PICTURE OF THE WEEK

8 Things Your Hair Says About Your Health

By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com

When it comes to our hair, most of us worry most about what to do with it: how short to cut it, how to style it, whether to color it once it begins to go gray. But experts say that our hair says a lot more about us than how closely we follow the latest styles. In fact, the health of our hair and scalp can be a major tip-off to a wide variety of health conditions.

"We used to think hair was just dead protein, but now we understand that a whole host of internal conditions affect the health of our hair," says dermatologist Victoria Barbosa, MD, who runs Millennium Park Dermatology in Chicago. "Our hair responds to stress, both the physical stressors of disease and underlying health issues, and psychological stress." Here, eight red flags that tell you it's time to pay more attention to the health of your hair -- and to your overall health in general.

Learn 5 Secrets to Aging Well

Red flag #1: Dry, limp, thin-feeling hair

What it means: Many factors can lead to over-dry hair, including hair dyes, hair blowers, and swimming in chlorinated water. But a significant change in texture that leaves hair feeling finer, with less body, can be an indicator of an underactive thyroid, known as hypothyroidism. Some people conclude that their hair is thinning because it feels as if there's less of it, but the thinning is due more to the texture of the hair itself becoming finer and weaker than to individual hairs falling out (though that happens too).

More clues: Other signs of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, slow heart rate, and feeling cold all the time, says Raphael Darvish, a dermatologist in Brentwood, California. In some cases, the eyebrows also thin and fall out. A telltale sign: when the outermost third of the eyebrow thins or disappears.

What to do: Report your concerns to your doctor and ask him or her to check your levels of thyroid hormone. The most common blood tests measure the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and T4. It's also important to keep a list of your symptoms -- all of them.

"A doctor's visit is best to work up this problem; he or she may choose to do a thyroid ultrasound and a blood test in addition to an examination," says Darvish.

Red flag #2: Scaly or crusty patches on the scalp, often starting at the hairline

What it means: When a thick crust forms on the scalp, this usually indicates psoriasis, which can be distinguished from other dandruff-like skin conditions by the presence of a thickening, scab-like surface, says Lawrence Greene, MD, a spokesperson for the National Psoriasis Foundation. Psoriasis is the most common of all the autoimmune diseases and occurs when the skin goes into overdrive, sending out faulty signals that speed up the turnover and growth of skin cells.

More clues: Psoriasis, which affects nearly 7.5 million Americans, often occurs in concert with other autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. If you have another autoimmune disorder, it's that much more likely you'll develop psoriasis. In turn, the discovery that you have psoriasis should put you on the alert for more serious conditions. Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis develop a condition called psoriatic arthritis, which causes painful swelling of the joints.

What to do: There's a long list of ingredients that help relieve psoriasis, and treatment is often a process of trial and error. Topical treatments include shampoos containing coal tar or salicylic acid, and creams or ointments containing zinc and aloe vera. Hydrocortisone cream works to relieve inflammation. Prescription creams include vitamin D, vitamin A, and anthralin. Many patients also have great success treating the scalp with UV light therapy, and systemic medications such as cyclosporine work better for some people than topical medications.

It's a good idea to see a dermatologist for help sorting out the various treatments, rather than trying to do it on your own. One thing to keep in mind: Psoriasis puts you at increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, certain types of cancer, metabolic syndrome and obesity.

Red flag #3: Thinning hair over the whole head

What it means: It's normal to shed approximately 100 to 150 hairs a day, the result of the body's natural turnover. It's when you notice considerably more hairs in your brush or on the towel after you shampoo -- or when hair appears to be coming out in clumps -- that it's time for concern. One common cause: a sudden psychological or physical stressor, such as a divorce or job loss. Another: having a high fever from the flu or an infection. Diabetes can also cause hair to thin or start to fall out suddenly; some diabetes experts say sudden hair thinning or hair loss should be considered an early warning sign that diabetes is affecting hormone levels.

A number of medications also cause hair loss as a side effect. These include birth control pills, along with lithium and Depakote, two of the most common treatments for bipolar disorder. More rarely, tricyclic antidepressants such as Prozac, and levothyroid -- used to treat hypothyroidism -- cause thinning hair. Hormonal changes can also cause hair to thin, which is why both pregnancy and perimenopause are well known for causing hair to fall out, while polycystic ovary disease can cause both hair loss and overgrowth of hair, depending on how the hormones go out of balance. Thyroid disease, especially hypothyroidism, is one of the most common causes of hair loss.

More clues: Check for tiny white bumps at the roots of the hair; their presence suggests that this is temporary hair loss rather than male/female pattern baldness, says Chicago dermatologist Victoria Barbosa. Any medication that interferes with hormones can cause this type of hair loss; the list includes birth control pills, Accutane for acne, and prednisone and anabolic steroids. Physical stressors that can lead to temporary hair loss include iron deficiency anemia and protein deficiency; these are particularly common in those who've suffered from eating disorders.

What to do: If you have what experts call temporary hair loss -- to distinguish from hereditary hair loss, which is likely to be permanent -- you'll need to discontinue the medication or treat the underlying condition that's causing the problem. It can also help to take supplemental biotin, which has been shown to strengthen and thicken hair and fingernails, says Barbosa.

And while vitamin D deficiency hasn't been pinpointed as a cause of hair loss, research has demonstrated that taking vitamin D helps grow the hair back. "We don't know how vitamin D contributes to hair loss, but we do know the hair follicles need good levels of vitamin D to recover," Barbosa says. Recommended dose: 2000 IUs of vitamin D3 daily. In addition, talk to your doctor about getting your blood levels of iron checked for anemia, and take iron if needed.

Red flag #4: Overall hair loss that appears permanent, often following traditional pattern baldness

What it means: Both women and men are subject to what's formally known as androgenetic and androgenic alopecia. It's usually caused by a change in the pattern of the sex hormones, but diseases and other underlying conditions can cause this type of hair loss by affecting the hormones. In women, a derivative of testosterone is often the culprit, shrinking and eventually killing off hair follicles. Traditionally known as "male pattern baldness," this type of hair loss is often hereditary and is typically permanent if not treated with medication, says Larry Shapiro, a dermatologist and hair surgeon in Palm Beach, Florida.

Men's hair loss nearly always follows a pattern of thinning along the hairline, at the temples, and in the back of the scalp. Some women's hair loss also follows this pattern, but more typically women experience thinning over the entire head.

Diabetes also can cause or contribute to hair loss. Over time, diabetes often leads to circulatory problems; as a result, the hair follicles don't get adequate nutrients and can't produce new hairs. Hair follicles can eventually die from lack of nutrition, causing permanent hair loss.

More clues: Certain underlying conditions can cause this type of hair loss by altering hormones; these include thyroid disease (both overactive and underactive thyroid) and autoimmune disease, Shapiro says. Many drugs taken long-term to control chronic conditions can have a side effect, in some people, of causing or contributing to hair loss. They include beta blockers such as propranolol and atenolol, anticoagulants like warfarin, and many drugs used to control arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and other conditions.

