10 foods that will improve your sex life

Super-grub

10 foods that will improve your sex life

Dark chocolate

Scientists at the University Hospital of Cologne have found that dark chocolate reduces hypertension, which could help those men who may have trouble rising to the occasion. It’s the flavonols in the cocoa that promotes the production of nitric oxide, a chemical that helps penile vascular muscles to relax, improving blood flow and therefore good erectile function.

Ginger

Ginger is one of the oldest aphrodisiacs known to man. In one study male rats given ginger extract were found to have increased serum testosterone levels and increased testicular weight. It is possible that ginger could have a similar albeit mild effect on human testosterone levels. Infuse a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger in a mug of hot water as an alternative to tea.

Chilli

We all know that spicy foods get the heart pumping. It’s capsaicin, the compound that gives chillies their burn, that’s also a trigger for the brain to release endorphins - substances that, at high levels, can create a sensation of pleasure. Chilli peppers stimulate the nervous system, which can, in turn, accentuate the effects of sexual arousal. Introducing a phaal to the bedroom probably isn’t the best way to go about it though.

Peanuts

Peanuts can help keep our vascular system healthy, which ensures adequate blood flow to the genital region. Nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to lower artery blocking cholesterol. They also contain other heart-healthy nutrients as well, like magnesium, folic acid and zinc.

Pumpkin seeds

These seeds are packed full of zinc, which is one of the most important nutrients for sexual function and fertility (each ejaculation holds about 5mg of zinc). A Dutch study, published in Fertility And Sterility, found a combination of folic acid and zinc supplements increased sperm count by 74% in men with fertility problems.

Blueberries

According to a study conducted at the University of Texas Medical School at Galveston, insufficient amounts of vitamin C in a man’s diet can cause sperm cells to clump together known as agglutination, it inhibits maximum progression or movement of sperm. Blueberries contain high amounts of vitamin C to get those sperm swimming.

Popcorn

This food has the highest level of vegetable based arginine, which is the main component of the head or body of the sperm. Various studies have shown the importance of arginine for sperm count, sperm quality and motility.

Bananas

Bananas contain an alkaloid compound called bufotenine, which acts on the brain to improve your mood, self-confidence and your sex drive. The most beneficial part is just below the skin, so make the most of it by baking bananas and scraping the flesh from the skin. Bananas are also rich in B vitamins, which are important in the manufacture of sex hormones.

Oysters

There is a good reason why oysters are known for their aphrodisiac qualities, they are super high in zinc, which is needed for testosterone production. They also contain D-aspartic acid and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) compounds effective in releasing sex hormones such as testosterone and oestrogen.

Chicken

Maintaining high testosterone levels is important for all levels of sexual health and is fundamental to the production of sperm, fertility, erectile function and regulating desire and libido. Testosterone production is highly dependent on both zinc and B6, which are found in abundance in chicken.

Bride Accused of Murdering Groom Hours Before Wedding

A bride-to-be is charged with murder after allegedly stabbing her fiance just hours before the couple's wedding was to start near Whitehall, Pa.

Na Cola Darcel Franklin, 31, and her fiance Billy Rafael Brewster, 36, were planning to tie the knot at 10 a.m. on Saturday, but at some point during the night, Franklin and Brewster began arguing, Steve Luksa, first deputy to the Lehigh County District Attorney, told ABCNews.com.

In the heat of the argument, Franklin allegedly stabbed Brewster twice with a kitchen knife, police said.

"One of the stab wounds punctured his heart," Luksa said.

When police arrived at the apartment, shortly after 2 a.m., they found Brewster bleeding from chest wounds on the second floor landing.

He was transported to the Lehigh County Trauma center and pronounced dead at 3:24 a.m., less than seven hours before the wedding.

Luksa said the couple was not alone in the apartment when the stabbing took place. The couple's children, and extended family members were also present because of the impending nuptials.

Franklin was arrested and charged with one count of criminal homicide, Luksa said.

During her arraignment Saturday afternoon, Franklin told District Judge Donna Butler, "You got to check again," unable to comprehend that Brewster was dead, the Allentown Morning Call reported. She cried, rocked herself back and forth and eventually choked out, "I ... did ... not ... kill ... him ... on ... purpose."

