1. Avoid sweets! Too much sugar can cause cavities, yellowing of the teeth and other problems. Plus, more than an occasional indulgence is bad for you anyway. Pass on the sweets.
2. Brush morning and night. The dentist tells you to do it for a reason! It's important to scrub those chompers once in the morning and once again before bed.
3. Don't smoke! We understand this is a tough one for many of us, but it's important for your teeth and important for your body. It can be tough to quit, but the rewards are well worth it.
4. Try to minimize coffee consumption. We're not telling you to kick your daily cup of coffee--just advising that you might want to reconsider cups 3, 4 and 5. For your teeth's sake.
5. Floss! Often times small pieces of food are trapped between your teeth and manage to evade the truth brush. Pick these off with some good dental floss.
Healthy Teeth Tips
How to use a condom - Instructions
How to use a condom properly - How to Rip n Roll
1. Don't store condoms in a glove box or in your wallet, condoms hate heat! Also, don't use condoms past the expiration date and don't open condoms with your teeth.
2. If you're using a Latex condom, don't use oil based lubrication such as skin lotions, baby oil, Vaseline® or cold cream - the oil in these products weakens the Latex. Always use water based or latex compatible lubricants with Latex condoms. If you must use oil based lubricants use polyurethane condoms, these are safe to use with oil.
Rip - open the package
When the time has come to cover your Captain (Captains at full attention and ready for battle). "RIP" open your favorite condoms package, being careful not to use your teeth place a few drops of your favorite water based lubricant inside the tip of the condom. Never let your Captain touch your partner before he is securely covered.
Roll - on the protection
*When you put on the condom, hold the condom by the tip to squeeze out any air. Leave some space at the tip to hold any and all fluids and "ROLL" the rest down to your Captains base.
*If your Captain is intact (has a foreskin), put the condom on with the foreskin pushed back. After you have Rolled and are covered, push the foreskin forward (toward the tip). This lets the foreskin move without breaking the condom.
*(Optional but recommended) Place more water based lubricant on the outside of the condom. Remember, "Wetter is Better".
* If at any time during battle your Captain is ambushed (the condom breaks or comes off), stop immediately and pull out. Wash your Captain and put on a new condom.
* use a condom correctlyAfter your Captain has won his battle (after intercourse), you should hold the condom at the base and pull out slowly. This should be done while your Captain is still at attention.
* Throw away the used condom in the trash, not the toilet. If you choose the toilet they will come back to haunt you some day. Trust me, the last thing you want plugging your plumbing is used condoms!
* Never re use condoms, use a new condom every time you have contact.
Erectile dysfunction (impotence)
Written by Dr David Delvin, GP and family planning specialist
The outlook for men with erectile dysfunction (ED) has improved enormously in the first eight years of this century – so much so that almost all patients nowadays can be assured of a return to successful intercourse.
Many of these males feel that the new treatments for erection difficulty (formerly known as ‘impotence’ or ‘impotency’) have transformed their lives.
What is erectile dysfunction?
Term watch
Many people confuse erectile dysfunction with:
* premature ejaculation which is 'coming too quickly'.
* retarded ejaculation (delayed ejaculation) which is an inability of the man to reach a climax.
First, let’s define the problem. ED means an inability to get a good enough erection to achieve satisfactory intercourse.
Some sufferers can’t get a hard-on at all; others get one but it isn’t firm enough to penetrate the partner; and others can manage penetration for a bit, but then lose it.
Why does ED occur?
ED is very common, and it occurs for a variety of reasons and at different ages.
Teenagers and young men
In younger males, the most frequent cause is anxiety – particularly nervousness about having sex, about causing a pregnancy, or about using a condom. A lot of men in this age group complain that they ‘can’t get on with a condom’ because as soon as they try to put it on, they lose their ‘stiffy'.
Middle age
Common causes in this age group are overwork, stress, guilt and bereavement (ED often happens when a widowed man tries to form a new sexual relationship). A few cases are due to diabetes.
Post-middle age
In this group of men, ED gets commoner with increasing age. Nonetheless, 70 per cent of all 70-year-olds are sexually potent.
