Beard styles for men

Beard and mustache is considered to be the beauty of men face. It is also a factor which distinguishes a man and a boy. There was a time in past when beard was considered as a manly hood of all the men. Men could not even think of themselves without beard. However as the time passed by everything changed and so did the culture of growing beard.

Nowadays many men stay well clean shaved. In many organizations clean shaved men are considered to be formal. Nevertheless like all other styles, beard has also entered the arena of fashion. We can see number of styles of beard in our everyday life. These styles of beard are usually supported by famous celebrities.

Beard enhances the look of a man. Styling beard can give person entirely a new look. Changing the styles of beard can even completely change the personality of the person. Man with different and well suited beard always stands out of the crowd. It is well known story about Abraham Lincoln. Some little girl wrote him a letter to grow beard. Lincoln acted on her advice. Now we cannot even think about Lincoln without a beard. Strange but true. Beard was the significant part of Lincoln's personality. Here I'm not trying to say that by keeping beard you can become president of some country. Still you can give yourself a new appearance by different style of beards.

Some of the famous beard styles of today's time are as follows.

French beard

Beard only on chin attached with the mustache results into a French beard. Well-trimmed French beardgives an ultimate formal look to all men.

Goatee beard

It is one of the coolest beard styles. As the name refers, this beard style is adopted by getting impressed from goats. In goatee beard your facial hair are only restricted to your chin area. You can keep a well-trimmed goatee like Arabs or a long hair goatee like Asians and rock stars. Choice is yours. Try both and look for the one that suits you best.

Patch beard

Patch beard is the smallest kind of all the beards. It starts form lower lip and ends before chin starts. You can give it different geometrical shapes like triangle or square.

Stubble beard

Stubble beard is a rough and tough look beard. Stubble beard is actually a 2 days beard which gives man a rough look. From these beard styles you can pick one which suits you the best according to your face structure and give your personality a new form.

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User Post: Can chocolate help you live longer?

In news appreciated by sweet-toothed ladies everywhere, it turns out that chocolate might actually be good for the heart. A recent story by Jeannine Stein in the LA Times — "Chocolate (but not too much of it) may be good for your heart" — discusses a new study that found that eating chocolate could possibly lower the risk of heart disease by 37 percent and stroke by 29 percent.

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The results are from an analysis of seven studies that involved a total of over 100,000 people. Of those seven, five studies showed an association between higher levels of chocolate consumption and a lowered risk of cardiometabolic illness, and one study even showed a link between chocolate consumption and a lowered risk of diabetes. The causal relationship is still unclear, but there is speculation that chocolate's polyphenol (or antioxidant) content could improve endothelial function (aiding in blood circulation), blood pressure and insulin regulation.

Good news, yes? But Stein also offers some cautionary advice: "But before you dash to the supermarket to buy that five-pound bag of M&Ms, the study authors caution about eating chocolate with abandon. After all, they point out, chocolate isn't exactly calorie-free. Although the participants in the studies ate a variety of chocolate products, including chocolate bars, drinks, nutritional supplements and desserts, all chocolate is not created equal, and eating too much of the stuff that's filled with fat and sugar can put on pounds, possibly upping the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes — the very stuff that can lead to cardiovascular problems."

So now we've seemingly scored on finding health benefits for both chocolate and red wine in moderation. If science ever finds a way to make barbecue pork and shrimp wontons heart healthy, my eating life will be completely satisfying.

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Wake Up against Dangerous Trans Fats!

Fats have always been considered dangerous for health and eating a very proportionate amount of fats in particular is very much emphasized. Trans fats are considered to be even more dangerous as they do not just get deposited in your body as solid fats but they are the warehouses for the most dangerous and life taking health issues.

Before discussing further about the trans fats it is very important to know that what are they exactly and in which types of food stuff they are found. Trans fats are those fats that are turned into solidified form once we take them inside our bodies. They are mostly in liquid form before our intake and at times we do take them as it is in solidified form too.

Trans fats are found in concentrated form in almost all the yummy foods that we all love to eat and at the same time call them the "junk food". The foods that have trans fats commonly and in larger quantities are mainly cookies, chips, margarine, butter, vegetable shortening, pies and most of the deep fried food. All this may taste delicious and out of this world to you but your intake of such kinds of foods is just lie doing a crime inside you rbody.

Trans Fats are the primary causes of various health problems which can lead to heart attacks. Moreover, trans fats cause cholesterol, high insulin levels in body and high blood pressure too. It is believed by the doctors and health experts that iftrans fats are cut down to a minimal level in the everyday life of individuals then the risk of many serious health problems can reduce by many folds.

