Heart of love
Cupid's arrows bring longer, healthier life
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COUPLES ACTIVITIES
What: Salsa with your Sweetheart
Where: El Parador, 2744 E. Broadway, 881-2744
Date: Feb. 16
Time: Lesson starts at 10:15 p.m. before the band plays. Then stay to dance.
Cost: $5 dance class plus $7 cover charge; private lessons and Valentine's packages are available at various prices. Call 991-0133 or visit jeannietucker.com
What: Heart Healthy Chocolate Demo - The taste and health benefits of pure unprocessed chocolate
Where: Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, 7133 N. Oracle Road, 297-5394
Date: Feb. 13-14
Time: 6-7 p.m.
Cost: free
What: Valentine's Day Paradise - An after-dinner option with your valentine
Where: Stogie & Vine: Cigar and Wine bar, 2920 N. Swan Road, 881-1830
Date: Feb. 14
Time: reservations recommended
Cost: $25 per person
What: Couples Massage
Where: Archeiai Healing Arts, 5719 E. Fifth St., 319-0474
Date: any date
Time: by appointment
Cost $75 an hour per person and includes foot soak, tea and body wrap.
What: Walk at Reid Park Zoo
Where: 1030 S. Randolph Way, 881-4753
Date: Feb. 14
Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: admission is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors, free to members
What: Get cooking with your Valentine - Various classes
Where: Culinary Concepts, 2930 N. Swan Road, Suite 126, 321-0968
Date: Feb. 13, Vegetable Feast; Feb. 14, Cinnamon Mornings; Feb. 15, Cooking in Paper
Time: 9 a.m.
Cost: About $50 per class, per person. Call ahead as space is limited.
What: Sample wines with your valentine
Where: Cuisine Classique, 12142 N. Rancho Vistoso Blvd., 575-0875
Date: Feb. 14
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Cost: $45 per person. Call ahead as space is limited.
What: Shop for natural foods at a Farmers Market
Where: Downtown Farmers Market, outside the entrance to Tucson-Pima Library at Stone Avenue and Pennington Street
Date: Feb. 14
Time: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Cost: free admission
HEART DISEASE
LOVE YOUR HEART - February is American Heart Month
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death among American women, claiming about 500,000 each year. One in 3 adult females and males in the United States suffers from a form of cardiovascular disease. If you don't want to be another statistic, it's time to learn and track a few important numbers on an annual basis.
The list includes your Body Mass Index, blood pressure, your "good" and "bad" cholesterol levels and blood sugar. Talk to your doctor and review the risk factors: high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity or overweight and diabetes.
Source: American Heart Association, www.americanheart.org
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"All you need is love."
John Lennon was definitely onto something when he sang that hit single in 1967.
With love, sex and romance on our minds this week, it's interesting to note what drives our desire to find a mate, love's effect on health and the link between exercise and sexual desire.
"Human beings are simple creatures. We have two basic, chemical, human emotions: love and fear," said Ann Pardo, director of behavioral health at Canyon Ranch Resort in Tucson. "We are built genetically to be in love."
According to Pardo, the act of falling in love starts in the part of our brain where emotions such as fear and pleasure are found. It is here that the pleasure-inducing chemical dopamine is unleashed.
When dopamine takes over the brain, you may have feelings of strong attachment. You can't get that person out of your mind. You would do anything for them, and when they touch you, your heart melts.
"It's really like being high on heroine," said Pardo. "Being addicted to a drug creates the same effects on the brain as being in love."
That's why breaking up is so hard to do, Pardo explained. All these chemicals are keeping you in ecstasy. When a relationship ends, all your energy and brain chemicals don't have an outlet.
"It's called cognitive dissonance ... and it will make you anxious and depressed," she said.
Benefits of love
"Those who are in long-term relationships can feel a decrease in stress because there is companionship, comfort and understanding," Pardo said. "We feel the decrease in stress because we feel protected. We aren't in fear anymore."
There are other health benefits to being in love, according to research by Blair Justice, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Justice is a longtime researcher in mind-body medicine and the author of five award-winning books that explore how being in love affects physical health.
He concludes love can help prevent plaque buildup in the arteries, protect against heart disease, boost levels of antibodies in the body, reduce levels of stress chemicals that damage the immune system, lower risk of
disease, decrease risk of early death and extend life.
Marriage seems to have the best effect on health, according to a 2004 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That research says married adults are healthier than those divorced, widowed or who never married. They have lower rates of heart failure, cancer and other diseases and develop tighter networks of emotional support.
A University of Arizona study published in October in the American Journal of Cardiology shows that the quality of a marriage can mean the difference between life and death for patients with heart failure.
Among 189 men and women who experienced heart failure, those who had high-quality
marriages were more likely to survive during an eight-year
follow-up. Relationship quality was more important for women's survival than it was for men's, reported UA's Dr. Michael J. Rohrbaugh and colleagues.
So it stands to reason that the power of love can improve health.
Fitness incentive
Sayonara Coulter, 40, said being married for 12 years has led her and husband Larry Coulter, 37, to become more health conscious. They eat healthier and encourage each other to exercise. It leads to more serenity in the home, makes them feel better about themselves and increases the odds that they will be around for each other longer.
It also ignites the same attraction they had while dating. They feel sexier and have a greater desire to be intimate when they feel good about their health and their bodies.
