How To Kiss

How To Kiss For The First Time

Don't let nerves ruin your first kiss. Follow VideoJug's guide to the perfect kiss, and kiss for the first time the way you always imagined.



Step 1: Imagine
Don't worry. We've all got an in-built ability to kiss -
even primates do it. So it's a natural phenomenon,
a bit like breathing, that is difficult to get wrong, and takes a surprisingly little amount of thought.

Evolution and Mother Nature are on your side - a powerful combination, when all that's going against you are a few nerves, and maybe bad breath.
Get yourself in the right frame of mind. Instead of dwelling on potential problems, imagine everything going really well. And when the big moment arrives your positive thinking will take over.

Step 2: Make it happen
Shyness is a natural part of your first kiss, and this will only be made more embarrassing by having an audience. Do what you can to escape sniggering friends and find some privacy.
If you're so shy you find it difficult to even be near the person you secretly like,
think of various kissing related games, such as 'spin the bottle' - where you spin a bottle on the ground, and whoever it points at, you must kiss. Or play Sardines, which doesn't involve kissing, but gives you the chance to seek out the person you want to kiss and hide with them.
If it's December, use Christmas to your advantage and grab some mistletoe.

Step 3: The signs
Try not to worry about rejection, because by looking for certain signs, you can decipher the other person's feelings.
If they're gazing into your eyes and smiling, there's a good chance they'll be receptive to a kiss.
Teasing, making jokes, and giving you a lot of attention are also good signs.
If you want someone to kiss you, give them a clue by flirting and getting close physically. Find an excuse to touch them. If they're still reticent, simply tell them you want to kiss them. Even if they're not interested, they'll be flattered, and it's very unlikely they'll run away screaming.

Step 4: If things go wrong
So your confidence hasn't failed you, but what if your technique does? Well hopefully it won't if you've watched VideoJug's 'How to Kiss Someone Passionately'. But as it's your first time, things may not go exactly according to plan. So you might find you end up banging teeth, or getting a bit too sloppy
If any of this happens, just laugh it off... and if the other person is cruel about it, they're probably not worth kissing anyway.

HOW TO GET RID OF ACNE (PIMPLE)

15 TIPS TO GET RID OF ACNE (PIMPLE) 

Your skin is your largest organ, and it does a lot more than simply prevent you from spilling out all over the place. Skin cells are constantly replacing themselves, making a journey from the inner edge of your epidermis (your skin's outermost layer) to the outside of your skin. As a skin cell ages and approaches the skin's surface, the dying cell flattens out. Once on the surface, it joins countless other dead skin cells and forms a protective layer that helps protect you from bacteria and viruses.

Inside your hair follicles, there are small glands producing oil called sebum. This oil mixes with skin cells in the follicle and joins them on the journey outward. But when there's too much sebum, too many dead skin cells or something on the surface that blocks their exit from the follicle, a blockage can occur. Bacteria joins the party, and the result is acne vulgaris, the most common form of acne.

While acne usually affects teenagers and 20somethings the most, anyone of any age can get acne, even babies. Our instinctual response -- picking at it, rubbing it and canceling our social engagements -- doesn't help in the least, but fortunately, there are some treatments available that can.

So what can we do to get rid of acne? Let's talk more that instinctual response next.

15: Keep Your Hands Off Your Face

Here's a simple tip: If you want the skin on your face to look lovely, stop touching it.

Sounds easy, right? Well, good luck with that. Most of us aren't aware of how often we touch our faces. We relieve itches, wipe our lips and scratch our ears. Once you pay attention to how often you paw at your face, you may feel downright feral.

Hands are the body's primary tool to interact directly with the world around us. There's plenty of blame to go around, but the world is pretty dirty. Sweat, grime and oil (not to mention bacteria and viruses) spread from person to person through use of frequently touched surfaces like door knobs, store counters and gas station pump handles.

Needlessly touching your face at some point in the day is inevitable, so try to wash your hands throughout the day as well.

Speaking of washing, let's move on to our next tip.