It is now clear that in a very high proportion of cases, the problem is due to deterioration in the blood vessels that carry blood into the penis. Research which was carried out in 2007 suggests that in addition there may often be deterioration in the arteries of the brain or the heart.
In October 2008, leading sex expert Dr Geoffrey Hackett said in the British Medical Journal, ‘Erectile dysfunction is the manifestation of vascular disease in smaller arteries, and can give a two to three year early warning of heart attack.’
Therefore older men with ED should take care to protect themselves against strokes and heart attacks – for example by keeping their blood pressure and cholesterol down.
You may be surprised to see that I have not listed ‘lack of hormones’ as a common cause of ED. In fact, lack of male hormone is pretty rare. However, it can occur particularly after severe injuries to the testicles, or to the base of the brain.
If you are tempted to go to one of the many private clinics that make a habit of diagnosing ‘male hormone deficiency', and then charging huge sums of money for testosterone treatment, I suggest you think twice!
What is an erection?
An erection occurs when blood is pumped into the penis and stays there, making it hard. It generally happens because a guy is thinking about sex, or because his penis is being stimulated - or both.
The result is that signals go down the nerves that lead from his spinal cord to his genitals. They tell the blood vessels which supply the penis to open up. Blood flows in and the organ ‘blows up’ like a balloon. A valve mechanism near the base of the penis keeps the blood from flowing out again – a least, until sex is over.
As you can see, getting an erection is a complex process. It’s awfully easy for various factors to interfere with it - for instance, worry, tiredness, too much alcohol or in later life, narrowing of the blood vessels.
Nicotine is now known to narrow those vital blood vessels – which is why ED is much commoner in smokers. But often, there is nothing physically wrong with men who develop ED.
Are many cases due to psychological causes?
Yes, particularly in the young. In general, erectile dysfunction is quite likely to be psychological rather than physical if the man:
* is still waking with morning erections
* can still get a good erection by masturbation.
Common psychological causes of erection difficulties include:
* nerves – especially about performing
* guilt – notably if you’re trying to have sex with somebody else’s wife
* relationship problems - especially if you’re no longer keen on your partner
* latent gayness – for instance, if you’re a basically gay guy, trying to have sex with a woman
* depression
* exhaustion.
In a lot of cases, ED turns out to be due to a mixture of psychological and physical causes.
What physical causes are there?
Common physical causes include:
* deterioration of the arteries – this is a physical change which is common in older men, including those with high blood pressure
* diabetes
* smoking
* excessive drinking (hence the phrase ‘Brewer’s droop’)
* being obese and out-of-condition
* side-effects of certain drugs, notably ones for blood pressure and depression
* effects of recreational drugs, like cocaine.
Less common physical causes include:
* excessive drainage of blood from the veins of the penis (‘venous leak’)
* diseases of the nervous system
* injury to the spinal cord or brain
* major surgery in the abdomen, particularly prostate operations
* hormone problems, including excess production of a pituitary hormone called prolactin (this is rare).
What should I do if I'm having potency problems?
If you have difficulty getting an erection, seek help. Don’t suffer in silence – as so many men do!
Also, don’t hide it from your partner. A lot of guys behave like this, and very often the result is that the other person decides that she is being scorned, or that ‘he doesn’t love me any more'.
Your first move should be to consult your GP.
If for any reason you don’t want to do that, then contact another medical/relationships agency, such as the ones listed at the end of this article.
Please don’t do daft things like:
* buying yourself some pills or potion off the Internet
* signing up with some clinic that asks you for £1,000 deposit
* going to a prostitute to see if she can cure you
* deciding that your life is over (it isn’t).
What will happen when I see a doctor or therapist?
If you go to a doctor, he should take a full history of your problem, and then examine you to see if there are any physical causes for your ED. A therapist or counsellor isn’t able to do physical examinations, nor can they prescribe drugs.
The doctor should also do a test for diabetes and possibly other lab tests as well.
After that, he may well be able to give you some indication of the likely cause of your ED. If he can’t, then ask if can refer you to someone who can give you further help.
Once the cause(s) of your erectile dysfunction has been identified, you can get treatment.
What treatments are now available?