She is being held in Lehigh County Prison without bail, Luksa said.

When Franklin told Bulter via the video conference arraignment that she wanted to go home, Butler responded, "You are not going home any time in the near future."

WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS ARTICLE? feel free to comment 

LATEST IN TOP 10 CARS

• IF YOU OWN A CAR, READ THIS

  These international driving routes will give your ride the challenge it deserves.

  
  

  
  
• 

  IF YOU DRIVE ANY OF THESE IN THE NEXT 3 MONTHS, YOU'LL HAVE A GOOD SUMMER

  Thought about replacing your Honda Civic with a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe? See where your summer ride can take you.

  
  

  
  
• 

  THE 10 SNOW-DEFYING CARS THAT'LL MAKE YOU LOVE WINTER

  This is how you cure seasonal affective disorder.

Read more: http://www.askmen.com/top_10/cars/#ixzz22yReW3ub

2012 Top Antivirus Rankings

Top Ten Antivirus 2012

Here is the list of the best antivirus and security software of all times. Among the top are BitDefender, ESET, Norton, F-Secure, Kaspersky, TrendMicro, AVG, Avira, Zonealarm, Panda security and more. We will be running comparisons between different versions of the same security software, for eg., 2011 version vs 2012 version. We will be also comparing between the capabilities of different security software, for eg., BitDefender vs Norton. Based on the performance of various different antivirus security software, we will give them scoring. The factors on which we will score antivirus software: Speed, stealth, detection, link scanning, removing virus, updates, blocking bad websites, blocking phishing attempts, technical support and lots more factors. These are the antivirus programs we will be testing to come up with our top ten antivirus list:
Top Ten Antivirus 2012

1. BitDefender Antivirus 2012
2. McAfee Antivirus 2012
3. Kaspersky Antivirus 2012
4. ESET Antivirus 2012
5. Norton Antivirus 2012
6. F-Secure Antivirus 2012
7. Vipre Antivirus 2012
8. TrendMicro Antivirus 2012
9. ZoneAlarm Antivirus 2012
10. Panda Antivirus 2012

Other Antivirus Programs

Avira Antivirus 2012
Avast Antivirus 2012
Avanquest Antivirus 2012
G Data Antivirus 2012
Webroot Antivirus 2012
PC Tools Antivirus 2012
Comodo Antivirus 2012
CA Antivirus 2012
Norman Antivirus 2012
AVG Antivirus 2012
Sophos Endpoint Security 2012
Quick Heal Antivirus 2012
Microsoft Security Essentials 2012

Top Ten Antivirus Ratings

Most of these antivirus software have been tested extensively for their performance. The old versions have received ratings based on the performance to quickly detect viruses from infected systems and stop new viruses from infecting the computers. There is a very strong criteria that will be used to provide points to various antivirus software 2012. Another interesting factor that we are considering is the antivirus coupons, we will give scores to antivirus software companies that offer discount coupons from time to time. Although this is not a major factor, but many users value coupons because it is a good way to save money on security software. Although this factor will not inflate the original ratings, we are including it only to help people save money. These are the factors that will contribute to the scoring:

Speed: When it comes to computing, speed is an important aspect that we can't neglect. It has been reported that some antivirus software are much slower in comparison to other antivirus software. Which means, some antivirus programs slow down a computer. Computer users (specially gamers) like using antivirus software that does not degrade the performance of a computer system. They enjoy using the fastest antivirus software.
Stealth: Many viruses and spyware are designed to deactivate antivirus programs so that they are not detected. Antivirus software should quickly detect such a threat and stop the virus from harming the system files. Those antivirus software will receive higher score that can not only defend against known viruses but also protect a computer system from new and unknown virus and spyware.
Detection: A good antivirus program will quickly detect infection and will take the necessary steps to quarantine the infected files in order to stop the virus from spreading to other system files. Only if security software has the capabilities of detecting infection, it can stop a virus/spyware. So this is a major aspect of security software. Many poorly designed security software cannot detect all forms of threat. However, only those antivirus software will be included in our top ten antivirus 2012 list that are capable of detecting all sorts of threats.
Technical Support: We will also provide scores depending upon the type of technical support and customer service provided by the antivirus software manufacturer. Only those programs will receive higher ratings that are bundled with quality support. We will also count on the type of support available: phone, chat, email, etc. When your computer system is infected with virus, spyware or other forms of malware, you need quick assistance. That's when you need to contact someone who is technically equipped to assist you. Based on the quality of technical support, scores will be provided to various security software and hence will win a rank in our top ten antivirus 2012 list.
Price: Antivirus software should not be too costly, it should be reasonably priced. We will be comparing the price of antivirus software and will be providing scores based upon how cheap is the antivirus software. The cheapest and the best antivirus 2012 will receive higher rankings. People love saving money, so the cheapest antivirus software will receive higher scores.

