Life Style

    Keith is upset because he was woken up by the nightclubbers (Photo: Blend Images) All you want is a good night's sleep. Eight hours of kip, uninterrupted and peaceful. But it's 3am and you're awake. It happens to pretty much all of us. Whether it's a delivery truck, loud sex noises, or a rampant fox knocking over your rubbish bins, you probably wake up in the night. And chances are, you struggle to switch off again. There are a couple of simple things you can do to help your body drift back off. Or, actually, two things you should very much avoid. Dr. Michael Breus, sleep specialist and author of 'The Power of When', told Business Insider about two simple things you should prevent yourself from doing if you want to reduce the amount of time you're awake after rousing. The ...

    You already know what not to do on a plane if you don't want to be a giant jerk. (Exhibit A: Man watching iPad movie without headphones. Exhibit B: Woman eating pungent tuna wrap.) But best practices can be less obvious for considerate humans who just want to make it from point A to point B safely. If you're one of these people, avoid these behaviors the next time you fly: 1. Sleeping through takeoff or landing. When the plane ascends or descends, the air pressure around you changes faster than the air inside your ears. If you've ever flown before, you know this can be super uncomfortable — but only temporarily. To equalize the pressure, all you need to do is chew gum; inhale, then exhale gently as you hold your mouth and nose shut; suck on candy; or yawn, according to Med...

    Eating certain foods that have been cooked at high temperatures could be linked to cancer, according to health officials. The danger foods include chips, toast, biscuits, crackers, crisps, breakfast cereals (except for porridge), coffee, cooked pizza bases, black olives and cereal-based baby foods. Also on the list are root vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, beetroot, turnip, swede and parsnips once they have been fried until dark brown or crispy. When cooked at high temperatures (above 120C) a chemical compound forms called acrylamide and studies on mice have shown that high levels of it can cause neurological damage and cancer. Studies in humans have proved inconclusive. French fries wait to be ordered at a fast-food restaurant September 30, 2002 in Chicago, Il...

    I have asked loads of my friend’s this question because my sister who lives in the States asked me. Apparently, its ALL down to salmonella! In Europe apparently, we don’t generally chill our eggs. Why? Because the rate of salmonella is next to nil compared to that of in the States! Why? I don’t know! In the UK apparently, farmers took it upon themselves to vaccinate their hens against infection thus preventing salmonella to be an issue full stop. Eggs don’t need to be refrigerated, but one day out on the counter at room temperature is equivalent to about a week in the refrigerator, so if you aren’t planning on eating your eggs for awhile, it is best to refrigerate them. The decision to refrigerate or not is up to you. In the UK, Ireland and many European countries, eggs ar...

    The world's most popular password is the depressingly easy-to-guess 123456, according to a massive analysis of 10 million leaked passwords. Throughout 2016, we saw numerous major data breaches leaking people's login details online. Some were new like the hack of adult dating site AdultFriendFinder while others, like LinkedIn, were years-old, but the data only recently surfaced online. In both cases, these breaches have provided researchers with an unparalleled look at the security habits of millions of people and it's not pretty. Security firm Keeper trawled through 10 million records that leaked in 2016, and found that a shocking 17% of people used the basic, insecure password 123456. (We heard about the analysis via The Register.) In second place was the barely better 12...

    Pay attention to these cancer symptoms you are most likely to ignore, and get yourself to a doctor if they persist, according to Caring.com. Heartburn Frequent episodes of heartburn or a constant low-level feeling of pain in the chest after eating can mean oesophageal cancer, so ask your doctor for a screening. Upset Stomach Bellyaches tipped off a number of people to liver tumours, and stomach cramps or frequent upset stomachs may indicate colorectal cancer. Swallowing Problems Difficulty swallowing is most commonly associated with oesophageal or throat cancer, but can also be one of the first signs of lung cancer. A hoarse voice or feeling of something pressuring the throat can be an early indicator of thyroid cancer. Testicular Swelling The lumps that point to testicula...

    Homeowners looking to sell soon or sometime down the road often invest in home renovations to boost their home's value for a resale. Some home improvements, however, can actually hurt your home's value. Sometimes, these home renovations are done particularly with a resale in mind. Other times, they’re simply done to suit a homeowner’s personal preferences. Either way, it’s important to keep your home’s resale value in mind, and do your research before investing in any home improvement updates. If you want to increase your home's value instead of hurting it, click through to see the top home renovations to avoid. 1. Lavish Lighting Fixtures One common home improvement mistake is falling in love with unique or lavish light fixtures, said Alon Barzilay, founder of real estate...

    Put down that energy drink with the outrageous name. Even if you’re dead tired, you’ll be better off grabbing a healthy snack than downing some noxious chemical cocktail. We put so much emphasis on caffeinated drinks, but those just spike up your energy before slowing you down, says Jim White, R.D., owner of Jim White Fitness in Virginia. Get rid of this idea of a quick fix. Instead, White recommends eating frequent meals (skipping one can cause your blood sugar to rise and then tank), and putting some strategy behind the foods you pair. For example, whole grains consumed with protein can help prolong an energy high. (With that, watch your sugar intake. Sweets, pastries, or even granola bars boost energy, but that energy quickly plummets.) Read on to discover 10 healthy fo...

    The private rented sector is broken and house-hunting is a dreadful task fraught with abject desperation. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, to the list of nasties (the grasping letting agents and truculent and capricious buy-to-let owners) whom tenants confront can now be added creepy, predatory rentiers offering homes in return for sex. In the weird swamp world of online portals, everything is so much more dangerous. Female tenants are especially vulnerable when flat-hunting, and some landlords are quite open about what they expect, while others hide in plain sight. The basic act of flat-hunting often involves wandering into an unfamiliar neighbourhood, then entering a flat for guided viewings with strangers: a man you have never met before, who could assum...

    Hundreds of thousands of people across the country have been struck down by a persistent hacking cough this winter. But doctors say that the lingering illness that lasts for up to three weeks can't be treated with antibiotics, with sufferers urged to just rest and get plenty of food and fluids. With A&E departments groaning under the pressure of extra patients coming through their doors, doctors are now stressing to the public that there’s virtually nothing they can do to help as antibiotics have no effect on these viruses. Dr Anna Kuczynska todl Wales Online: We know there is a particularly nasty, persistent cough in the community that lasts a number of weeks and is leading a lot of people to attend their GP surgery. Unfortunately, in most cases, unless the patient ha...