Gender differences in science and technology careers

Games like chess stimulate the brain and help improve academic performance in subjects like math. However men are better than women at chess (99 out of the top 100 chess players in the world are men) and these gender differences persist in careers related to science, technology, math, and engineering (STEM). According to a new study by researchers at Duke University, which examined 30 years of test data from 1.6 million smart students, boys still outnumber girls by more than 3-to-1 in math and science.

At these highest levels of math ability, the researchers found, seventh-grade boys outnumbered girls by 4-to-1 on the SAT and 3-to-1 on the ACT. And the ratio of high-scoring boys to girls on the ACT test for scientific reasoning was found to be 3-1. Previous studies have suggested that women are more drawn to people and men are more drawn to things, and that difference also explains the better performance by girls in other subjects. Highly gifted girls performed better than highly gifted boys on SAT tests for writing and verbal reasoning, obtaining scores of 700 or above, but the difference was small, the study found. "It's apparent that there are still differences in ability levels due to gender, even as women have occupied more STEM jobs in the last 30 years," said Jonathan Wai, the lead Duke researcher.

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Miranda Kerr body confidence

Pretty Miranda Kerr's long awaited motivational book for young women, Treasure Yourself, is now in stores. Miranda says, "I wrote the book for young women in their teens, but I feel that women of all ages will appreciate the message. Experts such as Louise Hay and Deepak Chopra have also contributed." In it the gorgeous Australian model, seen above in Shape magazine wearing a Shimmer Push-up triangle top and scoop bottoms by Victoria's Secret, talks of the importance of being confident about your body: "Nobody is perfect. I have my good parts but I also have those parts I need to work on but that's between me and my personal trainer. I think the important thing is that all women are happy and confident with what they have got and don't feel pushed to being a certain way."

27-year old Miranda Kerr recently married boyfriend Orlando Bloom in Los Angeles, after a one month engagement. For their honeymoon Orlando and Miranda flew off to a luxurious $4,500-per-night beachfront villa at Viceroy Anguilla in the Caribbean.



Growing up in her farm at Gunnedah, Australia, Miranda liked riding horses and motor bikes, and she was into sports like basketball and gymnastics. Kerr told Teen Vogue: "Your teen years are when you create a foundation for the rest of your life, from habits to ideas of who you think you are and what you believe you are able to accomplish. A confident teen is more likely to set out to achieve what she dreams of simply because she thinks she can." Miranda is 5'9" tall and her body measurements are 34-24-34.



In the March 2010 issue of Good Health magazine Miranda Kerr revealed how she cares for her body's nutrition while enjoying food: "Eighty per cent of the time I eat food that is highly nutritious and basically what I term 'medicine' for my body. The remaining 20 per cent of the time I grant myself the opportunity to indulge in things I truly enjoy like dark chocolate or even my grandmother's fried chicken! As a result I never feel like I am missing out on anything."

Around twice a year Miranda does a two or three week detox for cleansing her body of toxins; for that time she cuts out all gluten, dairy, coffee, alcohol, sugar, and red meat from her diet. And her nutritionist Sally Joseph says: "I advise Miranda to swap coffee for green tea with a few slices of fresh ginger to soothe the nervous system." She also enjoys blending spinach, carrots, beets, and ginger, into smoothies. Miranda Kerr loves to shop for her organic produce: "There's a fun energy in Union Square. There's so much going on. The market has fresh flowers and organic produce, lots of fresh vegetables, and there are so many great local organic farmers there. I get goat's yogurt there. I eat goat's yogurt, goat's milk and goat cheese."



Miranda Kerr in the June 2010 issue of GQ magazine, on a stability ball which is a great way improve posture, do strength training, and stretching exercises like Yoga. Miranda Kerr is in fact a Yoga veteran! "I work out with my trainer a few times a week doing cardio, strength and toning exercises. Also, I've been practising yoga at least three times a week for the past 10 years and have really noticed the benefits. Yoga centers my thoughts, allowing me to move forward in the direction I choose. It massages my internal organs and cleanses my mind, body and spirit."

