Quick tips to avoid dating disasters

Quick tips to avoid dating disasters (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Getting ready for a date? Experts suggest avoid certain things like talking about ex-partners, excess alcohol intake and physical intimacy.

Femalefirst.co.uk shares quick tips to avoiddating disasters:

1 - Time and place: Decide and go to a place that both of you are familiar with. So that you don't have trouble finding it later. Make sure that the time suits both of you. Also, confirm it in the morning so that you know exactly when you're meeting.

2 - Conversation: There's nothing worse than an awkward silence on a date, so indulge in healthy conversation and talk about various subjects to keep the conversation flowing. If you've met via online, browse his profile to know more about his interests. Avoid conversations about your ex-partners and weather.

3 - Dress comfortably: Look your best. Go for stylish yet comfortable dresses. But don't wear something that could provide a wardrobe malfunction moment. Apart from outfit, wear matching accessories and comfortable shoes. Avoid heels if you are not used to wearing it.

4 - Alcohol intake: Avoid alcohol before going on a date. But if you choose to drink, then make sure you don't take more than two shots as it always works well. There's nothing more unattractive than a woman slurring her words and crying about how her ex-partner, that too when she is out on a date.

5 - No sex: If you ever want to see him again, then don't get intimate with your partner on your first date. If the date went well, then let him know by giving a gentle peck on cheek and wait for him to call you for a second date.

Can oral sex ward off infidelity?

Can oral sex ward off infidelity? (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

A new study has suggested that one of the reasons men perform oral sex on their female partners is to minimize the risk of infidelity. 

The study was conducted to find out why men performed oral sex on females, as the act did not lead to reproduction. 

243 adult men in heterosexual relationships were surveyed and the researchers found that cunnilingus is used by men to discourage their female partners from cheating by increasing her relationship satisfaction, a theory which the authors referred to as a mate-retention strategy, the Huffington Post reported. 

The study has been published in the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology.

Tips to save a marriage from falling apart

Tips to save a marriage from falling apart (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

When the marriage is on the rocks, couples typically seek advice from friends, family and marriage counselors. 

However, according to relationship expert Mort Fertel, that's precisely the wrong thing to do. 

Fertel said in an e-mail to Huffington Post that much of the advice people get about their marriage problems is wrong, even though it sounds good and made sense. 

What he suggests instead are six unconventional steps that run counter to traditional relationship advice. 

Firstly go it alone. One person's effort can change the momentum of a marriage, and very often, it's that effort that motivates the obstinate spouse to join in the process of saving the relationship. 

Secondly, stop asking yourself the wrong question. The key to succeeding in marriage is not finding the right person, it's learning to love the person you found. 

Know that absence does not make the heart grow fonder. In marriage, particularly in a broken marriage, absence separates people. 

It creates distance, and that's the opposite of what we're trying to achieve, which is closeness. 

Next is don't talk about your problems. Talking about the problems in a marriage doesn't resolve them; it makes them worse. 

It leads to arguments and bad will. Besides, you'll never talk yourself out of a problem that you behaved yourself into. Marriages change because people change. Say little; do much. Speak in the vocabulary of your actions. 

Marriage counseling does not work in most situations. The success rate is dismal. 

Most couples report being worse off after marriage counseling. 

Don't talk to family or friends about your situation. One of the most important values in a marriage is privacy; therefore, it's a mistake to talk about your marriage or your spouse to family or friends. It's a violation of your spouse's privacy and it's wrong.

Casual sex leads to anxiety, depression

Casual sex leads to anxiety, depression (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

University students, who engage in casual sex - having intercourse with someone whom you have known for less than a week -suffer from higher levels of general anxiety, social anxietyand depression, researchers have claimed. 

3,900 straight students in the age group of 18 and 25 from 30 different US colleges were questioned about their sex lives and mental well-being. 

The researchers found that people who recently engaged in casual sex seemed to have low levels of self-esteem, happiness and life-satisfaction than others who didn't hook-up with a relative stranger in last 1 month, the New York Daily News reported. 

