Finally, some good news, courtesy of Randy Shore and the Vancouver Sun Weekend Edition. This made my day.
After years of being warned of the health dangers of red meat, alcohol and anger, not to mention the moral and legal complications that can go along with marijuana and sex, turns out that scientific research has also shown that any of the above in moderation can be beneficial. When does the party start – I’m in!
Anger:
Research published in the Psychological Journal has shown that a certain amount of anger is actually good for you. Releasing negative emotions like anger reduces stress and anxiety that can result from bottling up frustration. It also primes you to effectively complete an unpleasant task and compete more forcefully for things you need to acquire (hmm, Army and Navy shoe sale comes to mind here . .). And particularly in women, swearing alleviates pain and increases your pain threshold (still thinking of the pointy elbows and heels at that damn shoe sale).
Red Wine:
I think everyone has heard by now that red wine is rich in antioxidants which help protect the lining of the blood vessels of your heart. Researchers in Spain found that drinking a single glass of red wine a day reduced the risk of heart disease by half; they also noted that drinking an entire bottle conferred the same protective effect. And much of the benefits of alcohol seem to be present no matter what your drink of choice is, so enjoy! I’d say after last night (and come to think of it the entire last week!) I’ve added several more healthy years to my heart.
Sloth:
A little nap in the afternoon may be just what your body needs. It improves alertness, memory and mood and reduces the effects of stress according to research done for NASA at U of Pennsylvania and Harvard. Finally, science is catching up to what I’ve always known – I just love an afternoon nap. You have to sleep long enough to experience both slow-wave and REM sleep, a one hour nap was perfect. I know what I’ll be doing at 3:00pm this afternoon.
Red Meat:
The British Nutrition Foundation conducted a review of published evidence on the consumption of red meat. The conclusion – moderate consumption of lean red meat is good for you. It contains abundant nutrients not found in plant based diets, particularly iron, zinc, vitamin D and the B vitamins and the “good” fatty acids Omega 3 and 6. They still say cut off the fat and go with the leanest cuts of grass (not grain) fed beef. Hmmm, don’t think I’m going to change my quasi-vegetarian ways (that means I eat veggie at home but if I go out and someone serves me meat, well who am I to offend my host – I just eat that meat) but for those of you who love a good steak, bring it on.
Sex:
“When executed properly, sexual intercourse is good exercise, burning up to 200 calories over 30 – 60 minutes, depending on your level of enthusiasm” is the quote from the article. And I would add – “and depending on your marital status and length of relationship!!!” Research published in the journal Biological Psychology showed that woman who engage in sex respond to stress with more calm and lower blood pressure. Afterward, of course. A lesser known study by Rebecca Burch and Gordon Gallup (bless their little researcher hearts) found that exposure to semen, a complex mix of sperm, water, immunosuppressants and hormones, was a significant mood elevator for women. In their study sexually active women who did not use a condom scored significantly happier than the condom wearing group (and I’m going to take a flyer here and say that the men felt the same way!!) and in fact the level of depression for the condom wearing group was the same as the no sex group. And finally, research at U of Penn (I’m thinking this is a forward thinking college!) showed the women who are exposed to the immunosuppressants in semen through “frequent” sex had fewer colds and infections. Beats the hell out of the annual flu shot, I’m thinking. My flu clinic always gives you a candy lollipop to suck on after the shot . .. a rich vein of material not doubt . . .but so not going there. And if you think I had some fun doing the image search for this one – LOL. Stupidly put in “sex image” as a search term – classic fail. Some nice art 🙂
Marijuana:
Several studies in the last few years have shown that the active ingredient cannabidiol provides protection to neurons against the toxic molecules implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. And it’s already prescribed (at least in some places) for it’s effective treatment of pain and nausea in cancer patients, among other things. Personally not a fan of the bud (see Sloth above) and given the singular lack of memory and attention span I’ve noticed in people I’ve known who are frequent users, this study is a bit counter-intuitive for me, but who am I to argue with science. But I’m sticking to tequila for now. And when I head to Cabo in a couple of weeks I’m going to be conducting my own experiment in well-being and stress reduction related to consumption of Cabo Wabo while lying on sandy beach. Hell yeah, now that’s well-being.
Chocolate:
Dark chocolate contains hundreds of chemicals which can affect your health, including flavonoids, one of the richest, which are known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and cancer fighting qualities. Dark chocolate can also lower blood pressure and prevent blood platelet activation, helping prevent strokes and heart attacks. The darker the chocolate the better, cocoa is even better still and I’d have to agree with the experts that milk chocolate is a waste of time. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words – though maybe she should have a glass of wine in one hand and a steak in the other?
Well, there is some food for thought. I’m trying to image how relaxed, happy, healthy and productive we would all be if every day we had a glass of wine at lunch, followed by a boisterous romp (sans protection) and then an hour long nap (and you can throw in the chocolate at any point that seems appropriate . . ). Colour me sinfully happy.
Got so distracted that I almost forgot to add some music for ya’ll to enjoy while contemplating some sinning. Here’s some Dave Matthews, “You and Me”.
Notes From Just Past Normal 