pollen and spores. These are thrust into the air, where they are broken up into smaller pieces that can penetrate deep into the lungs."

Jones highlighted that the increased risk of an asthma attack during volatile weather means it’s crucial for people keep their asthma medicines with them and windows closed to keep allergens out.

Asthma kills three people every day, and someone is admitted to hospital with a potentially fatal asthma attack every seven minutes in the UK, yet attacks and hospital admissions can be prevented by spotting and treating early warning signs.

Asthma UK are encouraging people with asthma to take The Triple A Test to help them find out their risk of having an attack and advise them what they can do to reduce it.

Probiotic Yoghurts 'Boosts Libido And Sexual Prowess'

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When scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology began their research into the link between probiotics and obesity they also discovered another ‘perk’ of yoghurt and health – it makes mice slimmer and more sexual.

Researchers discovered that male lab mice had “more swagger" after being fed mouse-sized vanilla probiotic yoghurt, compared to those who ate a normal mouse diet.

Along with a super shiny coat of fur, scientists noticed a difference in the way the mouse carried itself, prompting them to investigate further.

“We knew there was something different in the males, but we weren’t sure what it was at first,” researcher Susan Erdman told ABC News. “You know when someone’s at the top of their game, how they carry themselves differently? Well, imagine that in a mouse.”

Alongside changes in mice's attitude and sexual prowess, scientists also discovered that mice on the probiotic diet had larger testicles – 5% bigger than mice on a non-yoghurt diet – which was probably the reason behind their new-found confidence.

“Almost everything about the fertility of those males is enhanced,” Erdman said, explaining how yogurt-eating males mated faster and produced more babies. “There were legitimate physiological differences in males fed probiotics, not just the extra sexiness.”

SEE ALSO

Researchers believe the probiotics in the yoghurt triggered the change in sexual attitude in mice and noticed a physical change in female mice too as they grew even shinier-looking fur than the males.

This study follows a separate study, which discovered that men and women who drink a daily glass of pomegranate juice experience a surge of testosterone, which increases their sexual desire and libido.

Researchers from the Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh found that pomegranates 'significantly increased’ the sex drive in both genders after testing 58 volunteers aged between 21 and 64.


5 Back Stretches To Do Before Getting Out Of Bed

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What's the first thing you do when you wake up?

Dr. Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute, told HuffPost Healthy Living that your answer should be "Stretch my back!"

"The greatest incidence of slipped discs occurs within 30 to 60 minutes after we wake up," he says. "That's because we get out of bed and immediately hit the ground running."

That bowl of oatmeal and full inbox can wait. Instead, Oexman recommends taking a few minutes to "ease into the day" with some simple back stretches you can do right in bed. "Hit the snooze button only once, but don't use that time to go back to sleep," he says. "Instead, stretch out your back before you ever leave bed."

Giving up the snooze habit is also a good idea for another reason: Forcing your body to drift in and out of sleep interrupts your natural sleep patterns, chipping away at the restorative values of a good night's rest.

Things like an old, saggy mattress and even the position you sleep in can put added strain on your back overnight. But the stages of sleep also allow your muscles to relax in a way "that can actually increase stress on our ligaments, spinal discs and spinal joints," says Oexman. The following stretches, courtesy of the Sleep to Live Institute, can help your spine recover from that added stress in the morning -- and prevent painful back injuries throughout the day.

For more on back pain, click here.

For more on sleep, click here.

Exercises That Can Add Years To Your Life

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Working out isn't only about how you'll look in that bikini. Getting -- and staying -- in shape boosts heart health, helps your skin and improves your sleep, to mention just a few of the healthy perks.

And just last week, we added another motivation to the list, when a new study linked jogging to increased life expectancy. Researchers from the Copenhagen City Heart Study found that jogging one to two-and-a-half hours a week in two or three different sessions was associated with an additional 6.2 years for men and 5.6 years for women.

The CDC recommends healthy adults get two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (like brisk walking), plus two or more days of strength-training a week.

