Health and Physical Fitness

Here are the top twenty time-tested healthy habits that have survived for centuries to increase the quantity and quality of our life.

1. Eat mostly plants.

(Have meat as a side dish instead of the main dish)

2. Put family first.

(Time with family is priceless)

3. Take a walk.

(Our legs are meant to move us, so move)

4. Drink a glass of red wine daily.

(It's been a practice for centuries, it must be good)

5. Reduce and manage stress.

(Stress kills, so avoid it or deal with it)

6. Have a purpose.

(Be excited when you wake up each morning)

7. Get outdoors.

(We came from nature, go back for a visit)

8. Be grateful.

(Appreciate what you got and you will get more)

9. Have fun.

(Do things that you enjoy)

10. Maintain a healthy body weight

(Move more, eat less)

11. Get regular exercise.

(Push and pull heavy things)

12. Love and laugh

(Preferably both at the same time)

13. Snack on nuts

(The most nutrient dense food in the world)

14. Give something back.

(If you want to get, you have to give)

15. Eat a large breakfast.

(Your mother was right...again)

16. Eat a medium lunch

(It's a lunch break, not a lunch buffet)

17. Eat a small dinner

(Enough eating already)

18. Drink plenty of water.

(It's the basis of all living things)

19. Sleep when it's dark.

(There is a reason why we can't see in the dark)

20. Learn new things.

(You live, you learn)

Facebook security fears after 'private details of 100m users leaked to web'

The personal details of more than a fifth of Facebook’s estimated 500 million users have been “leaked” to the internet by campaigners highlighting its “terrifying” privacy fears.


The list, which has been published in a downloadable file, contains the URL of every searchable Facebook user’s profiles, their names and unique ID.

Campaigners warned the list, published on “Pirate Bay”, the world's biggest filesharing website, affected more than 100 million users on the social networking site.

On Wednesday, the list was rapidly spreading across the internet being distributed and downloaded by more than 1,000 users, the BBC reported. One user described the list as "awesome and a little terrifying".

But its publication provoked concern from privacy experts who said it proved Facebook’s “confusing” privacy settings were still apparent.

But the company defended its privacy settings and denied any “private data” had been made available or comprised, saying the information was already available.

Last week Facebook reached 500 million members – the equivalent of connecting with eight per cent of the world’s population. If it were a country, its 500 million members would make it the third-largest country in the world.

The list was “leaked” to the site by Ron Bowles, an online security consultant, who reportedly used a simple piece of code to collect the data from the site.

He told the broadcaster that he published the data to highlight privacy issues.

Simon Davies, of Privacy International, a campaign group, said:"Facebook should have anticipated this attack and put measures in place to prevent it," he said.

"It is inconceivable that a firm with hundreds of engineers couldn't have imagined a trawl of this magnitude and there's an argument to be heard that Facebook have acted with negligence.”

He added: "This highlights the argument for a higher level of privacy and proves the case for default nondisclosure.

"There are going to be a lot of angry and concerned people right now who be wondering who has their data and what they should do."

In a statement to the BBC, Facebook said the list’s information was already freely available online.

"People who use Facebook own their information and have the right to share only what they want, with whom they want, and when they want," a spokesman said.

"In this case, information that people have agreed to make public was collected by a single researcher and already exists in Google, Bing, other search engines, as well as on Facebook.

"No private data is available or has been compromised.”

He added: “It is similar to the white pages of the phone book, this is the information available to enable people to find each other, which is the reason people join Facebook.

"If someone does not want to be found, we also offer a number of controls to enable people not to appear in search on Facebook, in search engines, or share any information with applications."

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and chief executive, has said he believes the company has got its privacy settings right “on the whole”.

The site recently faced a storm of international protest over its over-complicated privacy settings, which users said led them unwittingly to make personal information public.

It forced the social networking site to announced last month that it would “drastically simplify” the controls that let users set how much of their personal information is visible to other users.

5 things to avoid when wanting the 'ex' back

Trying to get back with your ex-lover and wondering why s/he is keeping a distance? We list out some mistakes you may be making

Ok, so you’re still passionately in love with your ex even though you’ll have decided to end things. And despite all your efforts to get him or her back into your life, it feels like you’re pushing them further away? You may just be making some of the classic ‘getting back’ errors.

Here are five things you should avoid doing:

1. Beg to be taken back:
Pleading for another chance is not going to earn you any brownie points, we can assure you. Incase your ex is still carrying a grudge against something that you may have said or done, excessive begging is only going to irritate him/her even further. We must warn you here that calling or messaging excessively, keeping a tab on the other persons moves, turning up at the most unexpected places and making a scene to be taken back and making everyone know that you want to get back is not going to help your cause in any way. Instead, your ex will actually start looking for ways and means to keep away from you and that’s not something your want happening.

2. Apologise profusely for everything :
Saying sorry for the mistakes that you’ve made is a good way to start making amends. But do not go overboard. Taking all the blame on yourself and profusely apologising for anything and everything may be mis-interpreted as a sign of weakness — that you are willing to go to any extent whatsoever. Hence, incase an apology is called for, give a heartfelt one and keep it short and to the point. Do not go on whining about the same thing for days on end, more than helping you patch up, it may end up irritating the other person even more. Instead, once you’re done apologising, take time out to remember the good times you’ve spent together.