These are some of the major factors we will be using to rate the best antivirus software of 2012. We will also include other factors like real-time scanning, frequency of updates, blocking phishing attempts, link scanning, IM protection, parental lock and lots more factors. However, we will majorly focus on the 5 key-points mentioned above. Based on these factors, we will provide our lab test reports that will show you which antivirus software is best for your computer in the year 2012. Most antivirus manufacturers will release their 2012 antivirus software sometime in May or June this year. If you have any questions or suggestions about this report of top ten antivirus 2012, please leave your review below by leaving a comment.

Top 10: Ways To Show Confidence With Body Language

They say a picture is worth a thousand words; now picture yourself, approaching a woman or a prospective client, walking into a board meeting or a party. How do you look? What message do you communicate the moment you walk into a room? What are your eyes, hands and shoulders saying? What information can people gather about you before you ever say a word? Never thought about it? You should. And you can start by perusing our top 10 tips to show confidence with body language.

People read your body language, often via instinct and without thinking. It’s because our poses and postures are a great source of information. They reflect our mood and our confidence level. We stand and walk a certain way when we’re confident and another way when we’re nervous. In a glance, most people can discern if we’re apprehensive or outgoing, relaxed or aggressive. With a little practice, we can learn the tips to show confidence through body language so that we always appear confident, capable and ready.

No.10 Avoid your pockets

The first tip on our list of the top 10 tips to show confidence with body language is to keep your hands out of your pockets. We put our hands in our pockets when we’re uncomfortable or unsure of ourselves. And as long as you have your hands stuffed down your pants, that’s how other people will view you.

Instinctually we tend to hide our hands when we’re nervous; keeping your hands out in the open indicates confidence and shows people you have nothing to hide. Also, recognize that putting your hands in your pockets encourages slouching, which isn’t good. As an alternative, try putting your hands on your hips; it’s a far more confident posture.

No.9 Don't fidget

Fidgeting is a clear sign of nervousness. A man who can’t keep still, is a man who is worried, tense and certainly not confident. Your hands can be your worst enemies -- fight to keep them still and steady. You can definitely talk with your hands, but keep your gesticulations calm and under control. Also, when seated, avoid that rapid leg-vibration thing that some guys do (you don’t want to look like a dog getting his belly rubbed).

No.8 Keep your eyes forward

Keeping your eyes level might be one of the trickiest ways to show confidence in body language. When you’re walking anywhere by yourself, it often feels natural to lower your head slightly and watch your step, but this posture communicates to others that you don’t want to engage in conversation or interact. And if you’re not careful, you might get into the habit of doing it all the time. Keep your chin up and your eyes forward, even when you’re walking down the street by yourself. 

No.7 Stand up straight with your shoulders back

Standing up straight is one of the most important of our top 10 tips to project confidence through body language. It can be a challenge especially if you’ve been a sloucher all your life, but get over it. Standing up straight is perhaps the most important means of communicating confidence. Concentrate on pushing your shoulders back slightly when standing and walking. Nothing major, just a little. That one simple motion does wonders for your posture. Try it in front of the mirror -- you’ll be surprised how much more confident it makes you look

No.6 Take wide steps

A confident man will never be described as “scurrying,” “creeping” or “sneaking,” so pay attention to the way you walk. If you want to show confidence with body language you want to take large steps. Wide steps make you seem purposeful and suggest a personal tranquility, which denotes confidence in a man.

