Will there ever come a day when smoking a pack of cigs and guzzling a round of lemon drops is found to be health inducing? Only in Woody Allen movies. Still, there are a few new health advisories which give hope to the wicked girl who likes her formerly taboo indulgences.
Sunning
Unabashed slathering yourself with suntan oil and frying ye-self seems as antiquated as using actual butter in your recipes.But we all need Vitamin D, which we receive from the good ole sun. It helps increase serotonin and keeps our bodies functioning efficiently.We get V-D (sorry, too easy) in dairy and bread, but some scientists are now advocating 15 minutes of unprotected sun during the day to get your full allotment rather than resorting to focaccia. After that, DO slather up with sunscreen, but enjoy the added rosy glow and moment of retro bliss while basking.
Chocolate Binges
Hark, the heavens have answered.German researchers find dark chocolate could help lower your blood pressure, protect your heart, and send masses of good antioxidants zinging around your blood stream. Dark chocolate lovers,milk chocolate did not produce the same effect, possibly because of milk products used in its production. An earlier Harvard study (1998) of 8,000 graduates found that eating several chocolate bars a month lowered death risk by 36% over those who resisted temptation. Even better, in the German study, the participants did not GAIN WEIGHT though they did substitute chocolate for the desserts they usually ate. What is a few extra bars a month between friends?
Red Wine
A Harvard study in Nature found that drinking red wine not only lowers your risk of heart disease (the so-called Red Wine Paradox) but may actually extend your life. It seems to mirror the benefits of severe calorie restriction, which has been also found to increase life by vast amounts in test mice. Red wine has a special molecule, also found in peanuts, called resveratrol, which has been found to up the lifespan of yeast up to 80%. So drink up Shriners and enjoy.
