Healthy Living by Kirstie_McIntosh

Is Cupid on strike? This February everyone seems to be single. As the red hearts and hideously oversized “love bears” go up in shop windows you can literally see passer-by’s shoulders sag. Everyone is getting more and more despondent about this forthcoming Valentine’s.

Here is my proposal if you are feeling blue about V. Day: find someone, be it hot guy / hot girl / top friend and make a plan. Make a back-up plan too, just in case the first one fails and if you’re feeling ultra neurotic, make a back-up, back-up plan.

If you need some pointers on how to find said hot guy / hot girl then I’ve got a few secret tips up my sleeve:

Buy some food

Although eating your bodyweight in ice-cream may sound appealing, when I say buy some food, the intention is to scout for that lucky someone. When you go shopping make a bit of extra effort with your appearance – ultra-violet lighting is not flattering to the most flawless of beauties. When you’re shopping be aware of who is around you. If you catch the eye of a guy or a girl you like smile and hold eye contact with them. If they seem interested check out the contents of their basket; you can tell an awful lot about someone by their weekly shop.

Ditch the perfume

Although smelling like flowers, honey and all things fruity is great, perfume masks your own natural scent. Smell is key to deciding who you like and who you don’t like, so drop the perfume for a few days and see if it makes a difference to your love life.  If you really hate the thought of going without a dab or two, you could always use the body wash version of your perfume. It’s far more subtle.

Stare

We’ve all seen it in the films, that Lady and the Tramp moment when two eyes lock and love is bound to ensue. Unlike most things in cartoons, the love locked stare actually seems to have some truth to it. A psychologist from New York, Professor Arthur Arun, studied the dynamics of love. He found that staring into one another’s eyes has an incredibly powerful effect on people’s romantic relationships.  Professor Arun conducted a study where he asked complete strangers to reveal intimate details about their lives to each other. He then asked the pair to stare into each other’s eyes for four minutes. The couples revealed after the study that they felt a strong bond with the other participant – so much so that two even got married.

If these dating tricks don’t work or you don’t want to get entangled in yet another dating game, then listen to the girls from Sex and the City: "If you are single there is always one thing you should take out with you on a Saturday night... your friends". Spend Valentine’s Day with your friends and you’re guaranteed to have a top night anyway. Who needs the drama?

Going to the hairdressers has a certain irony to it. When your hair is dull, dry and dreary, you have to go into a salon that is full of people who literally love their hair. They have up-dos, down-dos and dos that defy gravity. And the colour; each stylist looks like a different coloured crayon–amber red right through to glossy black. And whilst these colour hoarders flit about looking chic, you sit enviously with your dog-eared copy of Cosmo and hair that has as much wow factor as a field mouse.

I may be being a little bit harsh, but there’s nothing like a dose of jealousy to make you feel dramatic. Anyway, whilst at my appointment I vowed that next time it would be different. Next time, I would have hair that shined like Jennifer Aniston’s and swished like Liv Tyler’s. Next time I would have Rapunzel tresses.

So, I’ve pooled together my resources and after a few cocktails with the girls I got them to spill their hair care secrets. Here’s what my new regime consists of:

Hair masks

Some shop bought hair masks are expensive and they can contain chemicals that are bad for you. So, to keep hair smooth and shiny, make avocados a part of your hair care routine as well as your regular diet.  Mash one up and apply directly to your hair as a moisturising, nourishing treatment. Be warned though, if you have thin or oily hair, don’t use this avocado mask before a big night out. Your hair can become pretty greasy looking after the mask and you’ll have to rinse it out a few times.

Luxury conditioner

I’ve been told that this luxury conditioner gets rid of dead ends, frizzy hair and makes your hair look golden and glossy. Take 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix the two together in a bowl. Apply to the bottom of your hair, or if you have damaged hair, apply all over. Then gather your hair up at the top of your head and wrap it in a warm, wet towel. Leave the conditioner on for 20 minutes, then rinse several times.

Hair cleanser

To keep your hair fresh use this cleansing lotion. Take one egg and beat it in a cup of skimmed milk. When the mixture becomes foamy, rub in into your scalp. Leave the mixture in for five minutes then rinse with water. You can also use a gentle shampoo to rinse it out too if you want to. My friend swears by this cleanser. She uses it twice a week and her hair is gorgeous.