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Stability ball balance, strength, and stretching

A stability ball is used primarily for balance training and improving core strength. But it can also make your usual workouts fun and challenging, when incorporated in strength training and in stretching exercises like Yoga and Pilates. Also known as Swiss balls or exercise balls, they are made of plastic and filled with air, and come in many sizes. When sitting on the stability ball, if your thighs are parallel to the floor, then that size is right for you.

It's called a "stability" ball because it actually provides an unstable support, and this challenges the mind and the muscles to work together to stabilize the body on the ball. Originally it was used as an exercise aid in improving the balance, coordination, and the mind muscle connection in older patients. The fact that just sitting on the stability ball improves posture and core muscles strength, prompted some companies to substitute their regular office desk chairs with these fun balls! It makes sense to sit on a stability ball rather than a couch when watching TV; it doesn't let you slouch.



With a stability ball you can do crunches, push-ups, abdominal rolls, or limb extensions, but one of the most popular exercises is the seated wall roll (left). This is a traditional squat with the stability ball between your back and the wall; it keeps your posture correct and takes any pressure off the lower back, while working out the thighs and hips. The fun shape of the stability ball gives a greater range of motion in stretching exercises than what can normally be achieved on the floor. Stretching exercises become safer and more fun for those who have less flexibility in their joints.

"The benefits of stretching include reduced muscle tension and stiffness which help promote greater freedom of movement and improved posture," says Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. "Because of its shape and ease of use, the stability ball can be a safe and effective form of stretching for all levels of exercisers from beginners, older adults and people with special conditions to highly fit, athletic individuals."



To get into the position above, start in a sitting posture and then walk forward till the stability ball is under your shoulders and neck. This pose works out the legs, buttocks, and core muscles, and it can be combined with a light dumbbell session for the arms. From a prone position (stability ball under the stomach), you can "walk" forward using the arms till the ball is under your legs, and the torso is parallel to the floor. Hold this position for ten seconds, to workout your core muscles, and then walk back using your arms. In general, the stability ball can substitute for a bench when doing dumbbell exercises.

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Drinking coffee, good or bad for health?

Different studies on the effects of drinking coffee have been throwing up mixed results over the past few decades. Recently the opinion of a group of US doctors, which appears in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, says that drinking ONE cup of coffee a day during pregnancy doesn't seem to cause miscarriage or premature birth. That is because pregnancy risks begin with daily caffeine intake of over 200 milligrams, while a normal cup of brewed coffee contains around 100. Meanwhile another study by Swedish and Danish researchers finds that drinking coffee helps prevent the formation of a protein (beta amyloid), which is known to cause Alzheimer's disease. Older studies have shown that excessive coffee drinking increases the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

That's the key..."excessive" coffee drinking. The single biggest bad thing about coffee is the addictive power of caffeine. Even when you're aware of the health risks, coffee drinking becomes addictive, and you end up desiring the adrenaline boosts several times a day which causes health problems. The good thing about moderate coffee drinking is that caffeine boosts levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline, which help in delaying muscle fatigue and keeping you energetic. And coffee contains beneficial antioxidants. The health risks begin with excessive drinking: which in the case of coffee is more than one cup a day. Tea has lower levels of caffeine and you can have excessive tea (3-5 cups a day) without it posing any health risk.

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Light dumbbells effective for women

Fitness model and athlete Alicia Marie lifts light dumbbells for her arms, but when it comes to major muscle groups like the back or legs, Alicia tells Oxygen magazine: "I lift heavy for back, and I love lunges! But a lot of what I do is to maintain and enhance – not necessarily to build." Alicia takes part in muscle competitions so she needs to lift heavy, but most women can get an effective workout, even for the bigger muscles, with light dumbbells.

