Love is the Ultimate Superfood

Have you ever thought of love as an essential nutrient in your life? That's right. It takes more than just food to keep us healthy. I call all the parts of life that feed us, primary food. Relationships, spirituality, career and physical activity all fall into that category. Think about it. Exercise keeps you fit and energized. Spirituality keeps your mind balanced and relaxed. Your career can keep your mind stimulated and engaged. And love and relationships feed the hunger in the human soul. When our primary food is balanced and satiating, what you eat becomes a secondary concern. Think about the first time you fell in love. You were so excited by life. You were floating on air. Sometimes, we call this condition the love diet, because people forget to eat and lose weight. They are fed by the love in their life. We all have a need to give and receive love, because love is a basic primary food that nourishes, energizes and heals us. Even modern science is catching up to what ancient traditions have said for years: love is good for your health. A University of North Carolina study found that hugging lowers blood pressure. The University of Iowa found that cancer patients with satisfying relationships had more white blood cell activity than those with few social connections. A study of Harvard students showed that only 25 percent of those who felt loved by their parents developed a major illness later in life, while more than 90 percent of those who didn't feel loved developed a major illness. So this Valentine's Day think of love as more powerful than any other vegetable. Think of it as the ultimate superfood. And remember that no matter what kind of relationship you are in, whether you are single, married, living with your parents or partner, that giving and receiving love will feed your heart and soul.