What to do: If you suspect a medication is causing or exacerbating your hair loss, talk to your doctor about whether an alternative is available that's less likely to have that side effect. (But don't just stop taking your medicine.) Minoxidil, the generic name for the drug marketed as Rogaine, is the primary proven method of treating androgenic hair loss. It works by blocking the action of the hormones at the hair follicle. It's now available over the counter, so you don't have to have a prescription, and it's sold in male and female versions.

Another drug, finasteride, requires a prescription. Some women find that taking estrogen helps with hormonally triggered hair loss.

Red flag #5: Dry, brittle hair that breaks off easily

What it means: When individual hairs litter your pillow in the morning, this typically indicates breakage rather than hair falling out from the follicle, says Chicago dermatologist Victoria Barbosa. Breakage is most frequently the result of hair becoming over-brittle from chemical processing or dyeing. "Bleaching, straightening, and other chemical processing techniques strip the cuticle to let the chemicals in, which makes the hair shaft more fragile," Barbosa explains.

However, certain health conditions also lead to brittle, fragile hair. Among them: Cushing's syndrome, a disorder of the adrenal glands that causes excess production of the hormone cortisol. A condition called hypoparathyroidism, usually either hereditary or the result of injury to the parathyroid glands during head and neck surgery, can also cause dry, brittle hair. Overly low levels of parathyroid hormone cause blood levels of calcium to fall and phosphorus to rise, leading to fragile dry hair, scaly skin, and more serious symptoms such as muscle cramps and even seizures.

More clues: If the cause of your dry, brittle hair is an underlying health condition, you'll likely notice additional symptoms, such as dry, flaky skin. Overly dry hair also can signify that your diet is lacking in omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in salmon and fish oil, as well as many nuts and seeds, particularly flaxseed.

What to do: No matter what the cause of your dry, brittle hair, minimizing heat and chemical treatment are necessary for it to get healthy again. If an underlying condition is throwing your hormones out of whack and in turn affecting your hair, talk to your doctor. The symptoms of hypoparathyroidism, for example, are often reduced or eliminated with supplemental vitamin D and calcium.

Next, deep condition your hair to restore it to health. Hair oils can help restore flexibility to the hair shaft, Barbosa says; look for products made with natural oils such as coconut and avocado oil, which penetrate the cuticle, rather than synthetic oils made from petrolatum, which merely coat the hair. Take fish oil supplements to renourish your hair. And minimize breakage while you sleep by replacing cotton pillowcases, which tend to catch and pull at hair, with satin pillowcases, which are smoother.

Red Flag #6: Hair falling out in small, circular patches

What it means: The body's immune response turns on the hair follicles themselves, shrinking them and causing hair to fall out entirely in small, typically round patches. This kind of hair loss -- which experts call alopecia areata -- can also occur at the temples or at the part line. Diabetes can trigger the onset of such hair loss in some people. And it can continue to spread; in extreme cases, sufferers lose all their hair or lose hair over their entire body.

More clues: Alopecia areata can also cause the eyebrows or eyelashes to fall out, which in addition to the circular pattern can distinguish it from other types of hair loss. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition and has been shown to be more common in families with a tendency toward other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, early-onset diabetes, and thyroid disease.

What to do: The treatment most proven to work against alopecia areata is cortisone shots delivered directly into the scalp in the spots where the hair is falling out. "If you don't get steroid injections, the circular patches will get larger and more cosmetically noticeable," says California dermatologist Raphael Darvish.

Oral forms of cortisone and topical cortisone creams are also available, but topical cortisone is less likely to be successful unless it's a mild case. Many doctors will also suggest using minoxidil (brand name Rogaine) to speed the rate of regrowth. Treatment may need to be repeated a number of times over a period of months.

Red flag #7: Yellowish flakes on the hair and scaly, itchy patches on the scalp

What it means: What most of us grew up calling dandruff is now understood to be a complicated interaction of health issues that deserve to be taken seriously. Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the scalp that causes skin to develop scaly patches, often in the areas where the scalp is oiliest. When the flaky skin loosens, it leaves the telltale "dandruff" flakes.

Seborrheic dermatitis coexists in a "chicken-and-egg" relationship with a fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of a yeast that's normally present on our scalps and skin. The yeast organism, Pityrosporum ovale, takes advantage of skin already irritated by dermatitis and inflames it still more. Some experts now believe that the yeast overgrowth may occur first, setting off the inflammatory reaction of the dermatitis, but that hasn't been proven.

More clues: One way to differentiate seborrheic dermatitis from plain dry skin: When skin is dry, you'll typically also see dry, scaly skin between the eyebrows and by the sides of the nose, says California dermatologist Raphael Darvish. Also, seborrheic dermatitis tends to be seasonal, flaring up during the winter and disappearing in the summertime. It may be triggered by stress as well.

What to do: See a dermatologist to make sure it's seborrheic dermatitis. If so, "there are great prescription shampoos and creams that can correct this," says Darvish. The most effective treatment for yeast overgrowth is ketoconazole, a newer drug that works by damaging the fungal cell wall, killing the fungus. It comes in the form of pills, creams, or shampoo under the brand name Nizoral. However, as an oral medication it has many side effects, so if you and your doctor decide on an oral treatment, an alternative antifungal, fluconazole, is preferable.

To calm flare-ups as quickly as possible, Darvish recommends using a prescription steroid cream. However, long-term use of these creams can thin the skin, particularly on the face, Darvish warns, so doctors recommend using them in short-term doses known as "pulse therapy."

To prevent recurrence, it's necessary to get the skin back in balance, and many experts recommend garlic for this purpose. You can either eat lots of fresh garlic, which might annoy those in close proximity to you, or take a garlic supplement.

Red flag #8: Gray hair

What it means: Many people perceive gray hair as a red flag, worrying that it's an indication of stress or trauma. And history abounds with stories like that of Marie Antoinette, whose hair was said to have gone snow white the night before she faced the guillotine.

Experts tend to dismiss such fears and stories, explaining that how our hair goes gray or white is primarily influenced by our genetics. However, in recent years research scientists have reopened the debate. While they can't yet prove or explain it, many researchers now believe that stress may trigger a chain reaction that interferes with how well the hair follicle transmits melanin, the pigment that colors hair. Researchers are looking at the role of free radicals, which are hormones we produce when under stress, and studies seem to show that they can block the signal that tells the hair follicle to absorb the melanin pigment.

Other experts argue that a trauma or stressful event causes the hair to stop growing temporarily and go into a resting phase. Then when the hair follicles "wake up" and begin turning over again, a lot of new hair grows in all at once, making it appear that a great deal of gray has come in all at the same time.

More clues: The schedule and pattern by which you go gray will most likely follow your parents' experience. However, if you suspect stress is graying you prematurely, keep careful track of stressful events. People who experienced a traumatic event that they believe caused them to go gray have reported that their hair eventually returned to its former color.

What to do: If you believe that stress or trauma is causing your hair to go gray, boost your coping strategies by working on your reactions to stressful situations. Yoga and meditation, for example, are effective stress-management tools.

If you see results, you'll know you're on the right track. In the meantime, you might want to talk to your parents about how their hair color changed over time, and learn what you can expect. After all, if Great-Aunt Eliza first developed her dramatic white skunk streak in her mid-30s, that might be something you want prepare yourself for.