14: Wash Your Skin Twice a Day

Taking a moment to thoroughly (but gently) wash your face is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent breakouts. Grime and grease build up on your face all day, and residue from cigarette smoke, air pollution and daily living winds up there, too.

Don't go overboard with the washing, however. Twice a day should do it -- once in the morning, and once at the end of your day. Use a clean washcloth, warm water and a mild soap or cleanser. This simple regimen will be effective at ridding your skin of dust, dirt, dead skin cells and bacteria. You don't want to dry out your face by stripping away all of its oil, and you can do more harm than good by agitating or weakening your skin by scrubbing too hard.

Next, we'll learn about an activity that gets your hormones in order.

13: Work Up a Sweat

You knew working up a good sweat was good for your fitness, but you might not have known it's also good for your skin.
A great way to improve your skin's appearance -- not to mention your physical, mental and emotional health -- is to get some regular exercise. Half-an-hour's worth of exercise three to four times a week is preferable, but any amount is better than none.

Stress prompts your skin to crank up oil production, so anything you can do to reduce stress (taking a yoga class, for example) helps with breakouts. Working out also restores order to fluctuating hormone levels, which in turn reduces sebum production in the follicles.

That's not the only skin benefit you get from exercise -- sweating helps clear out your pores, ushering those dead skin cells to the surface where they can't cause as much trouble.

But unless you want to undo all the benefits that a healthy sweat gives your skin, you should pay attention to the next page.

12: Loosen Up When You're Working Out

We're all familiar with acne on our faces, but some of us break out pretty much anywhere on our bodies. One major cause of this is acne mechanica, a form of acne caused by friction, heat, and constant contact between skin and clothing or athletic gear. Headbands and helmets are likely to cause acne on the hairline, and chin straps will leave their mark as well. If you have athletic gear that rubs against your skin, try loosening it up or removing it during those times it's not in use.

Many jogging suits or yoga outfits can cause acne problems as well. This is usually because they're too snug-fitting or made of synthetic fibers. Switch to looser-fitting clothes made of cotton, and you should soon start to see an improvement in your skin.

Clothing isn't the only thing you need to worry about when you're working out -- find out what else you should keep in mind on the next page.

11: Don't Forget to Shower

Perhaps the only thing that feels better than going to the gym is leaving it. With that post-workout endorphin high still lingering, it's easy to wrap up a workout, go home and find a comfortable place to collapse. But when you get comfy making dinner or checking your e-mail, you're forgetting something important.

When you exercise, the sweat that leaves your body through your pores takes dead skin cells with it. This is a very good thing -- it's the accumulation of these dead skin cells that can lead to blockages. However, once that sweat evaporates, it leaves salt behind on your skin. If you don't wash these dead skin cells and salt off in short order, they'll block recently cleared pores. One of the best ways to get rid of this salty build-up is to use a moisturizing body wash. Not only will it clean the salt off of your skin, but it will help replenish the moisture lost during your workout.

If your pores are already clogged, what can you do? See the next page and find out.

10: Buy Some Benzoyl Peroxide

Many people who have had trouble with acne have gotten good results from using benzoyl peroxide. Although prescription versions are available (mostly for cleansers or lotions), most products with benzoyl peroxide can be obtained over the counter.

There are a number of products available, but most involve a cream or gel that is applied to broken-out portions of the face. Benzoyl peroxide kills the P. acnes bacteria that causes inflammation in a blocked pore. It may take about three weeks for results to occur, so be patient.

Benzoyl peroxide not doing it for you? See the next page for another substance that might come in handy.

9: Stock Up on Salicylic Acid
A gentle touch is important when you're dealing with irritated, inflamed skin.

Though it doesn't kill bacteria or have any effect upon sebum production, salicylic acid can be useful in your efforts to get rid of acne. Salicylic acid causes your skin to shed its outermost layer. By getting rid of this layer of dead skin cells, your skin will be better able to keep pores nice and clear of blockages.

You'll want to avoid putting this peeling agent on any irritated or sensitive skin, or any skin that has cuts or sores. And you have to keep using it -- once you stop, the benefits cease.

Now you know what to put on your face to make it better. But what should you be taking off of it?