Most of the doctors and health experts recommend that do not leave the trans fats intake all of a sudden rather, start cutting down on them gradually and start by cutting down the intake of saturated fats first which are found in meat and dairy products primarily.

For individuals it is very important to understand the dangers of trans fats as soon as they can especially in young age and protect their families and friends from its hazards too. You can look for a variety of substitutes for trans fats which will make your food equally yummy and at the same time, very healthy too. For example, use olive oil instead of vegetable shortening or margarine in cooking, try to avoid deep fried foods particularly onion rings, French fries etc and move towards grilled foods to avoid the dangers of trans fats that can affect your health badly. There are a lot of options available when it comes to looking for better substitutes of trans fats. All you need to do is show your will and move on towards a healthy lifestyle where there is no room for trans fats.

By keeping trans fats aside from your life, you will feel the difference yourself and you will feel really light, active and healthyfrom the inside. Moreover, your skin and complexion will get better too and you won't have aging getting started at a very early age.

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Could This Be The Ultimate Secret to Flat Abs?

Researchers just discovered a new way to get rid of belly pudge and increase lean muscle. To which we say, You couldn't have released these findings at the beginning of bikini season? Ah well, we're still psyched about the results, especially considering they don't include the words "do crunches" or "stop eating a certain kind of food". No, the authors of the study say that if you're looking to slim down around your middle, you should eat more protein in the form of dairy products since that was found to lead to overall weight loss andabdominal weight loss in women.

By Zoe Ruderman

The study, which was published in the September issue of the Journal of Nutrition, compared three groups of overweight women. One group ate a low amount of dairy food, one at a medium amount, and the third ate a high amount. Their exercise routines were identical. At the end of the four-month testing period, the women who were on a higher-protein, higher-dairy diet "experienced greater whole-body fat and abdomen fat losses, greater lean mass gains and greater increases in strength", according to a write-up on EurekAlert.org. More specifically, those who consumed a lot of dairy lost twice as much belly fat as the others.

Related: 7 Brilliant Weight Loss Trick To Try

These women had a "major change in body composition," explained Andrea Josse, lead author. "The preservation or even gain of muscle is very important for maintaining metabolic rate and preventing weight regain, which can be [a] major problem for many seeking to lose weight."

Related: The Two-Minute Desk Workout (That's Not A Typo)

The women in the other two groups also lost some weight (thanks to the exercise plan all the participants were on), but some of that downtick on the scale was due to a loss of muscle tissue. And the researchers said it's for this exact reason that a dietary success shouldn't be based on weight alone.

Related: 4 Ways To Make Mondays Suck Less

Oh, and this doesn't give you carte blanche to start eating ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sure, it's high in dairy, but the calories and fat content will counteract the belly fat-blasting power of milk products. Instead, up your dairy intake by adding low-fat or non-fat milk or yogurt to your diet. OK fine, and ice cream on occasion.

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Moves and Meals to Strength Train Your Brain

By Maura Kelly

Last week, scared silly about a speech I had to give, I rode my bike to the event, hoping it would calm my jitters. Luckily, it did that and a whole lot more: Cycling cleared my head so that I was able to remember the lecture word for word without notes. I gave the best talk of my life.

Turns out, that half-hour workout was the smartest pre-speech prep I could have done, according to a number of new studies showing thatexercise strengthens the body and the mind. For instance, a recent finding from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reveals that people perform significantly better on memory tests if they take them shortly after doing 30 minutes of aerobics. "Learning, remembering, reasoning, alertness, and mood improve with fitness," says Patrick Hogan, DO, a neurologist with Puget Sound Neurology in Tacoma, Washington. "A physical workout is better than any medicine. It's the single most powerful thing you can do for your brain."

Add healthy eating to your stay-fit regimen and your mental power will skyrocket. Check out our get-smart plan for the lowdown on the best foods and moves for your noggin.

Your Mental-Fitness Game Plan

"Aim for 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity at least three days a week," Erickson says. "Anything that leaves you out of breath is a good choice," like biking, running, and using the elliptical. To make your workout even more challenging mentally and physically, do intervals, as in this cardio circuit from Johanna Subotovsky, a trainer at Equinox Fitness Clubs in New York City.

•     Warm up with a brisk 4-minute walk.

•     Jog at a steady pace for 10 minutes.

•      For the next 6 minutes, alternate 1 minute of walking lunges with 1 minute of walking.

•     Run at a fast pace for 5 minutes.

•     Cool down with 5 minutes of brisk walking.