Middle-class mother who fell in love with Nigerian she met on web... and didn't hesitate when he asked for £40k to fund oil scam

Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells is not amused - and in this case it is no mere figure of speech.

Sitting at home in the Regency spa town famous for its Jaeger-clad Hyacinths and Daphnes, Caroline Gates-Fleming can only laugh at the irony.

‘I am one of them, really,’ she says, dabbing gingerly at the tender scars of a recent facelift.

Single and lonely: Caroline Gates-Fleming at her home in Tunbridge Wells. 'Things like this don't happen to women like me.'

‘Middle-class, middle-aged, respectable. I was brought up nicely and married well. Our boys went to public school.

‘But after what I’ve been through, I know they’d find me unacceptable around here. Things like this don’t happen to women like me.’

She has a point. For in Caroline’s case, ‘things like this’ means dabbling in fraud and embracing folly on such an epic scale that even her close family struggles to comprehend.

‘Everyone asks how could I have been so stupid,’ she sighs. ‘I got more than I bargained for.’

How could she fall in love with a foreigner on the internet and then, despite his many and obvious lies, entrust him with £40,000, money she will never see again?

In fairness, Caroline, now 54, has the honesty and intelligence to talk about her motives and the loneliness which is at the root of her current predicament.

Similar to many women of her age, with two failed marriages behind her, she badly wanted the comfort of a relationship.

'Madly in love': Caroline with 'Sab' in Nigeria before she realised the whole relationship had been a sham

‘What woman doesn’t worry about growing older?’ she asks. ‘It’s not just about looks. Confidence evaporates. Builders no longer wolf-whistle. When you have always attracted men, invisibility hits hard.

'It’s in the genes: my late mother Pauline was always glamorous. I won’t even pop to the shops without full make-up.’

As a young woman, Caroline had worked as a jobbing stage actress and dancer, and all that theatrical attention, she admits, had made her rather vain. Later in life, she turned her hand to property development, buying, renovating and selling cottages with some success.

‘Coming to terms with ageing is my problem. I need reassurance from a man,’ she says. ‘I was unhappy alone, and shattered by having brought up three boys.

‘Marcus, my first husband and father of Piers, my eldest [now 24], was long gone. Peter, my second husband, father of Rupert and Theo [19 and 18] had little to do with us.’

Craving a fresh start, in 2002 she moved to Marbella in Spain, where, rather romantically, she thought she might meet a new partner.

‘I still craved that special someone to say, “Want a cup of tea? Let’s have a cuddle,” ’ she says. ‘It is not about sex, but togetherness.’

But she never really settled and returned to Britain after four years, depression having kicked in, and in need of a job.

If glamour has always been a watchword for Caroline, she was still not too proud to take on ‘unattractive’ jobs and found work as a full-time carer for people with learning disabilities.

Her stores of confidence, though, were dwindling. ‘I was still alone, still desperately unhappy,’ she says.

‘I wanted to be flattered and taken out. But it’s so much harder to meet men when you are older. My girlfriends were all married. I had to do something. I’m not the kind to wait for things to happen.

‘They say you learn from your mistakes, but I’ve made the same mistakes with the same kind of men my entire life.’

So when, in August last year, Caroline came across Match.com, a high-profile dating website, the temptation to sign up was overwhelming. It felt safe and respectable, she says, and, after all, ‘you had to pay’ to join.

' I don’t feel like a woman in her 50s. I fight it. I’ve had a gastric band and a facelift.’

At first she was conservative, making sure her meetings took place in coffee bars during the daytime, but she soon found that her ‘dates’ were on the cautious side, too.

‘There was never that spark,’ she explains, flicking at the pink tips of her bleached blonde crop.

‘I began to find men my age too old for me. I don’t feel like a woman in her 50s. I fight it. I’ve had a gastric band and a facelift.’

Then she came across a man she calls Sab, who seemed so very different from the run-of-the-mill men she had been meeting.

‘Of course, his name is really Steve,’ she says, of the man she now understands is a Nigerian called Stephen Ehiamhen.

‘I call him Sab because, when he first advertised on the site, he called himself Sabastine Roland. He used a fake picture and posed as a Greek, claiming to be an entrepreneur in Nigeria.’

Caroline accepts that even the earliest signs were dubious.

‘He was vague about his age,’ she says. ‘First it was 47, then 37. He told me that when he applied for a visa to travel to South Africa, he had been advised to say 27 so that he could make out he was a student going to
the World Cup.

‘After two emails, he phoned. I knew the moment I heard him that he wasn’t Greek.’
In fact, while ‘Sab’s’ English was limited, he most certainly did not speak the language of Sophocles, preferring a version of pidgin laced with dialect and slang that is widely spoken in Nigeria.

‘I challenged him about it but he laughed,’ says Caroline. For all his obvious lies, she found him attractive. ‘We messaged and emailed every day.

'He soon said he was falling in love with me and I began to feel the same. I found it hard to explain to my sons that I was falling for someone I’d never met.

'Strangely, though, you communicate at a very intense level when it’s not face-to-face.
‘Sab is a direct, articulate person.

'He said he goes to church every Sunday and that his faith is strong. He said we were fated to meet.

‘When he first emailed that he loved me, a month after our initial encounter, I wrote, “Don’t go there.” I was terrified of the intensity of my feelings towards him.’

Caroline was well aware that much of ‘Sab’s’ story was invented, yet it was only after two months of passionate conversation that the two of them spoke seriously about his identity.

‘He confessed he was not who he’d said he was, that he couldn’t do it to me any more, that he “hadn’t planned on the emotion”, as he put it.’

He had to come clean. Hearing that he was really a black Nigerian came as no shock - his pidgin English and African-style dialect had given Caroline a major clue.

She says: ‘He said he was desperate to do something with his life, that he’d been looking for money to get into oil.’

At this point, she explains, her story took a darker turn, one very much at odds with the image of respectability so carefully nurtured by Royal Tunbridge Wells, a town that has not so far made its money through black-market oil deals on the coast of West Africa.

By this stage, the alarm bells should have been head-splittingly loud, yet somehow Caroline managed to ignore them.

‘It’s big business in Nigeria,’ she says, now shocked by the sheer madness of the scheme he was proposing.

'We fell into each other’s arms. We kissed, we sobbed. I had never been so happy since giving birth to my first child.'

He explained how easy it is for gangs to tap the vast network of oil pipelines coming ashore from the wells on the Niger delta. It is known as ‘bunkering’.

Armed with basic engineering skills - and guns - they drill into the network, fix their own lines, hidden from view beneath the water, then watch while a waiting barge is filled with stolen crude.

‘They get an agent, siphon oil, barrel it, store and then freight it by tanker at an appropriate time,’ she says.

‘I was under no illusion. It was obviously illegal. I’m not proud that I was tempted. Perhaps his assurance that he could make around £1.25million overnight was what convinced me.’

And, then, as she says: ‘Love changes everything. We seemed to have so much in common. We were both risk-takers. More importantly, he seemed so much stronger than me. I’d never had that.

‘Both my ex-husbands were weak, which was perhaps why those marriages didn’t last.’

Foolishly, as she now admits, Caroline had told Sab that her mother had recently died, and that she was due to inherit a share of the house where her sister, Jennifer, lives in nearby Southborough, with her disabled husband Stephen and their two children.

