Kylie Jenner. Pic/Santa Banta 

As far as versatility goes, there aren't many clothing items that can contest with a good denim jacket. From cowboys in the early 20th century to urban commuters and Hollywood stars, the denim jacket makes for a durable yet a timelessly fashionable companion for everyone.

And as far as denims go, Levi's has forged a cult like image among consumers. Being the pioneer of the modern age copper-riveted jeans, the German immigrant-Levi Strauss founded company has been in the business since 1853. One of the most timeless of all denim jackets is the Levi's Trucker Jacket, which has been an indispensible wardrobe essential for stars and fashion-heads alike for years.

Just look at Emily Ratajkowski's casual airport appearance, or Lily Aldridge's recent denim jacket-styled look, as recorded by People, the jacket has been like an eternal go-to for the glam girls, fit for any occasion. 'This is Us' star, Milo Ventimiglia rocked his trucker jacket with a chambray shirt and navy pants, totaling in a neat look, proving that the denim jacket isn't restricted to be rocked by just the women of Hollywood.

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The Story Re-Spun, Raymond's Khadi Project fashion show, was held on April 4 at its flagship store at Breach Candy

The guests gathered at Raymond's Breach Candy store earlier this month for The Story Re-Spun, a showing of the menswear brand's latest line, had one question on their minds - how will the corporate professional accustomed to crease-free workwear warm up to whimsical, organic khadi? But the team at India's oldest fabric retailer knew they had pressed the right button when the campaign around their just-launched Khadi initiative clocked 15 million views in 30 hours on their social media page.

Raymond has launched the collection in association with young designers Gaurav Khanijo, Anuj Bhutani, Ujjawal Dubey and Alan Alexander Kaleekal, and their choice of textile is the "fabric of the nation", which they call universal, and one that transcends age and social barriers. The brand has used its fabric technology expertise to lend khadi, drape and wash-and-wear qualities. The silhouettes and prints which comprise the collection of suits, tuxedos, bandhgalas, bomber jackets, hoodies, shirts and kurtas, are modern and approachable. To complete the look, on offer is a range of khadi accessories - ties, pocket squares, cuff links and shoes.

Varanasi-based textile developer and designer Hemang Agrawal's

"The design and technical teams from Raymond worked extensively with clusters of khadi weavers from across the country for over 12 months to give the fabric a whole new face and form," says Gaurav Mahajan, President-Apparel Business, Raymond. Style observers see Raymond's move as one that seeks to give sustainable fashion a nifty edge, a trait often compromised in the drive to produce ethical fashion, and promote indigenous crafts. Fashion entrepreneur and consultant Sabina Chopra says, in the absence of labels offering appealing sustainable designs at reasonable prices to the young buyer, Raymond's model could be one to ape. "Collaborations [between designers and fabric manufacturers] could be the way forward if we are to impact purchase," she thinks.

Summer 2018 collection reimagined Benarasi textiles to make minis and box-pleated dresses, and used Tanchoi and Katarwan weaving techniques to create the houndstooth pattern

While the world over, sustainable fashion champions fair trade, local techniques of production, and reuse and upcyling, in India, an ancient tradition of craft has moved focus to the revival of textiles. That it is currently also a political talking point, makes it complicated. "In India, we stress on sustainable fashion from an aesthetic point of view, motivated by the revival of textiles. There's too much of one thing, without regard for price point, the young customer demographic, fit or design," feels Delhi-based designer Arjun Saluja. He is currently occupied with creating a collection from upcycled cotton, with a focus on minimum fabric wastage. And so, the sustainable cause is a subtle story behind the collection, not its central identity.

After showing at LFW S/R 2018, The Good Loom showcased its summer collection of casual menswear and sarees, designed with a special focus on ethical production and getting the right fit at ARTISANS' gallery at Kala Ghoda last week

Hemang Agrawal, textile developer and designer from Varanasi, agrees. "Shoppers buy basis design and style. The ethical credentials of a label come later," he says. Living in a city that's at the heart of the ongoing revival of Benarasi weaves, he speaks of fly-by-night designers jumping in to claim to own the cause.

Agrawal decided it was time to rewrite the script; one that tested the sprightly, dressy competence of time-honoured Indian weaves. Un-Revive, his summer 2018 collection, included modern-day essentials such as minis Mary Quant-would approve, trench and box-pleated dresses, maxis, cropped pants and palazzos. He pinned his interest on the sustainability mast by working with master weavers from his hometown to create tartan checks, polka dots, houndstooth and geometric patterns using the Tanchoi and Katarwan techniques. "Why can't handlooms be young?" he says, explaining the thought behind using one of India's oldest textiles to create plucky, young designs.

Chopra wonders why sustainable clothes are devoid of colour or refined cut. A chunk of craft practitioners focusing solely on revival of textiles are taking for granted the design element of clothing. "Hence, the final tailored garment tends to be weak on cut, giving us tent-like, boring clothes…who decided colour is not cool?" she says. Veteran designer duo David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore of A&T push the boundaries when the former says, "Theoretically, you could do anything with craft, even design a bikini or hot pants. The trouble is, designers are not intervening into developing their own textiles. Ideally, they should."

A&T made a compelling case for ethics-meets-aesthetics with the recent #SadakSmart collection. Encouraged by DIY countercultural streetwear trend, the range looked at indigenous shapes, such as the salwar, kameez, saree and ghagra, and tipped them in favour of teasing everyday styles using updated versions of sequined Chanderi, aari embroidery, and floral patterns inspired by the great Indian chintz.

Not so long ago, anti-fit fashion found its moment internationally, and India, a land of drapes, was more than happy. The unstructured silhouette became an approved form of anti-fit, and handloom - one of the heroes of sustainable fashion - tagged along. Saluja points out that a change in design will take place only when we break the myth that hand-woven equals anti-fit. "The latter is about how you play with both, fabric and body - kiss it or turn it away from skin. Lend it form or leave it formless. Fabric development plus emphasis on silhouettes is key."

And so, good design is both the problem and the solution. Sustain, a 12-year-old apparel vertical of the Good Earth brand of luxury lifestyle, insists on being known as classically Indian. "We are not interested in being hip or cool. But we understand the value of offering modern clothing options that highlight India's incredible workmanship. It might be difficult to make khadi glamorous, so we've started working with Bhagalpuri silks for evening wear. Similarly, we've updated traditional embroideries by combining them with fresher colour ways," says Deepshikha Khanna, head of Sustain.

Rozana, a sub-brand of Sustain, positions itself as daily tonic for everyday wardrobe woes. Aimed at younger clients, it's a line of separates. Sassy shirtdresses, long and short kurtas, lehengas, kalidar kurtas and Hiba trousers are made in malkha cotton, khadi and muslin, priced between Rs 4,500 and Rs 22,000. Interestingly, timely interest by two of India's biggest fashion weeks has plucked the sustainable fashion lobbyists from their craft-based address to dazzling runways with dedicated show slots. The Autumn/Winter 2017 edition of Amazon India Fashion Week addressed the relevance of handlooms, while highlighting sustainable businesses with, The Handloom School. Supported by Good Earth, nine designers including Sanjay Garg, Neeru Kumar, Gaurav Jai Gupta, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rohit Bal, Péro and Ekà worked with weavers and textiles designers under the watchful eye of textile revivalist Sally Holkar.

For the last seven years, Lakmé Fashion Week has dedicated a day towards the promotion of Indian crafts, recycling and re-purposing. "It started as a means to encourage dialogue on sustainable values. And with initiatives like #CraftisCool, we are working towards creating viable collections that appeal to high street sensibility," says Gautam Vazirani, fashion curator, IMG-Reliance, organisers of LFW.

This season, LFW collaborated with The Good Loom, an artisanal brand from GoCoop, (the first e-commerce store to win a national award for 'Marketing of Handlooms') to present a selection of smart, casual menswear and sarees, with a special focus on ethical production and getting the right fit. It was a sincere attempt at bridging the gap between how the country's Instagram generation interprets fashion and its duet with indigenous craftsmanship. "That sustainable fashion should be sexy, and not stop at mundane or homogeneous, is now our agenda. The millennials don't see themselves dressed in kaftans or anti-fit shapes," adds Vazirani. But he's up against a challenge. Designers often tell him of the 35+ consumer loving the anti-fit way. Saluja has an answer to that. "Let's not be blinded by the revival manifesto. Sixty per cent of India's population is under 35, and they are seeking stylish ready-to-wear options."

Challenge of handlooms: Colour forecast doesn't figure in our scheme
For 11-year-old label, Amrich, led by Delhi-based Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav, instead of reinforcing a divide between ethical and non-ethical consumers, they prefer to be known as a Western wear brand of separates, infused with enough versatility to be worn in Indian styles. "Working with handlooms is not without its unique set of challenges. For example, we can't afford to follow the colour forecast, since we work with natural dyes. Plus, we work with tricky timelines. We have to work two years in advance since there is lot of back and forth between craftsmen and our design team," says Vijaya. Luckily, the two design and develop their signature shibori in-house, making it possible to control how the garment is cut. "It also allows us to keep the price affordable. The shibori range starts at Rs 13,000," he adds.

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Be it fashion jewellery or precious silver and gold, taking care of how you store them can ensure they last long, suggest experts. Garima Singh, co-founder and CEO at blingvine.com and jewellery designer Pooja Vaswani, have given a few tips on how to take care of your jewellery pieces:

Clean your jewellery before storing: Sweat will change the colour of the pieces and make them look old. Therefore, it is very important that before storing, you wipe off all the sweat from the jewellery pieces and store it at concealed places. Ideally, store them in a jewellery box with multiple slots or store them separately in boxes they came in to avoid scratching.

Airtight box or zip locks: Store your jewellery in an airtight box or zip lock to preserve the polish for a longer time. Your precious pearl pieces should be stored in a cloth-lined jewellery box or wrapped a soft cloth to maintain the shine and quality of pearls.

Use anti-tarnish paper: While storing your fashion jewellery, it will be great if you wrap each piece in anti-tarnish paper or an eyeglass cloth. Anti-tarnish paper will maintain the shine of the jewellery.

Separation is necessary: Do not keep two different type of jewellery in one box. It is very essential to store your jewellery in a separate jewellery box or secured containers that will prevent your baubles from moving around and preventing them from getting scratched and broken.

Avoid wearing delicate jewellery while cooking, gymming, swimming, or any household chores. Stay away from extreme exposure to heat and light as gemstones like kunzite can fade or discolour.

Always put on your jewellery last when dressing. It should be done after the use of make-up, cosmetics, perfume and lotions to avoid damage to delicate items.

Clean your jewellery with warm water, mild liquid soap and soft brush in a glass bowl. Dry it thoroughly before storing it back. One could use a precious metal polishing cloth to remove tarnish.

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Appearances always matter at the workplace, but dressing professionally for office in warmer and humid weather is quite hard. Hence, it is essential to keep oneself updated with fashion trends in scorching heat by opting trends like pastel shades and mixing and matching outfits.

Sagar Suri and Surya Suri, founders of men's wear brand Steele suggested a few tips to look cool at workplace

* Pastel and neutral coloured shirts like ivory and grey can be worn to get an elegant look and since it does not absorb heat, it is soothing to the eyes.

* Printed shirt outfit or light check shirt is the best option for men, as it gives them a bold look.

* Men can wear a light blazer over their vest at the workplace as it enhances the personality.

* Formal shirts over pencil trousers or narrow pants can also be worn in order to look modest and elegant at workplace. This creates a formal and sophisticated look.

* One can wear khaki pants to the office and can uplift their fashion statement at the workplace.

* Light coloured formal suit can also be worn during summer as it gives a formal touch to an individual. Nowadays, it is widely chosen by man, as it is more trendy and stylish.

* White shirt always work at office, as it repels sunlight and is soothing to the eyes.

* Switching on to blue and gingham can make an individual more fashionable and professional. It not only adds bold colour to the outfit, but also enhances the outlook of an individual.

Karan Oberoi, Actor and Model, too suggested some tips:-

* If you are a suit person go for a light fabrics like cotton, linen or any other breathable stuff. Also choose light colours to stay comfortable during the sweltering days.

* Another way to face summers in style is to stick with a classic outfit that works anywhere and everywhere. A lightweight semi formal white shirt with grey or blue check pants will keep you cool in the hot days

* For meetings and formal events, an unstructured Navy blazer is just perfect. This is one of the most versatile, stylish, and comfortable pieces your wardrobe should have.

* If you require to wear ties to work, go for a silk-knit ones for summer

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"Go for vertical broad stripes instead of horizontal for a vacation wardrobe," suggests Lodha, like in this bowling shirt by AMI. A broad striped shirt, subdued with a solid-coloured jacket, can also work as a safe yet edgy work outfit.

Luxury labels and high street brands have embraced resort collars to help you keep your cool. We like this Louis Vuitton floral shirt paired with the un-skippable baggy pants folded at the hem.

It's been a while since pastels made their way into men's wardrobes, in dainty and rugged versions (with weathered fabrics). A pastel palette can be great for summer when choosing shades for colour blocking, and can also work in constraint with prints, like you see here in this Kenzo piece.

Illustrations/Uday Mohite

Baggy trousers have been a staple across brands, as has athleisure wear. Merge formal wear with a sporty element either through a simple stripe running on the side of your shirt or like this merger of a hoodie and a shirt by Hermes.

