Here is exactly what you can get from generous servings of honey:

• Natural energy source

If downing cans of energy drinks is not your style, you can use honey to replenish your energy whenever you need it the most. It contains more calories than sugar, and easily converts into glucose which you need to sustain your energy levels. Even those with very sensitive stomachs can easily digest honey.

• Healthy weight loss

You may be alarmed by the fact that honey contains more calories than sugar, but it actually helps in digesting body fat. Mixing honey with warm water will do the trick. You can also mix it with lemon juice or honey for a yummy weight loss beverage.

• Natural antibacterial and antifungal agent

Honey is known to help in treating wounds. Various researches show that honey has the ability to deodorize smelly wounds and stimulate wound tissues, which result to faster healing process. In July 2006, BBC reported that the Christie Hospital in Manchester in planning to use honey to speed up the recovery of cancer patients after their surgery.

• Beautiful skin

Honey is one of the most reliable skin enhancers that you can use. To get the most out of its soothing abilities, mix a generous portion of honey with milk and drink it every morning. Others even use the mixture as face mask, and lots of women even mix oatmeal with the milk and honey to get beautiful, glowing skin.

There is no cure for diabetes at present, but people afflicted with it can still live as healthy as they can if they follow the following tips in controlling their blood sugar:

• Exercise regularly, which means everyday

Increase insulin resistance by exercising for about 20-30 minutes daily. Missing a workout session can lessen a person’s resistance to insulin. To make sure that you’ll never miss a workout, choose routines that you love doing the most.

• Gorge on cinnamon

Mind you, there is no need to buy expensive, specialty shop versions. Cinnamon found in supermarkets will do. This delicious flavoring is known to improve one’s insulin sensitivity. Consuming lots of cinnamon can keep your blood sugar levels in check.

• Avoid sports drinks

True, those sugary energizers can restore your energy levels, but if you’re a diabetic, pass up on the Gatorades. Drink water instead.

• Munch on sunflower seeds or pumpkins seeds for snacks

They are way better than junk food and can fight insulin resistance, because of the high levels of magnesium contained in the seeds.

• Take the appropriate supplements, such as alpha lipoic acid

Alpha lipoic acid is a great nutrient that can help regulate blood sugar levels. A diabetic is recommended to take 300 milligrams of the nutrient daily.

Majority of us harbor secret (or not-so-secret) attractions towards colleagues in the office. A lot of people will tell you that it’s not wise to mix business with pleasure, but sometimes we just couldn’t help it; the prospects of having a thrilling affair with somebody from the workplace is just too thrilling to pass up. Before you get hot and heavy with an officemate, here are some basic rules that you should remember.

• Make sure that office relationships are not against HR policies

There are offices who do not allow their employees to date each other, and with a good reason; they’ve seen too many office relationships gone sour which lead to conflict between the parties concerned, which affected their work. Get to know your company’s stance on office relationships before risking your job and reputation.

• Do not use office resources/premises for romantic exchanges

Do not even think of sending naughty messages or pictures using the office e-mail. Not only this is inappropriate, it can also leak and get into the hands of the wrong people, which will definitely be very embarrassing for you both. PDA in the office is generally frowned upon, so it’s best to keep your hands to yourselves while you are still clocked in. And no, do not use any of the office rooms for quickies; getting caught this way is more humiliating than getting your e-mails exposed to the whole office. Expect to be fired after doing such stunt.

• Maintain a professional attitude towards each other

Just because you are an item does not mean you should display your affections towards each other in the office by calling cute names and cuddling each other in front of everyone. Keep it professional while both of you are in the office premises. It’s best to keep a casual distance from each other until you have already clocked out.

• Keep a low-profile

Restrain the urge to give your colleagues a blow-by-blow account of your relationship. This will help just in case things don’t work out between the two of you. Your other officemates won’t have much to gossip about, and can make things tension-free even with the circumstances.

• Be confident

Being an expert flirt takes a whole lot of attitude. Be confident of what you’re doing and do not hesitate, but don’t overdo the confidence bit either. Being timid will not get you anywhere.

• Learn how to start a conversation

After working up the courage to flirt with someone, the next thing that you should learn is how to start a conversation effectively. No pickup lines please; women especially can tell the difference between a genuine conversation starter from a cheesy pickup line.

• Learn to listen

After getting the other person’s attention, it’s important to be able to listen to whatever he or she is saying. Nothing turns people off than talking about yourself non-stop and not listening to what the other person is trying to tell you. Make eye contact while talking; this will make the other person feel that you are genuinely interested in what he or she is talking about.