No.5 Firm handshakes

Another of our top 10 tips for showing confidence with body language has to do with the firm handshake. There are few things worse than reaching out your hand during an introduction and getting a palm full of dead fish. Don’t be that guy. Instead, grip the other person’s hand firmly and confidently. If shaking hands with someone you’ve already met, you might even consider the two-hand grab: placing your free hand on the other person’s elbow adds warmth and enthusiasm to the handshake. Just don’t get carried away. A handshake is not a contest. Don’t try to crush the other person’s hand and don’t hold on too long

-->

No.4 Proper grooming

Imagine yourself walking into a room, maybe there are lots of beautiful women there or maybe the room is filled with respected colleagues. Now consider your appearance: four days' worth of scruff, bad skin, hair crispy and pointy like a Backstreet Boy’s. The point we’re trying to make is that grooming is an essential component of communicating confidence through body language. You want your hair, face and even your smell to work for you, not against you. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new products to find the ones that work for you.

No.3 Smile

Confident people smile because they have nothing to worry about. Try this as an experiment: smile at someone as you pass them on the street or walking around the office. Chances are good that they’ll smile back. Now wouldn’t you like to have that effect on people all the time?

No.2 Don’t cross your arms when socializing

Crossing your arms is a protective posture. We do it when we’re cold, nervous or on guard. Think of those big, burly nightclub bouncers, crossing their 26-inch pythons while standing guard at the door to a club. Do they look like guys you want to talk to, joke with or work with? No, right? Their job is to look intimidating. Your job is to look likeable, open and confident. So relax a little and keep your arms uncrossed.

No.1 Use contact to show appreciation

The pat on the back is a lost art. Don’t be afraid to pat a buddy or a colleague on the back when he or she delivers a perfectly timed punch line or nails the big presentation. Most people aren’t freaked out by a hand on the shoulder and they’ll likely be appreciative of your sign of affection and respect

 

Ways to Build Email marketing that can be profitable

Email marketing can be profitable for any business, no matter what kind of product or service you offer. It is significantly cheaper than other advertising methods and, if done right, helps build loyalty and trust with customers. As a result, you generate more sales and more profits!

The foundation for successful email marketing is a targeted, permission-based email list. Marketers call contact lists their 'goldmine' because it can generate much of their sales revenue. If you've built up a list of opt-in subscribers that are qualified and interested in what you have to offer, then you've completed the first step and are on your way. Now it's time to 'mine' for gold!

Below you'll find several list-building and retention ideas that will help you get the best results from all your email marketing activities:

1. Provide useful, relevant content. Your visitors will not give you their email addresses just because they can subscribe to your newsletter free of charge. You have to provide unique and valuable information that will be of interest or use to them.
2. Add a subscription form to every page on your website. Make sure it stands out so it is easy to find. If it doesn't look cluttered, you may want to include more than one on some pages. For instance, if your opt-in form always appears in the top-left corner of your site, you may want to add one at the end of your most popular articles.
3. Add subscription forms to your social media pages. Make sure that you don't waste this valuable source of revenue opportunities. Integrate your sign-up forms with Facebook and more!
4. Make it easy for readers to sign up. The more information you request, the fewer people will opt-in. In most cases, a name and an email address should suffice. If it's not necessary, don't include it here. You can always survey them once they're customers! We do recommend that you provide a link to your Privacy Policy however.
5. Publish a Privacy Policy. Let your readers know that they can be confident you will not share their information with others. The easiest way to do this is to set up a Privacy Policy web page and provide the link to it below your opt-in form. (Note: If you don't have one, put the words 'privacy policy generator' into a search engine and you should be able to find a suitable form to use.)
6. Provide samples of your newsletters and Ezines. This lets potential subscribers review your materials before they sign up to determine if it's something they'd be interested in.
7. Archive past newsletters and articles. An online library of past newsletters and articles is both appealing and useful to visitors and builds your credibility as an authority. In addition, if your articles are written with good SEO techniques in mind, they can increase traffic to your website through enhanced search engine positioning.
8. Give gifts subscribers can actually use. Offer an opt-in bonus for joining your subscriber list! Write an ebook or provide a PDF business report, or even hire a programmer to create downloadable or web-based software. But don't limit yourself to offering gifts to opt-ins. Give them out when your readers fill out a survey, provide a testimonial, success story, or a great product idea. Let them know when they can expect the next gift offer. Everyone likes to get something for free! And if you pass out 'goodies' throughout the year, your subscribers will feel truly appreciated − and that's good for business!
9. Ask your subscribers to pass it on. Word of mouth is a powerful viral technique that works great with email marketing. If your subscribers find your content interesting, amusing or informative, they'll probably share it with their friends. This can be a great source of new customers, so make sure to remind them to 'pass it on'.
10. Let others reprint your newsletter as long as the content is not modified. If you're happy to share your content with the universe, then why not! Many webmasters and newsletter publishers are actively looking for high-quality content and, if they reprint your newsletter, you'll get new subscribers, and more traffic and links pointing to your site.
11. Include a 'Sign Up' button in your newsletter. If you're using plain text instead of HTML, be sure to provide a text link to your subscription page. You may feel that this is not required because the subscriber is already on your list, but remember that readers will forward your newsletters to others, or reprint them online. Make it easy for them to subscribe!
12. Add a squeeze page. A squeeze page has one goal − to acquire opt-ins and build your list. Think of it as a mini-sales letter to go along with your subscription or opt-in gift. It should feature a strong headline and a couple of powerful benefits that should make subscribers salivate to sign up! Once created, use a service such as WordTracker to find hundreds of targeted keywords, and promote your offer using pay-per-click advertising from Google, MSN and Yahoo. Now that should make a splash!
13. Include testimonials on your squeeze page. This is crucial. Put one or two strong testimonials from satisfied customers on your squeeze page. This can be in any format, but you may find that multimedia (audio or video) is more 'believable' and inspires more people to action. To further enhance believability, get permission to use actual customer names, locations and/or urls (Don't use 'Bob K, FL'). Add a note inviting others to participate. After all, it's free publicity!
14. Blog religiously. Blogging is a great way to communicate with prospects and potential customers, and creates a nice synergy with your email marketing. Be sure to include your newsletter sign-up form on each page of your blog. You can start a free blog at Blogger or WordPress.
15. Post on other blogs. Post thoughtful comments and information on similar blogs with a link to your squeeze or opt-in pages. Also comment on others' blogs through trackbacks. In most cases, your comments will be posted on their blogs with a link back to your site. This is an easy way to generate new traffic and subscribers, and get your brand out there!

    
    

    http://www.getresponse.com/index/mckez

Why Men Lie

WHY MEN LIE TO WOMEN

Shutterstock

"79.3% of guys mislead girls when it comes to money, jobs and their income." 

For centuries, women have been trying to figure out why men constantly lie -- especially in the courtship phase. A new study by a dating coach/pickup artist website PUA Training has finally got the answer. (Or an answer. It's not exactly a Harvard study.)

Apparently, a staggering amount of men lie about their financial stability in order to appeal to the opposite sex. The figures show that 79.3% of guys mislead girls when it comes to money, jobs and their income.

Even if the numbers are a little bit skewed since that site's demographic is mostly males who need assistance, the reality is that many men think along these lines. Males love to embellish, brag and exaggerate who they are because they believe that material things impress women -- even though bombshells like her, her and her continually state they are looking for more authentic qualities.

The good news is that most of the men in this study admit they don’t like the deceit. 67% would rather tell the truth if they felt it was good enough.

Welcome to reality. Women use makeup to embellish their looks and men use lies to embellish their image. It’s not right, but it’s just the way the game is played.

Early Signs Of Workaholism

Workaholic

It's Saturday night and you're at home… working. This would normally be the time to sip a few cold ones and share some good times with friends, but not anymore. Ever since that big promotion, you've decided that work has to come first. Working at home isn't that bad every now and again, right? Wrong. Once it becomes a regular routine, you might be unknowingly starting a new career as a workaholic.  

"Workaholic" sounds like a buzzword for office overachievers, but in today's competitive workplace, workaholism is an all-too-common problem that is characterized by an addiction to work. Just like any dependency, it's a serious cause for concern for the workaholic, their immediate family and their friends. The boss might think that a workaholic's long hours and superhuman work ethic are great for business, but that's often not the case.  