Eat Smart

Food is the fuel that keeps your brain running, but noshing on the right stuff is key. "You need a huge variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients for maximum brain health," says Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, PhD, a professor of neurosurgery and physiological science at UCLA. That means piling your plate with as many different fruits and vegetables as you can every day, including "berries and apples, because they contain a lot of vitamin C and flavonoids, both of which are powerful antioxidants that keep your brain cells in prime condition," Gomez-Pinilla says. Broccoli and spinach have more vitamins A, C, and E than most other veggies do. And fish is crucial because it's chock-full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which keep the membranes of brain cells strong. Be sure to eat every few hours to regulate your blood sugar. If it gets too low, you won't be able to think straight.

Hungry? Try our sample day's menu below -- it will help make you sharper by bedtime.

Power Meal: Breakfast

1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 sprinkle crunchy whole-grain cereal like Grape-Nuts or Kashi GoLean

1 big handful blueberries

1 cup coffee

Rev-It-Up Results

Greek yogurt is high in protein, which provides a steady supply of energy, helping your brain stay charged all morning. Protein also increases levels of epinephrine and dopamine, two chemicals that make you more alert. The carbs in the cereal give you a dose of glucose, which gets you going. Blueberries are potent antioxidants that have been shown to spur brain-cell production and help improve memory. Caffeine, a stimulant, speeds up your brain and can boost memory and reasoning, research shows.

Power Meal: Lunch

Baby spinach

1 ounce walnuts (about 14 halves)

Fruits and vegetables such as red grapes and yellow peppers

Vinaigrette

1 cup green tea

Rev-It-Up Results

Spinach is loaded with vitamin E, which helps neutralize the free radicals in your body that damage brain cells, and the oil in the vinaigrette aids in the absorption of the vitamin. Walnuts are a top source of omega-3s, which reduce inflammation in the brain and allow it to function properly. Colorful fruits and vegetables containan array of brain-boosting antioxidants and nutrients, and green tea is rich in flavonoids, which improve mental performance.

Power Meal: Dinner

1/2 cup fortified whole wheat pasta

Tomato sauce

4 ounces salmon

1 cup broccoli or brussels sprouts

Rev-It-Up Results

Fortified pasta is enriched with folic acid, a nutrient that may improve brain function, according to a study. Tomato sauce is loaded with antioxidants that help prevent inflammation. Fish such as salmon and mackerel are packed with omega-3s. Broccoli and brussels sprouts contain vitamin E.

Smart Snack

For a quick boost, combine 1 cup green tea + 1/2 cup strawberries + 1/2 cup grapes or Concord grape juice + 1/2 cup blueberries + 1 cup ice + 1 tablespoon agave syrup in a juicer or blender. Process until smooth.

Recipe from Dave Grotto, RD, a FITNESS advisory board member

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Video Vacation Continues. Back in September

Videoclip

I so appreciate the attentiveness of everyone who has noticed that I've stopped posting videos for some reason. (I appreciate it, but I'd also sort of hoped that no one would notice. Busted.) Fear not, the hiatus is only temporary. Because of my vacation schedule, I decided to skip making videos for the last half of August.

I'll be back in September, with the theme of...Self-control. Which is a fascinating subject.

In the meantime, if you're in the mood to watch videos, you can see them lined up here. Or you can check out my channel onYouTube.

Zoikes, it's hard to believe that September is just about here.

* Lots of great material on Petit Elefant -- "style, home, travel, family."

* Want a personalized bookplate for your copy of The Happiness Project – or for a friend? Or want asignature card instead (or also), if you have the e-book or audio-book? Sign up here. Ask for as many as you'd like, I'll mail them anywhere, and they're free.

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10 cigarette ads with women playing tennis

When women's tennis was a smoker's game: a look back

The U.S. Open's women's tournament kicked off this week and with it, a new crop of ad campaigns from credit card, liquor and airline sponsors. But it wasn't long ago that women's tennis was synonymous with cigarette ads. A search through the advertising archives of Tobacco.org shows the long, and depressing history of women's tennis as a smoker's sport. Tennis and cigarettes went hand-in-hand back in the '50s and '60s as a symbol of luxury. By the '70s, smoking and tennis also joined forces with the feminist movement. Battle of the Sexes champ and women's lib icon Billie Jean King helped form the Virginia Slims women's series back in the '70s and set forth the cigarette brand's permanent campaign as the emblem of equal carcinogenic rights. The brand carried on the legacy as a sponsor of Women's Tennis Association events through to the early '90s. We've come a long way, baby.

