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Hugs, Chocolate And Red Wine Are Healthy Choices For Valentine’s Day

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Three things that are closely associated with Valentine’s Day have the potential to give you a longer, healthier life. Hugs, dark chocolate and red wine can all bring significant health benefits to you and your sweetheart.

Hugging lowers the body’s levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that has a negative effect on your immune system. The emotional benefits of hugs are obvious and well-documented. One study concluded that hugging dramatically lowers blood pressure and boosts levels of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes a sense of well-being. As one family therapist put it: “We need four hugs a day for survival, we need eight hugs for maintenance and we need twelve hugs a day for growth.”

Chocolate, which is another key element in most Valentine’s Day celebrations, is also loaded with health benefits, provided you choose the dark variety. In recent years, health-conscious consumers have been delighted to discover that dark chocolate in its purist form is loaded with health-boosting phytonutrients and flavonoids, both powerful antioxidants that combat free radicals in the body. Dark chocolate also has small amounts of other healthy substances such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron.

Unfortunately many chocolate confections are processed with refined sugar, milk fats and hydrogenated oils that override the health benefits of the cocoa. The more the cocoa is processed with other ingredients, the less healthy it is. Choose dark chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa and that contains cocoa butter instead of milk fats. Bear in mind that dark chocolate is a high-calorie food and should be consumed in moderation. An ounce of dark chocolate a day could be a delicious and effective way to boost your immune system.

If you plan to toast your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, do it with a glass of red wine. Studies show that red wine (in moderation) can help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of good cholesterol and protecting against artery damage. Researchers believe that resveratrol is the key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent heart disease. (If you are not a wine drinker you can still get the benefits by taking resveratrol supplements.) Red wine is also rich in antioxidants which are key to keeping disease at bay.

While moderate consumption can be healthy, drinking too much alcohol (even red wine) can have adverse affects. Moderate drinking is defined as an average of two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. A drink is defined as 5 ounces of wine.

So what are you waiting for? Grab some dark chocolate and red wine and go give your sweetheart a big hug. You’ll both be healthier for it.