But what is light and what is heavy depends on your age, strength and size. Light dumbbells for Alicia will be heavy for a skinny teenage girl. For the majority of women 2 and 5 pound dumbbells are considered light, and are effective in toning the arms. They should use 10-pound dumbbells for the bigger muscles of the back and legs. But if 10 pounds is a light dumbbell for you, then use it for the arms and use 15-pound or heavier for exercises like squats for the legs and bent-over rows for the back muscles:



Even if you use slightly heavier dumbbells, it is physiologically impossible for most women to develop bulky muscles unless they use steroids! Weight training with light dumbbells is effective in developing bone strength, which is essential for women. Stronger muscles also improve posture, help in athletic performance, and in preventing injuries. Circuit training, which combines cardio exercises with intervals of strength training, burns the most calories.

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Paddleboarding fun workout

The fun summer sport of paddleboarding has really become popular in the past decade. Originating in the islands of Polynesia, it was picked up by surfers in Hawaii as a way of keeping fit while training for competitions. Paddleboarding combines surfing and kayaking but is better than both; you stand on a board and use a paddle to propel yourself forward. Unlike surfers, paddleboarders don't wait for waves, they keep paddling nonstop and get more of a workout. Paddling conditions the muscles of the arm and back, but you also use the legs and core muscles to stabilize the body, and keep the board from tipping over. You also get a good cardio workout when you paddle hard and coast in one-minute intervals consistently. Paddleboarding can be done on the ocean or in lakes, creeks, and rivers.

Beginners will find it easier to paddle on their knees until they learn to balance better; it is a very easy sport to pick up and a fun workout. The boards used in this sport are wide, very stable and equipped with a rear fin. Unfortunately they are also expensive! The basic paddleboarding equipment of boards, paddles, leash and personal flotation device, can cost between $1000-1500. Or you can rent equipment and get paddleboarding lessons for less than $30 a day. Supermodel Marisa Miller is a paddleboarding enthusiast who says: "I've designed a board for stand-up paddle boarding [SUP], which is a great workout and great for someone like my sister, who is terrified of waves and surfing, but still wants to enjoy the ocean. I developed a board line with Surf Tech for a woman's body because boards are often so heavy you need a guy to carry it to the water. I like being independent, so we did a board that's really light, really stable, a bit wider, and really easy to use."

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Swimming and summer hair

Attractive Sophia Bush gets her hair wet in the ocean while filming a scene from her TV show One Tree Hill. With the rising heat of summer people look to cool down with a swim in the ocean. Even if the tide and surf are right and the ocean looks calm, there are always rip tides and undercurrents to watch out for. Never swim alone or too far out, and always at beaches where a lifeguard is present. And if you get caught in a current, don't fight it but gradually extricate yourself by swimming across it. But swimming in the salty water also damages hair!



Even if you content yourself by just wading in the ocean and keeping your hair dry, the salty moisture in the air will be absorbed by the dry hair shafts. The chlorine in swimming pools and the chloride compounds in sea water are both extremely drying and you need to use a hydrating shampoo and conditioner to clean your hair after a swim. The most practical way to protect hair is by wetting it in a shower before a swim; since the hair shafts have already soaked up fresh water, they won't absorb too much sea or pool water.

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Marisa Miller plays housewife

Gorgeous Marisa Miller plays housewife in the August 2010 issue of FHM UK magazine, cooking spaghetti in her kitchen. Miller says, "Around the holidays I'm in charge of the baking, so I've been getting pretty good at pies. Plus I like comfort food — I can make macaroni cheese from scratch." Marisa eats mostly organic food, and cuts out all carbs and alcohol 48 hours before a photo shoot. But she tells FHM, "Women look sexier curvy, so I try to focus on working out over dieting. I think there's such a thing as looking too skinny."



Marisa Miller sprinting on a baseball field; she played some ball in the Major League Baseball "All Star Celebrity Softball Game" on July 11. She works out with resistance bands and boxing, and gets her aerobic workouts from surfing and paddleboarding, telling FHM: "I paddleboard as well, so that helps. When you surf you need to wait for the right swells, but when you paddleboard it doesn't matter. It can be completely flat and you can still get out there and exercise."