Women prefer casual sex as well
If you thought men are more likely to accept a sexual invitation from a stranger than women are, you are probably wrong. A team of German researchers has revealed that the rates of interest in casual sex are exactly the same for men and women. A recent study conducted at a university in Mainz, Germany, revealed that when societal judgement and safety risks are removed, women are more likely to accept sex propositions from strangers.

Women crave more sex as they get older
A recent survey conducted by an American marketing firm, which included more than 1000 women aged 18 and above has debunked the theory that women are not interested in sex as they get older. The survey found that 89 percent of women in the age group 45 to 55 are the most experimental. Twenty-eight percent women said they had sex between two and seven times a week.

Menopause is not the end
Researchers at a London college have found that menopause doesn't kill-off a woman's sex drive as it is usually believed. They studied four years' worth of answers that women provided about their sexual health both before and after menopause. The rate of sexual dysfunction over the four-year study period was about the same -- 22 percent to 23 percent -- for both pre and post-menopausal women, which suggested that menopause isn't as important a contributor to sexual issues as once thought.

Straight women have same-sex fantasies too
A recent study on the sexual behaviour and preferences of women conducted at an American university found 60 percent of heterosexual women admitted to being attracted to other women, while 45 percent had kissed another woman. Fifty percent of those participants also reported same-sex sexual fantasies. The findings showed that straight women, not just lesbians, ogle at beautiful women.

Women don't 'strike first' when it comes to online dating
In the online dating world, women do not like to send personal messages to initiate contact and later mating and would rather send "weak signals" than making the first move. While studying dating behaviour of women on the internet, researchers found that users with anonymous browsing viewed more profiles. They were also more likely to check out potential same-sex and interracial matches. Surprisingly, however, users who browsed anonymously also wound up with fewer matches than their non-anonymous counterparts. This was especially true for female users: those with anonymous browsing wound up with an average of 14 percent fewer matches.

Pics for representational purposes

A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology revealed that problems in the bedroom might or might not spell doom in a long-term relationship, as it entirely depends on what a couple believes.

The researcher analysed sexual belief systems of 1,900 individuals and discovered that people fall into two sections when it comes to their sexual beliefs. There is one group that believes strongly in ‘sexual destiny’ and feels that sex should be all about sparks and twisted bedsheets devoid of nurture. There is another group that nurtures the relationship and believes more strongly in sexual growth. They also develop different ‘sexpectations’ at the same time. The later group treats sex as a tree that requires appropriate care and a patch of bad sex between a lovey-dovey couple can be fixed with little patience.

Sexual destiny is a word which implies that sex will happen with time. On the other hand, growth belief is something that considers the relationship as a plant that requires water, nurture and care. Those who believe in growth belief are seen to put in time and effort to make their sexual lives work. Sexual growth believers move with the flow of passion in their relationship and do not think that their relationship is doomed. They rather try to make things work out and do such acts that can boost their sexual relationship.

 
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The research also found out that if one partner is high on sex growth beliefs, both the partners benefit from this. Whether one can have a great relationship if things are falling apart in their bedroom, also vary from group to group. Those in the destiny belief gang, are in the worst condition in this case. However, when sexual destiny believers see that their sex life is not going well, they consider their relationship to be not ‘okay’.

The researcher concluded saying that there is a honeymoon phase of around 2-3 years where sexual satisfaction is high amongst both the groups. The benefit of believing in sexual growth becomes clear after this initial phase.

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A recent study conducted in the US revealed that although men think about sex nearly 24 times a day, women are not that far behind. The research showed that the average woman thinks about sex around 18 times a day.

Also, women think about getting naughty between the covers once every hour. The study was conducted by a team of researchers, during which, 283 college students aged between 18 and 25 were asked about various things, including food, sleep and sex over the course of the week.

The female mind during sex
Another study revealed that, a Hollywood hunk, ex-lovers, a blue film scene and even what to buy in a grocery store are some of the many things that women think of while having sex. They even think of men they secretly fantasise of.

Thinking their way to sexual climax?
Scientists have long been intrigued by the claims of some women who insist that they can 'think themselves to orgasm' even when they are completely alone, with no physical touch involved. And now, they have confirmed that for women, at least, it’s all in the mind.
- With inputs from agencies 

A recently conducted study by researchers in Norway shed some light on how men and women perceive one night stands. The findings were rather interesing...

The main reason behind conducting the study was due to the liberal mindset that Norwegian men and women shared regarding casual sexual encounters.

Researchers discovered that about 35 per cent of women regretted going through with it the next morning, while only 20 per cent men shared this view.

Furthermore, most women were reportedly unhappy about the experience, with only 30 per cent claiming to have enjoyed their most recent casual sex fling.

Also, when it came to rejecting the offer, 80 pc women didn't regret saying no, while only 43 pc men felt the same way.

Researchers explored in detail the possible reasons behind women regretting a one night stand. The reasons ranged from lack of adequate sexual pleasure during the encounter, pregnancy concerns, fear of contracting STDs among other things. On the other hand, most men regretted turning down a casual sex offer.

The study was conducted by the the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) Department of Psychology along with the University of Texas at Austin. 263 male and female students aged 19 and 37 years were studied.

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London: Parents, take note! Your kids may get along with their pets better than their siblings, according to a new study which shows that children get more satisfaction from the relationships with animals. The new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK adds to the increasing evidence that household pets may have a major influence on child development and could have a positive impact on children's social skills and emotional well-being.

Pets are almost as common as siblings in western households, although there are relatively few studies on the importance of child-pet relationships.
"Anyone who has loved a childhood pet knows that we turn to them for companionship and disclosure, just like relationships between people," said Matt Cassells from University of Cambridge, who led the study.

"We wanted to know how strong these relationships are with pets relative to other close family ties. Ultimately this may enable us to understand how animals contribute to healthy child development," said Cassells. Researchers surveyed 12 year old children from 77 families with one or more pets of any type and more than one child at home. Children reported strong relationships with their pets relative to their siblings, with lower levels of conflict and
greater satisfaction in owners of dogs than other kinds of pets.

"Even though pets may not fully understand or respond verbally, the level of disclosure to pets was no less than to siblings," said Cassels. "The fact that pets cannot understand or talk back may even be a benefit as it means they are completely non-judgmental," Cassels added. "While previous research has often found that boys report stronger relationships with their pets than girls do, we actually found the opposite," he said.

"While boys and girls were equally satisfied with their pets, girls reported more disclosure, companionship, and conflict with their pet than did boys, perhaps indicating that girls may interact with their pets in more nuanced ways," he added. The study was published in the Journal of Applied
Developmental Psychology.

No strings attached, here's the money!
Gigolos, who cater exclusively to women and used to be considered a sort of urban legend, has now become mainstream as more women are willing to pay for sex in no-strings-attached situations.

No cuddling only sex!
Researchers have found that acts of affection like hugs and kisses were more important to men than women.

Men who reported frequent kissing and cuddling were three times as happy, on average, as those who had less snuggling with their wives or girlfriends.

Women, meanwhile, said that such shows of affection had very little impact on their happiness.

But men were more likely to say they were happy with their relationship while women were more likely to report being satisfied with the sex.

Love watching two guys!
It may not at all surprise you to learn that some men watch lesbian porn. However, what may come as a shock is the news that some women are into erotica featuring men having sex with men.

An online porn study, led by an Indian-origin neuroscientist, has unveiled a shocking new vision of human desires that overturn conventional thinking: plenty of straight women are into male-male porn and erotica.

Long kisses
Women tend to use kissing to create a bond with their partners, and to assess them as potential mates. Meanwhile, men use kissing as a means to an end," say relationship experts.

While women usually consider a bad kiss to be a deal-breaker, men reported that they would more than likely still have sex with a woman even if she were a bad kisser.

Psychologists hypothesize that males "perceive a greater wetness or salivary exchange during kissing as an index of the female's sexual arousal/receptivity, similar to the act of sexual intercourse," they said.

Is he hitched? I want him!
A scientific study has found evidence that women like to target men who are already in relationships.

Researchers at an eminent university in the US use the term 'mate poaching' to describe this phenomenon.

During the study, they showed a picture of a moderately attractive man or woman to participants.

Half of the participants were told that the prospective mate was single, while the rest were told that they were not.

Researchers observed that 90 per cent of the women participants were interested in a man when told that he was in a relationship, compared to 59 per cent when told the same man was single.

The results showed that only single women were more interested in pursuing an attached target rather than a single target.

According to some women, they like paying for what they called the "perfect boyfriend experience", because at the end of the night, they pay the guy to go away.

Cheesy chat up lines
The next time you approach a girl, do not hesitate to try out a cheesy chat-up line because girls absolutely love it, for they give a glimpse of a man's sense of humour.

According to a study, six out of 10 ladies are more likely to fall for a man if he breaks the ice with a light-hearted one-liner.

Conducted by a poll website, the survey, which questioned 4,000 adults, revealed that four out of 10 women were still dating or were married to a man who first approached them with a funny quip.

However, not every line can do the trick for you-it was found that there are do's and don'ts in the dating game as well.

Lines such as "Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?", and "Apart from being beautiful, what do you do for a living?" worked "most of the time".

But "Do you have a map? Because I keep getting lost in your eyes" and "Is there a rainbow, because you''re the treasure I''ve been searching for," were likely to end up in red-faced failure for being "too over the top".

A truly clean shaven man
Researchers have found that a majority of women really do prefer a man with a smooth chest. They team from Slovakia, who compared the attractiveness of men before and after shaving their chest, and found only 20 percent of women preferred the more hirsute version. They admitted to being baffled as to why so many women chose the hair free men.

One of the most prominent theories has been that, by choosing a hairless mate, women are actually trying to avoid the lice and other bugs that can live in a furry male.

However, in one of the biggest ever studies into women’s body hair preferences, the team found this so-called “ectoparasite avoidance hypothesis” was not the answer.

The taller the better!
The research team at a prominent American university in Utah opine that women find tall men more attractive. Greater height is also associated with health, social dominance, symmetrical faces and intelligence in men and women.

These correlations have led some scientists to suggest that women prefer tall men because height indicates "good genes" that can be passed on to offspring.

The alternative explanation is that tall males among our ancestors were better able to defend their resources, partners and offspring. If males can hit down harder than they can hit up, a tall male has the advantage in a fight because he can punch down to hit his opponent''s most vulnerable targets.

Male brain wired to remember 'good sex': A pair of neurons that has been found to remember and seek sex even at the expense of food. These male-specific neurons are required for sex-based differences in learning, suggesting that sex differences in cognitive abilities can be genetically hardwired. A research team at an eminent American medical college has found in a recent study discovered how genetic and developmental differences between the two sexes lead to structural changes in the brain of male worms during sexual maturation.

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The team were surprised to find previously unidentified cells that are responsible for the behavioural change as worms are an extremely well studied model organism. They were able to show that the cells from which these male brain neurons are born share common characteristics to the cells that give rise to human brain neurons.

They are glial cells -- companion and support cells of neurons.The newly identified pair of neurons -- called 'mystery cells of the male' or “MCMs” - create behavioural differences between the sexes by changing a brain circuit common to both. The “MCM” neurons are only made from glial cells that have male chromosomes.

Why men lie about who they slept with: Researchers at a reputed American university found that, when it came to sex, men wanted to be seen as “real men:” the kind who had many partners and a lot of sexual experience. They discovered how people would honestly respond to questions about sexuality and other gender-role behaviors by asking some study participants questions when they thought they were hooked up to a lie detector machine.

293 college students between the ages of 18 and 25 participated in the study. This result confirms what the team found in an earlier study, back in 2003 – with one important difference. Back in 2003, women went from having fewer sexual partners than men (when not hooked up to a lie detector) to being essentially even to men (when hooked up to the lie detector.) In this new study, women actually reported more sexual partners than men when they were both hooked up to a lie detector and thought they had to be truthful.

Women's tears kill sexual arousal in men: According to cognitive neuroscientists at a medical institue in Israel, tears contain chemical signals that decrease sexual arousal and testosterone levels in men. In the study, men were asked to sniff vials containing either the women's tears or saline that had been applied to their cheeks. Results showed that men who sniffed the tears perceived those women as sexually less attractive than did men who sniffed saline.

And men who took a whiff of tears (and not saline) reported a decrease in sexual arousal. These men also reported reduced activity in the areas of brain that are associated with sexual arousal, such as the hypothalamus. Interestingly, on the other hand, tears are considered to heighten empathy and induce caring behaviour, and they act as sexual attractants in mice but decrease sexual arousal in humans.

Men are made to ogle women! While often linked to aggression and hostility, testosterone is also the hormone of the libido. And, guys have six times the amount surging through their veins as women, say researchers at a New York varsity. They found that testosterone impairs the impulse-control region of the brain. While it has yet to be studied, this may explain why, as Brizendine says, men ogle women as if on "auto-pilot" and often forget about the woman once she is out of their visual field.

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London: Most people prefer to have sex with partners of the same age range, and that includes men too, says a study that challenges the common assumption that men - regardless of their age -- remain interested only in young women.

Men become interested in older women as they themselves age, said the study.

The finding, published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, suggests that when it comes to sexual partners, the difference between men and women with respect to their age preferences, is smaller than earlier believed.