The greater the workload, the more damage you can do to your social life, your health and your emotional well-being. If you think that being a workaholic is honorable, think again. In the long run, it will hurt your career more than help it.

Are you a workaholic? We decided to take a closer look at the warning signs and what you can do to stop them in their tracks.

Working Outside The Office

Symptoms

When the workday ends for everyone else, yours continues. It might be an evening, a weekend or even a vacation. It doesn't matter, because if you're not doing at least some work, you'll feelbored and unproductive or, worse yet, worried out of your mind that you're not doing more work. Believe it or not, working past quitting time will hurt your productivity and your overall performance. It's also a health risk, as it can trigger numerous ailments (you don't need more headaches), make you tired and evoke a general feeling of isolation.  

Solution

If you're constantly working at home, you need to reclaim your peace and quiet and give your office space the boot. It's easier said than done, but you can start by keeping track of how many work hours are being put in at home. From there, formulate a plan to gradually lower them. Don't rush. Take small steps, such as not working on specific days, but be prepared for some bumps and bruises along the way. Just like kicking the toughest of bad habits, choosing to cut down on work will induce some withdrawal symptoms in the early stages. Depression and anxiety are some of the most common afflictions, but even with short-term setbacks, you and your body will be better off in the long run.
 
While you're dealing with these changes, take a trip to your doctor for a full physical. Ensure that you've got a clean bill of health and then make physical activity, sleep and a healthy diet the staples of your daily routine. When you're planning your next vacation, make sure that it doesn't involve work. Vacations shouldn't be complicated by business. Your relaxation time comes first.

Never Fully Disconnecting From Work

Symptoms

You might not be at your office around the clock, but most of your time is still based around work. Your important clients and coworkers all have your cell number when they need you. Your laptop is never out of sight, in case you need to log in at a moment's notice. It might feel like you're only making yourself available, but work is now taking priority over everything else. When that happens, you won't make the time for extracurricular activities that are important for you to enjoy.    

Solution

If you're maintaining a 24/7 connection with work, it's time to change your subscription and add a few new lifestyle channels. That means making the time for new and satisfying activities that will energize your mind and body -- not just your Blackberry typing skills. Even better are hobbies that will add diversity to your overall lifestyle. If your work keeps you inside and mostly stationary, your new hobbies should take you outside -- taking on jogging or golf as regular activities would certainly do the trick. The key is to pick something that you like, so that you can balance your lifestyle with the right mix of work, relaxation and fun.

To maintain this balance, you might also seek out a counselor or psychologist. Often, fresh ideas and an ear to listen can provide a steady, healthy outlet for healing. Furthermore, if you're feeling less "tuned in" to the office on your off-hours, it's a good thing. Don't feel guilty. Your new disconnection from the office will only serve to strengthen your abilities when you're back on the job.

Know when to pass on the work and switch off...

Refusal to delegate tasks

Symptoms

In your drive to succeed, you start to believe that you are the best person for any task that's sent your way. Because you want as much glory as possible, you will take on an abundance of work, and shun the participation of anyone else. Not only can this make you difficult to work with, but the long-term effects of not delegating will leave you with bad organizational skills and little time away from work. Instead of working with confidence in a positive environment, you could be stuck with an increased fear of failure and numerous sub-par working relationships. Don't expect another promotion.   

Solution

Your refusal to delegate can change if you take a big-picture approach to your choices and communicate properly at work. Don't try to do everything that's pushed your way. Plan your work around your life goals, and not the other way around. Think about where you want to be and how you really want to spend your time. Burning out won't do you any favors, so work within your means. If you're a consistent contributor without trying to steal the spotlight, your professional reputation and long-term value certainly won't suffer. If your goals are attainable, you won't feel the need to overcompensate.