The research doesn't quite prove that jogging helps you live longer, as The Boston Globe points out, but it is certainly encouraging, and hopefully inspiring for anyone who is more inclined to sit on the couch than lace up a pair of running sneakers.

And jogging isn't the only form of exercise that has been found to add years to your life -- and in some instances, it only takes a few minutes of physical activity to make a big difference. Here are six other ways fitness has been linked to increased longevity.

For more on fitness and exercise, click here.

Obesity Fight Must Shift From Personal Blame, IOM Urges

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* Report targets "obesogenic" environment, not individuals
* Makes schools the center of the obesity fight
* Consider taxing sugary drinks, changing farm policy
By Sharon Begley
NEW YORK, May 8 (Reuters) - America's obesity epidemic is so deeply rooted that it will take dramatic and systemic measures - from overhauling farm policies and zoning laws to, possibly, introducing a soda tax - to fix it, the influential Institute of Medicine said on Tuesday.
In an ambitious 478-page report, the IOM refutes the idea that obesity is largely the result of a lack of willpower on the part of individuals. Instead, it embraces policy proposals that have met with stiff resistance from the food industry and lawmakers, arguing that multiple strategies will be needed to make the U.S. environment less "obesogenic."
The IOM, part of the National Academies, offers advice to the government and others on health issues. Its report was released at the Weight of the Nation conference, a three-day meeting hosted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cable channel HBO will air a documentary of the same name next week.
"People have heard the advice to eat less and move more for years, and during that time a large number of Americans have become obese," committee member Shiriki Kumanyika of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine told Reuters. "That advice will never be out of date. But when you see the increase in obesity you ask, what changed? And the answer is, the environment. The average person cannot maintain a healthy weight in this obesity-promoting environment."
A study funded by the CDC and released on Monday projected that by 2030, 42 percent of American adults will be obese, compared to 34 percent today and 11 percent will be severely obese, compared to 6 percent today.
Another one-third of American adults are overweight today, and one-third of children aged 2 to 19 are overweight or obese. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index - a measure of height to weight - of 30 or greater. Overweight means a BMI of 25 to 29.9.
Officials at the IOM and CDC are trying to address the societal factors that led the percentage of obese adults to more than double since 1980, when it was 15 percent. Among children, it has soared from 5 to 17 percent in the past 30 years. One reason: in 1977, children 2 to 18 consumed an average of 1,842 calories per day. By 2006, that had climbed to 2,022.
Obesity is responsible for an additional $190 billion a year in healthcare costs, or one-fifth of all healthcare spending, Reuters reported last month, plus billions more in higher health insurance premiums, lost productivity and absenteeism.

NO MAGIC BULLET
The IOM panel included members from academia, government, and the private sector. It scrutinized some 800 programs and interventions to identify those that can significantly reduce the incidence of obesity within 10 years.
"There has been a tendency to look for a single solution, like putting a big tax on soda or banning marketing (of unhealthy food) to children," panel chairman Dan Glickman, a senior fellow of the Bipartisan Policy Center and a former secretary of the Department of Agriculture, told Reuters. "What this report says is this is not a one-solution problem."
The panel identifies taxing sugar-sweetened beverages as a "potential action," noting that "their link to obesity is stronger than that observed for any other food or beverage."
A 2011 study estimated that a penny-per-ounce tax could reduce per capita consumption by 24 percent. As a Reuters report described last month, vigorous lobbying by the soda industry crushed recent efforts to impose such a tax in several states, including New York.
"I do not think in any way, shape or form that such punitive measures will change behaviors," said Rhona Applebaum, Coca-Cola Co.'s chief scientific and regulatory officer. Anyone deterred by the tax from buying sweetened soda, she said, will replace those calories with something else.
The committee also grappled with one of the third rails of American politics: farm policy. Price-support programs for wheat, cotton and other commodity crops prohibit participating farmers from planting fruits and vegetables on land enrolled in those programs. Partly as a result, U.S. farms do not produce enough fresh produce for all Americans to eat the recommended amounts, and the IOM panel calls for removing that ban.
The committee did not endorse the call by food activist Michael Pollan and others to eliminate farm subsidies that make high-fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and other obesity-promoting foods very cheap, however. "There is no evidence subsidies contribute to obesity," said Glickman.