University of Arizona students Emily Ward and Sean Boyan have less stress than when they began dating a year ago.
"I was living the single life before and now that I'm with Emily, I definitely feel less stressed, especially with school and work ruling my life," said 19-year-old Boyan.
Ward, 20, recalled a stressful time when she was crying and throwing things.
"Having someone there to talk to calmed me down. He knew what to do for me," she said. "My friends wouldn't know what to do in a situation like that, but he did."
But stress management isn't the only benefit to their relationship.
"I ate way too much fast food before I started dating Emily," Boyan said. "I probably ate at Jack in the Box five days a week."
Now, Ward cooks a healthy balanced dinner for them every day.
"I don't know if I lost weight," Boyan said with a laugh, "but I definitely feel better."
1. PROTECT YOUR HEART
Make a promise this Valentine's Day to love and protect your heart. Take up walking, 30 minutes a day, most days of the week, and eat a heart-healthy diet by using these guidelines: Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat. Eat fish twice a week. Select fat-free, 1 percent fat and low-fat dairy products. Limit how much saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol you eat. Cook with canola, sunflower and olive oils. Bake, broil, roast, steam and stew instead of frying your food. Cut back on foods high in cholesterol. Increase complex carbohydrates and fiber such as fruits and vegetables, whole-grain products and legumes (dried beans and peas). Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars. Read the nutrition facts label and ingredients list.
2. LOVE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH
In another UA study, Shelley Kasle of the Arizona Arthritis Center investigated how relationships affect those with chronic diseases such as arthritis. She found that partners who reacted to their spouses with interest, empathy and openness and could disagree without jeopardizing closeness had fewer concurrent symptoms of depression and anxiety, less physical disability and less fatigue.
However, women who consistently quarreled with their husbands were more likely to have arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) than were wives who argued without being demeaning or spiteful, according to a University of Utah study.
3. EXERCISE TO REVITALIZE YOUR SEX LIFE
Exercise can revitalize your sex life, according to the American Council on Exercise, which recommends 30 minutes a day. Studies they cited show that men who burn an extra 200 calories per day can lower impotence risk and have a natural Viagra-like boost. Women's sex lives can also benefit from regular exercise, according to researchers at the University of Texas at Austin. A study there showed that women's sexual responses were 169 percent greater after exercising. The reason? Exercise strengthens the cardiovascular system and improves circulation, which is important for sexual function. Things that hamper circulation include obesity, smoking or heavy alcohol use, and exercising too much.
Source: American Council on Exercise, acefitness.org
4. ONCE YOU FIND LOVE, DON'T KICK YOUR WORKOUTS TO THE CURB
When you're in love, it's easy to want to spend every waking moment with that person. The drawback is that your healthful eating and workouts may suffer. Why not break the cycle before it starts, said Monica Neave, personal trainer in Tucson and Weight Loss editor for BellaOnline.
Here are her tips: Stick to a healthy diet. Don't give in to junk food. Eat six small meals a day so you won't be tempted to binge when eating out. Schedule a workout date. Ride a bike through the neighborhood or take a hike together. Make time for yourself. Prioritize your workouts from the start to let your partner know it's a part of your life. If he loves you, he will understand and the time apart could make you even more desirable. Choose a healthy partner. Sometimes we meet great people with incredibly unhealthy habits. Find someone who shares your health goals. Get enough sleep. It may not seem a big deal to skip sleep together, but it will catch up to you, slow your metabolism and cause you to crave junk food. Go to bed earlier during the week and take naps with your partner on the weekend.
5. SURVIVING A BROKEN HEART
When her relationship ended, Angie Brown of Tucson signed up for a membership at a local yoga studio. "I found that, through the yoga, I am able to stay grounded and centered, and it gives me a safe haven to relax and let go." Yoga helped her to deal with negative feelings and focus on her needs. "I know I'm taking care of myself," said Brown, who is now focusing on the present instead of the past.
Here are some tips to help get you through: Relinquish the idea of getting back together, so you can move on. Give in to the pain: cry, scream, sob. Perform a closure ritual. Take down photos of that person. Focus on today. Instead of worrying that you will always be alone, take it one day at a time. Do something for yourself. Attend a class you've always wanted to take. Sweat or stretch away the feelings of anxiety, anger or depression with 30 minutes of daily exercise. Think positively. There will be more opportunities for love. Other coping devices: Write about it, read, meditate, avoid drugs and alcohol, play with a pet, visit friends and give yourself time to heal.
Sources: University of California-Long Beach and Tucson therapist Melissa Johnson.
6. GIFTS FOR THE HEART
Togetherness is among one of the best gifts you can give your mate, and it's fat free. Just ask personal trainer Corey Tillotson and her sweetie, David Rudolph, who fit fun and exercise into everyday activities including watching TV. The couple challenge each other to push-up and sit-up contests during the commercials of their favorite TV shows. When annoyed with each other, they relieve stress with a little friendly sparring with the boxing gloves on. (See large photo at left.) They usually end up laughing afterward, Tillotson said, and can work through an issue in a more relaxed manner. Other heart-healthy suggestions for you and your Valentine include having a picnic, taking a hike, planting some flowers or taking a nap together.
If you prefer to be around other couples, head to tucsoncitizen.com/body for more local heart-healthy activities.
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