I came across an article that talks about how a couple’s sleeping position can reflect their relationship. My boyfriend and I sleep in all sorts of positions just to be comfortable so there isn’t a particular style to our sleep. Plus, I don’t think there has to be any secret meaning behind the way you sleep, its just rather interesting to see how this article dissects everything down. Enjoy!

The Spoon: “Semi-foetal, genitals against buttocks”, this position provides both of you with maximum physical closeness and is the most common sleep position for the first three to five years of a long term relationship.

The Honeymoon Hug: A position for the early months of a relationship “when you’re so deeply enamoured you wish you could fuse, or just after lovemaking”. Or it could indicate the couple are “overly enmeshed” and “too dependent on each other to sleep apart.”

Shingles: An attempt to focus total attention on a partner, even in sleep. Whoever’s head rests on the others shoulder is the more dependent and compliant partner. Or just shorter.

Sweetheart’s Cradle: A nurturing position when you are “literally being brought in under the wing” and a more intimate position than the Shingles because the partner is being held, like a vertical cuddle.

Loosely Tethered: Five or so years into marriage, many couples feel secure enough to allow a bit more space and comfort into their bed. The emotional current is sustained by a touching hand, knee or foot.

Leg Hug: Establishing physical contact indirectly. Such casual contact could imply that the couple are ambivalent about expressing affection or intentionally withholding it, maybe after a fight. It may also speak of healthy camaraderie.

Pursuit: If a partner turns his/her back and retreats to the far side of the bed this is known as a “freeze manoeuvre”. If one party then pursues and pushes up against the other partner while sleeping, that’s called “Illegal Spooning”. But it also may be that the partner who distances may actually want to be pursued. His or her distancing becomes an invitation – “a dance of the spoons”.

Zen Style: This position is usually pre-empted by buying a larger beds to accommodate one or both partners’ need for space. “Touching buttocks allows for large-surface contact and private connection, but without clinging. “Like two circles, separate but overlapping, this position is a perfect definition of interdependence.” Like a Venn Diagram.

The Cliff Hanger: This retreating may be a rejection or it could be the partner just needs a good nights sleep. Maybe the partner who creates the distance is finally comfortable enough to admit they’d rather get a good night’s sleep away from you than cuddle up together, listening to you snore. The experts however, do recommend a “heart-to-heart to find out what’s really going on.”

The Crab: You can tell this position is trouble just by looking at it. “As if to escape from each other or as if you’re travelling in different directions.” This position may be “acting out an unacknowledged need to pull away from each other, from the marriage”. Or he/she could simply be a creative sleeper.

To read more about couple’s sleeping positions, check out MyLifeTime.com.

To read decipher an individual’s sleeping style, check out my blog about Sleeping Positions.

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I’ve been gaining a ridiculous amount of weight over the past few months, to the point where I can’t squeeze into a lot of my favorite jeans that used to fit me nicely. I feel hungry all the time when I actually don’t need any more calories and I think the reason why is I find myself snacking out of boredom. I’m constantly munching on chips, gummy bears, chocolate, candy,  gum, you name it.

I’m in need of a major workout overhaul and also find ways to curb my appetite if I wanna be able to squeeze into a bikini this summer! Here are a few things on my checklist to curb my hunger, I hope you find this helpful too.

Healthy start.
Eating a healthy breakfast is important for weight control and one of the best breakfast foods for suppressing appetite is oatmeal. For greater benefits, choose old-fashioned oats or steel oats and avoid packets of instant oatmeal that are often loaded with sugar and calories.

Drink water.
The number one cause of hunger is actually dehydration. The brain’s signal to ingest something is very general and typically you don’t feel thirsty until you’re already dehydrated. So if you’re just short on water, your brain will keep sending signal to get something in your stomach but it can’t specify what. When you run short on water, you will start to feel hungry so keep yourself hydrated at all times.

Small meals.
Eat frequent, small meals throughout the day. This keeps the metabolism primed and reduces hunger so you don’t make poor food choices and over eat.

Almonds.
A handful of almonds can suppress hunger naturally. Although almonds are high in calories and fat, they’re also a good source of protein and fiber which helps to naturally suppress hunger.

Apples.
Another way to get full without overloading on calories is to snack on an apple. A medium-sized apple has only seventy calories and is a rich source of fiber. I’ve also been told to replace coffee with apples for nights that I have to stay up very late. Apples keep you up but doesn’t make you stay up longer then you need to like coffee does.

Stay away from addictive food.
If you have something with caffeine like chocolate or soda regularly and then suddenly don’t, you’ll feel hungry or thirsty all the time. Your body gets used to the stimulant and associates it with food so when you don’t have it, your brain repeatedly sends signals that it wants you to keep eating. Stay away from caffeine for a long enough time and the feeling will go away.

For more information on suppressing hunger naturally, checkout eHow.com.

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I love red wine. I prefer a glass of medium-bodied red over a bottle of white wine any day. Why you ask? Well, most people know that red wine is simply wine produced from red (or black) grapes. What you might not know is that almost all grapes have colorless juice. Red wine gets its color by letting the skins soak in the juice until the color bleeds out. Not only does soaking the skins give red wine its color, it also produces a substance known as tannin.

Tannin is what gives red wines a complexity that is beyond that of most white wines. Tannin has a mouth drying quality that makes the wine feel firm in your mouth. This firmness can be quite intense when a red wine is young. Over time, the qualities of the tannin will mellow and blend harmoniously with the other characteristics of the wine. Which is why red wines usually age better than whites.