One of these goals should be maintaining solid relationships with your coworkers. If there are a few relationships that need to be mended, it's up to you to make it happen. Strive for social interaction and regular communication with these people. Be willing to work together and be open to new ideas. In addition, if you can take short breaks to relax and collect your thoughts, you'll communicate more effectively and you'll be a lot more approachable. In time, a refusal to delegate will give way to a desire to work practically and an appreciation for working collectively.

constantly talking about work

Symptoms

It might be your friends, it might be your wife; if someone's willing to listen, you're more than happy to talk about work as much as possible. Maybe it's another project or a boss you dislike -- either way, you have to talk about it. While a little bit of work chatter is certainly allowed, you aren't actually paying attention to the people closest to you. Your relationship isn't with them, it's with your work, and the people in your life are turning into accessories. By harming your personal life, you are only encouraging yourself to keep working, especially when you push away the ones who care about you the most.

Solution

The topic of work might matter to you, but it's not necessarily popular with everyone else. Your friends and loved ones want you to be happy, but you need to give them their due attention as well. That starts with recognizing the affect that work is having on your conversations and intimate relationships as a whole. As with other addictions, an honest awareness of your problem goes a long way. Be honest and ask your family and friends for their feelings on how your work issues are affecting them. It won't be an easy conversation, but it will be a step in the right direction.

Giving your loved ones the proper attention isn't just about talking. It's also about spending time together. If you're in a relationship, set aside at the very least 30 minutes every day to talk, listen and enjoy each other. In case you're wondering, work isn't on that list of topics. If you're more inclined to spend time with your friends, do just that and engage in regular social outings. Make a point of surrounding yourself with positive people. It will give you happier thoughts and better things to talk about besides work.

balancing act

A perfect life balance for some might mean steady work, steady relationships and steady health. Certain people are more adept at balancing than others and when it comes to work, it's easy to let your mind and body get lost in the shuffle. The allure of a new job and a challenging workload might sound attractive on paper, but as you climb up the corporate ladder, don't forget to take care of yourself along the way. Otherwise, you could lose everything else in the process.

Breakthrough in HIV

MEDICINE

Breakthrough: A new drug that could cure everything from colds to HIV

Our most powerful antibiotics can kill many different kinds of bacterial infections at once, but we're still searching for a single all-purpose drug that kills viruses. We may have just discovered it.

Technically speaking, any drug that is used to treat a virus is known as an antiviral, and we use them to treat HIV, hepatitis, and certain flu strains. But those antivirals all have to be very specifically designed to take down one particular virus. The situation is even worse for vaccines, which don't exist for some diseases (and aren't practical for others, like the common cold) and need to be constantly redesigned to remain effective against evolving viral strains.

Creating a single antiviral drug that could kill lots of different viruses is a longstanding dream of medical researchers. Beyond all the obvious benefits of such an honest-to-goodness wonder drug, an all-purpose antiviral would give us a much better chance of fighting back against outbreaks of exotic viruses like SARS and swine flu. As a minor but still rather nice bonus, it could also be that long awaited cure for the common cold.

According to MIT research scientist Todd Rider, we're closer to such an antiviral than ever before. He's developed a drug named Draco, which he says has successfully vanquished 15 different viruses in lab trials on mice and human tissue. Those viruses include a quite literal murderer's row: dengue fever, polio, the swine flu, and the particularly nasty Ebola virus. And, yes, the common cold has also been tested, and Draco was able to get rid of it as well.

So how does Draco work? According to Rider, it combines his backgrounds in engineering and biology, wiring together a pair of proteins. The first protein detects that a virus has entered a cell, which triggers the second protein. In turn, that protein acts as a kill switch, destroying the infected cell to cut off the spread of the virus. That sacrifice represents a grimly practical solution, and so far, it seems to be working.

This is a seriously intriguing result, but there's some room for skepticism here. One cautious voice is that of Cambridge researcher Leo James, whose own antiviral research involves supercharging the immune system. He points out that Rider's results are highly unusual, and as such needs to be replicated by scientists elsewhere before we have a really good understanding of what's really going on here.

Either way, even though Rider has already put Draco to work on human tissue, that doesn't mean we're ready for human testing. There's a long road ahead for this drug, which will require tests on multiple rounds of larger animals before it's ready for human trials. Because viruses and human cells become so closely intertwined during an infection, it can be hard to control for all the side effects of an antiviral.

