Five Ways to Ruin Your Feet

We'd like re-introduce you to some folks you may not have seen for while. And you many not like what you see.

Fashion friend: Meet your feet. You know, the ones that have been wrapped up in socks and boots all winter. The ones you have neglected, ignored and abused. How have you been hurting them? Let us count the ways, and offer some help:


1. The wrong shoes
Cheap shoes, uncomfortable shoes, or shoes that don't fit won't just give you aching feet– they could create serious medical problems that last a lifetime. So choose your shoes carefully – the wrong footwear can leads to stress fractures, plantar fasciitis (swelling of the tissue at the bottom of your feet), or hammer toes or bunions.

Some ground rules: the heel should be firm and the shoe shouldn't bend or twist. "Look at your foot, look at your shoe. If they don't resemble each other, you shouldn't be walking around in them," says Dr. Johanna Youner, a New York City-based podiatrist.

Bad news for ladies who love their Louboutins: Five-inch heels may be okay for a party or a date, but they're certainly not for every day. "Stilettos are gorgeous and everybody loves the way they look in them, but to wear them to walk around is not the best way to go," Dr. Youner says.


2. Perils of the pedicure
A pedicure may be relaxing - and a great way to get winter feet looking presentable again -- but an ingrown toenail will certainly stress you out. Germs picked up during a pedicure can lead to an ingrown toenail or an infection.

If that happens, don't go back to the salon, says Dr. Youner – see a podiatrist before it gets worse. A good rule of thumb is to choose a salon where the foot-soaking tub is either disposable or removable, says Dr. Youner, because a lot of infections may originate in the plumbing.

It can't hurt to bring your own tools, either – and even if they're yours, clean them before you head out. And when in doubt, apply some Bacitracin to your feet when you get home.

3. Yoga mat yuck
Forgetting your own mat when you go to yoga may cost more than a $1 mat rental fee – yoga mats are notorious for spreading plantar warts.

Sweat creates the humid atmosphere in which warts flourish, and that combined with a shared mat can add up to plantar warts or athlete's foot.

"I would be reticent to take my own socks off in a yoga studio, not because I'm accusing anyone of being dirty, just because it's very human to transmit warts," says Dr. Youner. So bring your own mat, or pick up a pair of yoga socks – Gaiam's No-Slip Yoga Socks are a popular choice – and lose yourself in your practice.

4. Beware of moisture
Foot scourges like athlete's foot and plantar warts thrive in water – so you should do your best to keep your feet protected and dry. If you take a shower after your workout at the gym, try to remember to bring flip flops with you.

But even if you don't, don't despair: You can wipe your feet down with a little alcohol to make sure all is clear, says Dr. Youner.

When you're wearing shoes, make sure your feet stay dry, she urges. "The best protective thing is just to put some cornstarch in your closed shoes," says Dr. Yourner. "It protects you from all sorts of things that can break down your skin." This is especially important with boots.

5. Running a risk
Yes, exercise is good for you; but repetitive actions can hurt your feet, especially if you're not wearing the best footwear. Dancing – particularly in ballet toe shoes (See: Black Swan) is particularly hazardous for your feet, so dance with care.

Running, too, which causes the foot to be repeatedly pushed into the heel and toe, can cause bleeding under the nail. If that happens, the toe won't grow back normally – ever.

This is a common problem podiatrists see around marathons, says Dr. Yourner. If this (or any of the above foot problems) does happen, she urges, see a podiatrist as soon as possible. "Don't let your injury get to the point where the nail falls off," she warns.
Source: stylelist

Couple Sex in the 21st Century

Having a partner can be an exhilarating and bonding experience. An active and loving sex life is an essential part of any relationship. How your sex lives begin together can shape your whole relationship and be a rich source of wellbeing. Over time, it is easy to fall in a rut and take couple sex for granted. This is increasingly true today, when there are so many distractions and demands on our time.

New couples may have an initial discomfort at revealing themselves naked before their partner. Perhaps the first few times there is such a flurry of activity that this goes unnoticed. A short while into a sexually active couple's time together, there will be moments of standing around completely naked. A transformative sex life together allows and welcomes this naked time. It is easy to fall in to a sense of shame and desire to cover up. Being able to stand, revealed, before your lover is a liberating experience and charges the air with a new bout of sexual passion.