Treatment depends on the cause of the ED. For instance, psychological causes may require:
* commonsense advice to one or both partners
* counselling
* psychotherapy
* relationship counselling.
Personally, I feel that in some cases of psychologically-induced ED, it’s worth trying erection-aiding drugs to help ‘kick-start’ the man back into action and boost his confidence. Not all doctors agree with me.
The treatments for ED that have a physical origin are listed below.
Erection-aiding drugs
Oral drugs which help produce an erection in response to sexual stimulation have revolutionised the treatment of ED over the last eight years. They don’t work for everybody, but they do work for the majority – even in diabetes. They can also help people with neurological and spinal problems.
Also, the choice of available drugs means that if one particular drug doesn’t suit you, it’s well worth trying one of the others.
There are now only three orally-administered drugs available in the UK. They all have side effects, only a few of which we can list here. For more information, read the package insert leaflet, and if in doubt ask your doctor.
It is not safe for some people to use these drugs, and some medications interact dangerously with them. Therefore, before going on any of these pills you should always see a doctor, talk things over with him, and have a physical check-up.
Do not buy erection drugs by mail-order, or from chaps you meet in pubs! They may not be the right thing.
The oral drugs currently available are:
* Viagra tablets (sildenafil)
* Cialis tablets (tadalafil)
* Levitra tablets (vardenafil).
Viagra (sildenafil)
Widens the bloods vessels, so giving an erection – provided there is some sexual stimulation. In most men, works within an hour. Effect lasts for about four hours. (This doesn't mean the erection lasts for four hours, rather that an erection can be produced for up to four hours after taking a tablet.) Easily blocked by food in the stomach.
Viagra still remains the world’s most popular ED drug. At the Vienna International Sexology conference of December 2006 which we attended, it was claimed that its continuing popularity is due to the ‘hardness‘ of the erections it produces. However, we are not convinced that it gives greater hardness than the other two drugs.
The most common side effects are headache, visual disturbances, blocked nose, flushed face, indigestion, palpitations – and dizziness after getting out of bed too quickly! Blue vision occurs at higher doses. Viagra is very dangerous with certain heart drugs. It interacts with many medications. Do not drink grapefruit juice on the day of use, because that pushes up the blood level of the drug.
In April 2005, a report from the University of Minnesota suggested that a small group of men have suffered blindness as a result of Viagra use. It was claimed that the drug may rarely cause a serious eye condition called ‘non-arteritic ischaemic optic atrophy.’ In 2008, it is apparent that a very small number of British men have suffered similar eye problems. If you are taking Viagra, you should ask your doctor to keep you informed of any further research on this development.
Cialis (tadalafil)
Works in the same way as Viagra. Now popular with a lot of men, because its effects last so long – at least 12 hours in most cases, which means sex can be more spontaneous. Manufacturers claim it is not blocked by food.
Side effects are similar to those of Viagra, but it can also cause back pain and muscle pain. Interactions with other drugs and with grapefruit juice are similar to those of Viagra, but also clashes with the antibiotic clarithromycin and the sedative phenobarbital. Cialis is very similar in structure to Viagra and there have been several reports of blindness occurring while on it.
Levitra (vardenafil)
Works in same way. Side effects and interactions are similar to those of Viagra. Not as long-lasting as Cialis. There have been a few reports of blindness.
Please note the alleged relationship between these three drugs and blindness is the subject of litigation. A 'cause and effect' has still not been proved.
The above three drugs are supposed to be ‘prescription-only’ in the UK and most other countries. However, Boots the chemists has opened several centres where men can obtain Viagra (for a fee) after careful counselling from a pharmacist. There is back-up from a group of private doctors. If this scheme turns out to be a success, then Viagra and similar drugs may become more widely available over the counter.
Another approach has been taken by Lloyds Chemists in 2008. They will sell Viagra online to men who have first had a consultation with their ‘online doctor’. However, in October 2008, Which? magazine claimed that this system had allowed an unsuitable ‘dummy patient’ to be offered Viagra.
Uprima
There is another oral anti-ED drug called ‘Uprima’, but it was withdrawn from sale in Britain during 2006 – probably for commercial reasons.