3. Try to convince them that you are the love of their life :
Okay you were once the most-talked-about couple, but remember, you have broken up. S/he may have met or may be getting close to someone else. Calling up your ex-flame constantly and desperately trying to convince them that you, and only you, are the love of their life may make him/her resent you even further. What you need to do instead is talk and explore all the possibilities of getting back together. Discuss what it is that you loved about each other and what were the irritating habits.

4. Try to get them to see that it ‘wasn’t really your fault’ :
Unless it’s a mutual decision, when a relationship breaks up, there’s always one person who takes the rap for it. Ironically, in some cases, it may not even be that person’s fault. Sounds familiar? If the answer is yes and if you are making all efforts to get your ex-lover to see the reality and s/he refuses to, stop right there. As mentioned earlier, instead of making him/her see reason, you may end up angering them even more.

5. Promise to change (what he/she didn’t like about you) for good :
Unless you promise to break a bad habit, be aware and careful about what you’re promising your ex that you are going to change about yourself. Change is not easy and keeping a promise, especially when you’re trying to get back in a relationship, can be a tough commitment. If broken, it could indeed spell the end of your efforts.

10 Reasons Women Need Their Girlfriends

Every woman has done it, and every woman has had it done to her—the minute you start a new relationship, your girlfriends are pushed to the back burner. But no matter how wonderful the man, it's unlikely he'll ever replace that much-needed time with friends, whether it's bonding over the season finale of The Bachelorette or a heart-to-heart over coffee. After all, says Carmen Renee Berry, MSW, coauthor of Girlfriends: Invisible Bonds, Enduring Ties, women (much like men) speak their own language. But more than that, our girlfriends are the family we choose for ourselves. Below, a few reasons—some silly, some serious—why we'll always need one another.

1. Shopping
If you want to share the experience of shopping with someone, says Berry, rather than have someone follow you around, bring a girlfriend. Plus, no matter how wonderful your partner is, he will never grasp why the choice between red alligator and red patent leather pumps is oh-so-important. Photo by Shutterstock.




2. Group Therapy
Whatever issue you're facing (relationship, work, general breakdown), there's no better fix than the unique perspectives of your friends. Plus, Berry says, "You don't have to explain much for a group of girlfriends to know exactly what you mean." Photo by Shutterstock.




3. Bethenny Getting Married—or Any Reality TV Show
No matter how hard we try to change their minds, men have long deemed our guilty pleasure intolerable. But that's OK. Your man doesn't have to have all the same interests as you. Instead, use it as the perfect excuse to get together with your friends on a regular basis. Photo by iStockphoto.




4. Girls Night Out (or In)
Whatever the evening's events, sometimes even just the pre-party can ignite the insightful, rejuvenating conversation you didn't even know you longed for. Plus, just being in the presence of a group of people who love, support and complement you can give you a sense of playful freedom, often bringing out a side of you that you forgot was there. Photo by Shutterstock.




5. Venting
Boys will be boys, and sometimes their can't-read-your-mind responses prompt the need to commiserate. On the other hand, sometimes they deserve a round of applause—and nothing serves as a better reminder of how lucky in love you are than a sigh from your girlfriends as you recap his most recent romantic gesture. Photo by Shutterstock.




6. Sex and Body Talk
You may have a question your boyfriend or husband wouldn't know the answer to, Berry explains. Not to mention, somewhere deep inside, you want your love interest to continue seeing you as the goddess he did when you first met, which might make discussing your most recent yeast infection a bad idea. Photo by Shutterstock.




7. Dance Therapy
When there's no holding back, dancing takes on a whole new realm of possibilities. And, while there are plenty of perks to getting down with a group of super-fun guys, there's nothing like getting your groove on with ladies who won't care how sweaty you've gotten by the end of the night. Photo by Shutterstock.




8. For the Truth…When Nobody Else Will Give It to You
Ultimately you want friends who make you feel good about yourself, but it's nice to be able to ask a question and receive an honest response—whether it’s regarding those unflattering low-rise pants or that boy who will never fit in with your family. But Berry warns, "The point of constructive criticism is to improve the life of your girlfriend—not to be a ruse for trying to make her change." Photo by B2M Productions/Getty Images.




9. Because They Can Relate To You
You need people who, for better or worse, have been through what you've been through. After all, wisdom derives from experience. But either way, ladies tend to listen, explains Berry, while men feel the need to solve a problem. When her garbage disposal broke, Berry says, "My girlfriend listened while I lamented, and I felt much better; my male friend showed up at my door with a new garbage disposal, which he promptly installed." Photo by iStockphoto.




10. To Be a Better Girlfriend
It’s important to do things separately—whether vacations, dinners, etc.—because you'll be a better woman, girlfriend or wife for it. A woman with her own network of friends will naturally be less codependent on her partner, which helps nurture a positive relationship. Plus, it's unrealistic to expect to get everything you need from one person all the time, explains Berry. Photo by Shutterstock.