This confidence fosters a greater sense of wellbeing in yourself and is extremely energizing to your partner as well. The freedom to be naked together feeds your creativity and allows you both to explore sex together more deeply. Move past the images of unattainable beauty as shown by advertising and tv. Being naked together lets you see and appreciate the splendour of your partner's body. Loving and being sexually attracted to your partners body for all its shapes and uniqueness enriches the loving bond between you.

Keeping the mobiles out of the bedroom declares that this is serious you time. Couple sex can transport you both into your own little world, outside of time. This is the freedom of being, not doing. Sex is a form of communication and together you can open up whole new ways of getting to know and love each other. Avoid distractions that draw you out of your collective bliss.

Sex can be so enjoyable that we rush into repeating the same variation every time in order to return to those sensations you both loved. At times, this can be great as you practice your own sexual moves and learn new ways for your bodies to talk. But other times, it can detract from the joy if it becomes soul-less and just a way to go through the motions until release. Being available for sex with your partner spontaneously, using toys, dressing up, or changing locations keep things spicy. Our brains are used to a richer set of stimulation outside of the bedroom, so having a range of ideas and aids helps keep a sex life fresh.

VALENTINO GARAVANI

Valentino Garavani was born in Voghera, a town just north of Milan, Italy, on May 11, 1932. As a young boy, Valentino had an eye for the finer things in fashion. He had custom shoes made and loved to wear cashmere sweaters. At age 17, he moved to Paris and began his first job working in the design department of Jean Desses. In the early 1960s, he started his own company in Rome.
In the fashion world, Valentino is a well-known and respected designer. He designed the wedding dress for Jacqueline Kennedy's marriage to Aristotle Onassis in 1968. He was chosen to design the Italian athletes' uniforms for the 1984 Olympic games. Valentino received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2000 American Designer Awards in New York. Valentino's style signature is one of lavish elegance, often marked by his love of the color bright orange-red. Followers of his designs, called "Val's Gals," are usually very wealthy women who desire to showcase their status. Thanks to his "Gals," Valentino is now a multi-millionaire and is celebrating his 40th anniversary in the fashion business.
Collection

The Makings of a Real Spa, SPA 101

From downtown Miami to the great spaces of southern Africa, from tiny atolls in the Maldives to the foothills of the Himalayas and from the jungles of northern Thailand to the middle of the Pacific Ocean there is a spa waiting to envelop, pamper and caress the careworn, the stressed and the seriously tired. Each more luxurious than the last, each offering a panoply of treatments which have been plundered from across the globe.

Spa 101 You can get a lomi lomi massage thousands of miles from its native Polynesia, acupuncture and tui'na from Chinese medicine can be enjoyed from Africa to Italy, while shiatsu from Japan, shirodara from India and lulur from Java can be found in any spa worth the name between Florida and France. And it continues with new therapies deriving from the ancient lore of the aboriginals, the plants and stones from Native Americans, and the traditions of Indonesian royals as well as state of the art treatments from the laboratories of the major American and European beauty houses.

Into this great melting pot of spa ingredients come the practitioners – the masseurs, the facialists, the manicurists, the crystal healers, the doctors and the chiropractors, the yoga gurus and the dance masters, the life coaches and the acupuncturists – all, every single one of these people, these traditions, ingredients and therapies, geared to helping some of the most over-indulged people ever, to feel better about themselves, about their bodies and about their lives. For this more than anything accounts for the great growth of spas – the real need people have to escape the strains of modern life to chill-out and relax.

In an over-stretched, over-stressed world the greatest luxury of all is time. Time for yourself. Choosing an island, an hotel, an escape with a spa is literally giving yourself permission to use that time. Spas provide refuge and offer repair.

In a world where more and more people live alone either through choice or circumstance, spas provide a safe haven where they can relax and not feel out of place, where they can surrender to the healing power of touch. People who live alone do not have the same opportunities of touch as those who live with partners and families – witness how the elderly who are on their own constantly stroke their hands or arms, remember that new born babies can die if they are not held or touched.

Touch is powerful, it soothes, heals and comforts. A pedicure can put a smile on someone's face not just because the callouses have been removed, but because that person has been massaged and touched. The divorced and the widowed, the vulnerable and the lonely can find solace in a place which is devoted to serenity and wellbeing, and this helps the healing process.

But most important, spas are fun – they are also legal, sexy and don't make you fat.

