Simple Pleasures Can Be Healthy

As the old saying goes, if it hurts or tastes bad it must be good for you. That may be why generations of children were dosed with cod liver oil or had their skinned knees doused with alcohol.
Those practices have faded, but people still have trouble imagining that their little vices might be healthy.
Research shows that moderate alcohol consumption can protect the heart. But many doctors are reluctant to tell patients they can have a glass of wine or a mug of beer. They may worry that any patient who has a drink might be unable to stop after just one.
Of course, alcohol is not appropriate for everyone. Some people don’t like it, while others can’t tolerate the effects. Anyone with alcoholism in the family might do better to avoid drinking. There are, after all, many other ways to help the heart.
One of those is exercise, which sounds enough like punishment that health experts have no qualms recommending it. But there’s a catch. The only way most people manage regular exercise is if they find some activity they enjoy, whether it’s gardening, roller-blading, dancing or simply strolling in the park. And that sounds a lot like indulging yourself. When work stress piles up, physical fun may be the first sacrifice.
Sleep is another simple pleasure that is essential for good health. Lots of people feel guilty if they go to bed when they’re tired. They forge on with work or email into the wee hours.
Adequate sleep can assist with weight control and improve immune responses. It also aids alertness and enhances memory. But don’t let anyone know you just enjoy slipping between the sheets and closing your eyes.
One way people often try to stave off sleep is with coffee. It too has a reputation for being a vice. But although coffee, like alcohol, can be overdone, recent research indicates some unexpected benefits.
Coffee is a major source of antioxidants in the American diet. Coffee drinkers are less likely to develop type-2 diabetes and new research suggests it does not increase the risk of hypertension in women.
Perhaps the greatest indulgence of all is chocolate. Some people find it hard to accept that chocolate could have health benefits. Yet the evidence keeps accumulating.
Researchers in Italy found that dark chocolate lowers blood pressure and helps improve the response to insulin (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2005). Enhanced insulin sensitivity may lower the risk of type-2 diabetes.
Previous studies have shown that cocoa compounds improve blood vessels’ flexibility and keep blood platelets from clumping together to form clots. Some data indicate that dark chocolate may raise good HDL cholesterol and prevent the bad cholesterol from promoting atherosclerosis.
We discuss research on chocolate, offer guidelines on selecting healthful chocolate and tell how to make lower-fat, lower-calorie chocolate desserts in our cookbook, Chocolate Without Guilt. To order a copy, visit the Web site www.peoplespharmacy.com or send $18.95 to: Graedons’ The People’s Pharmacy®, No. CWG, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Just because something tastes good doesn’t mean it is bad for you. Some simple pleasures can be healthy.