THE TRUE LACK OF CHOICE
The traditional view that blames obesity on a failure of personal responsibility and individual willpower "has been used as the basis for resisting government efforts -- legislative and regulatory -- to address the problem," says the report. But the IOM panel argues that people cannot truly exercise "personal choice" because their options are severely limited, and "biased toward the unhealthy end of the continuum."
For instance, a lack of sidewalks makes it impossible to safely walk to work, school or even neighbors' homes in many communities. So while 20 percent of trips between school and home among kids 5 to 15 were on foot in 1977, that had dropped to 12.5 percent by 2001.
The panel therefore recommended tax incentives for developers to build sidewalks and trails in new housing developments, zoning changes to require pedestrian access and policies to promote bicycle commuting. Flexible financing, and streamlined permitting or tax credits could be used as encouragement.
The IOM report also calls for making schools the focus of anti-obesity efforts, since preventing obesity at a young age is easier than reversing it. According to the most recent data, only 4 percent of elementary schools, 8 percent of middle schools and 2 percent of high schools provided daily physical education for all students.
The IOM report recommends requiring primary and secondary schools to have at least 60 minutes of physical education and activity each day. It calls for banning sugar-sweetened drinks in schools and making drinking water freely available.
The report also urges that healthy food and drinks be easily available everywhere Americans eat, from shopping centers to sports facilities and chain restaurants. The idea is that more people will eat healthier if little active choice is needed.
"We've taken fat and sugar, put it in everything everywhere, and made it socially acceptable to eat all the time," David Kessler, former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, told Reuters. He was not part of the IOM panel.
"We're living in a food carnival, constantly bombarded by food cues, almost all of them unhealthy," Kessler said.
Experience has shown that when businesses offer consumers a full range of choices - and especially when the healthy option is the default - many customers will opt for salads over deep-fried everything.
Walt Disney Co., for instance, found more than 50 percent of customers accepted a healthier choice of foods introduced at its theme parks. And last summer, fast-food giant McDonald's Corp said it would include apples, fewer fries, and 20 percent fewer calories in the most popular Happy Meals for kids.
The IOM report urges employers and insurers to do more to combat obesity. UnitedHealth Group offers a health insurance plan in which a $5,000 yearly deductible can be reduced to $1,000 if a person is not obese and does not smoke. Some employers provide discounts on premiums for completing weight-loss programs.
Such inducements are far from universal, however. Medicaid for the poor does not cover weight-loss programs in many states. And as of 2008, only 28 percent of full-time workers in the private sector and 54 percent in government had access to wellness programs.

Quick Study: What Your Walk Says About You

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Quick Study [kwik stuhd-ee]: The Huffington Post Canada's tips to make your life a little sweeter, five minutes at a time. Think of it as a cheatsheet for your general well-being.

THE EXPERTS: Talk is often cheap, but the way you walk can speak volumes about you, according to body language experts Patti Wood, author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, and Eliot Hoppe, communication trainer and author. Although cultural and environmental factors can weigh in, they believe a person's body language can reflect mood, emotions and even personality.

“Body language conveys the true emotion of how you feel," Hoppe says. "And a lot of these movements are unconscious. We’re absolutely unaware that we’re doing it. We’re unaware that we’re walking a little slower than normal, we’re unaware that our shoulder are slumped..."

So sit up and take notice. Try to objectively view your hoofing habits and see if you can modify the way you present yourself to the world. If you do, you might also find that they way you walk can in turn affect your mood, according to Wood.

"Because your body responds so quickly to movement and even changes the chemical state within the brain…(you can) change the way you’re feeling,” she says.