8: Take a Look at Your Makeup

When you're looking for the cause of your acne breakouts, you might want to consider your makeup. Makeup alone doesn't necessarily cause breakouts, but it certainly doesn't help. In some cases, people may notice a significant increase in facial blemishes when wearing a certain brand or type of makeup. If this is the case, switch brands or select products labeled "oil-free" or "noncomedogenic." Give it a few weeks to see if there's any difference. This definitely takes patience, which isn't always in such large supply when our skin is waging war against us. But it's worth it to switch out products (and behaviors) methodically, keeping track of what works and what doesn't.

Regardless of what type of makeup you wear, always wash it off when your day is finished. Leaving makeup on overnight is a good way to make sure you'll need more of it when you wake up.

If you've followed all our tips so far and your acne still hasn't cleared up, you might need to take a hint from the next page.

7: Ask for Antibiotics

If over-the-counter treatments don't work, you may need to bump it up a notch and try antibiotics. These medications damage or destroy bacteria, helping the body battle infections great and small. When used to treat acne, antibiotics (which are available in pill or topical form) kill the P. acnes bacterium, thus helping to reduce existing inflammation while preventing future bacterial growth through continued use. Tetracycline is commonly prescribed for acne, and it works by taking away the bacteria's ability to produce proteins.

Watch out, though -- it's not all clear skies (and skin) from here. Antibiotic treatment for acne sometimes causes dryness or scaling. Oral antibiotics can also make your skin sensitive to light, so you'll want to stock up on sunscreen or risk a very nasty burn.

There's another pill that might help some of us with acne. Read on to find out what it is.

6: Consider Birth Control Pills

Women who are dealing with acne can look to an unconventional source of relief: birth control pills. Not only can oral contraceptives help regulate menstrual cycles and prevent pregnancy, a prescription for these once-a-day pills may also be your ticket to clearer skin.

The reason our skin goes crazy during adolescence (this is true for both genders) is that our bodies are cranking out high levels of hormones such as androgen and testosterone. These sex hormones prompt glands in the skin to produce higher levels of an oil called sebum. Acne results when this excess sebum clogs up the pore along with dead skin cells.

The FDA has approved three different birth control pills for treatment of acne. All three contain a mix of the hormones estrogen and progestin. These hormones seem to lower sebum production in women, resulting in less acne. This form of treatment is usually only considered once other treatments -- such as topical options -- have failed.

There are drawbacks, however. For one, there's no guarantee it will work. Also, anyone on birth control pills runs the risk of potential side effects, from headache to nausea to high blood pressure. Women with certain health conditions (heart diseases and trouble with blood clots, for example) shouldn't take oral contraceptives at all.

If you're not into hormone treatments, we have a more natural remedy on the next page.

5: Manage Stress (and Sebum)
OK, so this may not be a realistic alternative to a stressful Monday afternoon, but you get the point.

If you're not careful, all this worrying about acne is going to give you acne. Many people notice a link between feeling stressed out and experiencing acne breakouts. Some stress behaviors certainly contribute to bad skin: lack of exercise, nervously touching your face, not bathing or maintaining proper hygiene and maybe even poor diet (researchers go back and forth on diet's role in acne).

But the body's chemical reaction to stress itself can play a major role in your skin's appearance. When we undergo stress, the hypothalamus prompts other cells to produce and release stress hormones, one of which is cortisol. These hormones prepare you for a "fight-or-flight" situation -- your heart rate quickens, your perception becomes sharper, and your skin produces more oil. This oil -- sebum -- is produced by glands found inside hair follicles. It travels up and out of the hair follicle, taking with it dead skin cells. When it reaches the surface, it forms a protective coating. When sebum and dead skin cells get backed up in the follicle, this is due largely to one of two reasons: something on the skin's surface has blocked the pore (like makeup or dirt), or there is an increased production of sebum (which occurs during puberty). When you get stressed out, you boost sebum levels, and your skin pays the price.

Even if you have your stress levels in check, you might have acne that just hasn't responded to any of the treatments we've listed. What else might help? See the next page.

4: Try Isotretinoin
Sometimes OTC treatments just don't cut it.

