The surprisingly healthy side to Valentine’s Day

| 2 min read

Valentine’s Day is often seen as a time to be super indulgent and forget about anything healthy. Just think about it: The day is typically full of a rich dinner, bottles of wine and huge boxes of chocolates. But we did a little digging and found out that February 14th is actually full of good-for-you things, too! Read on to learn about how your favorite romantic treats and actions can boost your health all year long.
Dark Chocolate Eating dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure, making it practically a health food. If you’re going to indulge, stick to chocolate that’s at least 70 percent cacao. And because of chocolate’s high fat and sugar content, limit yourself to 7 ounces a week.
Love Feeling adored this Valentine’s Day? That fuzzy feeling comes with loads of benefits. It can help clear up your skin, improve heart health, reduce feelings of pain and even improve mental well-being. On top of that, your Valentine may be helping support your immune system. Research suggests that happy couples who engage in positive conflict resolution have higher functioning immune systems than those who don’t.
Red Wine A glass a day keeps the doctor away! The alcohol and antioxidants in red wine may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of “good” cholesterol and protecting against artery damage. They key to good heart health with red wine is moderation. Remember, a little goes a long way!
Flowers– It turns out that “flower power” really does exist. Research associates indoor flowers with a positive well-being. The study found that patients in hospital rooms with bouquets needed less pain medication, had lower blood pressure, were less anxious and were generally more positive than patients in rooms without plants. This finding also can be applied to homes and restaurants, too. So grab a bouquet and make your sweetheart’s day a little brighter.
Photo credit: barbtrek

A Healthier Michigan is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
No Personal Healthcare Advice or Other Advice
This Web site provides general educational information on health-related issues and provides access to health-related resources for the convenience of our users. This site and its health-related information and resources are not a substitute for professional medical advice or for the care that patients receive from their physicians or other health care providers.
This site and its health-related information resources are not meant to be the practice of medicine, the practice of nursing, or to carry out any professional health care advice or service in the state where you live. Nothing in this Web site is to be used for medical or nursing diagnosis or professional treatment.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other licensed health care provider. Always consult your health care provider before beginning any new treatment, or if you have any questions regarding a health condition. You should not disregard medical advice, or delay seeking medical advice, because of something you read in this site.