Wondering what your walk says about you -- and how you might be able to change it? Wood and Hoppe share their expertise:

PERSONALITY
Body language can reflect a person's character, Wood has found in her research. She believes different walks can fit into the DISC personality profile: Drivers (who display dominance) walk quickly with intent and don't like to stop once they know where they're headed; influencers often act emotionally, changing direction often; supporters who show steadiness walk politely with their arms close to their bodies and might stop to speak with others; cautious people, who Wood calls "correctors," walk precisely and follow foot traffic rules.

YOUR OWN SPEED
Are you speed racing, or stopping to smell the flowers? Your pace could show your state of mind, Hoppe says.

"The slower the walk, the more internal dialogue, as a rule of thumb. And the more brisk the walk, the more confident the person is, the more upright and erect you become."

LIFT YOURSELF UP
A heavy gait with a low centre of gravity can indicate anything from depression to pain, Wood notes.

"If you're feeling the walk more in your hips or in your knees, that typically means you're walking lower," she says. "If you lift up, you feel the stretch from underneath your ribcage all the way down to your belly button." This creates a lifting effect, can increase oxygen intake and makes you appear more confident.

HANDS
Do you cross your arms while walking? This could indicate you feel vulnerable, Hoppe says, particularly if you're a woman walking alone at night or through a rough neighbourhood.

But attackers prey on those who look weak, so try uncrossing your arms and walking upright at a quick pace, he advises.

QUIET STEP
A quiet walker typically doesn't want to intrude, and timid steps might indicate that person has a low confidence level. "It's a reflection of how they step through life," Wood says. To appear more confident, lengthen your stride instead of taking small steps forward, she advises.

AN ESCORT
How you saunter as part of a couple can tell the world if you're walking through heaven or hell. Take Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher's out of sync stroll, Hoppe says. If one person escorts the other, it could also reflect the relationship's dynamic, according to Wood.

"Is somebody walking alongside their mate, or are they stepping ahead? And are they stepping ahead to get the limelight, and to be first and to be aggressive, or to protect?" she wonders.

Take TomKat; in the beginning of their relationship, Tom Cruise led the way, but more and more Katie Holmes takes the lead, Wood says.

Although this perception changes with culture -- while Western men and women walk in-step, women often walk behind the men in other places, Hoppe notes.

WALKING & TALKING
Ever see a person bustling and blabbing on their cell phone stop dead in their tracks? The conversation probably just got serious. People will stop walking, pause and sit if the conversation gets intimate or too personal, Wood says, and it's a good thing too.

"I have noticed that people become angry if they're talking to somebody they have a conflict with while they're on the phone and walking at the same time. It escalates it."

But walking and talking can also foster positive energy, she adds. Try walking around the office on your phone for an extra boost of creativity.

JOB JAUNT

How should you walk into an interview? Strutting seems too egotistical. Slumped shoulders show vulnerability. Find a happy middle with a professional yet casual walk; walk with purpose, relax your shoulders and don't be too rigid, Hoppe says.

WALK IT OFF
Frustration can easily show through body language, but walking off your anger might help you deal, Wood says.

Walk around the block or the office, unclench your hands and relax your mouth while swinging your arms in contrast with your legs.

By doing so, Wood says, "You're switching from the right and the left hemisphere as you walk... whatever mood state you're in, it can shift it."

PARENTS' PACE
Do you walk just like your mom? Or perhaps you inherited Dad's walk.
Part of the similarity may be genetics, and part may be what Wood calls 'modelling.'

"To some degree, we might model our parents' walk. And it's also guided that way. If you're out with the family, the parents will say, 'Come on, keep up' or 'Look at this' or 'Take your time' or they'll encourage or discourage a manner of walking... It would affect your pace in life."