While earlier research had indicated that even older men prefer young women, the new study by Jan Antfolk at Abo Akademi University in Turku, Finland suggests that this is only partly true.

The study was conducted in Finland and included 878 adult men and 1,789 adult women.

"Over the investigated age span, women reported a narrower age range than men and women tended to prefer slightly older men," the study found.

"We also show that men's age range widens as they get older: While they continue to consider sex with young women, men also consider sex with women their own age or older," said the study.

The research concluded that contrary to earlier suggestions, men's sexual activity thus reflects also their own age range, and their potential interest in younger women is not likely converted into sexual activity.

Most sexual activity occurs between partners of approximately the same age, the study said.

Additionally, the research showed that homosexual and bisexual men and women differ very little from their heterosexual counterparts.

The only exception from this is that homosexual men are somewhat more likely than bisexual and heterosexual men to have sex with partners younger than themselves.

In June 2015, when two friends, Chetan Agarwal and Rohit Pansari decided to move from Delhi to Gurgaon, they struggled to cope with the odd jobs that were a part of the shifting process. "We had run out of leave from our day jobs, and the list of things to do was endless. Chores like arranging for an extra pair of keys or even getting paperwork and notaries done for the lease agreement took a toll. It's when we decided to start the Done Thing," informs 28-year-old Agarwal, who co-founded the company along with his friends Karan Saharan, Sonal Saraogi, Shivani Agarwal and Pansari. Based in Gurgaon, Done Thing is a cross-segment on-demand concierge solution.

Chetan Agarwal (third from the right) with the The Done Thing Team

Woo your valentine
On Valentine's Day, the apppromises to offer a personal assistant who will coordinate everything for you — from planning a surprise to executing it. "The ideas could include planning offbeat dinner dates or sending gifts to your partner in another city. Last year, someone wanted us to organise a red limousine, and after speaking to nearly 50 vendors, we managed to source one. We have also managed to find painted blue roses that are usually not available in India but were requested for by a client. We sourced them from a guy in Chandigarh," shares Agarwal. The Valentine's Day services range from arranging a helicopter to sending gifts with a personalised message for each day of the week, arranging a horse-pulled wagon to a dinner in a romantic setting.

You can even choose to send a photo-cake. If you decide to DIY, you could surprise your partner with breakfast in bed or a homemade dinner, and the team will help you get the ingredients and execute every element of surprise, without you having to step out.

A screenshot of the app

Get personal
When not planning for occasions, the company acts like a personal shopping partner that undertakes day-to-day tasks such as shopping, cheque deposits, bill payments, courier, booking film tickets, car repairs as well as aids you in hunting for services such as electricians and doctors, in the neighbourhood. It picks and delivers parcels to different locations.

"Earlier, you would need to log on to multiple portals for different services. We wanted to bring all of it under one roof. At the moment, in Mumbai, you can opt for our help service to get information on technicians and restaurants in your area. In Delhi, we offer a pick up and drop service even if you've left an important document or phone at home," says Agarwal, adding that post the announcement for demonetisation, the company also offered an assistant, who would stand in the ATM queue for you, in the capital.

If you choose to hire a wedding assistant through the app or portal, he/she will take care of delivery of invites or gifts, getting clothes ironed, shoes polished, picking up of bridal outfits from the tailor, trousseau packing and gift wrapping. You will end up shelling up anything between Rs 100 for an hour, Rs 350 for 4 hours, Rs 650 for 8 hours and Rs 1000 for 12 hours for the services.

Currently, the portal has a tie-up with over 5,000 vendors. By the year-end, the company has plans to offer its services across Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Chandigarh.

LOG ON TO: www.donething.com

All images for Representational purposes

The thought of regular sex varies from person to person. While for some regular sex is a fun and 'must-have' act, for others it is like a deal beyond imagination. Finally, there is another set of people, who do not consider regular sex as a mandate to a happy relationship. The cosy moments, the mild touches, the gentle bites, the smooch, the eye contact, the silence, the cuddles, and finally the sexual climax make a relationship healthy and strong. Some may be content with their sex life, while others may experience dissatisfaction. Those who are still looking for the ideal ways to reach sexual nirvana and have a successful climax, these six steps may be of great help to them. Take a look:

1. Take a shower together: Sex can happen anywhere in the house and a bed need not be the supporting agent every time. If possible, lock yourselves up in the bathroom and stand below the shower. Come out of the comfort zone and the cliched dark bedroom scenario. For a change, let the shower cubicle do the wonders. Try to grab each other tightly while you get drenched. Go ahead with those touches and kisses that you would have otherwise done in the bedroom. In case you get a chance to bath together in a bathtub, grab it right away.

 

2. Engage in dirty talks: Initially you might hesitate to open up to your partners, but with time opening up to the opposite sex can bring a u-turn to your sexual life. It’s not only those silent acts and foreplay that can help attain sexual nirvana, but also dirty talks and naughty touches can lead to sexual proximity. Be it the man or woman; none should hesitate to utter some flirty speeches to attain sexual satisfaction.

3. Keep the sensual touches alive: No one can deny the fact that sensual touches can gradually lead to a heavenly climax. Arouse your partner with a body massage. Women respond well to sensual touches and therefore attain greater orgasm. They can even touch their man from top to bottom to arouse him and gradually move towards a successful end together.

4. Try different sex positions: If you get bored of one particular position, try different positions like crisscross, 69 and BDSM. Trying a new position for the first time may be a bit difficult, but gradually the experiments can definitely work out. Pay heed to your intuitions and crave for something new every day.

5. Wear appealing nightwear: Men love to see their women in revealing and appealing clothes. Thin-strapped night wears, lacy lingerie, satin gowns or short hot pants can raise the room temperature and arouse the man at the same time. Women can even go for the man’s favourite colour lingerie.

6. Smell good and let the room smell good too: Use floral. fruity or chocolate scented body mists to raise the mood of the man and vice-versa. Try to apply body lotions and face creams that have pleasant fruity aromas. Along with that, the room should also smell good and fresh. Use lavender or rose scented room fresheners to create a romantic environment and set the mood for sex. Women can also opt for a good vaginal wash to maintain hygiene and freshness.



Fasten your seat belts and be ready to turn lust into reality. Sexual nirvana not only brings happiness or fulfils one's physical lust, but also is the core ingredient to a happy and successful relationship. After all, a small act can bring a big blow!

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New Delhi: If you've ever felt disgusted when your partner paid more attention to his/her phone on a date then you are not the only one. Most adults in India paid more attention to their smartphone than their partner when they were together, a new study has revealed.

Sixty per cent of adults surveyed said their partner paid more attention to their own smart device when they were together on a date.

The study, titled "Three's Company: Lovers, Friends and Devices" and released on Wednesday by Intel Security, aims to understand the online behaviour of people and how it affects their relationship with friends and significant others.

Money, gifts and a dinner in a glamorous restaurant mean nothing in a relationship when the partners pay no attention to each other. The study found that 57 per cent of those studied had to compete with their partner's smartphone for attention on a first date.

An intrusion into a relationship leads to a quarrel which is corroborated by the fact that 75 per cent of the adults reported getting into an argument with a friend, significant other, or family member over being on a device while together.

The study involved 1,400 Indian adults who use an internet-connected device on a daily basis.

Amid this lack of attention in relationships, it was revealed that 46 per cent of couples share passwords to social media accounts, 38 per cent share passwords to personal email accounts and, interestingly, nearly 35 per cent of adults share their work-specific devices and accounts with their significant other.

Intel Security suggested using long passwords including numbers, and lowercase and uppercase letters, as well as symbols.

This Valentine's Day, if you are planning to make your partner smile, make sure to pay more attention to his/her words than the text on your smartphone.

Bored with dating apps? Try something different. You can speed date singles offline at an event organised this Saturday. All you need to do is be polite, not ask awkward questions and be at your best for eight minutes.

Organisers won't share details of a couple unless they like each other. At the event, the tables will be numbered. There will be a host conducting the session and everyone will have a scorecard to note down the table number and the candidate's first name. After eight minutes, a bell will ring when the person will move to the next table. One can note down a yes or a no in the scorecard, like a left or right swipe on Tinder.

Eight minutes isn't a lot of time but is good enough to assess if you want to meet the person again. Participants will receive an email a day later about mutual matches. The age limit is 22 to 36 years and girls have a one plus one offer on drinks.

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A recent study conducted by a popular dating website on over 5,000 smartphone users above the age of 18 has some interesting findings regarding their dating behaviour. According to the results, Android users are apparently judged 21 times more negatively by iPhone users for using a smartphone running an Android OS.

On the other hand, Android users are likely to judge an iPhone user 15 times more negatively.

The study found that one major reason for this is the possibility of an iPhone user belonging to a higher income strata than an Android user. 40 per cent more than the median Android users earn lesser money than an iPhone user per year, which would a deciding factor, when it comes to going on a date.

Additionally, the study found that 15 per cent of adults, who are currently dating would think twice before dating someone with a cracked smartphone screen. This is regardless of whether the person is a iPhone or Android user. Other aspects like bad grammar, bad fashion sense, crooked or discoloured teeth also played a role in their decision making.

The thought of Valentine’s Day gifts make all love birds scratch their heads. Flowers, chocolates, teddies, heart shaped pillows, what exactly to purchase for her. Years have passed and we all are grown up adults, but the idea of Valentine’s Day is still the same. Not to mention here that gifting flowers, teddies, heart shaped cushions and chocolates have become passe. Today’s generation is focused more on gifting branded perfumes, swanky handbags, movie tickets or gift cards from branded stores. If you are a 'tall young handsome' gentleman caught in a Valentine's -Day gift dilemma, then here is a list of some exclusive gifts that you plan buy for your lady love on this Valentine’s Day.

1. Take her for a shopping date: Girls are big time shopaholics and probably there is no day in a year when she will deny to go for shopping. You may hate walking from one end of teh shopping mall to another with her, but Valentine’s Day is a special eve after all.  Enlighten her love for shopping on Valentine’s Day. Gift her a gorgeous dress, a swanky handbag, a fruity scented perfume or a silver jewellery. If your lady love is brand conscious, then gift her a shopping voucher from her favourite brand or store. She would love to shop with that special gift.



2. Gift her a romantic spa session: Gift a romantic spa session: Girls at time are finicky about their crockery and kitchenware. However, Valentine’s Day is all about love so gifts like frying pans and hand blenders can be kept aside for some other occasions. Why not show some care and affection and gift her something romantic that she can least expect? A spa session voucher can do wonder to your gifting idea. Make her feel relaxed, rejuvenated, and pampered at a good spa outlet on this Valentine’s Day. The session can turn more romantic if you also join your lady love. Couple Spa brings lots of spark to a relationship!

3. Make her happy with an opera ticket: To go for an opera show, you do not need to take permission for leaves from their bosses.  So, if you are planning for a short trip to your favourite destination but are tied between office and work, then head for a romantic evening at an opera house. Enjoy the moments of togetherness and make the evening more special. She will surely enjoy watching the show with you



4. Do not give gifts that make her feel uncomfortable: You may be longing to see your beloved in a cocktail dress with a plunging neckline on V-Day. While she may accept the gift, do not expect her to wear it and go out with you on the same day. Unless she is comfortable to dress up for you, do not force her or make her feel awful for not wearing your 'special gift' on this romantic occasion. She might surprise you with the beautiful dress on some other occasions.

5. Bake a cake or her favourite dish: Almost every girl loves chocolates and are foodies by heart. However, instead of buying her chocolates or taking her to a restaurant, make her test your culinary skills. Bake a cake for her or surprise her by preparing her favourite dish. Do not be scared of the taste, because ‘everything is fair in love and war’.

(With inputs from agencies)

With few more days to go, lovebirds are already sinking in the thought of what to gift their valentines. Online shopping, running across gift shops, and scratching heads for ideas, Valentine’s Day is all about expressing love to the man and woman of your life. Teddies and red roses have turned out to be cliché Valentine’s Day gifts. The emergence of online shopping sites and personalized gift shops have taken Valentine’s Day gifting idea to a different level. This time gift something unusual, something unique and something your better half would have never imagined: Here are some ideas!

1. Bottle of beer to him and gin to her: Take a break from the romantic champagne or red wine and opt for an out-of-the world idea of purchasing a bottle of beer for your Mister and a bottle of gin for your Miss.

  

2. Satin lingerie to her and personalised boxers to him: Girls go ‘wowww’ over a pair of bright colour satin lingerie. Underpants or boxers are a boy’s favourite section in his wardrobe. Instead of gifting each other a regular pair of lingerie or boxer, try out a gifting a lacy hot looking satin one. Ladies, personalize the boxer with our cutest photo and a love message to turn your man wild.



3. Pack of maggi to each other: Both a foodie and a non-foodie is a fan of Maggie noodles. Plan your budget and gift each other some packs of maggi noodles along with extra tastemaker masala. Share the noodles from one plate to make the simple gift a romantic and precious one.

4. Imported lighter to him and bottle opener to her: Boys who smoke would love to get a classy imported lighter as a Valentine’s Day gift. A bottle opener on the other hand is an essential in the kitchen. So, this time rather than gifting a passé coffee mug or ashtray, gift a lighter and a bottle opener. 