What other drug treatments for ED are there?
It’s also possible to give erection-inducing agents by:
* injections into the penis.
* pellets inserted down the urinary pipe.
These methods have become less popular since the increasing availability of oral drugs, but they suit a minority of men. You have to be quite brave to give yourself a jab in the penis. For details of side effects, consult your GP.
What mechanical aids are there for ED?
There are a number of devices that can help men to achieve a better erection and to have successful sex.
Vacuum pumps.
A pump is a cylinder which you put over your penis. You then pump out the air. That should ‘suck’ your penis into an erection – which, however, tends to be a bit cold and blue-looking.
Rings
Specially-designed rings which fit round the base of the male organ are often used with vacuum pumps. However, they can be tried on their own. The idea is that the ring helps stop the blood from flowing out of the penis.
External splints
These are supposed to prop the penis up during sex. Not awfully successful, in my view.
Vibrators
Although vibrators aren’t often prescribed by doctors (and certainly not on the NHS), I have found that they can be quite useful in urging a lethargic penis into life. Some vibrating devices such as the Penisator actually clip round the male organ.
In December 2006, at the Vienna conference, it was reported that vibrators are surprisingly effective in helping men with spinal injuries to achieve an orgasm – and thus to have children.
What about surgery?
In the 1990s there was great hope that surgery would cure a lot of men who had ED. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out like that, and it is rare to see a man whose erection problems have been put right by a surgical operation.
The types of surgery which are available for ED are as follows.
* Curing a venous leak. As we’ve indicated above, a few men lose their erections because blood leaks out of the penis through a leakage in the veins. Occasionally, this leak only occurs in certain sex positions. Where a leak can be clearly pin-pointed by special X-rays, a urologist may be able to operate in order to improve matters.
* Insertion of internal splints. A skilled urologist can insert artificial splints inside the body of the penis. With the simplest type of splint (which is just a firm rod), the man lifts the organ into a vertical position when he wants to have intercourse. There are more sophisticated (and much more expensive) internal splints which you or your partner can inflate when you wish to make love. Some couples report being very pleased with these. But if anything goes wrong with the surgery – for instance, infection or bleeding – you could be in some trouble.
Summing up
Erectile dysfunction is usually treatable these days. However, it’s important to first establish what the cause is.
Very often, there are several causes, including both physical and psychological factors.
Commonsense measures will often help – for instance, cutting down on stress, alcohol or smoking, getting more sleep, or stopping any medications which interfere with erection. Your GP should assist you in these areas.
If he can’t, then talk to one of the organisations listed below.
Further help
The following can be helpful in various ways to ED sufferers and their partners:
The Sexual Dysfunction Association (formerly The Impotence Association) Tel: 0870 7743571.
Institute of Psychosexual Medicine Tel: 020 7580 0631.
Family Planning Association (fpa)/Sexual Health Direct Tel: 0845 310 1334.
Brook Advisory Centres For Young People Tel: 08000 185 023.
Relate Tel:0300 100 1234.
Relate Scotland Tel: 0845 119 6088.
Relate Northern Ireland (www.relateni.org) Tel: 0289 032 3454.
British Association for Sexual and Relationship Therapy (BASRT) Tel:020 8543 2707.
*** sourced by: www.netdoctor.co.uk
Sex problems – who can help us?
Question
I understand that you may view this problem as somewhat trivial or unworthy of a reply. I’m sure you receive a great number of questions. However, only a few minutes of consideration would be very useful. It is very difficult to share this matter with others.
My boyfriend and myself have been together for two years now and although the relationship is fantastic in most ways we have quite a big problem with sex. As my boyfriend is a little over a year younger than myself and has little sexual experience I did not expect sex to be instantly amazing. However, six months into our relationship we realised that the problem was a little more than his inexperience.
Erectile problems have now affected our relationship for 18 months and we are both finding it extremely stressful. Although I believe this stress will make things worse, my boyfriend strongly believes that the problem is physical. At the worst, we did not have intercourse for nearly two months. His body simply doesn’t seem to respond however much we both want it too and this is very frustrating, more so for my boyfriend.