‘He never asked me how much money I was going to get,’ she insists. ‘But suddenly it was all about doing this oil deal. I had a gut feeling something was wrong.

'He said he’d make his fortune, pay me back, then set up in business importing luxury American cars.

‘I was desperate to travel to Nigeria to see him. I knew all the risks. I’d heard about women being captured, held to ransom, even murdered.’

They arranged to meet in South Africa, a neutral country from where Sab could organise the ‘deal’ and where Caroline could organise the facelift she had wanted for some time.

She says: ‘After a few hiccups with Sab’s visa - I paid for his flight, of course, all the while thinking, “scam, scam scam” but doing it anyway - I got there.

‘I got off the plane in Johannesburg, churning, sweating, feeling like a teenager. I went through Arrivals, trying desperately to look cool.

'There he was, beaming and waving. We fell into each other’s arms. We kissed, we sobbed. I had never been so happy since giving birth to my first child.

‘We had breakfast in the airport, then went to a hotel. I gave him presents. He cried. I showered. We talked. “God, you’re so beautiful,” he kept saying. “You only look 30.”

‘It was all I needed to hear. One thing led to another. It was so intimate. I’d never experienced anything like it before. I knew this was true love. I almost wish now that it HAD been just sex, but it wasn’t.

'He wasn’t the skilled, experienced lover, but quite shy. If that was all just part of an act, he should get an Oscar.’

They spent a month together, staying in small upmarket hotels. ‘Sab’ never once put his hand in his pocket, but Caroline was happy to pay and happy to be loved.

‘We went on to Cape Town, where he planned his deal over the phone in front of me,’ she says, ‘showing me things on the internet, all proof in my eyes that he was honest.’

Then they visited a consultant about her plastic surgery. ‘Sab wasn’t happy about me doing it, but it’s cheaper there. I was desperate to look younger for him.

‘I returned to the UK and went back for the operation six weeks later, having also paid for Sab’s visa extension.

‘He had found a small apartment for £300 a month. I had the facelift, he looked after me. I could not have looked worse, but he stayed.

‘Again I returned home, truly believing in him. I sent another £5,000 for his oil permit, then £2,500 for two trucks and an escort to the tankers. At last, three weeks ago,
he set off to get the oil.’

' I was madly in love with him. I still am.' Romance scamming, as it is known, is more common than ever, with British women at greater risk than those of any other nationality.

At this point, what seems grimly predictable to a neutral observer takes on an air of the inevitable.

‘Sab’ had already warned her about ‘militant factions’ who can prevent deals such as his from taking place.

‘He’d made the risks very clear, but I believed he could pull it off,’ she says. 'Then we lost contact. At about 4pm on the day, his mobile went down. I couldn’t reach him for days.

'We went from speaking and texting every day to zero. Eventually he called. He was sobbing and said, “How can I talk to you, how can I face you? I’ve lost everything.”

‘I was in shock. I’d lost 15 months of my life and everything I owned. I’d handed over close to £40,000.’

As well as the upfront money he claimed to need for the oil scam, Caroline had wired regular gifts of cash to her Nigerian lover. An additional £20,000 she admits, sadly, has been spent on travelling and the facelift.

Caroline had borrowed the money from her sister, Jennifer, against her share of the family home. Fortunately, Jennifer was still able to keep the house.

That same night, after receiving the phone call, Caroline wrote letters to her sons and sister and swallowed an overdose of painkillers.

‘I felt that everyone would be better off without me,’ she says. ‘I couldn’t wait to see Mummy and Daddy again. I reverted to my childhood. It was the easiest way of letting go.

‘My sister found me, and called the ambulance. She hadn’t known much of what had been going on, but now they had my mobile phone and trawled through everything.’

Her family are still trying to persuade Caroline to make a complaint to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), and co-operate with them to have her lover arrested.

According to SOCA, ‘romance scamming’, as it is known, is more common than ever, with British women at greater risk than those of any other nationality.

One scammer in Ghana, Maurice Fadola, has defrauded 16 women, taking £700,000 from five of them.

Caroline was well aware of the risks. Yet still she believed in ‘Sab’ - and still, to some extent, believes in him now.

‘He had an explanation for everything,’ she says. ‘I believed him because I was madly in love with him. I still am.

‘After all that I’ve lost, half of me trusts him. The other half - if the authorities can give me proof - wants them to bang him up and lose the key.

‘All I know is that I’ve never felt so much emotion as with this man. We all have our Achilles heel. I was so desperate to be loved that I’d believe almost anything.’

9 Spices for Health, Energy and Longevity!

By Dr. Maoshing Ni

Break out the spices to bring warmth, robust flavor, and a bounty of health benefits, including higher energy, increased immunity, and other life-enhancing surprises.

Considered to be dried seeds, fruit, roots or bark, spices have been valued for centuries by ancient cultures for their culinary and medicinal properties. For instance, a traditional Indian beauty trick was to spread turmeric paste on the skin to beautify it and prevent pimples. And Chinese doctors have used ginger since ancient times to cure aches and pains.

Here are some spices that you can start cooking with right away to elevate your longevity and health!

1. Garlic wards off heart disease

In addition to warding off Count Dracula, garlic, the spicy favorite in Italian fare, has been shown to improve cholesterol and lower blood pressure. According to the National Health and Medical Research Council, consuming half to one clove of garlic daily may reduce cholesterol by nearly ten percent. Your breath might suffer, but your heart will thank you. As an antibacterial, garlic is often used to treat minor infections.

2. Spotlight on cinnamon

Another ancient spice to recently come under scientific investigation is cinnamon. In the United States, cinnamon is usually thought of as the delicious spice in apple pie filling, but in other parts of the world, especially India and Asia, cinnamon has been used as a healing herb for centuries. Research is finally catching up to the wisdom of the East; many clinical studies have linked cinnamon consumption to lowered blood sugar. Both in vitro and human studies show improvement in insulin sensitivity with cinnamon polyphenols, as well as improvement in total and LDL cholesterol. Cinnamon is also thought to detoxify the system and stimulate brain function. Its antiseptic properties give it the ability to fight bladder infection, and if taken in the first 48 hours, a cup of strong cinnamon tea might just nip a bladder infection in the bud. Keep in mind that mixed study results make it difficult to prove these benefits on paper -- but it doesn't hurt to sprinkle a teaspoon into your next bowl of oatmeal.

3. Curry for joint health

Are your aching joints not jumping for joy in these autumn days? Try sprinkling some curry on your veggie omelet. Curry, a staple spice combo in Southeast Asian cuisine, contains turmeric, the yellow spice that gives curry its distinctive color. The active component in turmeric is called curcumin. If you are a fan of curry, you will be happy to know that this substance is associated with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-amyloid properties; amyloids are plaque-like proteins that build up in brain tissue, and are responsible for diseases like Alzheimer's and rheumatoid arthritis. In one randomized control study 107 patients with knee osteoarthritis received either 800 mg per day ibuprofen or 2 grams per day Curcuma domestica extract. Both groups showed improvement in pain on level walking and climbing stairs.