With all these outdoor activities Marisa is mindful of the amount of sun exposure her body gets. She also swears by spray tans, telling Stylelist: "Before a big job, I use Jimmy Coco to spray tan and it's flawless. When I don't have access to him, I'm a huge fan of the gradual-tanning lotions. Jergens has one that I like and Nivea. Ten years ago self-tanners were really orange and not that easy to use, but now the products are so amazing you don't have to put yourself at risk for a tan."



Marisa Miller relaxing in her backyard wearing a Herve Leger BCBG red bathing suit with Christian Louboutin red and white polka dot shoes. On tackling body hair removal, sexy housewife Marisa tells Stylelist: "I have peach fuzz everywhere, and I used to use hair-removal creams, but now I use an electric Remington hair trimmer. Laser is really good on dark hair for underarms and bikini and all of that, because then you never have to worry about it. It's kind of expensive, but if you're someone who needs that, it works very well."

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Rollerblading low impact workout

Rollerblading is not just for kids. It's a fun way to reduce stress and burn calories. In rollerblading your muscles get a different workout while propelling the body forward; the "in and out" swaying motion of your legs works out the inner thighs and hips. Swinging arms vigorously adds an element of upper body workout. Another good thing is that rollerblading is a low-impact exercise but gives a high intensity workout to the leg muscles since you're mostly in a squatting position. Rollerblading or "inline skating" is an aerobic activity where 30 minutes of skating at a steady pace burns nearly 300 calories.

The downside is that rollerblading requires a high degree of concentration and constant awareness of your surroundings. To avoid injury while falling you need to wear protective gear like wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, and helmets. Some people wear cycling helmets while rollerblading but they don't give full protection to the back of your head. Chances of falling backwards are as high as falling on your hands and knees. Rollerblading in summer is a good way for skiers and ice-skaters to get some off-season practice.

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Peanut butter snacks

Don't eat peanut butter straight from the jar! It's so much more useful to make snacks out of it, use it as dressing, or as frosting, and add it to smoothies. Yes, peanut butter goes with everything and it's healthy for you. Peanuts contain enough protein for the body and healthy monounsaturated fat which reduces cholesterol. It makes fruit and vegetable snacks tastier; put it on apple slices, or celery sticks, or use it as salad dressing. Peanut butter makes for great sandwich filling by itself, or with jelly, banana slices, carrot, lettuce, and tomato.

You can make your own natural and healthy peanut butter at home using a blender. First the peanuts are crushed into fine grains, then some more blending extracts the oils and turns the powdered grains into a buttery spread. Use peanut butter frosting instead of calorie-heavy cream with desserts.

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Jump rope for the heart

Heart Foundation's around the world have been promoting rope jumping as a way to improve cardiovascular fitness. For example the British Heart Foundation's popular sponsored skipping challenge "Jump Rope For Heart" which raises money for the heart charity and inculcates healthy habits in children. Studies show that children are increasingly taking up a sedentary lifestyle, spending hours in front of the computer or the TV, and rope skipping is a fun way to show them the importance of fitness. It is also one of the most high-intensity workouts; recently the US first lady Michelle Obama used a jump rope in an event by the Physical Fitness Council, at the Columbia Heights Education Campus Bell Multicultural High School in Washington.

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Olivia Wilde health vegan

Actress Olivia Wilde has been named "Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2010" by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Lisa Edelstein, Wilde's co-star on the TV show House, was the runner-up, and Biggest Loser celebrity trainer Bob Harper was named sexiest male vegetarian. On her website Olivia wrote: "I am really honored, and very inspired to continue living the vegan lifestyle that has been so good to my body, my animal friends, and the world we live in. So thank you, PETA, and thanks to all who voted for me!" But Olivia Wilde is not a complete vegan yet.



Olivia Wilde walking her dogs. She does say on her website: "All this means is that I don't eat food that comes from animals.....Beyond my desire to boycott the torture factories, I am also way happier when I eat a plant based diet, and I feel about a thousand times more energetic." So for Olivia being vegan is partly about health and partly about ethics. But I hope she realizes that suede and leather are also part of the "torture factories"——suede is made by killing baby cows——yet Olivia Wilde wears such animal jackets. Safe to say that she eats a vegan diet but does not follow a vegan lifestyle.