If we were both 10 years older we probably wouldn’t question for a second going directly to a doctor, however, we are in our teens.
I feel that very few GPs would treat the problem sensitively or seriously, and that will just hurt my boyfriend more. Would it really be worth our while making an appointment somewhere?
I don’t believe that because we are young we do not deserve or understand a fulfilling sex life. Any serious suggestions would be much appreciated.
Answer
I don't think this problem is 'trivial' at all.
Your relationship has been badly affected by a clear-cut case of erectile dysfunction (ED), and this is causing you both a lot of stress.
It can be treated, as you can see from the article about erectile dysfunction.
You will see from this article that at your boyfriend’s age, it is rather unlikely that he has any physical problem.
I note that you live somewhere in West Yorkshire. In that area there are some youth advisory clinics that deal with sex problems in young men and women.
However, I suggest you (or rather your boyfriend) begin by ringing the Brook Advisory Service for Young People on 08000 185023.
Good luck!
Yours sincerely
Dr David Delvin, GP
** source:www.netdoctor.co.uk
H1N1: vaccination, oui ou non?
Jean-Jacques Crèvecoeur ne se fera pas vacciner contre la grippe A(H1N1). Il remet en doute l'efficacité de cette mesure. De passage à Joliette, le 30 octobre, ce physicien a exposé les raisons motivant son choix. Au cœur de son argumentation: le Québec n'est pas en situation de pandémie.
«Oui, 27 personnes sont décédées de la grippe A(H1N1) dans la province, mais environ 1 500 personnes meurent de la grippe saisonnière chaque année. C'est pour cela que je dis qu'il n'y a pas de pandémie», soutient le conférencier.
Il accuse l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) de «trafiquer les chiffres» et d'inclure des cas de grippe ordinaire dans le nombre de cas répertoriés. «On nous ment», dit-il.
Mais s'il ne compte pas se faire immuniser contre le H1N1, c'est d'abord parce qu'il ne croit pas aux vertus des vaccins.
«La vaccination n'a jamais été efficace contre la grippe saisonnière. Si on compare le nombre de gens qui sont malades et qui ont été vaccinés par rapport à ceux qui n'ont pas été vaccinés, on réalise que le pourcentage est le même.»
M. Crèvecoeur va jusqu'à qualifier de «mensongères» les déclarations des représentants de la santé publique, qui assurent que le vaccin contre le H1N1 est le moyen de prévention le plus efficace.
«C'est criminel de dire qu'il n'y a pas de problème. Ce vaccin comprend un adjuvant extrêmement dangereux. Les études démontrent qu'une fois dans le corps, le mercure s'attaque au système nerveux et empêche le cerveau de faire des connexions.»
Le conférencier ne demande pas pour autant aux gens de ne pas se faire vacciner. Mais il les invite à bien se renseigner.
Il croit qu'adopter une bonne hygiène de vie est le meilleur moyen de se protéger contre le A(H1N1). «Il faut bien s'alimenter, faire de l'exercice, faire l'amour et s'amuser. C'est ce que je fais depuis 20 ans. Et je ne prends aucun médicament. J'ai entièrement confiance en mon système immunitaire», mentionne-t-il.
***Cette information juste pour partager. source : laction.com
What to Do With Free Time
All of us have different measures of success. For me, I knew I was thriving when I wasn’t working 50-hour weeks anymore. Not to say that a long week is extinct for me, but there aren’t as many of them.
The extra time is something I’m not used to. I watch people around me rush around and never seem to have time to do much. They complain about their overwhelming lives and I remember what that felt like. I’m busy, too, but I’m able to make more time for things that matter to me. This is partially because of the career I’ve carved out for myself.
While I wouldn’t say you have to learn to cope with having extra time, many freelancers have more time to pursue other things—and that can be awkward at first. Whether it’s because you’re getting more money to work less as a seasoned pro, or because you’re in between projects, you may struggle to make use of or comprehend having extra time. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’ve got a few extra moments.