Occasionally, people will find that no matter how hard they try, common treatments such as salicylic acid don't produce the hoped-for results. Fortunately, there's a stronger oral medication available that your doctor can prescribe to you: isotretinoin.

Isotretinoin is known by a variety of brand names (Accutane, for one), and it's been proven to be effective for treating severe acne. Interestingly, nobody is quite sure why isotretinoin works to reduce acne, but it's believed that it reduces the amount of sebum production. For some people, this drug will end their association with acne forever more; for others, it may significantly reduce the number and intensity of future outbreaks. While there's no guarantee it will work at all, isotretinoin's anti-acne effects are usually achieved after four to five months of treatment.

The drug isn't a step you should take lightly, though -- some of the side effects are scary, such as birth defects if a woman taking it becomes pregnant (or is already pregnant).

On the next page, learn about a rather surprising acne treatment.

3: Follow the Light (and the Heat)

Some acne treatments require significantly more hardware than others. Various forms of low-intensity light (colored blue, red, green-yellow or a combination) seem to be effective in killing the P. acnes bacteria. This is helpful in treating acne because when pores get partially or fully clogged, bacteria on the scene is attracted to the blockage and then multiplies, causing inflammation. By using a wandlike device, a doctor can painlessly apply the light treatments, which are only effective for as long as the treatments continue. There's a chance of mild skin irritation, but otherwise there are no side effects.

Using a special heat wand, a doctor can treat your acne in a similar fashion as through light treatment. However, instead of eradicating bacteria, the use of heat shrinks the size of the sebaceous glands. This results in less sebum production, and, with any luck, less acne.

Let's say your acne is gone, but you still have scars as mementos. What can you do? See the next page.

2: Sandblast It
There's no need for a paper bag over your head. You have options!

Some of us have more or less unencumbered ourselves of the acne scourge only to still display the scarring it left behind. Many people have acne scarring, and one way to get rid of it is through microdermabrasion.

This isn't dermabrasion, which brushes away a comparatively thick layer of skin. Microdermabrasion is less intense than that, and way cooler. A doctor using a wandlike device bombards your face with tiny particles of aluminum oxide. It sounds painful, but it doesn't hurt. Simultaneous to the bombardment, the device vacuums up the particles from your skin, so you won't leave the clinic looking like you just fell asleep face-down on the beach.

This only affects the outermost layers of skin, leaving your skin looking and feeling smoother. Microdermabrasion isn't a one-time treatment, but usually requires one treatment a week over the course of several months to achieve optimal results. You may experience a little short-term redness, but should enjoy less redness overall in the long run.

1: Explore Lasers:The most high-tech acne treatment

If you're looking to exact revenge against your uncooperative sebaceous glands, you may choose to take the battle to the next level: lasers.

Lasers utilizing pulsating lights can be focused on problematic parts of the skin, producing heat beneath the skin's surface. This heat causes thermal damage to the sebaceous glands but doesn't damage the surface of your skin. Laser treatment reduces acne by half after just two sessions [source: Friedman].

Be warned that it's not all fun and games, though -- even with a topical painkiller, the treatment may still cause discomfort or pain. You might also experience swelling and redness for a day or two.


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Tips To Stop Snoring

How to stop snoring?

1: Sleep on Your Side

Sleeping on your side may reduce snoring.
Image Credit: Publications International, Ltd.
You're more likely to snore if you're lying on your back, and sleeping on your stomach is stressful on your neck.




2: Lose Weight

Remove pressure on your airway by losing weight.
Image Credit: Image Source/Getty Images
Excess body weight, especially around the neck, puts pressure on the airway, causing it to partially collapse.



3: Avoid Alcohol and Tranquilizers

Alcohol has been shown to contribute to sleep apnea.
Image Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Kirby Hamilton
Both alcohol and sleeping pills can depress your central nervous system and relax the muscles of your throat and jaw, making snoring more likely. These substances are also known to contribute to sleep apnea, a dangerous condition that has been linked with cardiovascular disease. And they should never, ever be used together. If you have difficulty sleeping without sleeping pills (or if you use alcohol to help yourself fall asleep), discuss it with your doctor.


