Be careful when you fool around you might just fall in love.

Scientists have found that the same part of the brain which is stimulated by lust is also the part of the brain responsible for bonding and love.

In order to map out the location of sexual desire and love, researchers reviewed 20 studies that used fMRI technology. First, they looked at the regions of the brain that lit up when sparked by love. They then compared the findings of all the papers to see what regions were activated when someone felt aroused or amorous.
What they discovered was a bit surprising — love and sexual desire both activate the striatum, showing a continuum from sexual desire to love. Each feeling impacts a different area of the striatum.
Sexual desire activates the ventral striatum, the brain’s reward system. When someone enjoys a great dessert or an orgasm, it’s the ventral striatum that flickers with life. Love sparks activity in the dorsal striatum, which is associated with drug addiction.

If you need a little inspiration to hit the gym and define your abdominal muscles then the new film, “Magic Mike”, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Matthew McConaughey and Channing Tatum, might be just the ticket to get you off the couch and away from the carbs.

Personal trainer and registered dietician, Jim White, has some tips for getting rock hard abs just like the stars.

White says diet is the first step to turning yourself into a lean, mean, stripping machine.
“When it comes to losing weight and getting ripped abs and a flat washboard stomach, you need to control your portion size,” he says. “Most men eat big portions so they need to watch that. Plus they need to make sure their carbohydrates are at a moderate level and that they’re not white, refined or processed carbohydrates.”

Morning cardio and afternoon full body workouts, three times a week, should get you in shape in 5-6 months if you’re the average guy.

Extreme heat can be dangerous to your health.

Whether working outdoors or enjoying the sunshine it’s important to stay hydrated and to keep your body as cool as possible.

1. Hydration is key

Hydrating at frequent intervals is critical, rather than waiting until you’re at your maximum thirst.

“The minute you think you need a drink, stop and take the drink right then,” Byrne said. “If you don’t you’ll end up getting heat exhaustion.”
2. Drink cool – not cold – water

This distinction makes all the difference. Byrne described the sensation from drinking extremely cold water like getting a brain freeze from a Slurpee, except amplified.

3. Start early

If you’re working outside, make every effort to start before the sun comes up or at least before it’s reached its peak.

His company routinely starts work at about 5 a.m., and the crews try to finish up by 1 p.m., says Byrne.

4. Stay wet

If he notices that somebody has stopped sweating, Byrne recognizes it as the first sign of heat exhaustion. He’s experienced it more than once.

“No matter what that individual is doing, he needs to go sit in the shade, sip some water – just sip it, don’t chug it – and just get yourself off the roof and in the shade,” he said.

When working with metal roofing, Byrne said, he brings a hose up and douses himself with water to stay cool.

5. Dress strategically

Although the roofers are required to wear long sleeves, Byrne said he wears light colors to reflect the sun.

Even the color of your footwear is significant – Byrne said white shoes versus dark shoes could mean the difference between having cool feet and feeling like you have blisters.

Everyone knows that cutting down on salt is advisable. Men’s Fitness has a good article on the subject with 5 helpful tips. Here’s two of them:

– Always ask for the sauce on the side: For example, 1 tablespoon of Teriyaki sauce contains 1/3 of the daily recommended amount (1 tsp of salt). One portion of Chinese takeout often has over five times this amount

– Stay away from frozen meals: One Lean Cuisine has about 500 mg of sodium (about 1/3 of the daily recommended amount)

Check out the rest of the article for more, along with previous posts on low sodium diets.

If you’re looking forward to the upcoming golf season and are planning a trip to a luxury golf resort, you might want to think about whether you’ll be in good enough shape to really enjoy it. Many of us eat to much and do too little exercise over the holidays, so there’s a reason why people start thinking about fitness when they make their new year’s resolutions.

But think about how much golf you’ll be playing on a golf vacation, and you’ll want to get in shape before you go to maximize your endurance and also help your scores. Think about hitting the treadmill for endurance, and think about some weight training to get your muscles in shape.

Of course you don’t need to build serious muscles like Tiger Woods did. For the casual player that will probably hurt your game, as Tiger has professional help making sure that he also gets in the proper stretching so he keeps his range of motion. But strength can be very important, especially if you want to hit the ball well off the tee. Do some research and look for exercises tailored to golfers.

There are so many great golf trip ideas out there, from US masters golf packages to European travel to American golf holidays at spectacular courses. If you put the work in ahead of time, you’ll have so much more fun as you blast off on the tee shots and then keep your energy for the later holes. Get in shape and win the golf bets with your friends!