4. Star Anise aids digestion

As the name suggests, star anise is indeed star-shaped. Though it is not actually related to anise, star anise shares a similar licorice flavor, due to its content of anethole. Used to bring out flavor in slow-cooked meat dishes and long-simmered soups, this spice frequently makes an appearance in Indian cuisine and is an ingredient of the traditional five-spice powder of Chinese cooking. Star anise has been used in a tea to remedy rheumatism, and the seeds are sometimes chewed after meals to aid digestion.

Special combinations of spices and herbs can bring you a powerful immune zoom; one that includes star anise in the mix is the 5 Elements of Health, which promotes a strong immune function and balances the energies of your whole body.

5. Cardamom improves energy

Found in curries, rice dishes, herbal teas, and breads, cardamom is the spice that gives chai tea its main flavor. In Asia, cardamom has long been valued medicinally for its ability to increase circulation and improve energy. Considered an aphrodisiac in the Middle East, cardamom may also improve digestion, asthma, bronchitis, halitosis, and even help improve a bad mood.

6. Clove curbs cramping

A delicious addition to cooked fruit, roasts, sweet vegetable dishes, and teas, clove has been used since ancient times in India to improve digestive function. You may chew on some to alleviate toothaches, sore throats, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.

7. Cumin boosts immunity

An excellent addition to meat curries, stews, vegetables, seafood, and sauces, cumin is thought to boost the immune system and also to improve liver function, reduce flatulence, and aid in digestion.

8. Fennel Seed soothes your intestines

Often used to spice up recipes with meat, beans, or legumes, fennel helps digestion in two ways: It stimulates the production of gastric juices and also soothes the nervous system, regulating the action of the muscles that line the intestine.

9. Ginger: Remedies aches and nausea

A perfect compliment to vegetables, marinades, and sweets, ginger is also delicious in tea. Ginger may help relieve nausea, arthritis, headaches, menstrual cramps, and muscle soreness.

A word of warning: always discuss with your physician before treating conditions with spices to avoid any adverse interactions; for example, because garlic and ginger possess natural blood-thinning properties, individuals about to undergo surgery and those taking blood thinners should take extra precaution.

To maintain peak flavor, use spices within six months -- but the spice police won’t come knocking at your door if you keep them longer. They like to hang out in a cool, dark place in your pantry to preserve their oils and prevent loss of pungent flavors.

You can find many more tips about life-lengthening foods in Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100, now available on Kindle.

I hope you can use spices to make the most of your meals and your health! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

—Dr. Mao

This blog is meant to educate, but it should not be used as a substitute for personal medical advice. The reader should consult his or her physician or clinician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field is ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
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Nigeria & South Africa RULE the 2010 Channel O Music Video Awards – Winners, Photos & Talking Points

PRO receives his award for Most Gifted Southern Video

Now we have so many options for music content on our TV screens – MTV Base Africa, Trace, Soundcity and the list goes on…
Some may have forgotten the monumental impact that Channel O had on the African music scene. In many ways, Channel O pioneered the ‘Pan African’ music movement. The funky VJs caught our attention and of course, the music! Music from Nigeria found its way to the ears of music lovers in South Africa, music from Kenya found listeners in Ghana; the channel really helped shape the current thriving African music movement.

With the 2010 Channel O Music Video Awards, Channel O set out to show us that they are still great and are holding their own against stiff competition.
The 2010 COMVAs took place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa and was hosted by Lungile Radu and Thomas Gumede. It was a glitzy and fun night! On a cool jozi night, the awardis were dominated by two countries; Nigeria and South Africa.

Awards

The biggest award of the night – Most Gifted Video of the Year was won by South African hip-hop trio, Teargas for their video “Party 101”. One of the biggest ‘coups’ was Mo’Cheddah‘s victory in the Most Gifted Female category. The video for her track “If You Want Me” featuring Othello beat videos from Lizha James, Thembi Seeta, Witness and Kenny St Brown. The young musician recently released her debut album ‘Franchise Celebrtity’ and received a nomination for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards as well. Definitely a bright star, we can all be proud of.

Other winners including Nigeria’s P-Square for their track “E No Easy” featuring J-Martins in the Most Gifted Duo, Group or Featuring category. Naeto C, 2Face, D’Banj and General Pype rounded up the list of Nigerian winners. Our boys definitely did us proud as always.

Performances, Presenters & Highlights

Performances were another highlight of the night. Somalian/Canadian musician K’Naan who received a Special Recognition Award for his music and activism. He delivered a poignant speech and performed via satellite from LA. Sasha, Dama Do Bling and Thembi Seeta held it down for the ladies with a scorching performance. Liquideep, Teargas, Wyre, Buffalo Souljah, D-Black & Kwaku-T also performed at the event. IK, ProVerb and other stars presented awards at the event. The ‘flight’ theme was also pretty cool and the gifting of cars to a few lucky guests added another interesting element to the event.

Talking Points

Many expressed disappointment that some of their favorite videos of the year including Banky W‘s Strong Ting, M.I‘s Safe and Wande Coal’s Bumper 2 Bumper did not receive any awards. All 14 categories at this year’s event (except K’Naan’s special award) were voted for by the public and the results were audited by Alexander Forbes, therefore there was no ojoro. Next time, vote for your favorites!

Another talking point was the dominance of Nigeria and South Africa. Only two awards were won by musicians from other countries; K’Naan’s special award and Most Gifted East Video being won by Ugandan-born Obita for his video featuring Loyiso, “Everybody Dance”. Once again, the public voting is relevant. Mainstream Nigerian music appears to have Pan African commercial and of course, our strength in numbers (population) helps with voting numbers. Will be great to see greater collaboration by artistes from around the continent. Sasha’s collabo with Dama Do Bling pushed both artistes in their respective markets and Kenya’s Wyre will be releasing an album featuring collabos with Nigerian artistes within the next few months.

BN will have a full red carpet post from the Channel O Music Video Awards on Monday.

**
Did you watch? What are your thoughts?

List of Winners – 2010 Channel O Music Video Awards
MOST GIFTED MALE VIDEO
BLACK COFFEE FT ZAKES BANTWINI – JUJU

MOST GIFTED FEMALE VIDEO
MO’CHEDDAH FT OTHELLO – IF YOU WANT ME

MOST GIFTED NEWCOMER
L – TIDO FT T-P – CALLING

MOST GIFTED DUO, GROUP OR FEATURING
P SQUARE FT J-MARTINS – E NO EASY

MOST GIFTED DANCE VIDEO
BIG NUZ FT DJ TIRA – UMLILO

MOST GIFTED RAGGA DANCEHALL VIDEO
GENERAL PYPE FT NAETO C,VECTOR, SASHA, DA GRIN & GT DA GUITARMAN – CHAMPION(REMIX)

MOST GIFTED AFRO POP
D’BANJ – FALL IN LOVE

MOST GIFTED RNB
URBAN REIGN – ADDICTED

MOST GIFTED KWAITO
BIG NUZ/DJ TIRA – UMLILO

MOST GIFTED HIP HOP VIDEO
NAETO C – AKO MI TI POJU

MOST GIFTED SOUTH VIDEO
PRO – SEKELE

MOST GIFTED EAST VIDEO
OBITA/LOYISO – EVERYBODY DANCE

MOST GIFTED WEST VIDEO
2 FACE – IMPLICATION

MOST GIFTED VIDEO OF THE YEAR
TEARGAS – PARTY 101

Special Recognition Award – K’Naan

Life After Cancer: Young Survivor – Samira’s Story

My Name is Samira Gomwalk, I am a Cancer survivor and this is my Story….

