Posts

Why Do Dogs Eat Grass? It’s Not Why You Think

Image
While all of my dogs have occasionally eaten grass, Gina is absolutely obsessed with chomping on greens. She’s 6 years old, and I’ve observed this behavior since I adopted her at 16 months. There’s an old myth that dogs eat grass when their stomachs are feeling queasy to cause them to vomit. But, I’ve known this isn’t the truth with her, because she eats grass daily and has no digestive problems. I was intrigued with Stanley Coren’s post in Psychology Today on the topic. Coren refers to the only research study that has surveyed dogs to find out if their grass eating habits are related to illness or dietary deficiency. The research study took place at The University of California, Davis and was published in Applied Animal Behavior Science in 2008. The survey initially observed the grass eating behavior of about 75 dogs belonging to both veterinary students and patients at the UC Davis teaching hospital. When questioned about their dog’s beh
Post a Comment
Read more

Yoga to Put You to Sleep: 5 Poses to Help Your Mind and Body Let Go

Image
If you’re suffering from insomnia it may feel like sleep will never come again. Instead of lying in bed, try this yoga for insomnia series! As someone who has struggled off and on with insomnia, I know how rough it can be. You’re exhausted, and you’re lying in the dark, staring at the ceiling, but sleep just. won’t. come. Maybe your thoughts are racing, or maybe you feel like your body can’t settle down so that your brain can let go. If you deal with sleeplessness, yoga for insomnia may be able to help you sleep better and sleep more deeply. The causes of insomnia are complicated, and yoga isn’t going to be a cure-all for every person who suffers from this condition. It’s definitely helped me and other folks that I know, though so I recommend giving it a go. You’re awake anyway, right? If you’re new to yoga, I would suggest taking a couple of classes before practicing on your own.  The poses below are pretty basic, but learning how to properly align your body is part of yo
Post a Comment
Read more

6 Reasons You Should Sleep Naked

Image
If you regularly sleep sans pajamas, you’re in the minority. The vast majority of us sleep swaddled in some sort of clothing, be it shorts, a tee shirt, or a full-on onesie. According to a national sleep survey from 2012, only 8 percent admit to sleeping naked. But did you know that sleeping naked is actually great for you? Here are 6 ways nixing your pajamas will improve your health and happiness. Reduce insomnia . As you sleep, your body naturally dips in temperature. It’s beneficial for the body to cool down, and it encourages deeper, more restful sleep. If your body is overheated, wrapped in thick socks and pants, you may not be able to release excess heat, which could rob you of a solid night’s sleep. Studies have shown that insomnia and body temperature are closely related, so take off those clothes if you’re tossing and turning. Improve metabolism . Reduce excess belly fat by balancing cortisol levels, your stress hormone. Cortisol levels drop between 10pm and 2am, so
Post a Comment
Read more

26 Stimulating Sex Facts

Image
Turn up the AC because these 26 sex facts will have you grasping for the nearest piece of mail to fan your blushing face. Note to self: visit Greece & Japan. Besides it being ridiculously exciting and pleasurable, sex burns off an average of about 100 calories per session. Not a bad workout! Did you get laid last night? You’re not alone. There are an estimated 100 million acts of sexual intercourse had each day. Remember that “once you pop you can’t stop,” Pringles ad? It’s kind of like that with sex, the more you have the more you want. The average amount of time spent kissing for a person in a lifetime is 20,160 minutes. That’s two whole weeks of kissing! Sounds like a good vacation. Women who take hormonal contraceptives tend to be more attracted to men with lower testosterone levels and less super masculine physical characteristics according to research. But, women tend to desire overtly masculine men during their most fertile times in their cycle (and more like
Post a Comment
Read more

6 Foods to Eat for Better Sex

Image
Is your bow-chicka-bow letting you down, down, down? You could blame a lot of things like the kids, your headache, or a perceived boredom between you and your partner. But have you considered looking at your plate? Being overweight can certainly affect your libido. We could dig in to the science, but it’s pretty self evident, isn’t it? Eat a bag of McDonald’s and you’d probably rather lay around and think about doing it rather than actually getting up and doing it. Have a much lighter, fresher, good-for-you meal and you are more likely to want to follow through. What you’re eating can play a role in your sex life, but not just in how much of the bad stuff you’re eating. Are you getting enough of the aphrodisiac foods when it really counts? Funny enough, the smellier the better seems to be key with these foods, with oysters, asparagus, and garlic on the list. But what the smelly and non-smelly foods on this list all share is that they’re great for you. They’re super heal
Post a Comment
Read more

Can You Feel the IUD During Sex?

Image
It’s a question that has come up many times in my conversations, from chats with friends thinking about getting an IUD to fellow IUD users who’ve been able to feel it while getting it on. Ever since I got my ParaGard three years ago, I’ve been curious, too. The best part about having an IUD is being able to have sex whenever you want without having to worry about pregnancy. (Sexually transmitted infections, a.k.a. STIs, are another story—make sure you use condoms and get tested to prevent them.) While you shouldn’t expect to feel the IUD while you’re getting busy, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that you might be able to. If that weirds you out, keep calm and read on. The feels Here’s the thing: when it comes to being able to feel the IUD, there’s good feels and bad ones. IUD stands for intra-uterine device because the tiny T-shaped device sits inside of the uterus—not in the vagina. Once the IUD is inserted, you shouldn’t be able to feel the T at all. What you
Post a Comment
Read more

Mutant mosquitoes 'resist malaria'

Image
Image copyright SPL US scientists say they have bred a genetically modified (GM) mosquito that can resist malaria infection. If the lab technique works in the field, it could offer a new way of stopping the biting insects from spreading malaria to humans, they say. The scientists put a new "resistance" gene into the mosquito's own DNA, using a gene editing method called Crispr. And when the GM mosquitoes mated - their offspring inherited the same resistance, PNAS journal  reports. In theory, if these mosquitoes bite people, they should not be able to pass on the parasite that causes malaria. About 3.2bn people - almost half of the world's population - are at risk of malaria. Bed nets, insecticides and repellents can help stop the insects biting and drugs can be given to anyone who catches the infection, but the disease still kills around 580,000 people a year. 'Pivotal role' Scientists have been searching for new ways to fight malaria. T
Post a Comment
Read more