4: Get Your Allergies Treated

Allergic reactions may include runny nose, sneezing and itchy,watery eyes.
Image Credit: ballyscanlon/Getty Images
Chronic respiratory allergies may cause snoring by forcing sufferers to breathe through their mouths while they sleep. Taking an antihistamine just before bedtime may help. If your nose is stuffed up, try using an over-the-counter saline spray or a humidifier.



5: Buy a Mouth Guard

See your dentist for a mouth guard.
Image Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/berekin
Your dentist or doctor may be able to prescribe an antisnoring mouth guard that holds the teeth together and keeps the lower jaw muscles from becoming too lax.



6: Stop Smoking

Smoking contributes to snoring.
Image Credit: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
Smoke damages the respiratory system.





7: Keep a Regular Schedule

Keep a regular sleep schedule.
Image Credit: Dougal Waters/Getty Images
Get plenty of sleep. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day.




8: See a Doctor if You Are Pregnant and Snoring

Check with your doctor if you are snoring while you are pregnant.
Image Credit: George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Sometimes, women who are pregnant will begin to snore. The snoring may begin because of the increased body weight and because the hormonal changes of pregnancy cause muscles to relax. Whatever the cause, snoring during pregnancy may rob your baby of oxygen. Talk with your doctor about it.


9: Elevate Your Head

Sleeping with your head raised may take some of the pressure off of the airway, making breathing easier. Raise the head of the bed by putting blocks under the bed posts, or prop up your upper body (not just your head, which can actually inhibit breathing) with pillows.

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Ten Commandments for Problem Drinkers

Here are the Ten Commandments for Problem Drinkers, as given by psychiatrist Dr. William B. Terhune. These are:

(i) Never drink when you “need one.”

(ii) Sip slowly.

(iii) Space your drinks, waiting 30 minutes for a second drink after the first and then an hour before the third.

(iv) Dilute your alcohol.

(v) Keep an accurate and truthful records of the number of drinks you take.

(vi) Never conceal the amount you drink.

(vii) Never drink on an empty stomach.

(viii) Never drink on cue (for lunch, for dinner, just because you are tired, in bedroom seduction, because you are bored or frustrated, or at bedtime).

(ix) Never take a drink in the morning to break a hangover.

(x) And never drink to escape discomfort, either physical or mental.

Foods to Avoid When Dealing with Stress

Reactions to stress are manifold. No one situation is stressful to all the people all the time. Some of the factors that can produce stress are children or the lack of them, the boss or the subordinate, the traffic ,the telephone or the lack of it, overwork or not enough to do, too much money or too little of it, making decision, a dull routine job, lack of authority and apprehensions about the future. And stress is intimately associated with diet.

There are certain foods which are associated with stress and anxiety and should be scrupulously avoided by patients. These foods are caffeine and many soft drinks, which causes nervousness, irritability and palpitation; salt which has been associated with heart diseases; cigarettes which cause tension, irritability and sleeplessness and which have been linked with cancer, and alcohol which depletes vitamins of the B group considered essential for reducing stress.

Foods and drinks that can trigger and aggravate stress include:

• Tea, coffee, cocoa, energy drinks
• Fast foods and takeaways
• Butter, cheese
• Meat and shellfish
• Sugar
• Alcohol
• Soda, soft drinks and chocolate drinks
• Almonds, macadamias and other nuts
• Coconut oil

Read More: Foods That Relieve Stress

Foods That Relieve Stress

There are many foods that are helpful in meeting the demands of stress and should be taken regularly by the patient. These are yoghurt, blackstrap molasses, seeds, and sprouts.

* Yoghurt is rich in vitamin A, B complex and D. It relieves insomnia, migraine and cramps associated with menstruation.

* Blackstrap molasses, a by-product of sugar refining process, is rich in iron and B vitamins. It guards against anaemia and is good for heart diseases.

* Seeds such as alfalfa, sunflower, and pumpkin and sprouts are rich in calcium and quite effective as deterrents of listlessness and anxiety. Steam cooked vegetables are best as boiling causes many vitamins and minerals to be dispelled into the water.