Diagnosis

It was a morning like any other. I was getting ready for school and a commercial came on the radio asking women to do the ‘breast cancer self examination test’. I had heard of the test but wasn’t exactly sure how to do it the right way, so I subconsciously followed the instructions coming from my radio. I noticed a lump in my right breast but if I am honest I didn’t panic all that much. I was just curious to find out what the lump was. I made an appointment with the doctor just as a precaution. So you can imagine my shock horror when my doctor actually told me I had cancer! I couldn’t help thinking it was all a big joke! I was only 24, I thought to myself, what the heck would happen to me at 65 if I could get cancer this early! This was how my battle with cancer began.

Not only did I have to battle the disease that had the potential to kill me but I also had to battle the negative treatment I received from friends. I lost so much weight during that period it was difficult to explain the situation to anyone. Even when I did go to great lengths to explain, it was obvious that my efforts were useless. For some reason, some of my friends believed I was using breast cancer as a smoke screen to cover up my real ailment- HIV! That was especially hurtful- I had expected most of my friends to be a source of comfort and not malicious gossip. I felt eyes burning into my skin each time I attended lectures. School wasn’t fun for me. It was like a prison I was forced to attend. I had this sad look most of the time and just wanted to leave for home as soon as I arrived.

But thank God for my loving family, their love, support and understanding really did keep me going. I also did have a few trusted friends who supported me with love, prayers and helped me realize that life was still worth living regardless. But despite all the support they showed me it was sometimes difficult for me to see how much pain they were going through because of my ailment. I remember when after one of my visits to the doctor, my mom drove me to pick my little sister from school. That was the day we told her I had cancer. She immediately burst into tears. I felt so sad I didn’t know what to do. All I could do was pray for God to heal me.

Treatment

Treatment for me began with chemotherapy which was given intravenously- it was awful…the weight loss, hair loss, depression! I hated the feeling of the drip trickling down which made me really sick. I could taste it in my mouth. I missed my once normal life because I was bedridden most of the time. At some point, I started seeing a psychiatrist. I thought I was running mad. Hearing the rumors from school that I was HIV positive really did kill me inside. I lost hope and gave up on life. I remember giving away my clothes because I had mentally given myself a private death sentence. I just kept thinking to myself that there was no way I would get out of my situation alive! I even lost touch with God at one point because I was angry with Him. I felt my sickness was unfair. I remember saying to Him once, Lord I don’t drink or smoke, how could you let this happen to me?’

After all these crazy thoughts finished floating in my head I started to see just how much love and support I was getting from my family. My step father was especially fantastic. I remember him telling me that he would do whatever it took to make sure I got the best treatment ever. I couldn’t let him down. I just couldn’t. I chose to fight for him and for the rest of my family. I became determined to fight and win the cancer battle not only for myself but for my family. Thankfully with God’s help and the love of my family, I was able to develop a positive outlook on life and my future. It gave me the courage to face the disease squarely always praying and thanking God for everything. I even took up playing tennis when ever I wasn’t in bed just so I could focus on other things. I remember back then I had lost my appetite and all I could eat was carrot, so everyone called me the carrot lady of the house. Now that I think back it does seem kind of funny. I am really thankful that God saw me through!

The next phase after chemotherapy was surgery. Initially my doctors suggested a mastectomy but I was fortunate enough to later on have a breast sparing mastectomy because of my age. The operation was done in South Africa. I remember those days in my hospital bed when I was really sick and it seemed like I was never going to leave there alive. One day I looked up to the heavens and I prayed to God that if He spared my life, I’d make sure I serve him and also start an initiative that would help other cancer sufferers. And God answered my prayers, because I recovered so fast and it was amazing. Even my doctors were surprised at how fast I recuperated.

After the surgery was radiotherapy. It wasn’t as painful as the forms of treatment I had already undergone. The only side effect I suffered was tiredness which compared with past treatments wasn’t bad at all.

Recovery: Is there life after cancer?

Yes, there is life after cancer. I am a survivor so I can say that. I received the ‘all clear’ sign from my doctor 9 months after my diagnosis. I was at the Montana hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. After a few x-rays and scans my doctor gave me the good news. I think it is impossible to explain the way I felt when he told me the good news, to say I was ecstatic was an understatement. One of the nurses even had tears in her eyes when she heard the news. She told me I was a lucky girl because she had lost her husband to breast cancer.

Although I’ve never really thought of a re-occurrence, even if the cancer does return, I won’t be deterred. I fought it once and believe I can fight it again. In my opinion one of the keys to beating cancer is possessing a strong and innate desire to live. The only way to do this is to think and live positively taking life one day at a time and at all times remembering that you can’t do it on your own, except you put God first.

This is the same advice I have for all cancer sufferers out there. Put God first in all that you do and He’ll surely see you through. Tough times will come but don’t give up because the devil only strikes back when you let him. Don’t ever let him win!

My promise to God

Life is too precious to be moping over spilled milk. Having had cancer has taught me to appreciate who I am and count myself to be one of the few lucky ones to still be alive. I view life from a totally different perspective now.

When I was lying on my hospital bed I made God a promise that if he spared me I would help other cancer sufferers. Today, I’m a strong advocate for breast cancer awareness and I teach people about how early detection can help save lives. A lot of people don’t know that the key to beating cancer lies in early detection, just like with me.

When I first discovered a lump in my breast, I went to the doctor thrice and was told it was nothing and that I shouldn’t worry. I persisted and my persistence paid because eventually they found out my tumor was malignant and was still at its earliest stages. I was lucky. If you feel something’s not right act fast! Your fast action might just save your life!

My battle with the disease initiated the birth of my baby ‘SAMIRA’ a Non Governmental Organisation which aims to create awareness on breast cancer because early detection is the key to surviving this disease. SAMIRA aims to source funds that would go a long way to help those affected by this disease through providing medication and financial assistance where needed. We also hope to have support groups for survivors and those living with the disease. We are already creating awareness with scheduled talks with youth groups around my vicinity and churches around.

During the Breast Cancer awareness month of October, SAMIRA organized a walk tagged the ‘SAMIRA Breast Cancer Awareness Walk’ in the city of Jos. It was a gathering with young people who came to help support this cause by walking the city of Jos with placards and our voices. It was awesome! This is just the beginning of many great things to happen. We are fighting breast cancer back. SAMIRA is an Arabic name meaning ‘something good’- what better way to give, even though the disease came to steal my joy but today ‘something good’ is coming out of it. I made it. You too can! Spread the word. Thank you Jesus!

Financial Dangers Women Face

Ravelle Brickman, 74, always assumed that retirement would somehow work itself out.

She raised two children as a single mother in the 1960s and '70s while working in the public relations industry in New York City — but never at a very high-paying job. She never saved anything for retirement, and even though two employers offered pensions, she chose to take her benefits as a lump sum when she left those jobs, rather than wait for the lifetime monthly payments that would have started at retirement age.