According to The Beverly Hills Institute of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Olivia Wilde is third in the most requested celebrity body parts by plastic surgery patients this year. For her fitness Olivia Wilde does a host of different things like spinning, walking/hiking with her dogs and husband, karate, biking, and yoga. "I just started getting back into Yoga. It's really both exercise and therapy, " Olivia Wilde told Us magazine. "You walk out of class and you're all, Ahh."

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Dance workout Zumba

Programs like Dancing With The Stars and Strictly Come Dancing have inspired more and more people to dance their way to fitness. Strictly Come Dancing star Kristina Rihanoff says, "It is really great that people are dancing. It's something that anyone can do of any age or any level of fitness. It is wonderful when you move to the music – you don't feel like you are exercising but you are."

Dance aerobics or dancercise has always been a popular way to improve fitness and reduce stress, and the present craze is on the Zumba dance workout. But surprisingly it's been around a while. Zumba Fitness originated in Cali, Colombia, and was introduced to the United States by celebrity trainer Beto Perez way back in the mid-1990s. Today it is taught in 60,000 locations in over 105 countries worldwide. The different kinds of music used in Zumba keep the body from adapting and makes the workout interesting.



The Zumba workout is a mix of dance movements like salsa, samba, cha cha, and merengue, with some hip hop thrown in. It also involves jumping, squatting and kicks, which give the body an anaerobic strength workout. One hour of Zumba can burn between 500 to 1000 calories. It has varying levels of intensity because Zumba is based on interval training. The faster bits and strength movements get your heart rate up, while the slower bits allow you recovery time to catch your breath. Dancing is all about having fun after all!

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Smoothies calorie content

Smoothies are a great way of consuming the daily recommended portions of fruit and vegetables. Making a smoothie does not alter the nutritional content of these fruit and vegetables; all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Athletes and athletic models find that drinking smoothies is a great way to recover and energize after a workout, while getting essential nutrients and protein (they usually make it with whey protein powder). Although fruit and veggies are low in calories, when they are blended in a smoothie with accompanying whole milk, ice cream, honey or tons of sugar, the calorie content shoots up. This is particularly the case with commercial smoothies.

The smoothie industry has been growing dramatically over the past decade; in the United States there were less than 1000 smoothie bars back in 1997, a number which has expanded more than five times today. The leading commercial smoothie manufacturers in the States are Emerald City, Smoothie King, Jamba Juice, and Freshens. In the UK Innocent and Usmoothie dominate the smoothie market....this country has also been holding annual British Smoothie Championships!

Commercial smoothies are targeted at kids in school and young adults; and naturally they are loaded with sugar and fat. For example Emerald City's "The Blender" smoothie has 1270 calories from all the ice cream, milk, chocolate, peanut butter, and banana. Another way commercial smoothies boost the calorie content is because of their supersize containers. Most smoothies are sold in huge 24-ounce cups. In a normal-sized glass or 12-ounce cup, the calorie content of a fruit smoothie sweetened with sugar is still 200 calories. While some stores allow customers low-sugar options, it is best to make your own smoothies at home using fresh fruit and veggies.



To make healthy smoothies use skimmed milk or yogurt as the base instead of whole milk or ice cream. Most fruit concoctions don't need added sugar; like a banana-strawberry-papaya blend or a kiwi and passion fruit mix. Smoothies are a wonderful way to improve the taste of bland vegetables, like mixing up peppers and chilli with strawberries, bland coconut with sweet pineapple, adding mint to a melon-cucumber blend, or throwing in the strong taste of cardamom or ginger into a flat smoothie. Smoothies can be made thicker by adding wholegrains or tofu; smoothies made with frozen fruit or crushed ice also have a thick texture. Last year in the UK, the British Nutrition Foundation and the Department of Health ruled that of the recommended 5 portions a day of fruit and vegetables, a 250ml serving of smoothies can count for 2 portions. Meaning you can have a tasty smoothie instead of eating a vegetable salad and one whole fruit.

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