Some other Foods that help in relieving Stress:

1. Turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid that boosts serotonin production, which helps alleviate stress. Add turkey to your morning omelet or slice it up into a salad at lunch.

2. Spinach. This leafy vegetable is great source of magnesium, a mineral that helps promote a sense of calm. Spinach, which is a great source of fiber, also helps boost your energy levels. Opt for this instead of lettuce in your salad at lunch.

3. Salmon. This fish is full of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, which help to boost serotonin production. The DHA (docosahexanoic acid) in Omega 3 fats help to nourish the brain while mitigating stress hormones. Plus, the Omega 3 in salmon can reduce inflammation and promote healthy blood flow, both of which are compromised with chronic stress. Enjoy wild Alaskan salmon up to three times a week.

4. Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are a rich source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids, which help reduce stress. Walnuts are one of the best sources of Omega 3s. Cashews and sunflower seeds also contain tryptophan, which boosts serotonin production and can take the edge off a stressful day. Have a handful of nuts as an afternoon snack.

5. Oatmeal. The complex carbohydrates in oatmeal help to boost serotonin production. Plus, oats have a lot of calming magnesium as well as potassium, which has been shown to help lower blood pressure. Have a bowl for breakfast with some walnuts and cashews, as well as some cinnamon to help stabilize your blood sugar, and you will on your way to a more tranquil day.

6. Citrus fruit. Oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits are a great way to get your vitamin C, which studies show reduces stress levels. Plus, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that boosts your immune system. Have an orange in the afternoon for a calming and nourishing snack.

7. Sweet potatoes and carrots. Root vegetables are a good source of fiber and carbohydrates, which can help to boost serotonin production. Plus, because they are subtly sweet, they can offset cravings for sugar. Sweet potatoes and carrots are also a great source of vitamins and minerals that are good for your blood pressure and your heart. Have a handful of baby carrots with some almond butter in the afternoon or a sweet potato with dinner a couple of times a week.

Read More: Foods to Avoid When Dealing with Stress

What Is Honey?

Honey is a fragrant food made by honeybees. In ancient times, it was considered a food of the gods, a symbol of wealth, health and happiness and even an elixir of immortality. The Old Testament promised the Israelites ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’. Egyptian doctors used honey-containing remedies 5,000 years ago. Mohammed claimed it was a remedy for every illness. And Hindus still use it today as one of the five foods offered in worship or welcome. 

The word ‘honey’ comes from ‘oneg’, Hebrew for ‘delight’. Honey is also known as the ‘food of love’. Indeed, the word ‘honeymoon’ references the ancient Viking custom in which bride and groom consumed honey cakes and mead (a drink made by fermenting honey) for a month after betrothal. Today, bridegrooms in Morocco may follow tradition by feasting on honey. 

A 100-million-year-old bee was recently found preserved in amber. We know people ate honey many thousands of years ago, but they have probably done so for much longer. They began by collecting honey from wild bees’ nests, then progressed to keeping bees. Beekeeping was especially popular in Europe and so common in ancient Britain that it was called the ‘land of honey’.

At first, honey was the only sweetener other than date, fig or maple syrup. Alexander the Great brought sugar cane from India to Greece in the 4th century bc. But only the rich could afford this ‘honey reed’ until the mass cultivation of sugar cane and sugar beet began in the 18th century. As sugar became more affordable, honey became less important. 

The worldwide production of honey in 2010 was 1.4 million metric tons. China was the main honey-producer (22 per cent of global production), followed by the European Union (14 per cent), Argentina and the US (6 per cent each) and Turkey (5 per cent). Other honey producers, in order, are Ukraine, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Iran, Ethiopia, India, Tanzania, Spain, Canada, Kenya, Germany, Angola and Australia. 

Honey consumption today is greatest in Greece at 1.62kg/3lb 5oz per person per year and lowest in Hungary at 0.18kg/6oz. In Canada, it is 0.78kg/1lb 11oz; Australia 0.6kg/1lb 4oz; the UK 0.59kg/1lb 5oz, the US 0.58kg/1.3lb and China 0.2kg/6oz. 