Photo by: Monica Seles in 1991 (photo by Getty Images)

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A Sample Menu for a Low-Fat Diet

Some TLC for your arteries

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute created theTherapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) dietespecially for people with high levels of LDL (the bad cholesterol).

The diet caps the percentage of calories you take in from fat, and also places limits on sodium, dietary cholesterol, and total calories. (A 5'5" woman who weighs 140 pounds and doesn't get much exercise should consume about 1,800 calories and no more than 60 and 12 grams of fat and saturated fat, respectively.)

Sound bland? It doesn't have to be. In the following slideshow, we've put together a day's sample menu that sticks to the TLC guidelines yet gives plenty of love to your taste buds.

Breakfast

• Oatmeal (about ¾ cup)
• Banana
• Orange Juice
• Coffee

This square meal will keep you feeling full and alert until your lunch break, yet it barely puts a dent in your saturated fat quota and contains 0 grams of dietary cholesterol. As an added bonus, oatmeal, bananas, and OJ all contain soluble fiber, which has been shown to lower LDL.

For a tasty oatmeal recipe made with apple cider and cranberries, try our De-lish Oatmeal (left).

Lunch

 • 1/2 tuna salad sandwich (with lettuce, tomato, and light mayo)
 • Cup of low-sodium vegetable soup
 • Apple
 • Diet soda

This hearty brown-bag lunch will only set you back about 500 calories, and it contains just 7.5 grams of fat. (For an even healthier sandwich, skip the light mayo: It accounts for about two-thirds of the fat.)

Be careful when choosing a soup! Most are loaded with sodium, and before you know it, you'll be way past your sodium limit for the day. Be sure to choose a low-sodium variety.

Snack

 • Baby carrots
      or
 • Low-fat microwave popcorn

Snacking between meals is a notorious diet-buster. When you're on the TLC diet, that midafternoon energy dip that ordinarily sends you to the vending machine is when you're likely to feel it the most.

No more potato chips and Snickers bars! Instead, bring a handful of baby carrots or a sandwich bag full of low-fat popcorn—but not both.

Dinner

 • Salmon with pineapple salsa
 • Blue cheese and cherry salad
 • Brown rice (about 1/2 cup)
 • Glass of wine

As long as you don't use too much butter or oil when you cook, the TLC diet affords lots of flexibility at dinnertime.

Fish is always a good choice, because it's rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. (Try our Pan-Grilled Salmon With Pineapple Salsa recipe.) A leafy salad like our Pike Place Market Salad will give you another dose of soluble fiber. And having a glass of wine may actually be good for your heart; research suggests it may cause a slight increase in HDL, the good cholesterol.

Dessert

You've earned it! Celebrate the end of your first day on the TLC diet with this delicious and refreshingHomemade Peach Ice Cream.

Made with evaporated skim milk, calorie-free sweetener, and egg substitute, it contains only 58 calories and 0.1 grams of fat per serving.

For more tips on healthy eating and lowering cholesterol, visit ourCholesterol and Diet center.

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15 tips for avoiding hotel bedbugs

By Amanda MacMillan

If you're sleeping somewhere other than home, beware. Bedbug prevalence is on the rise, and hotels and motels are some of their favorite hangouts.

These pesky critters can cause severe itching and welt-like bites, and it's costly to get rid of them if they follow you home. What's more, research suggests they can cause financial distress, anxiety, and social isolation.

But no need to get depressed just yet. With these easy tips, you can cut your chances of critter trouble while on the road.

More from Health.com:
Make Any Hotel Room Healthier
How to Sleep Better in Hotels
6 Tips for Beating Jet Lag

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Head straight for the bathroom

Before you check out your hotel room's minibar or oceanfront view, give it a thorough bedbug inspection—and until you've done that, stash your luggage in the loo. 

"Bedbugs are least likely to be found in the bathroom," says Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association. "They don't like the tile floors and there aren't as many hiding places. They like to be closer to where people may be sleeping."

Photo by: Getty Images

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Happy Birthday Edward Norton

'American History X' star Edward Norton is going to celebrate 42nd birthday today. He was born on August 18, 1969 in Columbia, Maryland, U.S.

Edward Norton is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producerknown for appearing in "Fight Club". Some of his films include 'Kingdom of Heaven', 'The Painted Veil', 'Rounders', '25th Hour', 'The Incredible Hulk', 'Red Dragon' and 'The Illusionist'. Edward Norton's debuted as director with film "Keeping the Faith" and also worked on the scripts for Frida, The Score, and The Incredible Hulk.  SayHappy Birthday Shannon Lucio. 

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