More from CBS MoneyWatch.com: • 7 Ways to Make More Money • Best Ways to Lose 20 Pounds • 5 Money Rules for Women

"I spent whatever I earned, despite some very good advice from lawyers, accountants and my father," she recalls. "I somehow never put money away, and I spent what I made. If I had a good year I took a vacation or took the kids on some wonderful trip."

Later in life, Brickman ran her own PR firm and then was a self-employed teacher and freelance writer; she waited until age 65 to file for Social Security to avoid penalties for early filing and continued part-time work. But she had no savings, a mortgage and a heap of credit card debt.

Something did "work out" for her shortly after that, when she inherited $250,000 from an uncle — money she used to retire her debt and to buy an income annuity. Now in her early 70s, Brickman receives $2,300 a month from Social Security and the annuity, plus some income she earns writing and teaching.

It's enough to get by in many parts of the country, but doesn't meet the $4,000 per month she needs to live in Manhattan, even without the mortgage. "I could be the poster girl for the fact that women — even smart ones — are very bad financial planners," she says.

National Problem

Unfortunately, Brickman's brush with retirement disaster is all too common among American women — and the recession is worsening the outlook. Women earn less over the course of their lifetimes than men, which reduces their contributions to Social Security and funds available for retirement savings. Motherhood often interrupts careers. And women tend to be more conservative investors than men, which often means their portfolios don't grow as quickly when they are young — a time when they should be investing aggressively.

Even for middle-class or affluent women, the risks are high.

According to the Social Security Administration, in 2008 17 percent of unmarried women age 65 or older had income below the official poverty threshold of $10,326; 28 percent were considered near-poor, with income below $12,907.

The yawning gap in retirement security widened during the recession. A survey of nearly 3,600 American workers conducted for the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies by Harris Interactive shows:

• Women are losing confidence that they'll be able to retire comfortably; just 6 percent said they were "very confident," compared with 9 percent in 2007, before the recession began. (Ten percent of men were "very confident, compared with 16 percent two years earlier.) And only 33 percent of women said they were building an adequate nest egg, down from 41 percent.

• Although a slightly higher number of women had access to a workplace retirement plan in 2009 (68 percent) than two years ago, the percentage actually participating fell to 70 percent — down from 78 percent in 2007. And they participated at a far lower rate than did men (82 percent).

Why Women Are at Risk

1. Women earn about a third less than men during their working lives. That means women are generating smaller contributions to Social Security and pensions, and they have less free cash available to sock away in 401(k) accounts.

2. Caregiving interruptions. Many women leave jobs — or retire early — to take care of children or aging parents, and that interrupts the income that generates contributions to Social Security and pension accounts. These disruptions can be especially damaging financially because they are so often unplanned. Janice Johnson had just left her job in New York as a managing director of American Express' tax and business services division in 2003 at age 49 to start her own executive training business, when her mother — who lived in Mississippi — became seriously ill. Taking care of mom became her full-time job for the next two years.

"While I was caregiving, I went through my savings and ran up a fair amount of credit card debt when interest rates were low and credit lines were high — an option that wouldn't be available to me in the same way today," says Johnson. Today, at age 56, she's back on track, running her own financial consulting business. While she had never saved much for retirement, she expects to support herself through a real estate investment she intends to sell, along with an expected inheritance from her mother.

3. Fewer women have pensions. Among today's seniors, only 29 percent of women received income from a retirement plan or employer pension in 2008, compared with 42.4 percent of men, according to the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER). In part, that's because women have more diverse work patterns than men and that often means they lose the opportunity to participate in retirement savings plans — either they are working part-time or they don't stay on the job long enough to qualify.

4. Financial illiteracy. It sounds like an unfair stereotype, but research by The Wharton School's Boettner Center for Pensions and Retirement Research shows that women are less likely to understand the stock and bond markets and risk diversification than men are. The Center's research also shows that low literacy levels leads women to under-invest in stocks and tax-favored assets, which leads to sub-par long-term returns.

"Traditionally, husbands paid the bills and balanced the check book, and women managed the household," says Olivia Mitchell, a professor at the Center and a Wharton professor. "But with 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, the specialization means that women end up single without any knowledge about where their money is or how it's invested."

5. Socialization and communication. "Women are not socialized from an early age to take ownership of their finances in the same way that men are," says Manisha Thakor, a personal finance expert and author who focuses on women. "I say this as a feminist. When men are growing up, their conversations focus on deals and markets. Women talk about nurturing subjects."

6. Women live longer than men. A woman who reaches the age of 65 can expect to live an average of 19 more years, three years longer than a man. That means whatever she's saved for retirement must last longer.

How to Get on Track

Experts offer the following tips for building retirement security.

Get educated and make a plan. "Many women are missing an opportunity to learn the basic principles of saving and planning for retirement," says Catherine Collinson, president of the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies."By simply getting educated, they could make more informed decisions and improve their retirement outlook."

One approach is the old income-replacement rule of thumb — to retire comfortably, you must replace 80 percent of your annual pre-retirement income. But at best, this is a rough estimate. For example, it doesn't take into account unforeseen needs such as higher health care expenses or a long term care insurance policy. Instead, construct a detailed plan that takes into account what you spend now and try to project your retirement needs. WISER recommends using the retirement planner offered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; MoneyWatch has reviewed several other top calculators.

Focus on benefits. Look closely at retirement benefits when considering job offers, and even consider changing to a field that offers better packages. Asks Joan Kuriansky, WOW's executive director: "Could you get some additional education that will put you on a good career path leading to benefits?"

Industry groups that pay the richest retirement benefits include chemical and drug companies, energy, utilities, financial services and healthcare, according to a recent report from Towers Watson, an employee benefits consulting firm. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a report showing access to benefits for occupations and industry groups in the private sector.

In the public sector, the federal government is tops; retirement benefits include a 401(k) style plan and a defined benefit pension.

Start saving early. "The three most important words are 'start saving now,'" says Thakor. "So many women put it off until it's very late. If they abide by those three words in their thirties and forties, the power of compounding can make up for a fair amount of the headwinds they'll face." Cindy Hounsell, WISER's director, says younger women "need to think about putting away the equivalent of 10 to 15 percent of salary annually for retirement, and they're not doing that now."

Shed debt. Since statistics suggests you will live well into your 80s, plan to make it a debt-free retirement if at all possible — focus particularly on credit card debt — to reduce expenses and boost available cash.

Retire later. Don't underestimate the retirement boost you can get by working even a few years longer than you might have planned. Doing so means you will contribute more to your retirement savings accounts, increase your future Social Security benefits, and reduce the amount of time you'll be drawing down savings.

Understand Social Security's spousal and survivor benefits. Since women tend to earn less, check to see whether you'd be better off taking the spousal benefit; you're entitled to receive whichever is larger: your own benefit or half of your spouse's. Use the Social Security Administration's retirement estimator calculator to see how much you will receive. One strategy that isn't used very often — but is perfectly legal — is known as a file-and-suspend. Also, when a spouse dies, the survivor is entitled to receive the greater ofher own benefit or 100 percent of the spouse's benefit, includingany cost-of-living increases earned along the way. Since men tend to be higher earners, this can be a powerful way for widows to increase retirement security — especially if the man has delayed filing for Social Security until the full retirement age or beyond.