Major Red Wine Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon – Widely accepted as one of the world’s best varieties and best selling red wine in the United States, Cabs are generally big, full-bodied and tannic. This variety of red grows well in Australia, California and Chile.

Merlot – The softness of Merlot has made it an “introducing” wine for new red-wine drinkers. These medium-bodied wines are less tannic than Cabs and pairs well with any food. Typical scents include black cherry, plums, and herbal flavors. The texture is round but a middle palate gap is common.

Pinot Noir – One of the noblest red wine grapes, Pinot noir is difficult to grow and rarely blended. Pinots are typically medium to light bodied with a soft tannic structure. Delicate and fresh, Pinots are best when paired with grilled salmon, chicken, and lamb.

Syrah (or Shiraz) – Syrahs excels in California, Australia, and France’s Rhone Valley. The Syrah variety gives hearty, spicy reds to produce some of the world’s finest, deepest, and darkest reds with intense flavors and excellent longevity. A great forward fruit flavors with a hint of pepper and spice.

Zinfandel – Zins only grow in California but they are the world’s most versatile wine grape, making everything from blush wine to rich, heavy reds. They run the gamut in flavor characteristics and range from big and hearty to light and delicate.

Other Types of Reds

There are a lot of different types of red wine outside of Cabernet and Merlot. Not the most popular of all the red wines available, but equally delicious. So when you tire of Cab and get bored with Merlot, give one of these reds a try.

Malbec – Malbec has its origins in the French Bordeaux region and is widely grown in Argentina where it is the most popular red grape variety. It is also available in Chile, Australia, and in the cooler regions of California. Malbec’s characteristics vary greatly depending on where its grown and how its transformed. It generally produced an easy-drinking style, well colored wine that tastes of plum, berries, and spice.

Sangiovese – I love saying San-gee-oh-ve-zee! This red wine is more on the earthy side in flavor characteristics with medium tannins and high acidity. The primary style is medium-bodied with fresh berry and plum flavors.

Chianti – Chianti is often called a “fruity” wine as it appeals to new wine drinkers. Strong and bold, typical flavors in Chianti include cherry, plum, strawberry, spice, almonds, vanilla and coffee. The wine is made from a blend of grapes including Sangiovese, Caniolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia.

Barbera – Barberas are one of my favorite variety of reds! They are versatile and pairs well with many dishes, including tomato sauces. Barbera is a light to medium-bodied red that is a bit fruitier in flavor characteristics. It has a silky texture and excellent in acidity.

Drink to Good Health

Research indicates that moderate red wine consumption may help protect against certain cancers and heart disease. Red wines contain several antioxidants that have a positive effect on cholesterol levels and blood pressure. One glass a day for women and up to two glasses a day for men may decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke. Moderation is key, excessive drinking doesn’t produce the same benefits. So in other words, when it comes to red wine: more is not better.

If you’re interested in learning more about wine, I did my research at LoveToKnow: Wine.

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Do you sleep on your back, your stomach, or your side? Sleep expert Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, conducted a study commissioned by a large hotel group. He found a correlation between six common sleeping positions and the personality traits of the sleepers themselves. Idzikowski believes an individual’s preferred sleeping position is seen as a sort of subconscious body language that reflects their inner traits.

The most common sleeping positions (and corresponding personality) identified were:

Fetal Position (41%) Curled up on your side, holding the pillow. The most popular sleeping position, this one was favored by 51% of the women in the study. The personality of these sleepers tends to be shy and sensitive, though they may present a tough exterior to the world.

Log Position (15%) On your side with legs outstretched and arms at your sides. Indicates a social, easygoing personality.

Yearner Position (13%) Similar to the log, but with arms outstretched. Said to indicate a suspicious and cynical personality.

Soldier Position (8%) Flat on your back with arms at your sides. Indicates a quiet and reserved personality who sets high standards.

Freefall Position (7%) Flat on your stomach with arms at the head or ears. Indicates a brash and gregarious exterior who may inwardly be nervous and sensitive to criticism.

Starfish Position (5%) Lying on your back with arms and legs outstretched. Indicates a good listener who makes friends easily, but prefers not to be the center of attention.

Professor Idzikowski also examined the effect of various sleeping positions on health. He concluded that the freefall position was good for digestion, while the starfish and soldier positions were more likely to lead to snoring and a bad night’s sleep. But it may be as difficult to change the way you sleep as your personality itself because less than five percent of people sleep in a different sleeping position every night.

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Hello spring. All of those beautiful, fragrant flowers and deep green grasses that allergy-free people love to coo over and pick and prune literally make you sick. Springtime is when trees and plants spread their seeds by the wind and by insect. Pollen can travel long distances and are usually the main cause of seasonal allergies. The pollen levels in the air can vary from day to day and different in various areas so don’t let  pollen wreak havoc on your body. Here are some ways to avoid pollen exposure:

• Keep windows closed to prevent pollen from drifting into your home.
• Minimize early morning activity when pollen is usually emitted between 5 to 10 a.m.
• Keep your car windows closed when traveling.
• Stay indoors when the pollen count is reported to be high, and on windy days when pollen may be present in higher amounts in the air.
• Take a vacation during the height of pollen season to pollen-free areas, such as the beach or sea.
• Avoid mowing the lawn and freshly cut grass.
• Machine dry clothing and bedding as pollen may collect in laundry if it is hung outside to dry.

There are natural remedies to treat seasonal allergy but always do your research. I’ve come across a few sources that lead me to believe that remedies like using local honey or bee pollen for allergy therapy can generate severe reactions! Check out Consumer Health Digest to read more about the strong caution on local honey allergy therapy.

You can also read more on how others are coping with seasonal allergies at About: Allergies.

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