• Compliment without sounding fake

It’s easy to say the obligatory “You look really nice tonight” but it’s hard to mention it without sounding fake. The trick is to steer away from the generic compliments and focus on the really good qualities of the person you’re with. This way, you will sound really genuine when you give a compliment.

A woman usually sports a beautiful diamond ring when she is engaged to be married. The huge rock on her left hand came courtesy of the man who wishes to spend the rest of his life with her. Diamonds are definitely a girl’s best friend, and most of us have to wait to be engaged before we can get to wear a gorgeous diamond on our finger, or so they lead us to believe.

Today’s strong and independent women will have none of that old-fashioned approach towards pricey blings. Lots of single women nowadays are buying their own expensive beautiful rings and wearing them on their right hands – they don’t need men to buy one for them, thank you very much. A right-hand ring is more than just an expensive accessory; it’s a symbol of independence, strength and style. It’s an assertion that a woman does not need a man to get what she wants; she can buy her own ring, using her own money, and she doesn’t care about her single status.

Aside from the fact that left-hand rings are for engagements, what is the difference between a right-hand ring and a left-hand ring?

Right-hand rings do not focus on a single stone as its main design. Unlike the left-hand ring which usually has one big stone in the center, a right-hand ring has many diamonds that form an intricate design around the band. Also, right-hand rings can be made with high quality stones such as moissanite and cubic zirconias instead of real diamonds. This does not lessen the significance of wearing a right-hand ring.

For independent women who can afford to buy her own diamond jewelry, a right-hand ring is the best accessory to show the world what they are made of. The right-hand ring proves that any woman, no matter her status, can take care of herself.

Having hybrid dogs, also called designer dogs, is one of the hottest trends among canine lovers nowadays. Those who are torn between two different but equally adorable dog breeds will have their issues resolved by getting a hybrid dog. The hybrids came to be known as designer dogs partly because Hollywood celebrities have joined in on the mixed breed craze. Some of the celebrity hybrid pooches strutting around the red carpet include Teddy, blogger Perez Hilton’s goldendoodle, and Daisy, singer Jessica Simpson’s Malti-poo.

So what’s behind the huge demand for hybrid dogs? Here are some of the advantages of getting hybrid pooches instead of their purebred counterparts.

• You can customize the mix of your dog. Before, breeders were only concerned about getting the best Doberman stud for their female Dobermans. Now, they can actually mix and match two different breeds to produce a new kind of dog. Mix a Pug with a Poodle and you’ll get a Puggle. Combine a Maltese and a Yorkshire terrier and you’ll get a Malkie. And the list goes on.

• Hybrid dogs are perfect for people with allergies. Since majority of the designer dog breeds are mixed with poodles, they tend to shed less hair than the purebreds. Lots of designer pooches are considered “hypoallergenic dogs.”

• Genetic defects are lessened when it comes to hybrid dogs. The main motive between crossbreeding dogs is to reduce the hereditary problems from each breed and retain their appealing traits. Thus, hybrid dogs are said to be more healthy and amiable compared to purebreds.

Designer dogs also have its set of disadvantages. One, they are actually more expensive than purebreds, which is the reason why you usually see designer dogs in the arms of celebrities. Two, lots of hybrids tend to be unpredictable, given the mix of traits coming from two different breeds. But generally, hybrid dogs are considered good pets, and if you have the budget for it, then you should get your own adorable Puggle or Goldendoodle.

Loyal Axl Rose fans are rejoicing the release of the much-awaited Chinese Democracy, but the Chinese media is not too happy about it.

A newspaper from the Chinese Communist party has criticized the album, regarding its contents as an attack on the Chinese nation. The paper commented on the record’s title track, which reportedly made reference to the Falun Gong meditation movement, a group banned by the Chinese authorities.

China is known to exercise heavy censoring over music, films and publications, and limits the number of foreign movies and recordings that can be shown publicly in the country. The restriction is made not only for political reasons, but also for the protection of local film and music producers.

It is not yet known whether the album will be banned completely in China. Chinese Democracy has been officially released in North America on November 23, 2008 and has gotten great reviews. Rollingstone magazine gave it a four-star rating.

Chinese Democracy is the latest Guns n’ Roses’ album since 1993’s The Spaghetti Incident. Infamously known for its numerous delays, Chinese Democracy reportedly took 17 years to make, owing to the exodus of majority of the band’s original members and frontman Axl Rose’s much-celebrated attitude problems. Although no official statement has been released regarding the band’s breakup, new members have replaced original guitarists Slash and Duff McKagan. The present lineup now includes Tommy Stinson on bass, Chris Pitman on keyboards, Richard Fortus on rhythm guitars, Ron Thal on lead guitars, Frank Ferrer on drums and original member Dizzy Reed on piano and keyboards.