Consider annuities. If you won't have a defined benefit pension in retirement, consider converting a portion of your savings at retirement into a single premium income annuity, which gives you a guaranteed monthly check in return for a single upfront payment to an insurance company. This can be an excellent way to assure that you'll be able to meet living expenses as long as you live. Married couples can purchase an annuity with a survivor benefit for a slightly higher premium.

Mark Miller is the author of "The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security." He writes the weekly syndicated newspaper column Retire Smart, contributes to The Huffington Post, and blogs at RetirementRevised.com.

Is going to University a waste of money?

More than one in 10 graduates are unemployed six months after leaving university at the moment – the highest proportion in 17 years. So is going to university a waste of money?

Would you pay £6,000 a year for an undergraduate education only to be unemployed at the end of it?

This week, a poll by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit found that a greater number of new graduates are unemployed six months after leaving uni than at any other time in the past 17 years.

Yet most universities are set to charge £6,000 a year after a recent Government review recommended abolishing the current cap on fees to avert a higher education funding crisis. The move means most graduates will leave university at least £18,000 in debt – and that’s if they go to an average university and don’t take on any further debt to pay for their living costs.

In reality, many will leave with around £32,000 of debt, if not more.

Which begs the question: is it worth it? How great is the financial benefit of attending university? Do degrees always pay off in the long run, despite the costs associated with them? And what are the best and worst paid subjects to study?

We look at the value of a university education, tell you which degree is the best value and explain the premium you earn for post-graduate training.

All the comparisons we make in this article are between graduates and those who could have gone to university but didn't (i.e. they had two or more A levels or equivalent qualifications).

Average graduate earnings

While graduates often start off earning a similar amount to non-graduates, this changes quickly over the years.

For example, in 2008 (the latest statistics we could find), a typical 21-year-old graduate earned just £17,472 a year, while a non-graduate with A levels earned £15,912 a year.

However, the typical 33-year-old graduate earned £37,960 a year, while the typical 34-year old non-graduate earned just £27,768 a year.

Age in 2008	Degree or equivalent	A-level, GCE or equivalent
21-22	£17,472	£15,912
23-24	£20,696	£18,200
25-26	£24,960	£20,436
27-28	£28,912	£22,256
29-30	£32,916	£24,180
31-32	£34,632	£24,336
32-33	£37,960	£27,768
All ages (21 -34)	£28,860	£21,268

Source: Prospects.ac.uk

Average extra lifetime earnings

On average, graduates earn an extra £160,000, or 23% throughout their lifetime (which is even greater after tax). That's an extra £3,600 per year, compared to non-graduates. That's despite increasing numbers of young people getting degrees: a third now do, compared with just 15% 20 years ago.

Subject matters

It's no surprise that there are wide variations in average earnings depending on the subject studied. Arts graduates earn just £35,000 extra (compared to non-graduates) whilst medicine graduates earn a massive £340,000 extra, on average, during their lives.

Average extra earnings for graduates by subject studied

Subject studied	Average extra earnings (compared to non-graduates)
Medicine	£340,000
Law	£245,000
Engineering	£245,000
Maths	£240,000
Physics	£190,000
Chemistry	£185,000
Business	£185,000
European languages	£165,000
Psychology	£100,000
Linguistics and English	£95,000
Humanities	£50,000
Arts	£35,000

Data from 2005 and 2007

Earnings growth steady in early years

Regardless of which degree you take, earnings grow at a constant rate in the first few years. However, they typically balloon in the mid-years in some subjects, such as chemistry.

Averages can be misleading...

...to say the least. There is massive variation within each field, which explains why some people get irate at so-called 'average earnings'. One graduate working in the same field or even the same job as another can easily earn one-third less than some colleagues.

Public sector benefits less visible

Most graduates in the public sector seeing earnings statistics over the years will probably conclude they are unrealistic, but in return for a lower income most get greater job security and pension benefits.

Do degrees always pay off?

No, not always. The evidence is limited, but it seems that men with arts degrees usually earn slightly less than their counterparts who chose not to go to university. A case of those who can, do - perhaps?

It's also true that, without a degree, you can still earn more than the average graduate. Those taking training places from one of the big accountancy or law firms, for example, can circumvent the need and cost of a degree.

Also, degrees are expensive. The average student leaves university with debts totalling £15,700 and the current average graduates starting salary is just £22,300. Even if your salary goes up every year by almost 5%, it will still take you around 12 years to pay off your debt, which will cost you even more than you think.

Finally, it's worth bearing in mind that 20% of students drop out of university and a third of graduates end up with non-graduate jobs.

On the plus side, graduates are less likely to be unemployed.

Degrees are more beneficial for women

On average, research shows that women gain greater financial benefits from a university education than men do. Women who don't go to university tend to earn a great deal less than men who don't go to university.

However, women's incomes, on average, are boosted more by a degree to make it a more level playing field. To take an example, men's incomes are boosted 43% by an economics degree, but women's are boosted 63%. Similarly, men from poorer backgrounds also benefit more from university than men from affluent ones.

Discrimination, it seems, is more difficult for employers when you've got a degree.

There is still discrimination towards graduates

However, there is still a big difference in average earnings between male and female graduates, with men earning at least £14,000 more over their working lives. (We suspect it's quite a bit more on average, but unfortunately there seems to be little research on this topic. If you know a better statistic, please share it on lovemoney.com using our comments section.)

Law comes top

This is the most important section in the article. Whilst medicine earns more, it also costs more. What's more, you lose out on income, because you're studying (and so not working) for more years. When you factor all these things together, law is the better investment with an average rate of return of more than 17% per year:

The annual rate of return on your degree

Subject	Rate of return
Law	17.2%
Management	16.9%
Engineering	15.5%
Chemistry	15.0%
Physics	14.9%
European languages	14.0%
Medicine (excluding dentistry)	11.6%
Chemical sciences	10.2%
Psychology	10.1%
Linguistics and English	9.7%
History	8.8%

The average rate of return for all degrees is 12.1% per year. This makes a degree the best possible investment (on average), trouncing the stock market or property over the long term.

Surprisingly, medicine has a lower return than the average at 11.6% (although dentists were excluded from the figures) meaning that perhaps we focus too much on doctors' wages and not enough on support staff.

However, we suspect that these figures (from 2005) will be out-of-date now. 130,000 doctors earn now, at the very least, £13bn between them, with many earning as much as £380,000 per year.

Also the figures in the above table may come down now that the cost of university is going up. However, some researchers believe the reverse will happen!

Recession-proof job sectors

Don’t forget that pay isn’t everything. You should also take into account job security. For example, some sectors of the economy were hit worse than others by the recession. Read The most recession-proof job sectors to find out which ones. And whichever sector you decide on, make sure you recession-proof your job as much as you can.

The post-grad premium

Some - but far from all - employers offer a premium for those who go beyond a Bachelor's degree. If you're lucky enough to get work for an employer that pays such a premium, those with doctorates could earn an extra £6,000 from the start. Those with master's degrees could earn an extra £4,000 and those with an MBA an extra £12,000 (although very few employers offer a premium for MBAs).

That's a lot of statistics. You may need a degree just to take them all in!