Creepy People Make You Feel Colder, Study Shows

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By Amy Kraft
(Click here for the original article and podcast)

Jack Nicholson, playing the crazed caretaker in The Shining, makes me reach for a blanket. Now a study finds that people we find, well, creepy can actually make us feel colder. The research will be published in the journal Psychological Science. [N. Pontus Leander, Tanya L. Chartrand and John A. Bargh, "You Give Me the Chills: Embodied Reactions to Inappropriate Amounts of Behavioral Mimicry"]

Researchers interviewed 40 college undergraduates. During each interaction, the experimenter was either chummy with the student or very stiff and professional. The investigator also alternated between mimicking students' posture -- a signal of rapport -- and not doing anything at all.

Participants then completed a questionnaire designed to find out how hot or cold they felt. The results showed that the subjects actually felt colder when the investigator acted inappropriately or sent mixed signals.

The researchers conjecture that because the brain tries to interpret social cues and purely physical ones simultaneously, people unconsciously associate icy stares and chilly interactions with actual physical coldness.

So the next time you have to visit your doctor with the creepy receptionist, bring a sweater.

Sex Toys Becoming World's Favourite Gadget, Thanks To Celebs

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Look out smartphones -- the world is lusting after sex toys, which could soon make them the world's favourite gadget, according to the Daily Mail.

With global sales of 'pleasure goods' rising towards 400 million, according to a study entitled "Women, Sex and Shopping," they're quickly catching up to mobile phone sales.

The number of sex toys sold in Canada remains a bit fuzzy. In 2001, the CBC estimatedNorth American sales amounted to $500 million a year. But the bottom line remains: sex continues to sell, with some analysts pondering why the sex toy industry has avoided severe economic troubles during the recession.

MORE ON HUFFPOST CANADA LIVING: Making Sex Green: Give Your Body The Eco-Friendly Treatment

Experts have chalked up strong sales numbers to celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jane Fonda dishing about their sex lives, says Daily Mail.

And the companies have caught on. Take for instance the We-Vibe, a vibrator created by an Ottawa-based couple that Canadian Business called the "most successful branded sex toy since the Rotating Rabbit." Realizing celebrity endorsements can lead to more success, the company has sent the product to celebs and gifted it at star-studded events such as the Grammys and Super Bowl, Canada.com reports.

The company's blog name-dropped celebs after the Genies last year:

Celebrities like Kardinall Offishall, Shannon Tweed (who couldnt wait to show hubby Gene Simmons) and hip-young stars like Rachelle Lefevre (Twilight), the room was abuzz with excitement.

Check out which other celebs are hot for their sex toys -- and possibly boosting sales to boot:

FDA Favors First Drug For HIV Prevention

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WASHINGTON — A pill that has long been used to treat HIV has moved one step closer to becoming the first drug approved to prevent healthy people from becoming infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that Gilead Sciences' Truvada appears to be safe and effective for HIV prevention. It concluded that taking the pill daily could spare patients "infection with a serious and life-threatening illness that requires lifelong treatment."

On Thursday a panel of FDA advisers will consider the review when it votes on whether Truvada should be approved as a preventative treatment for people who are at high risk of contracting HIV through sexual intercourse. The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its panels, but it usually does.

An estimated 1.2 million Americans have HIV, which attacks the immune system and, unless treated with antiviral drugs, develops into AIDS, a fatal condition in which the body cannot fight off infections. If Truvada is approved, it would be a major breakthrough in the 30-year campaign against the AIDS epidemic. There have been no other drugs proven to prevent HIV and a vaccine is believed to be decades away.

Gilead Sciences Inc., based in Foster City, Calif., has marketed Truvada since 2004 as a treatment for people who are infected with the virus. The medication is a combination of two older HIV drugs, Emtriva and Viread. Doctors usually prescribe the medications as part of a drug cocktail that makes it harder for the virus to reproduce. Patients with low viral levels have reduced symptoms and are far less likely to develop AIDS.

Researchers first reported that Truvada could prevent people from contracting HIV in 2010. A three-year study found that daily doses cut the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 44 percent, when accompanied by condoms and counseling. Another study found that Truvada reduced infection by 75 percent in heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not.

Because Truvada is already on the market to manage HIV, some doctors already prescribe it as a preventive measure. But FDA approval would allow the drugmaker Gilead Sciences to formally market its drug for that use.