The album also generated great publicity courtesy of beverage company Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, which, in mockery of the record’s never-ending release problems, announced last year that it would give each person in America a free can of soft drink if Chinese Democracy actually comes out in 2008. Recent reports confirmed that the beverage giant intends to make good on its promise, and will give away coupons for free drinks for those who will go to the Dr. Pepper website.

After a tumultuous year of hair-shaving, crotch-flashing, family struggles and a historically disastrous performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, Britney Spears is back in a big way with the coming release of her highly-anticipated album, Circus. The album will be out in stores on Spears’ birthday, December 2. Jive Records already gave Britney fans a taste of Circus, as previews of the tracks are already available on New York radio station KTU’s website, as well as on Amazon.com.

Circus is Spears’ album after last year’s Blackout, which was released during the height of the media frenzy over the pop star’s personal problems. Circus is proof that Spears had already recovered from the troubles of last year, and for the album, she teamed up with top producers which include Max Martin, Bloodshy & Avant and Danja. Danja was the man responsible for Gimme More, one of Spears’ hits from Blackout, while Bloodshy & Avant produced her 2003 hit Toxic.

The album’s first single, Womanizer, was released to radio stations on September 26, and soon made the top spot at the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s video garnered great reviews, which showed a naked Britney back in shape, and looking hotter than ever.

Rollingstone.com already gave Circus a favorable review, saying “Britney may have left the psych ward, but on Circus, she proves she’s still a freak. The clubby, adventurous pop on her sixth album — her first since getting committed and losing custody of her kids — would have made a fine follow-up to 2003’s In the Zone.”

The star is said to be planning a concert tour to promote the album.

• Wash your hands regularly

Viruses can be easily exchanged through hand contact, and viral infections are the most common causes of asthma attacks. Washing your hands regularly will help eliminate the viruses that you will get from touching doorknobs, elevator buttons or currency bills. This should be done especially during the rainy season, where cold viruses linger on just about everywhere.

• Open the windows everytime you cook

Smelling the pungent odors that come from the kitchen can be another cause for an asthma attack. The smoke that rises from your frying pan or the stinging smell when you chop garlic and onions can irritate your breathing further. To avoid having an asthma attack while cooking, open the windows in your kitchen to let the smoke out. It’s better if you have an exhaust fan to drive away odors out of your kitchen.

• Reduce the amount of dust mites in your home

One interesting fact: dust mites dwell on our dead skin cells, not on dust. Since we shed millions of skin cells a day, dust mites can be a common trigger for asthma. They can’t be totally eliminated, but they can be lessened. To do this, you must wash your beddings and towels regularly. Fabrics have to be washed in water at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit to kill all the existing mites. To make your beddings more mite-free, you can put them in covers that are made to protect your mattresses and pillows against dust mites.

• Give your pets a bath at least once a week

Hairy pets and people with asthma don’t go well together, but if you must have your pets, the least you can do to prevent them from giving you an asthma attack is to give them a regular bath. This will remove the dander (materials that fall off from animals and can trigger allergic reaction from humans) from your beloved dog or cat and will make them smell a lot better too.

• Eat lots of fish

Enjoy mouth-watering seafood dishes and help ward off asthma attacks. Dine on sumptuous mackerel, salmon and tuna at least two times a week. These fishes contain omega-3 fatty acids which help make the body resistant against inflammatory disease such as asthma.

• There is absolutely no more carnal chemistry between the two of you. As in, you wouldn’t jump into bed with him even after you’ve had a few drinks too many.

• You’re absolutely cool with hearing him talk about the new girls he had been hanging out with.

• You can talk to him about your problems without wishing that you’re back in his arms again.

Ditch him NOW if…

• You still get into jealous rage everytime you hear he’s dating someone else. Heck, just the thought of him being friendly with another female can actually send you into emotional overdrive.

• You have to lie to your friends and tell them that you’re really NOT seeing him on the sly, even though the opposite is true.

• You still think about him everyday, every minute, as long as you’re awake. And you dream about him when you’re sleeping.

• There is an excruciating pattern of the two of you breaking up and getting back together, over and over again.

There’s nothing wrong with being friends with an ex, really. But the thing is, can you handle it? Getting back into a platonic relationship with someone you’ve been intimate with especially for the longest time is a mighty feat, and not a lot of people, men and women, can actually do it without encountering some issues. Don’t hesitate to bid the ex sayonara if you think that’s the best thing to do.