In contrast, many consumers eat vastly more sugar. For example, the average person in the US consumes more than 70kg/156lb of sugar, including high-fructose corn syrup, each year – which is an awful lot of empty calories. 

Neither the US nor most EU countries produce enough honey to meet their needs, so rely on imports. Britain produced only 15 per cent of its needs in 2009. And in 2010, Germany imported 80 per cent of the honey consumed there. 

About 85 per cent of global production goes to consumers as table honey, the rest to the food industry for bakery, confectionery and breakfast cereals, for example. There is also a small market for honey in the pharmaceutical and tobacco industries. 

The colour, consistency, fragrance and flavour of honey vary according to its nectar and honeydew sources as well as types of processing. Multifloral and blended honeys are most common, although consumers increasingly pay a premium for monofloral, raw or organic honey, and there is growing interest in darker, stronger-tasting honeys. Because just as wine or olive-oil aficionados delight in the differences between wines or oils from different seasons, producers and varieties of grape or olive, so too do honey lovers enjoy different honeys. 

But not all is sweetness and light. Too many honeybees are dying, possibly because of pesticides, wildflower losses and bee malnutrition. 

Hopefully, with care and research, our supplies of honey – and, most important, the pollination of food and other crops by honeybees – will become more secure and thus guarantee the survival of the honeybee.

What is Snoring?

Long the material for jokes, snoring is generally accepted as common and annoying in adults but as nothing to worry about.However, snoring is no laughing matter.Frequent, loud snoring isoften a sign of sleep apnea and may increase your risk of developingcardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as lead to daytimesleepiness and impaired performance.

Snoring is caused by a narrowing or partial blockage of your air-ways at the back of the mouth and upper throat.This obstructionresults in increased air turbulence when breathing in, causing thesoft tissues in your throat to vibrate.The end result is a noisy snorethat can disrupt the sleep of your bed partner.This narrowing ofthe airways is typically caused by the soft palate, tongue, and throatrelaxing while you sleep, but allergies or sinus problems can alsocontribute to a narrowing of the airways, as can being overweightand having extra soft tissue around your upper airways.

The larger the tissues in your soft palate, the more likely you are tosnore while sleeping.Alcohol or sedatives taken shortly before sleepalso promote snoring.These drugs cause greater relaxation of thetissues in your throat and mouth.Surveys reveal that about one-halfof all adults snore, and 50 percent of these adults do so loudly andfrequently.African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics are more like-ly to snore loudly and frequently compared to Caucasians, and snor-ing problems increase with age.

Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but people who havesleep apnea typically do snore loudly and frequently.Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder, and its hallmark is loud, frequent snoringlinked to intermittent brief pauses in breathing while sleeping. Even if you don’t experience thesebreathing pauses, snoring can still be a problem for you as well as for your bed partner.The increased breathing effort associated withsnoring can impair your sleep quality and lead to many of the samehealth consequences as sleep apnea.

One study found that older adults who did not have sleep apnea,but who snored 6–7 nights a week, were more than twice as likelyto report being excessively sleepy during the day than those whonever snored.The more people snored, the more daytime fatiguethey reported.That sleepiness may help explain why snorers aremore likely to be in car crashes than people who do not snore.Loud snoring can also disrupt the sleep of bed partners and strainmarital relations, especially if snoring causes the spouses to sleep in separate bedrooms.

Snoring also increases the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.One study found that women who snored regularly weretwice as likely as those who did not snore to develop diabetes, even if they were not overweight—another risk factor for diabetes.Other studies suggest persistent snoring may raise the lifetime risk of developing high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke.

About one-third of all pregnant women begin snoring for the firsttime during their second trimester.If you are snoring while pregnant,let your doctor know.Snoring in pregnancy can be associated withhigh blood pressure and can have a negative effect on your baby’sgrowth and development.Your doctor will routinely keep a closeeye on your blood pressure throughout your pregnancy and can letyou know if any additional evaluations for the snoring might be use-ful.In most cases, the snoring and any related high blood pressurewill subside shortly after delivery.