Lead author Melina Bersamin of California State University, Sacramento said in a statement that it's premature to say that casual sexual poses no harmful psychological risks for young adults. 

She added that the results study suggested that casual sex was negatively associated with well-being and positively linked to psychological distress. 

Men exaggerate sexual thoughts

Men exaggerate sexual thoughts (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Men, who are believed to think about sex every seven seconds, are much less consumed by it than previously thought, a new study has revealed. 

The research, conducted by Duke University in the US, has found that both men and womenoverestimate how much time they ruminate about sex, as well as how often they have it, theNew York Daily News reported. 

It was found that men tend to this more, presumably in an attempt to live up to gender stereotypes. 

The researchers surveyed 202 men and women on sexual health topics, like interest in sex, level of activity, discomfort or dysfunction, and satisfaction. 

During the final survey, subjects rated their sexual interest as they recalled it as 0.7 higher than their daily reports, with men inflating this a bit more than women. 

The research also suggested that both men and women in a good mood tended to over-report how much sex they'd been having, and rated it as better than it actually was. 

However, those in bad moods tended to downplay their sexual frequency and satisfaction. 

The study was published online in Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Health benefits of happy marriage revealed

Health benefits of happy marriage revealed (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

People, who are in happy marriages, don't fall sick often and enjoy more good health, a new research has suggested. 

In a 20-year longitudinal study tracking healthand marriage quality, Brigham Young University family life researcher Rick Millerfound that as the quality of marriage holds up over the years, physical health holds up too. 

He said that there is proof from previous research that marital conflict leads to poor health and his study showed that happy marriages have a preventative component that keeps people in good health over the years. 

The study shows positive marriage relationships sustain health over the long run. 

The study used data from a nationally representative sample of 1,681 married individuals followed over the course of two decades - the longest study on marital quality and health to date. 

Miller and colleagues measured marital quality in two ways: First, in terms of happiness and satisfaction, and, second, in terms of marital problems (Do you argue about money? Do you fight about in-laws?). Respondents then rated their health on a 1 (excellent) to 4 (poor) scale. 

The results showed those with higher marital conflict were more likely to report poor health. 

Miller said that the implication is that marital conflict is a risk factor for poor health and couples that fight or argue frequently should get professional help to reduce their conflict, as it affects their health. 

Miller added that when spouses have a bad day, in a happy marriage, they are more likely to support each other and empathize with each other and that support reduces stress and helps buffer against a decline in health. 

Everything you wanted to know about men

Everything you wanted to know about men (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

We give you a small ready reckoner on how men behave in relationships... 

Guys tend to get serious with their relationship and become too possessive. 

It's not easy for a guy to let go of his girlfriend after they broke up especially when they've been together for 3 years or more. 

A guy has to experience rejection, because if he's too-good-never-been-busted, never been in loveand hurt, he won't be matured and grow up. 

When an unlikable circumstance comes, guys blame themselves a lot more than girls do. 

Guys have strong passion to change. 

Guys are tigers in their peer groups but become tamed pussycats with their girlfriends. 

When a guy pretends to be calm, check if he's sweating. You'll see that he is nervous. 

When a guy asks you to leave him alone, he's just saying, "Please come and listen to me" 

When a guy loves you, bring out the best in him. 

If a guy starts to talk seriously, listen. 

If a guy has been kept shut or silent, say something. (He generally has a lot of frustration in mind then) 

Guys believe that there's no such thing as love at first sight, but court girls anyway and then realize at the end that he is wrong. 

Guys like femininity not feebleness. 

A guy may instantly know if the girl likes him but can never be sure unless the girl tells him. (So girls you should think of making the first move) 

A guy would waste his time over video games and basketball, the way a girl would do over her romance novels and make-ups. 

Guys love girls who can cook. 

Guys like girls who are like their moms. No kidding! 

A guy's friend knows everything about him.