A good example of this is interferon, which was hailed a potential antiviral wonder drug back in the 1950s. Interferon works by detecting infections and sending signals to other cells to build up their defenses in preparation for an attack. The problem is that the drug also sends white blood cells racing to the infection. That's great news for more serious infections like hepatitis, for which interferon is still used today. But for more mild infections, like a cold, the inflammation, fever, and pain caused by the interferon cure is worse than the virus itself.

Draco has some similarities to interferon - they're both protein-based, which means Draco could also provoke an immune response. According to Rider, there's been no immune response so far in the mice who have received the drug. That's good news, but it may not directly correlate to the experience humans would have with the drug.

If Draco or one of the other antivirals works out, it would change the face of global health overnight. The ability to cure minor infections like the common cold could save people from a few days each year of ill health - which across an entire population would add up to a vastly more efficient workforce. And, looking even more broadly, the existence of an all-purpose antiviral would do a lot to reduce the health scares caused by new viral outbreaks, equipping us with a ready-made tool for the next big pandemic.

MEDICINE

Breakthrough: A new drug that could cure everything from colds to HIV

Our most powerful antibiotics can kill many different kinds of bacterial infections at once, but we're still searching for a single all-purpose drug that kills viruses. We may have just discovered it.

Technically speaking, any drug that is used to treat a virus is known as an antiviral, and we use them to treat HIV, hepatitis, and certain flu strains. But those antivirals all have to be very specifically designed to take down one particular virus. The situation is even worse for vaccines, which don't exist for some diseases (and aren't practical for others, like the common cold) and need to be constantly redesigned to remain effective against evolving viral strains.

Creating a single antiviral drug that could kill lots of different viruses is a longstanding dream of medical researchers. Beyond all the obvious benefits of such an honest-to-goodness wonder drug, an all-purpose antiviral would give us a much better chance of fighting back against outbreaks of exotic viruses like SARS and swine flu. As a minor but still rather nice bonus, it could also be that long awaited cure for the common cold.

According to MIT research scientist Todd Rider, we're closer to such an antiviral than ever before. He's developed a drug named Draco, which he says has successfully vanquished 15 different viruses in lab trials on mice and human tissue. Those viruses include a quite literal murderer's row: dengue fever, polio, the swine flu, and the particularly nasty Ebola virus. And, yes, the common cold has also been tested, and Draco was able to get rid of it as well.

So how does Draco work? According to Rider, it combines his backgrounds in engineering and biology, wiring together a pair of proteins. The first protein detects that a virus has entered a cell, which triggers the second protein. In turn, that protein acts as a kill switch, destroying the infected cell to cut off the spread of the virus. That sacrifice represents a grimly practical solution, and so far, it seems to be working.

This is a seriously intriguing result, but there's some room for skepticism here. One cautious voice is that of Cambridge researcher Leo James, whose own antiviral research involves supercharging the immune system. He points out that Rider's results are highly unusual, and as such needs to be replicated by scientists elsewhere before we have a really good understanding of what's really going on here.

Either way, even though Rider has already put Draco to work on human tissue, that doesn't mean we're ready for human testing. There's a long road ahead for this drug, which will require tests on multiple rounds of larger animals before it's ready for human trials. Because viruses and human cells become so closely intertwined during an infection, it can be hard to control for all the side effects of an antiviral.

A good example of this is interferon, which was hailed a potential antiviral wonder drug back in the 1950s. Interferon works by detecting infections and sending signals to other cells to build up their defenses in preparation for an attack. The problem is that the drug also sends white blood cells racing to the infection. That's great news for more serious infections like hepatitis, for which interferon is still used today. But for more mild infections, like a cold, the inflammation, fever, and pain caused by the interferon cure is worse than the virus itself.

Draco has some similarities to interferon - they're both protein-based, which means Draco could also provoke an immune response. According to Rider, there's been no immune response so far in the mice who have received the drug. That's good news, but it may not directly correlate to the experience humans would have with the drug.

If Draco or one of the other antivirals works out, it would change the face of global health overnight. The ability to cure minor infections like the common cold could save people from a few days each year of ill health - which across an entire population would add up to a vastly more efficient workforce. And, looking even more broadly, the existence of an all-purpose antiviral would do a lot to reduce the health scares caused by new viral outbreaks, equipping us with a ready-made tool for the next big pandemic.