5. Spa coupon to each other: Gift a couple spa voucher to your better half and enjoy a romantic rejuvenating evening together. Low lit light, herbal products and gentle massage will de-stress and reward you with the most romantic Valentine evening.

6. Wine glass holder to him and cup holder to her: While boys have a craze for setting up a super-duper fully equipped bar counter in their homes, girls look for the perfect trendy and durable cup holder for their kitchens. To fulfil each other’s wish, boys can buy their ladylove a cup holder and girls can surprise their prince charming with a durable wine glass holder.

7. Cocktail guide to him and recipe book to her: While your prince charming can surprise you with a homemade cocktail, you can bake a cake for him or cook his favourite dish. Buy each other a cocktail handbook and recipe booklet, and make a perfect drink and dine ambience at home.

8. Mouse pad to him and cosmetic organizer to her: Girls want to keep their cosmetic section updated at home. Boys, look out for a stylish mouse pad to make their gaming session more interesting and engaging. A mouse pad and cosmetic organizer may seem to be the most unusual Valentine’s gift, remember that it will fulfil both your purposes.

9. Woody scented perfume to him and fruity one to her: Boys are more inclined towards woody rugged or chocolate scented perfumes while girls favour soft fruity body mists. Know the choice and brand preference of your better half and surprise them with a nice perfume bottle.

10. Shaving kit to him and electric epilator to her: Shaving is a regular task for men so is waxing for women. Why to run to the salon every week and waste time when you gift your Valentine a shaking kit and an electric epilator?

New Delhi: If you think your spouse is not watching Netflix shows in your absence, you are wrong. Forty-six per cent Indian couples -- second only to Hong Kong -- cheat on their significant other by binging ahead to watch Netflix shows, a new survey has revealed.

Surprisingly, 39 per cent streaming couples in India even said watching 2-3 episodes ahead would be a reason for a breakup.

Conducted by the online survey firm SurveyMonkey and involving 30,267 responses for on-demand streaming website Netflix, the report defines cheating as watching a TV show ahead of your significant other.

"In India where 79 per cent couples believe that streaming is a way to spend time together, almost 60 per cent of couples consider binging ahead as cheating and nearly half have even admitted to this 'offence,'" the findings showed.

The Indian culture has a reserved place for humour. So unsurprisingly, 61 per cent of the couples cheat on comedy shows -- higher than the global average of 44 per cent.

"A third or more of Indian respondents have watched ahead on every other genre polled, including documentaries, sci-fi, fantasy, drama and horror," the study noted.

Netflix cheating in India is not intentional as 78 per cent of cheating is unplanned. It is the temptation that makes Indian couples fallible.

Forty-three per cent of Indians 'cheat' out of 'fear of missing out' (FoMO) so that they could keep up with conversations with friends and co-workers.

Cheating on your partner even when you share a room requires special skills. Forty-two per cent Indians said that when one partner falls asleep, they secretly watch Netflix shows.

But some relationship rules are bizarre. A quarter of Indians said that a partner who falls asleep deserves to be cheated on.

Hong Kong has 59 per cent of cheaters in Asia followed by 46 per cent in India. Globally, the Netherlands has the most loyal viewers at 73 per cent.

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Having more than two sex partners before entering the bond of marriage is actually better! Experts have reached this conculsion after a recent study, which surprisingly revealed that women with exactly two premarital sex partners have consistently higher divorce rates than women with three to nine partners.

The research team from a US-based institute of family studies, found that overall, young women who tied the knot in recent years have far more sexual experience prior to marriage than their counterparts from prior decades. Women were four times as likely to marry as virgins in the 1970s (21 per cent) compared to the 2010s (five per cent), according to the researchers.

Also noteworthy is the decline in the proportion of women who get married having had only one sex partner. As late as the 1980s, over half of new brides were virgins or had had only one sex partner. This was true of just 28 percent of women by the 2010s.

Did you know? Middle-aged married women seek affairs for sex instead of divorce
In a recent study conducted on 100 married females in England between the ages of 35 and 45, it was revealed that 67 per cent sought affairs because they want more sex. The findings revealed that when middle-aged women, who are not happy with sex lives, seek extra-marital affairs, they are looking for more romantic passion, which includes sex — but they not want to divorce their husbands.

New Delhi: Treat yourself with good make-up session before heading out for Valentine's Day celebration, says an expert.

Make-up artist Vikkie Anand says there are a few components that one should keep in mind before planning a Valentine look:

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>> Eye make-up: Go for charcoal eye make-up instead of the usual smokey eye. You can go for bold look by shimmering your eyes too.

>> Lip make-up: Crimson lip shade is another way to look bold at a V-Day party. It never goes out of style and helps to transform the regular look into a glamorous one.

>> Hair trend: Curls are great addition to any hairstyle. You don’t have to make your curls big, keep things natural looking with soft loose curls.

>> Skin tone: The important elements of instant skin treatment are cleansing-scrubbing-toning-moisturising. Face masks are very important for instant glow. Facial massage can further make yopur skin look radiant. Don't apply too much foundation and skip the face powder to avoid cakey look unless your skin is oily.
- With inputs from agencies 

New York: Believe it! Striking up a friendship with another couple in which you discuss personal details of your life may bring you closer to your own partner.

Researchers suggest picking a double-date activity that facilitates personal disclosure this Valentine's Day would be a good idea.

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Going on a double date may be more effective at re-igniting passion in your own relationship than the classic candle-lit dinner for two.

“Passionate love is one of the first dimensions of love to decrease in couples over time as the newness of a relationship begins to wane,” said Keith Welker, a doctoral student at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

“Any setting where couples can talk, exchange information about each other and respond to each other in a validating, thoughtful manner could apply,” explained Welker.

Welker, with his adviser Rich Slatcher wanted to extend the research to investigate how self-disclosure between couples affects closeness and feelings of passionate love.

“We were expecting that the formation of a friendship between two couples in the lab would increase closeness and relationship satisfaction," said Welker.

However, they found the robustness of the effects on passionate love surprising in two studies with about 150 couples.

“The more that the other couple responds to your self-disclosures in a validating and caring way when on a double date, the more passionate you feel about your own relationship,” explained Welker.

One very practical application could be going out to dinner with another couple.

But opt for dinner at home as that would ensure more disclosure than a date at a restaurant!
- With inputs from agencies 

London: With cafes and fancy restaurants full of couples trying to squeeze in a date on Valentine's Day, celebrating at home might can turn out to be a very smart decision.

Helen Leigh-Jones, designer at furniture brand DFS, shares some tips on how to spruce up your place for an amazing romantic dinner, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

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>> Lighting is very important for an evening like this. Candles are perfect on Valentine's Day as they create the perfect soft, warm, romantic glow. Fairy lights are a lovely way of setting the mood as well.

>> Flowers are always welcome on Valentine's Day. It is important to choose fresh rose petals to scatter around your home or place a few small arrangements throughout the house.

>> Making a comfortable love seat will also help. Make sure you have a throw, a box of chocolates and some wine within arm's length so you don't have to move from each other's arms all evening.

>> Turn off all modern technologies like the phone and the television.

>> Change the place of dining. A rug on the living room floor will be nice for a romantic picnic.
- With inputs from agencies 

Pictures for representational purposes

Think you sex life's over at 40? Wrong! Canadian researchers discovered that reaching 40 could actually make your sex life more adventurous. The study found that sexual pleasure does not decrease with age and that as they got older, the respondents were more likely to be adventurous.

22 percent of men and 26 percent of women aged 55 to 59 were open to lubricant use during sexual intercourse, 40 per cent women admitted to using a vibrator the last time they masturbated.

Older men have more sexual appetite and drive: Sexual activity among older adults is fuelled largely by male appetite - women are less likely to be active if their partners do not experience much desire and more likely if their partners do, new research has highlighted. According to a study conducted by an university in Sweden, researchers examined the sexual attitudes of senior citizens and identified the factors that determine whether or not they remain sexually active.

The study found that the quality of sex lives of senior citizens has improved as well. A total of 62 percent of women and 71 percent of men reported being highly satisfied with their sex lives as opposed to 41 percent of women and 58 percent of men in the 1970s.

Key to longer life: Researchers at a German institute, found that a man's chances of dying early are cut by 20 per cent if their bride is between 15 and 17 years their junior. They found that sex rates are highest among the simple and often bizarre ways to keep men healthy - including cutting down on pain killers, eating five apples a day, brushing teeth with your wrong hand and carrying wallets in the breast pocket. They also found that men with younger women - who look after the children and put food on the table - help extend their lives.

Older women love reading about sex: According to a recent poll involving 2000 women between 45 and 60, two-thirds said that they liked raunchy scenes in novels, and more than half described sex in books as "titillating". A further 10 per cent said that they actively chose books that had lots of sex scenes.

Sex makes older couples happier: The more often married individuals above the age of 65 engage in sex, the more likely they are to be happy with both their lives and marriages. Based on the survey responses of 238 married individuals in the US, aged 65 years or older, researchers found that frequency of sex significantly predicted both general and marital happiness.

While only 40 percent of individuals who reported no sexual activity in the last 12 months said they were very happy with life in general, almost 60 percent who engaged in sexual activity more than once a month said they were very happy. Similarly, while about 59 percent of individuals who reported no sexual activity in the last 12 months said they were very happy with their marriage, almost 80 percent who had sex more than once a month said they were very happy.

Older women more sexually satisfied: Researchers from a reputed American University have uncovered that a woman's sexual satisfaction increases with age despite low sexual desire. Over 800 older women were evaluated as part of the study, which measured the prevalence of current sexual activity; the characteristics associated with sexual activity including demographics, health, and hormone use; frequency of arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and pain during sexual intercourse; and sexual desire and satisfaction in older women.

The median age in the study was 67 years and 63 percent were postmenopausal. Half the respondents who reported having a partner had been sexually active in the last 4 weeks. The likelihood of sexual activity declined with increasing age. The majority of the sexually active women, 67.1 percent, achieved orgasm most of the time or always. The youngest and oldest women in the study reported the highest frequency of orgasm satisfaction.

40 percent of all women stated that they never or almost never felt sexual desire, and one third of the sexually active women reported low sexual desire. Regardless of partner status or sexual activity, 61 percent of all women in this cohort were satisfied with their overall sex life.

Women get naughty at 70: The value women place on sexual attraction dips in middle age but returns after retirement, according to a study conducted by a website. The results revealed that women in their 70s value sexual chemistry in a partner more than women in their 40s.

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Attention single women! Your singledom has an amazing benefit: better, mindblowing orgasms! According to a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Turku in Finland, who studied 2,000 premenopausal Finnish women for seven years, found that those who had stayed in the same monogamous relationship during the study period experienced the highest decrease in sexual drive.

However, the decrease in sexual desire was lower for women, who had found a new partner over the study duration. The ability to have an orgasm improved across all groups, with single women experiencing the greatest improvement, during the 7 year follow-up.

Women with a new partner experienced higher improvement in orgasmic ability when compared to women who had been in the same relationship over the entire period of observation. The team discovered that women's ability to orgasm remained the most stable over the seven-year period, while sexual satisfaction varied widely.

The research team utilised a the Female Sexual Function Index -- a short questionnaire that measures specific areas of sexual functioning in women, such as sexual arousal, orgasm, sexual satisfaction, and the presence of pain during intercourse -- to look at the evolution of female sexual desire over a period of seven years, Medicalnewstoday.com reported. Analyses were conducted separately for women in different relationship constellations.

The team then concluded that, while long-term relationships may offer many psychological benefits but staying in a monogamous relationship for long may reduce a woman's sexual desire.
- With inputs from agencies

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Weekly sexual activity - Key to healthy relationship: A recent study conducted in Canada has found that couples are at their happiest when they hop into bed just once a week.

It is based on surveys of more than 30,000 people collected over four decades, is the first to find that association is not there after couples report having sex more than once a week on average.

These findings were specific to people in romantic relationships and in fact, there was no association between sexual frequency and wellbeing for single people and do not necessarily mean that couples should engage in more or less sex to reach the weekly average, but partners should discuss whether their sexual needs are being met.

Frequent action between the sheets leads to positivity: The more often couples have sex, the more strongly they associate their partners with positive attributes, a study conducted by an American university has found.

In the study, 216 newlyweds completed survey-style measures of relationship satisfaction. Estimates of sexual frequency were correlated with participants' automatic attitudes about their partners. That is, the more often couples had sex, the more strongly they associated their partners with positive attributes.

Sex gets passionate after childbirth: Resuming sex with your partner after childbirth may be a matter of two months on an average but when passion does return to the bedroom again, it comes with a new vigour, enabling couples to enjoy the act of lovemaking more, new research suggests.

A study of 1,118 couples with children showed that 94 percent said they were satisfied with their sex lives and nearly 60 percent said that it actually got better after childbirth. The research, however, showed that men are more keen to have sex after the wait than women. While fathers want sex twice a week on average, mothers remain content with sex just once a week.

Sex twice an hour can skyrocket male fertility! Having sex twice in an hour can make men three times more fertile, a new study done at a London hospital suggests.

The researchers found that when a man provided a second sperm sample within an hour, the success rate for an infertility treatment called intrauterine insemination (IUI) shot up to an incredible 20 percent. The typical success rate for IUI is six percent. Scientists believe the finding could also help couples trying to conceive naturally.