As well as following these three fab tips, I’ve also promised myself that I won't wash my hair so regularly. I’ve been told that this will let it retain its natural oils and all-round goodness. Fingers crossed that my next visit to the hairdressers will be filled with a lot less jealousy.

An eerie whistle blows through my house. It is very, very quiet. Where is everyone? For the past ten days my home has been the victim of a shocking whirlwind called Christmas. I have not seen my walls in ten whole days. Everywhere you looked a small child was being dangled or jiggled. A gift-bearing figure lurked in every corner. And I swear I even saw a gaggle of relatives in my shed at one point. 

To say we had a full-house was an understatement. But I got so used to it that now I feel very uneasy about the sheer lack of noise. I head to the kitchen to rustle up a clatter. As I shift through my cupboards though, I literally cannot believe the carnage. There is so much leftover food. When people were here I flung food and drink at them. They couldn’t turn around without a glass of bubbly or a tasty treat being placed into their hands. Yet look at all of this?

There are crackers, chocolates, cheese. And more cheese. And more cheese. I’ve got turkey, ham, beef, and salmon. I’ve got so much alcohol I could open up a bar.  At this very minute thousands of shocked faces are staring into their cupboards, observing the crazy amount of food and drink that has been untouched.

So, to try to think of a useful way to use up all of this excess I’ve being doing a little research and have come up with my top three favorite ways to get rid of Christmas leftovers:

• At number one it’s got to be the food parcel. Lots of people box up food to donate before Christmas, but charities are still accepting food throughout the year.

• At number two you could get your craft-on and pop some of those left over chocs into a glass jar. Add a ribbon and voila; a thank you gift for someone.

• At number three it’s throwing a leftovers party. Okay, I realise this is not glam, or chic, or sexy, but most of us find January to be a pretty bleak month, so planning another little gathering is a great distraction and it saves your guests money.  Ask everyone to get thrifty and bring a dish that they’ve rustled up from their uneaten Christmas fare.

So, will you be joining me this year to rid your cupboards of Christmas leftovers? At least with a clear cupboard it will be a lot easier to stick to that January detox.

Christmas is the time for some good old fashioned romance. It’s the time when all guys seem to catch on to the fact that corny lines just don’t work. The cheese is swapped for mistletoe, fairy lights and washed down with a few cheeky baileys. Heaven!

At least, that’s what we hope will happen. The reality, as it often goes with Christmas, is typically somewhat different to this rosy image. Take the office Christmas party for example, there’s the cute colleague you’ve wanted to get with for months, but you just know that they’ll be talking to that idiot from the sales /finance/design/marketing team. Or else, the one you want is giving you the eye but you can’t get away from your boss blathering on about that big new deal they’re about to clinch. Sigh. 

This year, my gift to you is a few tips on how to get with your work crush for Xmas 2011:

Dress well

Firstly, you need to dress well. What you wear is important, especially to a works function because your colleagues have most probably only seen you in your work clothes. Find something you feel confident in and something that fits properly. Ladies, if you are looking to impress a recent study says that you should bare 40 percent of your body. Choose to go tight less and maybe opt for a cute little backless number? For the guys, make sure you shave, shower and wear red. Researchers found that women are more attracted to men who don red clothes.

Mimic them

Although dressing in black and painting your face white is not a good look (in any season), miming is an intrinsic part to getting with the colleague you crave. When talking to your crush be aware of how they stand, how they use their hands and when they sip their drink. Once you’ve watched them for a while, begin to subtly copy their movements. Do not mimic their every move though. If you can do this successfully they will think you have a strong connection. Go easy on the drinking if you’re going to use this as a pulling technique, one too many egg nogs will inevitably make you a lot less understated.
 
Strut your stuff

We’ve all seen a movie where a woman with out-of-this world legs walks slowly and seductively across a room, and men’s heads, like magnets, follow. In reality it turns out that examining a woman’s walk is an excellent way to judge whether she wants it. Ladies, if you’re looking to get under the covers stick to fluid movements, long strides and confident arm movements. Bare legs and heels will help you prefect this move. Guys, if you spot your girl moving in this way make sure she’s walking in your direction or say goodbye to your Christmas romance.

What do you think? Are you going to give these moves a go at your work do? If you’re not certain maybe this little nugget will sway you: half an hour of kissing could help you burn in excess of 30 calories.

Before I leave you, take a look at this video. It’s from the guys and girls aboard HMS Ocean, who went to sea for a seven week training exercise but ended up staying away for seven months:

Now that’s a Christmas party I’d love to be at!