FDA reviewers on Tuesday said that patients must be diligent about taking the pill every day if using it as a preventative measure. Adherence to the medication was less than perfect in clinical trials, and reviewers said that patients in the real world may forget to take their medication even more than those in clinical studies.

Some patient advocacy groups say the drug is an important new option to prevent HIV, alongside condoms, counseling and other measures. Last month, advocacy group AIDS United and more than a dozen other groups sent a letter to the FDA, urging approval of Truvada.

"If we're going to reduce the more than 50,000 new HIV infections in this country each year, we need to increase the available options for people," said Ronald Johnson, AIDS United's vice president.

But support for FDA approval is not unanimous.

Although the FDA is legally barred from considering cost when reviewing drugs, health care providers have raised concerns about Truvada's price tag: $900 a month, or just under $11,000 per year. Medicare and Medicaid, the nation's largest health insurance plans, generally cover drugs approved by the FDA, and analysts expect most large health insurers to follow suit.

Additionally, some researchers say the prevention pill is not the chemical equivalent of condoms, which they say remain the best weapon against AIDS. They also worry about Truvada's mixed success rate in preventing infection among women: Last year, a study in women was stopped early after researchers found that women taking the drug were more likely to become infected than those taking placebo.

Researchers speculated that women may require a higher dose of the drug to prevent infection. They also said the disappointing results may have resulted from women not taking the pills consistently.

"We know that if the person doesn't take the medication every day they will not be protected," said Dr. Rodney Wright, director of HIV programs at Montefiore Medical Center in New York and chairman of the AIDS Health Foundation. "So the concern is that there may not be adequate adherence to provide protection in the general population."


Tuna Scrape: Is This Supermarket Sushi Ingredient The New Pink Slime?

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No sooner did the furor over lean, finely textured beef (a.k.a. "pink slime") die down than we have another one over sushi tuna.

Kids Pay Tribute To Sendak (PHOTOS)

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When the New York Times reported this morning that Maurice Sendak had died, fans took to social media to pay tribute to the beloved children's author. On the HuffPost Parents Facebook page, Alysa C. voiced the multigenerational impact that Sendak has had on so many parents. She wrote:

The first book I ever checked out from the library on my own was "Where the Wild Things Are". It was also the first book I read to my then 6-wk old (now 18 yr old) son. I still have most of it memorized. This is a sad day.

Together, we mourn the loss of a man who understood the intricacies of childhood, helped legions of youngsters fall in love with reading and introduced us all to the wild rumpus. So, with gratitude, let it begin. Below are photos of children letting their inner Wild Things roar, dressed up as Max and other Sendak characters. Add your own by clicking "add a slide" or email photos to parents@huffingtonpost.com.

(P.S. If this gallery prompts you to buy an early Halloween costume, our friends at Etsy have plenty.)

Traffic Deaths In 2011 Fell To Record Low

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May 7 (Reuters) - Traffic fatalities on U.S. roads in 2011 fell to their lowest level since federal safety regulators started counting in 1949, the regulators said on Monday.
Preliminary data estimates that 32,310 people died in motor vehicle crashes last year, down 1.7 percent from 2010, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Final figures will be issued later this year.
U.S. drivers drove 1.2 percent fewer miles in 2011, NHTSA said.
Rebecca Lindland, director of automotive research for IHS Inc, said more and better air bags, higher seat-belt use and vehicles designed to allow people to survive a crash are the main reasons for the decline in traffic deaths in recent years.
The rate of fatalities per 100 million miles driven in the United States last year was 1.09, down from 1.11 in 2010 and down from 1.46 in 2005, NHTSA said.
Traffic deaths have fallen 26 percent since 2005, when 43,510 people died in crashes, NHTSA said.
Last year, the only U.S. region to have an increase in traffic deaths was California, Arizona and Hawaii, where fatalities rose 3.3 percent, NHTSA said.