In the study, when doctors used the second sperm sample provided by men within an hour, 15 of the women involved in the IUI study became pregnant immediately. Ten of the other women became pregnant the second time they tried insemination using the second sperm sample provided by the male within an hour.

Sex really can make you happy: According to fascinating research by Canadian researchers, the action between the sheets once a week is enough to reignite and keep the passion and love alive between the two souls.

Although more frequent sex is associated with greater happiness, this link was no longer significant at a frequency of more than once a week, the team revealed. Sex may be more strongly associated with happiness than is money. The team came to this conclusion after an online survey with 335 people (138 men, 197 women) who were in long-term relationships.

Frequent sex can flush out kidney stones: Suffering from kidney stones? Well, stop gulping down beer after beer or other drinks to pass it out and prepare yourself for better action between the sheets tonight. According to a significant research from a reputed hospital and medical centre in Ankara, Turkey, having sex at least three to four times a week can help ease the spontaneous passage of kidney stones.

To reach this conclusion, the team split 75 participants into three groups. The first group was asked to have sex at least three to four times per week. The second group was administered tamsulosin (a drug commonly used to improve urination in men with enlarged prostate) and a third group received the standard medical treatment for kidney stones. Two weeks later, the researchers found that 26 of the 31 participants from the sex group were able to pass their kidney stones. Meanwhile, only 10 of the 21 participants from the tamsulosin group and eight of the 23 participants from the standard medical treatment group successfully passed their stones.

Indian urologists have however expressed their doubts at the findings. While they agree that probably the release of a key compound that is an integral part of sex and heart health can help pass small stones, they cannot yet tell their patients to go have sex to get rid of kidney stones.

Sleep in the buff: Sex experts say the sleeping nude can be tremendously beneficial for the female libido. So ladies, strip-off before you sleep next time.

Use sex toys: The key to healthy sexual appetite is foreplay. So, women can prolong sexual pleasure by using sex toys such as dildos or vibrators or furry handcuffs. The kinkiness factor is a must.

Sexting: Sending your partner sexually-explicit and outrageously dirty texts can steam-up things in the bedroom. So girls take note! Sext your guy to rock his world.

Watch erotic films: Movie night at home with your hubby or boyfriend? Then watch erotic-themed or sexually suggestive films like The Last Seduction, Betty Blue, Secretary, Sex and Lucia and others. Guaranteed to get things cracking under the sheets.

Tuck in early; no gadgets in bed: Turning off your laptops, television or simply avoiding smartphone-use in bed is a great way to boost intimacy between the sheets.

Social networking is a major cause
Sites like Facebook are cited as a reason for a third of broken marriages last year and is increasingly being used as a source of evidence in divorce cases.

A law firm said that 33% of the 5,000 behaviour based divorce petitions filed with the firm in the past year mentioned the site.

“People contact ex-partners and the messages start as innocent, but lead to trouble

“If someone wants to have an affair or flirt with the opposite sex then it’s the easiest place to do it,” said the law firm's managing director.

The most common reasons for Facebook causing problems in relationships were a spouse finding flirty messages, photos of their partner at a party they did not know about or with someone they should not have been with.

More seniors are boarding the train to 'Splitsville'
Now, the current society witnessing a surge in divorce rates of among those beyond the age of 60, as, on reaching retirement many realise that they can no longer stand their husband or wife.

One reason behind the boom in “silver separation” is that some pensioners discover they have nothing in common with each other once their children fly the nest.

“They are not “old”! They can do many or most of the things that they could do in their earlier years, going on great holidays in the Himalayas, trekking through Borneo, visiting far-flung wild destinations or suddenly taking up sports that they never had a chance to try when they were younger.

“The baby boomers are redefining life at older ages. That includes re-evaluating their relationships and deciding to start again,” says the director general of a senior citizen's group.

Most couples split over frivolous reasons. Here's an example
Recently a Taiwanese couple were married only for one hour, until the husband dithered over his wife’s request for a new car.

The woman had brought him to a car dealer soon after registering their marriage, as she wanted her husband to buy an imported car for her.

But when he said he would consider it, she immediately snapped.

“Divorce me if you do not want to buy!” she was quoted as saying.

They then went back to the registration department to file for a divorce.

Divorce even if amicable ‘can affect kids’
A divorce can never be good for children no matter how amicable it is, a study has revealed.

Researchers from an American university analysed almost 1,000 families and found that children suffer when their parents’ marriage ends – no matter how amicable the split is.

The research team began by comparing the welfare of children whose parents had divorced with those whose marriages were strong. Those from broken homes scored more poorly.

They then compared children from 944 families from around the US, which had been through a divorce or, the end of a long-term relationship. The families were divided into three groups.

Co-operative parents shared childcare, still got on well with each other and rarely fought – fitting the criteria of a ‘good divorce’.

Parallel parents shared childcare but rarely spoke to each other. The third group was described as single parent families because the absent parent had little or no contact with their child.

The parents were interviewed while the children were teenagers and the children interviewed when they became adults.

All three groups gave similar answers, debunking the idea of it being possible to have a good divorce.

How was your day at work, honey?
Couples who compete with each other over who has had the worse day or bombard the family with their workplace problems may be on the road to divorce, experts have warned.

According to researchers, with both husbands and wives working outside the home, coping with daily office stress can take its toll on the marriage unless the couple is willing to support each other.

“When stress enters any relationship, it has the potential to either bind people together or break them apart.

“Findings strongly confirm this with respect to job tension. What also became obvious was the critical role of communication and trust among spouses; without them, you have a foundation best described as crumbling, even in the best of circumstances,” says a researcher.

Courting lovers by sending flowers is a thing of the past, for teens and adults nowadays. They have found a rather 'sexy' way to lure the object of their affection -- 'sexting' i.e. sending nude or semi-nude selfies of oneself to a boyfriend, girlfriend, crush or casual acquaintance from smartphones. This is also termed by some researchers as a 'sexual selfie'.

We look at factors that have led to this fast-emerging trend...

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'Sext messages' and 'sexual selfies' popular with most adults
A recent survey revealed that, almost half of all adults - or 47 per cent - send sexy text messages or selfies to their partners. And one in nine people ‘sexts’ their partner every day, a new survey has found.

But the poll of 2,000 adults conducted by mobile phone experts found that one in 10 have mistakenly texted an inappropriate message to a friend or family member.

The poll also found almost one in five phone users are risking their relationship by secretly sexting people other than their partner.

Girls as young as 14 send sexy texts and selfies!
A new study has shed light on how an increasing number of girls in their early teens are resorting to sexting and sending explicit selfies to their boyfriends.

The study of 14 to 15-year-old girls revealed that four out of 10 did not find anything wrong in taking a topless selfie.

And one in six underage girls did not see anything inappropriate about posing fully nude for others.

Celeb nude photo scandals a major reason
Embarrassing and cautionary tales of celebrities caught in sexting and nude photo scandals are not dissuading the general public from such irrational behaviour, a new report has revealed.

According to the report, 43 percent of respondents to an Internet survey of 1,500 women between the ages of 18-40 admitted to sexting, which is the sending of sexually explicit text or email messages.

Given that so many stars like Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence, Blake Lively, Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, Lily Allen, Khloe Kardashian and many others have been involved in sexting scandals in recent times, have those stars made it seem okay to be sending nude photos and sexually explicit messages?

'Sexting' termed worst technology jargon!
The term ‘sexting’ has been chosen as the most irritating phrase to enter lexicons in recent years. However, selfie as a term has been appreciated and even included in day-to-day conversation.

A UK tech magazine, which conducted the poll, a few years ago, awarded ‘sexting’ its ‘Unspeakable Award’ for the worst new piece of technology jargon.

Sexting teens are not offenders
According to experts, to consider labeling a teen a sex offender because of a sexting incident -- a label that will stick for life -- defies common sense.

A Canadian researcher presented a paper on children's sexuality, defending the practice as a modern variation on "playing doctor or spin-the-bottle."

The expert argued that such online activities are safer than traditional sexual games because there is no immediate physical contact and thus are less likely to lead to pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

It's not the same as face-to-face sexual relationships
The way people get involved in and develop sexual relationships with others has changed dramatically over the last 20 years due to the increased availability of devices such as computers, video cams and cell phones.

But at the end of the day there is no substitute for physical, face-to-face contact in our sexual relationships, according to a new study.

Am I good in bed?
Anxiety related to sexual performance and a lack of concern about the consequences such as pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases make both men and women more likely to cheat on their partners, a new study has found.

Women who worry about their ability to stay aroused and orgasm are 8 percent more likely to stray for each sexual concern.

Men, on the other hand, are 6 percent more likely to cheat for each worry, such as impotence and premature ejaculation, that they have.

Researchers found that men who admitted to becoming easily sexually excited were at least 4 per cent more likely to cheat. Sexual excitement has no bearing on women's likelihood to stray.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, being unhappy in a relationship was found to increase the chances of a woman straying by between 2.6 and 2.9 per cent.

Women ‘more likely to cheat than men’
Think that women are more loyal to their partners than men? Think again.

A poll for dating website has revealed that women are now as keen to cheat on their partners as men and admit to more affairs, reports a major newspaper.

A whopping 26.4 pc of Brit female said they have cheated, compared with 25.7 pc of men.

And 43 pc of women even think they can have a one-night stand without being truly unfaithful, compared to 33 pc of men.

Gadgets make cheating easier
Couples with the propensity to cheat are finding it easier to do so with the help of Internet, social networking and smartphones, experts have claimed.

Clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo said new technologies made the potential for cheating a growing issue for her clients.

“Many people go through others' phones and check what they have been up to. And there are also all the emotional affairs people conduct. They might not be having sex but they are only a step or two from it,” a popular website quoted her as saying.

It would be unfair to blame technology for infidelity, but it was definitely a facilitator for those so inclined, according to private investigator Kerrie Pihema.

“Now there's more opportunity, more online dating sites. It is so much easier to have two phones ... to rekindle old flames ... to be anonymous. Technology creates a new platform, for those who want to cheat, to cheat.”

The Internet was also making it easier for people to meet and progress sexual relationships faster than they would otherwise, experts say.

It's a norm for most men
Even if they love their partners, most men will always end up cheating just to have more sex on their side, an American sociologist has claimed.

According to the study, men who do not cheat are setting themselves up for ‘socially-compelled sexual incarceration’ however, men who cheat, enjoy best of both worlds.

The study, which surveyed 120 undergraduate men – both gay and straight, revealed that 78 per cent of those with partners cheated, ‘even though they said that they loved and intended to stay with their partner.’

Blame it on daddy!
A study has revealed that cheating really does run in the family, at least as far as men are concerned.

A team of Czech scientists carried out the study that confirmed the old adage ''like father like son’.

They concluded that while men and women both had affairs, men were more likely to stray if their fathers had been unfaithful as they were growing up, reports a major newspaper.

The scientists, based at Charles University in Prague recruited 86 couples for the research.

They found that whether or not a man was satisfied and happy in his main relationship had no effect on the likelihood that he would stray.

Men usually have affairs because they want sex and a greater number of sexual partners, not because they are fed up with their wives, he said.

It's a matter of power!
Scientists believe that it is a person''s power, rather than gender, that plays the greatest role in infidelity.

A team of researchers conducted an anonymous Internet survey of 1,561 adults and found that there is a higher risk of unfaithfulness in people of positions of power, no matter the sex.

The study revealed two key discoveries to why powerful people cheat.

First, there is a strong association between power and confidence, and the amount of confidence a person has is the strongest link between power and unfaithfulness.

Second, the researchers found that among powerful people, gender made no difference in past digressions or the participants’ desires to cheat.

Too much creativity
Probability of cheating is more in creative people than in the non-creative lot, a new study has suggested.

According to the research conducted by Harvard University, this is possibly because of the talent possessed by the original thinkers, which increases their ability to rationalize their actions.

The researchers used a series of recognized psychological tests and measures to gauge research subjects’ creativity.

They also tested participants’ intelligence. In each of the five experiments, participants received a small sum for showing up. Then, they were presented with tasks or tests where they could be paid more if they cheated.

The experimenters also told participants they would be paid more for more correct answers and led them to believe that they could cheat without detection when transferring their answers. However, all the papers had unique identifiers.

The results showed the more creative participants were significantly more likely to cheat, and that there was no link between intelligence and dishonesty – i.e., more intelligent but less creative people were not more inclined toward dishonesty.

Fancy wheels
If you own a luxury car, you are more likely to have an extra-marital affair, according to a new survey.

The survey from UK-based dating website claims to have polled its 640,000 members and found that 19.21 per cent of male members who admitted to being unfaithful were luxury sedan owners.

A spokesperson from the website said, “there’s an intrinsic link between success and cheating”.

“Successful people are often risk-takers, and have got to where they are by setting their standards high,” the Herald Sun quoted her as saying.

“However, these people are also less likely to settle for unsatisfying relationships or monotony,” she added.

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The popular slang term, 'Mile High Club', which is the act of indulging in sexual intercourse while on board a flying aircraft has been the subject of numerous studies and researches over the years.

Some experts opine that the vibration of the plane may speed or improve sexual arousal of some commuters, who would then be motivated to engage in on-flight sexual activity. Other researchers have deduced that it may be occur due to a simple need of acting out a sexual fantasy or fetish about planes themselves. Most 'mile-high club' members reveal that the thrill of doing something taboo and the risk of being discovered excites them.