They are a sybarite's paradise. The thought, time and money spent on them is nothing if not lavish – silk walls, satin cushions, soft lights, scented candles incense, cashmere wraps, slippers, sarongs, organic foods and juices. How can anyone not feel better under such a plethora of pleasure inducers. (If only they could learn to can the music – unless of course the guest has a penchant for panpipes, humpback whales or seagulls. Silence, they might well remember, is the best sound of all).

Spas are often in the forefront of hotel excellence in design and service and mostly they are situated in some of the most beautiful places on earth. They pamper and spoil, they soothe and smooth – they indulge our every whim.

10 Ways to Have Better Sex, According to Science

You can try all the positions you want, or you can call up the world's foremost sex doctors and ask them for their one surefire trick in the bedroom. And then the positions get better.

Tell Her She Looks (and Tastes) Great
"It's been proven that women who feel confident about the appearance of their genitals are more open to different kinds of sexual activity, and are more likely to orgasm because they feel relaxed... When a man goes down on his partner, he should be enthusiastic, tell her how beautiful she is and how great she tastes. Don't treat it like a chore." —Debra Lynne Herbenick, Ph.D., Indiana University, Kinsey Institute

Use Your Ears
"The only difference between a gigolo and a regular guy is that a gigolo listens to what a woman wants in bed. So, ask. I would also advise that you to ask her while not in the bedroom — raise the discussion while out walking or doing some other casual yet intimate thing together."
—Dr. Helen Fisher, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University

Touch Her Everywhere (with Oil)
"Sensual touching releases a powerful sex hormone called oxytocin, which increases a woman's testosterone levels and ignites her sex drive. The seductive silky feel of oil being rubbed on skin is a turn-on for more passionate sex — for both of you."
—Carol Cassell, Ph.D, former president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, Western Region

Bring the Kitchen into the Bedroom
"Arginine is the basis for Viagra, so men should stick with foods high in it — such as oysters, fish, and other lean proteins. Everything that's good for you above the waist is good for you below the waist as well: greens and beans; high protein/low-fat foods; and brightly colored fruits and vegetables, high in antioxidants. The Standard American Diet is ... a detriment to performance."
—Lynn Edlen-Nezin, Ph.D, co-author of Great Food, Great Sex

Take Your Time Undressing
"There is a degree of manipulation when it comes to the amount of neurotransmitter released... Looking at a nude picture will trigger a quick and strong release of dopamine and possibly oxytocin, but it fades quickly... Let her work for it a little; she'll enjoy the prolonged neurological orgasm more."
—Andrea Kuszewski, Behavior Therapist and Consultant, Boston, Massachusetts

Take a Shower
"There's no proven human pheromone to make you irresistible... So, until one is found, wash well — you can have too much of a good thing. (But why not leave a worn T-shirt at her house? It will keep you always in her mind.)"
—Dr. Tristram Wyatt, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford

Create a Mood — Turn the Lights Down
"For women to get aroused, parts of their brains associated with stress and anxiety need to de-activate, according to neurological studies in the Netherlands. If women aren't relaxed, they're not going to enjoy sex. So dim the lights and share a fantasy. A Harvard study found that when you hug a woman longer than thirty seconds, it increases her oxytocin levels and anticipation of sex."
—Ian Kerner, Ph.D, FAACS, author of She Comes First: the Thinking Man's Guide to Pleasuring a Woman

Sit Back and Relax
"Find out what position of intercourse is most stimulating to her — it's usually woman on top, facing away, also known as the reverse cowgirl. The angle of the penis through the anterior/front wall of the vagina stimulates the area of the G-spot."
—Beverly Whipple, Ph.D, Professor Emerita at Rutgers University and co-author of The Science of Orgasm

Don't Worry So Much — Intercourse Isn't Everything
"If you're thinking, 'I hope it works! I hope it works!' it's not going to work. Take penetrative sex off the table for a month — do everything but that. Avoid making intercourse the be-all/end all. In most cases, once men stop worrying about it, it starts working. You can definitely stress yourself out of a boner."
—Emily Wentzell, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Iowa

Get Her Pregnant (On Purpose)
"If you're trying to impregnate your wife or girlfriend, stop thrusting immediately after ejaculating. The shape of your penis... was designed by natural selection to work as a retraction device, removing competing males' sperm from your female partner's vaginal tract. So if you keep going at it after you've achieved orgasm, you're basically disadvantaging your own reproductive success."
—Jesse Bering, Ph.D, director, Institute of Cognition and Culture, Queen's University, Belfast