SAFER VEHICLES
"Cars and trucks (including sport utility vehicles) are definitely getting safer and a big point is that they are co-existing on the road better," said Lindland.
She said that since SUVs started to proliferate on American roads in the 1990s, SUVs and pickup trucks have been designed to cause less damage to lower-profile passenger cars.
The SUVs have lower bumpers and the areas where they would hit shorter cars is lower, and safer, she said.
She said that drivers are using seat belts at a higher rate and that passive safety measures like air bags are becoming more prevalent.
"The number would be even lower without distracted driving," Lindland said.
NHTSA did not provide information on distracted driving deaths last year. But, in 2010, it said that some 3,092 were killed in "distracted-affected crashes," which was 9.4 percent of overall road fatalities that year.
Thirty-seven of the 50 U.S. states have totally banned using the keyboard -- texting -- on a mobile phone or other device while driving, and 10 states have outlawed the use of handheld phones.
The states, along with the District of Columbia, that have banned phone calls while driving -- without using a hands-free device -- are California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York and Connecticut. (Reporting By Bernie Woodall; editing by M.D. Golan)

Food Allergies A Serious Concern For Millions

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OTTAWA - It doesn't take much to trigger a reaction in someone with a food allergy — ingesting a tiny piece of peanut or unknowingly eating pasta containing shrimp in a restaurant. In someone with a severe allergy to these items, this can be life-threatening.

It's estimated, based on clinically documented cases, that about 1.8 million Canadians may be affected by food allergies, Health Canada said in a recent release. Some studies show these numbers are increasing, especially among children.

Peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, soy, seafood, wheat, eggs, milk, mustard and sulphites are the food allergens most commonly associated with severe allergic reactions in Canada.

When someone ingests even a tiny amount of an allergen, a reaction may develop quickly and can become very serious. The most dangerous symptoms include breathing difficulties or a drop in blood pressure with shock, which may result in loss of consciousness, anaphylaxis and even death.

There's no cure for food allergies, the agency said. Avoiding an allergen is the only effective way to prevent allergic reactions.

Hare are some tips from Health Canada on how to protect yourself if you have a food allergy:

— Read product labels carefully as manufacturers sometimes change the ingredients used in familiar products.

— Avoid food products that contain the specific allergens and/or derivatives of the specific allergens to which you are allergic.

— Avoid food products that bear a precautionary statement naming an allergen that you are allergic to; for example, precautionary statements like "may contain X" (where "X" is the name of a commonly known allergen).

— Avoid food products that don't list their ingredients or food products that contain an ingredient you don't recognize.

— When eating at a friend's or in a restaurant, tell your host/server about your food allergy, and ask specific questions about the food being served.

— If an allergist prescribes an epinephrine/adrenaline auto-injector, learn how to use it and carry it all the time.

— Wear a MedicAlert identifier so that, in case of an accident, others know about your allergies and reactions.

— Look out for allergens listed by other names; food allergens and their derivatives are sometimes found in food under different names.

Could This Ritual Save Your Marriage?

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Your wedding is one of the most important days in your life as a couple. So why celebrate such a special and momentous day only once a year?

Dr. Paul Sago, a marriage counselor and author of Planning Your Marriage: A Workbook Guide for Engaged and Married Couples, and his wife, Donna, celebrate their wedding anniversary every month--and have been for 21 happy years of marriage!

Celebrating your anniversary monthly "keeps you aware of that occurrence and how it happened and why," says Dr. Sago. "It gives you an opportunity to talk about just yourselves, rather than your finances or the in-laws."

Talk about how you felt that day and relive your favorite memories. There are so many romantic and memorable moments from your wedding day and talking about them on a monthly basis helps keep those memories fresh.

Whether you make dinner together or dine at your favorite restaurant, celebrating your anniversary every month acts as a frequent reminder and renewal of your love and commitment to each other and it allows you to spend an evening focused on each other.

What a sweet idea!

Click here to get the new issue of 2 For Couples!

SEE: 10 habits of happy couples from author Laurie Puhn:

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