A recently conducted survey by a UK travel website found that the most common saucy act involved couples entering the lavatory together followed by “lots of banging and squealing,” although sneakier activities underneath a blanket were also quite popular.

Much debate still surrounds the legality of the practice of joining the mile-high club, although research indicates there’s a dependence on individual country laws and also just how visible the act is to other passengers which can fall under “public sex” laws.

Two respondents said they watched couples being escorted by police from flights in Australia as a results of their raunchy mile-high antics.

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Researchers reveal that boys or men show empathy or kindness have a better chance at having more female friends. A research team from a leading Australian university discovered in a study that, girls or women are more likely to nominate empathic boys or men as their friends.

So guys take note, being caring and sensitive actually helps. The study, which was basically conducted on adolescent males and females especially students, found that boys high in cognitive empathy attracted an average of 1.8 more girl friendships than low empathy counterparts. It was also revealed that in contrast, girls with empathetic qualities "did not attract a greater number of opposite sex friends,"

The team asked students to nominate up to five of their closest male and five closest female friends in the same year.

The more friendship nominations a boy received from either boys or girls, the more they felt supported by their friends; the number of friendship nominations received by girls, in contrast, had no effect on their felt support by friends.

That's not all, here are some other ways to attract women
>> Remove excess body hair to seem more attractive
>> Avoid putting on too much cologne
>> Stand up straight! Good posture is the key
>> Exercise to get a muscular physique
>> Create a masculine jaw, using facial hair to promote symmetry
>> Use clothes to create a v-shape
>> Smile for long-term relationships
>> Wear a white T-shirt with a T printed on! (Read more)
>> Take guitar lessons (Read more)
>> Don't have to bee cheery all the time. Brood at bit. (Read more)

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Sugar Daddy Syndrome, commonly termed as 'attraction to older men', something young women go through has been studied extensively by relationship experts...

Father figure
Older men have a mentor-like feel about them, something that women fall for instantly. Freud says it comes out of the fact that subconsciously, they find them fatherly, and for a young woman, her father is the ultimate epitome of manlihood.

Smooth operators
Older men may not be as wild as young ones, but they surely know the tricks of the trade. They know how to flatter with poetry and pun, make every stroke a master's, and charm like a gentleman things where little lads often fail.

Ready and able
Older men have had decades to work on their act, and are ready to take the plunge.

Full of surprises
Elderly men were more likely to surprise women with flowers and chocolates, as compared to men half their age.

Mr. Moneybags
Older men are financially stable, so, they can afford to shower their partners with gifts.

The romance factor
Consultant psychiatrist YA Matcheswalla says that while there is no age limit for romance, agrees that for men in their fifties, romance depends on the overall quality of the relationship. "Younger men tend to be more self-absorbed and egotistical. They can also be more insecure. But after a certain age, they tend to make more of an effort," says Matcheswalla.

What should I wear? Should I apply make-up or stay normal? Should I wear heels or flats? Should I carry a sling bag or a clutch? So many questions like these crop up in a girl's mind when they dress up for their first date. Stop worrying about all these and think the other way round. You guys have spoke earlier, knew each other’s choices and preferences (to some extent, if not completely) and now decided to meet up. So be happy and just go about it.. But wait! There are some things which girls should 'not' always expect on their first date:

1. He will pay the restaurant bill: This might be true, but not always. Do not always expect the guy to pay the bill or even if he wishes to, do take an initiative from your end also. It might look a bit awkward, but try to split the cheque. You may never know, later on if this relation works out, he might make you laugh out loud regarding the incident.

2. He will drop you home: If he comes with his car on your first date, then you can expect. But what if he does not have a car and you know it before hand? You might have to return back home alone then. Be prepared!

3. He will meet over coffee: Is every first date over a coffee table or a cup of Latte? Why can’t it be in a popular Punjabi dhaba over a cup of ginger tea? Dear girls, don’t expect your first date to be in a classy chandelier lit coffee house over a dazzling glass of cold moccachino. At times be prepared to meet him at a dhaba under a moonlit sky too. Outdoor dining does wonders at times!

4. He will click a selfie with you: Come on girls! First date does not mean the final meet before marriage. It is only about getting introduced to each other face to face. Unless and until he is bold enough, he might hesitate to do the act. So you want to take the step? Well, that’s completely your choice and depends on the situation too.

5. He will compliment your gorgeous dress: This might happen over time but not always on the first date. You need to hold on your nerves ladies! Once the date works out, then over time your guy will overload you with compliments. Walk in casually and things might work out.

6. He will talk about your past relationship: Why do you want to spoil the first meet by talking about the bitter past? In case you guys are already aware of each other’s past, then postpone the discussion for future. The first date is all about a romantic evening, a warm welcome, a delectable dinner and a cool conversation ending with a sweet 'bye-bye' note.

7. He will only do the ice-breaking session: Your instinct may be to ask a bunch of questions to get him to open up, but it might feel like a college admission interview. Still, keep the conversations going, don’t worry about silences. You can keep any topic like what’s his favourite music, is he interested in long drives and did he bully friends in college, and such funny stuff.

The day must end on a good note. Do not rush out of the car if he drops you home. Before he starts, ask him if you guys can meet over Karaoke soon. If it's in his mind too, he'll surely lean in! Blush blush! Keep eye contact while talking to the man.

Get your heels on ladies and try to make you first date the most cherished day of your life! Follow the tricks and thank us later.. :)

Sharing a bed key to a healthy, happy relationship
Researchers from a reputed American university believe sleeping next to someone helps lower the stress hormone cortisol, perhaps because it encourages feelings of safety and security. They say this is why people in close relationships tend to be in better health and live longer.

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Prolonged periods of elevated cortisol have been linked with an increase in cytokines — proteins involved in inflammation that can trigger heart disease, depression and autoimmune disorders. Sleeping together has a protective effect by lowering the levels of these proteins.

Sharing a bed is also thought to boost levels of the 'love hormone' oxytocin, known to induce bonding feelings. This is traditionally thought to be released during sex, but scientists, who have examined the role of oxytocin in health have found it’s also associated with cuddling in bed and 'pillow talk'.

Oxytocin plays a vital role in aiding digestion, reveal studies by scientists from Sweden. Those with lower levels had poorer gastric motility — the process by which food is moved from the stomach to the intestines, therefore slowing down digestion.

A recent research conducted in the US recently supports this theory. 59 women, who were married or had partners to keep a diary of the number of hugs they received over a set time. The scientists then analysed levels of oxytocin in the blood. The women who’d received the most hugs had the highest levels of oxytocin — and the lowest blood pressure and heart rates. They findings showed that sharing a bed may definately improve sleep.

In another study, women in long-term stable relationships fell asleep more quickly and woke up less frequently during the night than single women or women who lost or gained a partner during the six to eight years of the study.

But, sleeping apart can be healthy too!
It has emerged that 39 percent of couples believe their relationship is healthier because they have independence in their home life, while five per cent think having separate beds or even bedrooms is one of the main reasons they are so happy together, revealed a survey conducted by a leading home insurance firm. According to the findings, one in 25 couples have even taking a lengthy “sabbatical” from each other. On an average, couples spend 22 hours together during the working week, with nearly half of all couples blaming hectic work schedules for a lack of “quality time” together.

The survey, which questioned more than 1,000 people aged 18 or over, also discovered that 10 percent of men have a “games room,” four percent of women have their own “powder room,” and five percent of people would rather spend a night in with their cat or dog than their partner. Furthermore, one in five couples (19 per cent) regularly eat their evening meal at different times, with one in 10 cooking completely different dishes from each other.

And proving that opposites attract, 15 percent of people describe themselves as the “polar opposite” of their partner, while 44 percent believe having different interests or hobbies makes for a stronger relationship. Those under 25 are the most likely age group to spend time apart, with 21 percent admitting they regularly sleep in a separate bed - followed by the over 55s, at 16 percent.

A quarter of 18 to 24-year-olds regularly go on holiday without their other halves, followed by 15 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds. But only six per cent of over 55s admit to going away without their partner.

Did you know? Sleep can enhance sexual arousal
A good night's sleep not only refreshes you for the day but also gives you an extra edge between the sheets. Each additional hour of sleep increased the likelihood of sexual activity with a partner by 14 percent.

In a study of 171 women conducted by a US medical school, those who obtained more sleep on a given night, experienced greater sexual desire the next day. Sleep was also important for genital arousal, such that women who slept longer on average experienced fewer problems with vaginal arousal than women who obtained less sleep.

On any given night, however, women who were tired ended up being more aroused the next day. But eventually, it catches up to them and their desire drops.

Those in a relationship always look for the right spark and those who are willing to be in a relationship, look for the right goal. It may take years for a relationship to turn into a 'lived happily ever after' story, but it takes only few minutes to break the walls and part ways off. So for those who are looking for tips to a healthy relationship, here are seven such things you can do to make your bond stronger.

1. Put mobiles away when you are together: Now day’s social networking happens mostly through mobile phones. Keep your mobiles and social networking tools like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc aside when you two are lazing around and spending quality time together. Mobile phones can bring a lot of distraction in communication. Forget the gadget world and indulge in some special talks. You will surely have a lot to share and lot to express to each other.

2. Spend less time in front of the television: It is good for couples to watch TV together, but spending too much time in front of the idiot box can shift your mind from other important things or the person next to you. When both of you are together at home, try to spend time together by sitting over a cup of tea/coffee, listening to music, engaging in romantic acts like cuddling and caressing each other, and making vacation plans.

3. Explore your culinary skills together: Love can happen in kitchen! Try to cook a dish together as it will keep both of you engaged in the same act and in the same place for a long time. In the middle of cooking, share a warm hug and a gentle kiss to make the environment more romantic and not boring. Know each other’s food choices before heading for a cooking and dining date.

4. Sit together over a cuppa in the morning: Sipping morning tea/coffee together can do wonders to a relationship. Before you head for a busy day and hectic work schedule, spend some time together in the morning and keep yourself engaged in small talks. If time permits, have breakfast together and proceed for work like usual. Keep stress and worries away, and start your day on a good and romantic note.

5. Go for a vacation: Take short vacations to bring spark to your relation. Every time you may not get a long leave from work, so head for weekend getaways or short trips. Being together on a holiday away from daily chores rejuvenates you and takes togetherness a step higher. Enjoy adventure activates, plan romantic dinners, explore local life and have a pleasant vacation together.

6. Learn to forget and forgive: Do not nag or sit over a small fight for long as it can make things bitter. If you have done something wrong, seek apology, bring some small gifts for your better half and resolve the matter at the earliest. Even if you cannot forgive at times, just let it go. Start a new day on a new and good note, because that’s the way you can heal an ailing relation.

7. Share a warm hug at least once a day: You may not head for an intercourse every night, because you may be either tired or not in mood. However, share a gentle hug at least once in a day or a small kiss to make each other feel better. Try to get close to each other whenever possible. The warmth of your gentle hug can be quite powerful to mend your relationship. Even if everything is lovey-dovey, try to retain the physical intimacy between each other.

Relationship is not always a bed of roses and only a couple can make things work for them. Avoid distraction of phones, talking about third parties, and dedicate more time to your you-and-me world.

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Women rule the dating game in India: A nationwide research undertaken by a dating app recently has revealed that a whopping 46 percent of women respondents said they are happy to take the lead in planning a date, while the corresponding number for men stood at 62 percent.

The research also suggests that even as gender roles are interchanging; more than 53 percent of the female respondents were willing to choose a fulfilling relationship over a career. Also, 48 percent women said they prefer brains over brawn, while 52 percent men prefer success over good looks. About 47 percent men and 48 percent women respondents said they are open to sharing their Facebook password with their partners.

India's youths seeking love online: Thanks to an increasing range of dating apps, majority of Indian youths are looking for love online, revealed a recent study conducted in Delhi. Experts say that the mammoth surge in the user base of these apps is being fuelled by youth's "changing narrative, thinking and preferences".

Did you watch the match yesterday? When it comes to first dates, individuals who meet each other through a match-making process in India discuss a lot of sports after the conversations on family, a survey has revealed.

The survey found that 21 percent Indian men talk about sports during their first date with a prospective match after family, which still dominates the conversation. As per the study, 14 percent of women love to talk about sports during their first meeting. The surveyors also found that for women, family still comes the first with 70 percent of them talking about it on their first meeting, only 44 percent men discuss the topic.

Indian men want women to pop the question: Traditionally, it's the guys who pop the question to take a relationship forward but an increasing number of Indian men now prefer if women make the first move, according to a recent survey conducted by a popular matrimonial website. 6,500 single Indian men in the age group of 25 to 36 across the country were studied as part of the survey.

As many as 71.7 percent respondents shared that they would like it if a woman proposed to them instead. As many as 63.8 percent of the men surveyed were of the opinion that the country's modern day women are confident enough to make the first move towards a relationship, while 36.2 percent of them said that it's hard for them to believe that a woman can make the first move because tradition has always seen men do so.

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New York: Far from giving your sex life a leg-up, watching porn may lead to reduced happiness in relationships -- both sexually and generally, suggests new research.