Embrace extra time
Keep in mind that many people aren’t as fortunate as you to have extra time. Regardless of what you do with extra time, accept it as a part of freelancing. Whether you have time in between assignments, or you are earning enough money not to have to work a crazy amount of hours, having extra time is a gift. And because you were brave enough to enter the freelancing lifestyle, you deserve it. What you do with it can determine your attitude.
Don’t punish yourself
internallyI intend to beat myself up internally, saying silly things like “You must not be working hard enough if you’re able to take the afternoon off.” That’s totally untrue. Over time, I’ve learned to combat that silly talk by looking at the facts: I make enough money to live comfortably most of the time and I work hard at what I do. I’d never been around people who didn’t have to work themselves into the ground to make it, so I tend to want to measure up to that. Good news—you don’t have to. You can work a reasonable number of hours and use your extra time productively. You don’t have to feel guilty about it—not everyone needs to work 40+ hours a week!
Use your time wisely
I tend not to feel guilty when I take an afternoon off because I don’t have much more work to do, mostly because I do something smart with my extra time. Sometimes I relax or enjoy a hobby, and sometimes I take the extra time to catch up on work-related things. I can easily put off accounting, for example, so any time I think, “I don’t have anything else pressing to do today,” I remind myself that I can stay busy and benefit my business by maintaining my accounting records or continuing with my marketing campaign.
Get ahead
One of the most valuable things I do when I notice I have extra time is to do all the things career wise that I normally don’t have time—or make time—to do. For me, this means working on my book or sitting down to dream up a new magazine article query letter. These are work-related things I enjoy pursuing, but they often fall by the wayside because I am wrapped up in deadlines. If you’ve got some extra time, doing work-related things to advance your career is a great way to stay busy and get ahead. This wouldn’t include things like accounting or marketing—think of those other dreams you have yet to achieve and take steps to attain them when you’ve got some free time.
Give back
Now that you’ve got some extra time, why not give back to others? I started volunteering at our church for a children’s program. It worked perfect for me because I go there during the morning when other people are usually at work. I love being able to give back, especially when I know that others can’t due to their time constraints.
Relax
While I don’t think you should become a couch potato, there’s nothing wrong with taking some downtime. If you can take an afternoon—or a few days—off, why not? Take some time to recharge your batteries and your business is sure to respond in thanks.
What Men Want Sexually ???
Exactly what men want sexually is a mystery to women. You might be under the impression men just want sex, but there are specific parts men crave. If you're unsure of his sexual desires, fear no more: The following is a fool-proof list of what men want sexually.
Foreplay
1. Men want foreplay too; it just might be a different than what women want. Men are very visual creatures, so getting a good look at your naked body can constitute foreplay for him. If you're having sex, then he has obviously seen you naked, but allowing him to really study your body is different than getting a quick glance before sex. On top the visual, he will be turned on by your confidence. Keep the lights on and strip off your clothes, slowly and sensually. Run your hands along your body as you do, and have enough distance between the two of you so he can look but can't touch yet. According to Cosmopolitan.com, a sexy image causes a man's testosterone levels to rise, which increases his sex drive, and the longer he looks, the more turned on he will get.
Sex
2. One of the main turn-ons for a man is being able to pleasure you. No matter how good he might be in bed, he has no way of knowing what pleases you and what doesn't if you don't send him signals. Don't start screaming at him to do something different. Make sure it's clear when something feels good. When he is doing something you like, you can let him know by telling him to keep going or how much you love it when he does whatever he's doing. If you don't, then just remind him of another action that you do like. Tell him, "It feels so good when you ..." and finish the sentence with whatever it is you'd like him to do.
You will be surprised at how much it turns him on when you initiate sex instead of waiting for him, particularly if you do it spontaneously. A man often wants to dominate during sex, but sometimes he wants you to take charge. Instead of lying down on the bed and waiting for him to take the lead, push him on the bed and climb on top. Show him you know what you're doing and how to turn him on. And if you're on top, you can lean over him so your breasts are right in his face, and that's a perfect view.
After Sex
3. Because men often worry about their performance, it's a great idea to tell him how great the sex was for you. Even if he doesn't like to cuddle and talk after sex, he will appreciate the ego stroke. Try to be specific and tell him what turned you on the most, because that also gives him pointers for next time.