Some of our healthiest pleasures are chocolate & sex.
Venezuelan farmers who grew cocoa called it “Food of the Gods.”
Research shows that an active, fulfilling love life can help you look and feel younger
—and sleep better, too.
Please go below in our comment section. Let us know which is your first choice
Nearly pure chocolate contains over 300 vitamins, minerals, and beneficial compounds.
It is full of good-for-you protein, beneficial fat, fiber, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E. These, combined with a host of minerals, help prevent headaches, fatigue, muscle tightness, and promote these benefits:
The psycho-joyful aspects of chocolate, is why we tend to crave it.
Real chocolate contains PEA, which helps focus the mind and promotes blood flow.
In many people it stimulates oxytocin, the “love” chemical that bonds us to loved ones and promotes feelings of trust. (It’s the same brain chemical produced by sex.)
It’s also a gentle serotonin booster, making it a mild anti-depressant. That’s why we crave chocolate when we’ve been disappointed or are feeling blue.
It also contains anadamide, or AEA, . endogenous cannabinoidneurotransmitter. The name is taken from the Sanskrit word ananda, which means “bliss, delight”,
The combined effects of high-quality chocolate are pretty awesome…
The latest research backs up claims that chocolate has cardiovascular benefits: In a 9-year Swedish study of more than 31,000 women, those who ate one or two servings of dark chocolate each week cut their risk for heart failure by as much as a third.
Chocolate helps with math…..British psychologists found that flavanols (a class of flavonoids, which are found in chocolate) helped people with their mental math. Study subjects had an easier time counting backwards from a randomly-generated number between 800 and 999 after drinking a cup of hot chocolate than they did without the cocoa.
happy,
high focused relaxation,
and feelings of love and connection combined with real health benefits.
When it comes to the topic of sex,
Dr. Oz’s Sex Rx: 6 Health Perks of Getting Physical
Research shows that an active, fulfilling love life can help you look and feel younger—and sleep better, too.
Keep Your Heart Strong
Let’s start with my favorite organ: the heart. We already know that sex can be a decent cardio workout (one 30-minute session can burn 70 calories); now research indicates it may protect your heart in other ways. A study in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy found that people who had sex an average of 12 times per month had greater heart rate variability (HRV) — a measure of how well the heart responds to subtle changes throughout the day (like standing versus sitting). Higher HRV is a good thing; it may lower your risk of developing heart disease, the leading cause of death for women.
Look Seven Years Younger
Here’s a beauty regimen I love: Have sex at least three times a week. In a study at Scotland’s Royal Edinburgh Hospital, people in their 40s who reported having an average of 50 percent more sex than the typical person were judged by a panel of strangers to be about seven to 13 years younger than their actual age. Researchers believe the youthful glow comes in part from the release of the DHEA hormone during sex. DHEA, which is produced by your adrenal glands, has antiaging properties that can increase the production of collagen and may reduce wrinkles.
Snooze Better
Levels of the hormone oxytocin surge after sex, and its stress-reducing qualities may help you nod off more quickly. (The relationship between shut-eye and intimacy works the other way, too: One study found that women ages 42 to 52 who reported restless sleep patterns were less likely to get physical pleasure from sex than women who regularly got a good night’s rest.)
Zap Headaches
Ever pass on sex because your head is pounding? You may be missing out on the very thing that could bring relief. A small study conducted at Southern Illinois University found that nearly half of female migraine sufferers felt better after orgasm. As endorphins flood the body, they may have an effect similar to morphine, muting your body’s pain response and increasing your threshold for discomfort.
Catch Fewer Colds
A study from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that people who had sex once or twice a week enjoyed a boost in their immune system, thanks to a 30 percent increase in immunoglobulin A, the infection-fighting antibody found in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. One caveat: Subjects who had sex more than three times a week actually had lower levels of the antibody than those who had less sex. Researchers believe that in moderation, the release of chemicals during orgasm may enhance your immune function, while too much of these chemicals may suppress it.
Live Longer
For women, quality trumps quantity when it comes to the lifesaving effects of sex. Simply having positive memories about your sexual past may add roughly four years to your life, according to research at the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. Researchers found that these fond memories may encourage you to continue leading a happier, healthier life.
We want to know which one do you choose?
Chocolate or Sex for your top pick?
Please comment.
Hi I’m Catherine, founder of Wine Women And Chocolate. Want to become a contributor for Wine, Women & Chocolate? Interested in sharing your unique perspective to a group of supportive, like-minded women? 