For the study, Paul Wright from Indiana University in Bloomington and colleagues analysed the findings of 50 studies collectively including more than 50,000 participants from 10 countries.

"Pornography consumption was associated with lower interpersonal satisfaction outcomes," the researchers found.

The study, published in the journal Human Communication Research, however, found that porn viewing hardly affects relationship satisfaction in women.

"Associations between pornography consumption and reduced interpersonal satisfaction outcomes were not moderated by their year of release or their publication status. But analyses by sex indicted significant results for men only," the study said.

Male participants' porn-watching was associated with lesser happiness in their relationships -- both sexually and generally, Vocativ.com reported.

The researchers also reviewed studies looking at porn viewing and sexual self-esteem and body confidence, but they found no link.

The finding could come as a surprise for those who argue that pornography leads to unrealistic and unhealthy beauty standards.

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London: Does a one-night stand or romping without any commitment or emotional involvement sound interesting to you? If yes, please beware. Researchers have found that a liking for casual sex may land you in trouble.

The researchers found that a person's preference for casual sex may actually increase their risk of being harassed.

Also, adolescents who have been sexually harassed are more strongly inclined to have casual sex than others, the findings showed.

The results might give the impression that it is the victim's fault for being harassed, but the researchers said their findings were not intended to "blame the victim".

"Absolutely not! We're trying to understand the psychological mechanisms that underlie harassment," said Mons Bendixen, Associate Professor at Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway.

It might be that a preference for casual sex results in more sexual solicitations in general, including undesirable ones.

The study, published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, also showed that adolescents who sexually harass others have had casual sex more often than those who do not harass others.

They also fantasise more about casual sex and find it more acceptable to have sex without any commitment or emotional closeness.

The study included 1,326 heterosexual girls and boys with an average age of nearly 18 years. The psychologists only looked at non-physical forms of sexual harassment.

Fully 60 per cent of the girls and boys in the survey reported that they had been sexually harassed in the last year.

Around 30 per cent of the girls and 45 per cent of the boys admitted that they had sexually harassed someone one or more times.

Oslo: India ranked 122nd, behind terror-riven Pakistan and poorest-of-poor Nepal in the global list of the happiest countries, according to a United Nations report released on Monday.

India came down by three slots, as last year it was placed at 118th spot. It was behind the majority of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) nations, apart from war-ravaged Afghanistan, that stood at 141.

Among the eight Saarc nations, Pakistan was at 80th position, Nepal stood at 99, Bhutan at 97, Bangladesh at 110 while Sri Lanka was at 120. However, Maldives did not figure in the World Happiness Report.

Norway took the top spot from Denmark as the happiest country in the world.

The Scandinavian nation, which was ranked fourth in last year's report, jumped to the top this year on the basis of several key calculations, including levels of caring, freedom to make life decisions, generosity, good governance, honesty, health and income.

Other factors by which 155 countries were measured in the annual World Happiness Report are: inequality, life expectancy, GDP per capita, public trust (i.e. a lack of corruption in government and business), and social support.

Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland round out the top five, while the Central African Republic came last in the World Happiness Report.

Western Europe and North America dominated the top of the table, with the US and Britain at 14th and 19th positions, respectively.

Syria placed 152 of 155 countries -- Yemen and South Sudan, which are facing impending famine, came in at 146 and 147.

The World Happiness Report was released to coincide with the United Nations' International Day of Happiness on March 20.

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When it comes to making a romantic night out, a glass of red wine or a bottle of champagne fits best in this category. If you believe in the old school of thought, that drinking alcohol before can worsen things on bed, then it is time for you to think otherwise. The smooth sips of alcoholic drinks can spice up things underneath the sheets. Here are 5 such alcoholic drinks that are believed to be strong enough to improve your sexual performance.

1. Red Wine: The drink makes both men and women horny by increasing their sexual arousal. While drinking two glasses of red wine can boost sex drive in women, drinking one glass is sufficient to increase testosterone in men. However, do not consume the drink in excess. Limit yourself to two glasses and experience the spice on bed, which you may not have felt otherwise. The passion drink does wonders to your cosy cuddly moments under the sheet.

2. Beer: Taking sips from chilled bottles will enhance your performance on bed. Studies have found that few pints of beer overloads a man’s body with phytoestrogens, which are proven to delay orgasm and make men last longer in the act. Dark beers are found to create intense and frequent erection and increase blood circulation in the penis. So, men can definitely go for few pints to satisfy his ladylove for a longer time on bed.

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3. Champagne: The froth and fizz of this ‘elite drink’ is blessed with an amazing property, and i.e. it enhances sex drive. Having a glass of champagne before sex is said to turn the night more romantic and exciting. It increase duration of foreplay, the number of positions and total duration of intercourse. Drink your favourite champagne and make it to the bedroom like never before. Even if the drink makes you high, you will be loaded with energy to make the night more romantic and the act more intense. That is the wonder of champagne.

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4. Brandy Alexander: This is more of a milk chocolate drink right from the other and not the actual brandy, and chocolate does spice up your sex life. Have a glass of this smooth creamy drink and get set for an out-of-the-world sexual intercourse. Rather than spending time on researching, simply take the drink and experience the difference. The clock might move slowly and steadily!

5. Tequila: Tequila shots will definitely make your sleeves fall of quickly, especially for women. Tequila shots will gear up your sex drive and bring kind of a euphoric effect, when you are all set to go wild on bed, floor, or bathroom. While tequila shots do wonders to a men’s sex drive, it is more beneficial for women. Few shots and they will be ready to slip through the body of their man, gently, warmly and passionately.

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Which of these drinks are you going to sip together for a great session under the moonlit sky?

Life has turned mechanical for many of us. Long working hours, frequent official tours, bringing work home from office, and less scope for togetherness- are some factors that let our personal lives take a back seat. Also, falling prey to such a busy and tiring lifestyle, we tend to ignore our health and other priorities of life. Sex or sexual desire is something that takes a back seat when we get too much engrossed in other acts and tend to ignore personal relationships. The urge for physical satisfaction, the deep feeling of sex, the nude looks, and the naughty moments on bed drain down the mental system. Before you blame your counterpart or freak out at each other for lack of sex, click the pause button and think of reasons that can be the biggest enemies to your sex drive. Some of those are mentioned below:

1. Binge drinking: One pint of beer or a glass of red wine is fine to with a dinner platter. But, consuming several glasses of wine, whisky, or beer affect the libido and gradually kills sex drive. Couple of drinks dehydrates the body, slows down orgasm, and offers less scope for lubrication. Alcohol is also considered to be a depressant that slows down responses and brain functioning during sex.

2. Inadequate exercise: Regular exercise is the mantra to good health, which also includes great sex. Sitting steadily at work throughout the day often makes you lazy on bed too. Sitting hinders blood flow to the private parts like it does to other parts of the body. So, exercise regularly and go for a walk to boost your libido and enhance your sex drive.

3. Lack of sleep: Hectic routines often make it difficult to fall asleep. Inadequate sleep or insomnia increases the production of stress hormone called cortisol, which in turn lowers testosterone level in the male body. Women with inadequate sleep often find it difficult to engage in sexual acts and attaining orgasm. So, if you and your partner are not indulging in sex like the earlier times, then consider inappropriate sleep to be one of the reasons.

4. Watching news before going off to bed: News programs are definitely not a light show to watch before going off to bed. Debates of politicians, crime news, news on natural calamities, fluatuating economies flood the channels most of the time. Watching such shows do not relieve your day-long stress, but rather increase it. And, stress and sex simply do not mix up. So, put aside those disturbing programs, relieve your mind from stress, and head to bed with a cheerful mood. If required take a shower for refreshment. Your sex drive will automatically hit up and your bed-scene can end in a great climax.

5. Smartphone addiction: Browsing smartphones in bed is one of the biggest reasons to kill sex drive. Browsing news sites, social media pages, or online shows before sleep create a distance between you and your partner, something that you realize when the relation already turns bitter. It does not ease off your tension, but rather make you more tired and less interested in sex. Keep the smartphone away and head to bed hands-free. Only then can you use your hands for tickling and cuddling each other. Slowly and gently, your bodies will generate heat up for a superb sex.

6. Late night dinner: What you eat and when you eat affects your libido. Late might dinner delays digestion and makes you feel heavy for a longer time. Try to have dinner by 8pm or 9pm if you want to have some great bedroom moments with your partner.

7. Overeating: Keep a check on portion sizes if you do not wish to kill your sex drive and worsen relationship. While heavy snacks in the afternoon can drain energy and make you feel lethargic for rest of the day, heavy dinner can also make you go lazy and drowsy. Some food items are definitely good for sex, but ensure that it does not make you super saturated and take a toll on your physical bonding.

Maintain a healthy life and keep things like TV programs, office works and smartphones at bay to concentrate on the sensual acts to spice up your life. Get wet and keep the fun on bed going as long as you can. 

The spectrum of dating, relationships and marriage in India today is as diverse as it can possibly be. While being in a relationship of one's choice is still beyond imagination in some communities and regions, an increasing number of working professionals are now turning to technology to find fulfilling companionship. But when accepting or rejecting love seems as simple as swiping right or left, what happens to the idea of finding someone the organic way? A panel discussion on the topic, Does Technology Hurt or Help Romance? will explore the myriad facets of using technology for relationships, through four experts in the field.

Roland Mascarenhas

"With so many people migrating to cities like Mumbai for career prospects, they are seeking the help of technology to beat their loneliness," says Roland Mascarenhas of Global Shapers Community (GSC), an initiative of the World Economic Forum, which has organised the discussion. "The hook-up culture in Indian metros is unique. Given the long working hours and traffic conditions, a social life on weekdays is ruled out for many. And on weekends, people prefer to live in their own bubble of close friends. But what transpires in the world of app-based dating has an underlying human dynamic that no one usually talks about," he adds.

Naina Hiranandani

While Gourav Rakshit, CEO, Shaadi.com, will share his perspective on the relevance of matrimonial websites in the age of Tinder and Hinge, Chhavi Sachdev, creator of LSDCast, a podcast that explores love, sex and dating, will bring a media-focussed understanding of the topic. Naina Hiranandani, executive vice president of Sirf Coffee, a bespoke dating service for professionals, will discuss why finding meaningful relationships cannot be about algorithms. "Technology works best with a lot of human effort involved. We — and many modern, truly global, working Indians — believe that deep conversations cannot be had with a stranger on an app," says Hiranandani. She goes on to talk about the phenomenon of ghosting, where if someone doesn't like a person they have gone on a date with after interacting online, they simply block the person instead of ending things on a dignified note. "Thanks to ghosting, the element of closure is gone," she adds.

Simran Mangharam

Simran Mangharam, co-founder of Floh, a service that organises engaging events for like-minded singles, too, believes that the job of technology must be that of an enabler. "Finding fulfilling relationships has to be a hybrid of online and offline, where technology should facilitate the post-meeting communication instead of the other way round, where there is often a lot of disappointment in store," she shares.

Apart from the new-age matchmaking, the panel discussion will also touch upon how men and women face unique problems with technology, and if there is a need for a clear manual for the language used in such communication.

Rushabh Shah and Srishti Doshy

Meet Srishti Doshy and Rushabh Shah. The Mumbai-based couple, in their early 20s, has been dating for six years. She is bold, and more expressive, while Rushabh believes in creating the right first impression. Srishti may not be able to face reality sometimes, whereas Rushabh is practical. What makes them click: similar traits, especially the way both want to preserve memories and find solace in being together.

Rushabh Shah and Srishti Doshy; their handwriting samples

It didn't take a heart-to-heart chat with the duo for Chetna Teckchandani to learn that they are, indeed, compatible. All she did was analyse scans of their handwriting scribbled on an unruled sheet of paper. "Your handwriting is like your DNA sample. It reveals your personality, behaviour and approach to the future. Graphology is an in-depth science, which can be used to discover yourself, as a hiring tool for corporates, and, gauge a couple's compatibility. Unfortunately, it isn't given its due in India," shares the 29-year-old handwriting analyst and graphotherapist. She learnt the science from expert graphologists Milind Rajore and Naviin Thantrii, and has been practising it professionally for the past one year.

If you're eager to discover your compatibility quotient with your partner, or learn ways to improve your marriage and relationship, get your handwriting analysed at a coffee meet that she will host tomorrow. The session, titled, One Write Stand With Your Date, presented by dating app ASAP (Astro Science Align People) and Soul Flower, is open to married and unmarried couples, and even singles who might be looking for a partner.

Teckchandani uses a combination of Gestalt and Trait methods to conduct the analysis. This includes the size of letters, pressure put into writing and each letter's knots and curves. "In graphology, each letter is assigned a meaning. Y is the letter for sex. A 'y' written without looping the end or squeezing the loop may indicate intimacy issues. On the other hand, a 'y' with a bigger-than-usual loop may mean a voracious sexual appetite," she states matter-of-factly.

Chetna Teckchandani

How your handwriting tilts also helps Teckchandani peep into your soul. For instance, she realised a client had undergone abuse when she saw that her words had a backward slant (tilted towards left). "Backward slant isn't natural, and usually, develops when you have seen something terrible, specifically from a male figure, and you take a step back. However, you cannot jump to conclusions only by assessing one element of handwriting. You need to use various permutations and combinations," shares the expert, who prepares meticulous compatibility reports jointly with Dr Anandd Manocha. She also offers grapho-therapy sessions, suggesting certain handwriting exercises or patterns to heal a person, which can be combined with counselling and positive reaffirmations.

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We have been married for 10 years, and while most people say time depletes sexual chemistry in a couple, ours has been an active and healthy sex life. Perhaps, because early on we decided that we'd try out new things. This includes making sex a part of our daily lives and trying different positions.

Both, my husband and I are 34 years old. He runs a business; I am into design. We belong to conservative Marwari families, but what happens in the confines of our home is our business.

It was last year that my husband discussed a website: Adult Friend Finder. I think he discovered it while watching porn. He told me: "This is what people are doing these days". 'This' was couples performing live sex acts in front of an online audience. My husband wanted us to give it a shot. I was obviously apprehensive. It felt weird that someone would be watching our intimate moments. But, he insisted. He said since we were husband and wife, it would be fine. If anything, it would add excitement to our lovemaking. Within a month I agreed to give it a shot.

Going online was simple enough. On the site, my husband created a profile. All he was asked was his age. No other details needed. Not even an email ID or my age. Once this is done, you can add friends to your list. Friends here doesn't mean real-life friends, but other handles from the site that you allow to watch you as audience. It's quite like Facebook with one difference - this is a sex site.

We logged in and created our own handle. We had two options - either we could go live publicly [anyone who logs in to the site can watch] or invite our friends on the site to watch. Once you are done [performing the act], the live video disappears from the site. Since ours was a private handle, people would have to request us to allow them to watch us. It was our prerogative who got the permission.

I was clear that I didn't want any Indians watching. Neither did I want to watch any Indians. And even though I hid my face by only shooting at certain angles, I was more comfortable with people who showed their faces in the videos - I only allowed those people who went live themselves to see our videos. So, most of those who watched us were white men and women - single or couples. There are obviously more men online but women are aplenty too.

When we went live, I made sure that there was nothing visible of my home or of our personalities in the frame. So, the corners we picked to shoot from were always blank corners in the house. The webcam was also angled such that our faces could not be seen, and the lighting was slightly low. We watched a few videos and we made ours follow the same pattern.

Not everybody has sex during these videos, some just indulge in foreplay. So, we would start by sitting on the couch, talking and having wine. Sometimes, we would just indulge in foreplay with our clothes on. That's it. Sometimes, the clothes came off and we had intercourse. But, never did our faces show. That was my major concern.

During our first video, we just made out while watching a movie. It wasn't an awkward experience. If anything, I was really happy after the first time, because I got positive reactions from everyone who watched the video.

My initial apprehension melted soon, and I found myself having fun. People comment as you go about having sex and most comments were about how hot, sexy and beautiful I was. The exotic, Indian thing really attracts the white. I couldn't believe some of the comments - one of them said I was the sexiest woman he had seen. It served as validation.

My husband also enjoyed the attention I got. Unlike other Indian men, who tell you to button up and don't like it if another man looks at you, my husband was happy with all the attention I was getting. And, along with me, him. He would tell me, "They all want you, but I have you." At any time that we'd go alive, around 1,000 people would be watching. We used to go online once a week.

Soon, however, the charm started to wear off, especially when comments like "Do you want to share your wife?" started coming in. I would spend all day remembering what had been said. Disgust crept in; that I had allowed so many eyes on me. I told my husband that I didn't want to do this anymore. He was irritated.

There were arguments because he was keen we continue. After seven months, I decided there was no way I was going back to doing this. He kept resisting it, but then accepted my decision.

Now we don't fight over this anymore, and still have an active sex life.

I'd say that if people are inspired to do this, they should do it sensibly. We were married so we weren't afraid blackmail or lewd comments. But if you aren't, you should watch out; you could fall into a trap. There are many people who message obscene comments and it's not easy to ignore them.

Also, do not see it as a long-term hobby. Do it for a bit if you like, and get out, or you can get addicted. Use it to get the spark back into your sex life, but don't overdo it.

(As told to Aastha Atray Banan)

Illustration/Uday Mohite

I am looking for a sapiosexual guy." That's the line, which ran below the photograph of a gorgeous woman, on writer Jaidev Hemmady's Tinder page. Chancing upon it a few months ago, Hemmady had two options - either swipe left or right. He chose the latter. Why? "I had never heard the word before. It immediately aroused my curiosity," the 35-year-old recalls. Thinking of it now, Hemmady tells us it was probably his most foolish decision ever. "When we did begin to converse, I asked her what she meant by sapiosexual," he says. She said it was "fascination for intellectual men". "So, would she choose an average-looking man with the IQ of a rocket scientist?" To his surprise, the girl typed in a 'NO'. "He has to be both, handsome and smart," she insisted.

One possible reason for this artifice in vocabulary could be the nature of online dating. Here, as everywhere else, first impressions matter. Only last week, IllicitEncounters.com, UK's leading dating website for married people, released a survey after analysing four lakh profiles, where it threw a few words of caution when describing oneself on dating apps. While words like 'confident' and 'honest' earned a good score, 'shy' and 'happy' were major put-offs. With technical details playing a key role, relationship coaches are now being roped in to add finesse to people's dating profiles. When we enquired, most coaches claimed that 50 per cent of their clients were currently investing in online image building. The rules may differ for each, but if you want to be a smooth player in the swipe game, here's what you could do.

Ritesh Uttamchandani

Treat profile pic with kindness
Some time ago, freelance photographer Ritesh Uttamchandani was asked if he was interested in clicking profile shots for dating apps. "Some of the photos you see on these apps are horrendous, boring and repetitive," he rues. Uttamchandani, who joined a few dating apps out of sheer curiosity, says that because of the nature of his job, it wasn't hard for him to see through the sham behind the lens. According to him, there are four kinds of set images common to most profiles - the side profile, the exotic destination shot, the selfie and one that flashes a facial asset. Of the four, he advises avoiding the selfies. "Pout selfies are the worst."

If Uttamchandani is thinking aesthetics, London-based Dr Siva, who is a physician and relationship expert and runs drsivacoaching.com, says that the profile picture also reflects how serious you are about the dating game. "Larger women should not be ashamed of their body type. Men like women who are comfortable in their own skin," claims Dr Siva.

Mumbai-based Shiva, the head coach of Real Man Academy, which runs dating and seduction workshops, advises following the ABS rule. A implies having pictures that show you lead an 'active' lifestyle. B means portraying a 'bold' body language. (Example: no crossed legs). S is showing off your 'social' circle. "If there are women in your photograph, it's good, because it shows they are comfortable with you."

Nidhi Sharma

Be quirky with your bio
"Be original when describing oneself," says Nidhi Sharma (47), personal branding coach at Bon Impressions in Mumbai. "Never put up an inspirational quote in your bio. It would be stupid to believe that someone is going to date the person who scripted that quote," she says. Instead, she suggests writing something that reflects your attitude towards life. Elizabeth Sullivan, a dating coach, who runs Lovementor.com in London, advises using positive language to describe oneself. "Add some humour.

But, don't force it because people can see through it." Hemmady says, "I prefer women who don't shy away from talking about their food adventures."

Dr Siva

After you've been swiped right
According to Nidhi, a lot of men come across as being very forceful and persistent, once they've got a right-swipe from someone they have taken a liking to. "Begin with a 'hello, how are you?' even if that means sounding a tad bit formal. Let the rapport develop before getting personal," she suggests.

Also, when your 'prospective date' messages, do not respond immediately, says Shiva. "It shows you have lots of free time. At a subtle level it communicates that she/he is the only person who is texting you."

Being online all the time can also be a turn-off. "That shows you don't have much going on in your life. Especially on weekends, be completely offline. As the saying goes, fake it till you make it," Shiva says. Online dating is just a tiny window to your world. "It's a practising tool, until that door really opens," Sullivan says.

Emmanuel Macron (right) and wife Brigitte Trogneux acknowledge the audience at an event in Paris in April. Pic/AFP

She's been called a Menopausal Barbie and France's First Grandmother, he's been passed off as gay as it's inconceivable for many how a straight 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron would be married to 64-year-old Brigitte Trogneux. In a different continent, another president is 24 years older than his wife Melania, but critics are yet to look past Donald Trump's mop of blonde-orange hair, and logic-defying views. Why?

Age does matter… for women
"We are still very ageist as a society, all over the world. While an older woman is called a cougar, there is no such term for an older man," says Shrishti Arya, producer of romance TV series Kehta Hai Dil Jee Le Zara (2014) in which Sangeeta Ghosh's Saanchi was seven years older than Ruslaan Mumtaz's Dhruv, and that formed the main conflict. Eventually, the couple not only married but also became happy parents. Of course, as per desi heroine pre-requisites, Saanchi, while refreshingly cheerful and mature, was painted in pure white strokes of a physically and morally beautiful beti, unmarried at 34 mainly due to familial responsibilities. Trogneux on the other hand, was married when she first met the 15-year-old Macron at the age of 40. Easier to blame her.

Ageism also comes from our conditioning, according to clinical psychologist and cognitive behaviour therapist Laura Vaz. In earlier times, it was pragmatic for the man to be older since he was the bread-winner, and the woman was second fiddle. She needed an older spouse to 'look up to'. That has changed with women demanding dignity for their roles as homemakers and fighting for equal rights at work… "but the cultural belief has stuck," she says.

The Graduate created a social revolution in cinema in the late 1960s

The cougar on celluloid
Popular culture doesn't make things easier. Starting from the ageing actress obsessed with a younger opportunistic man in Sunset Boulevard (1950) to the iconic seductress, Mrs Robinson, who lures the apparently hapless Ben in The Graduate (1967), to our own BA Pass (2012) with its poster featuring the much-married heroine sporting a bra and horrors, smoking, while a teenage boy lounges in her bed — the older woman is usually seen as a sexual predator. As clinical psychotherapist Alaokika Bharwani puts it, "If the man is over 10 years younger, it's assumed that it must be a sexual relationship. 'Companionship' is never taken into account, and it's sad because no one speaks of her desperation for an emotional connect." Vaz talks of how this narrow mindset leads to assumptions around the relationship. "That's how stories get created that something must be wrong with the man; maybe, he's looking for a mother figure, or perhaps she pays his bills," she says.

What does she want?
Bharwani gives a more realistic idea of what an older woman possibly seeks in her relationships. "A woman above 40 is mostly financially stable and doesn't 'need' a man to provide for her. She's perhaps been married, has children, and is emotionally mature. She mostly wants companionship to feel invigorated, which doesn't come her way from men her age. So, she enjoys the playfulness of a younger man," she says. As for the younger man, being with an older woman is often relieving since she is past the age of unreal romantic expectations, and doesn't want him to 'complete' her. He can be himself.

Alaokika Bharwani

But relationships are difficult to sustain especially if the age difference is between his 20s and her 30s. As Vaz points out from the cases she has dealt with, usually in a May-December relationship, it is the man who leaves and the woman ends up feeling hurt and used. Vaz adds that there could be an element of unpleasantness peculiar to this sort of relationship. "If the man isn't as financially stable, and she sort of takes care of him, the woman seldom has a problem but the man could feel emasculated," says Bharwani, adding that the biggest undoing for such couples is judgement.

Vaz cites the example of a couple where the woman was 64 years, while the man was 31. In therapy, she made it clear that they had to decide if they were in it for the long haul. "He was as old as her son, and people would look down on them, isolate them and yet not leave them in peace. I said this was what they were getting into. My sessions would help them get stronger, but they had to know that the dice would be stacked against them." Despite being in love, the couple broke up.

Meanwhile, since their coming out as a May-weds-December couple, the Macrons have faced criticism head-on; that he was elected as President is also a positive sign. Back home too, Vaz and Bharwani feel millennials are less judgemental and accepting of such relationships without going into debunked Freudian explanations. Both feel that we are becoming a more civilised society.

Here's to love and companionship for older women without the unfair labels. Or maybe create a male counterpart. Trump effect, anyone?

New York: Fathers tend to be more attentive and responsive to the needs of their toddler daughters than of their sons, finds a brain study that shows a toddler's gender influences the brain responses as well as the behaviour of fathers.

The findings showed that fathers of toddler daughters sang more often and spoke more openly about emotions, including sadness, whereas those with toddler sons engaged in more rough-and-tumble play.

"If the child cries out or asks for dad, fathers of daughters responded more than did fathers of sons," said lead researcher Jennifer Mascaro, Assistant Professor at Emory University.

Further, girls' fathers used more analytical language (words like all, below and much) which has been linked to future academic success, while with boys it was more achievement-related language (words such as proud, win and top).

This may be possibly because fathers are more accepting of girls' feelings than boys', the researchers said in the paper published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience.

In addition, brain scans revealed that fathers of daughters had greater responses to their daughters' happy facial expressions in areas of the brain important for visual processing, reward, emotion regulation, and face processing than fathers of sons.

"The gender-biased paternal behaviour need not imply ill intentions on the part of fathers. These biases may be unconscious, or may actually reflect deliberate and altruistically motivated efforts to shape children's behaviour in line with social expectations of adult gender roles that fathers feel may benefit their children," added James Rilling anthropologist at Emory.

For the study, the team used data from 52 fathers of toddlers (30 girls, 22 boys), who agreed to clip a small handheld computer onto their belts and wear it for one weekday and one weekend day.