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8 Ways to Stay Healthy with Partner

by Dr. Jennifer Collins
stay healthy with your valentine

More and more couples ask me advice on things they can do as a couple to help ward off illness. Isn’t giving those you love good health one of the best ways to show your love for them? It is! Here are 8 ways to stay healthy and happy with your significant other.

stay healthy with your valentine

1. Activities

When you have a partner, you have an instant playmate. Take advantage of it and organize a game of indoor tennis, hit your local indoor rock climbing  gym, or go to the gym with one another. More and more evidence points to the role of exercise in keeping not only your body fit, but your immune system functioning at a higher level.

Related: 8 Things Healthy People Do

2. Chocolate

Want to surprise your loved one with chocolate? Choose a dark one! Dark chocolate is filled with flavanoids, strong anti-oxidant chemicals that help to reduce inflammation. Other excellent sources are red wine and teas.

3. Relax

Thinking of doing something special for loved one? Try a massage. Physical affection decreases stress and the hormone that causes it cortisol. High levels of cortisol in the body can inhibit the function of your immune system making you more prone to getting sick.

4. Kiss

Give your loved one a kiss. Saliva is filled with natural compounds to help fight off bacteria and viruses. Exchanging bacteria with your partner through a kiss may help to strengthen your immune system.

Related: 6 Health Benefits of Kissing

5. LOL

Laugh together. Laughing is an instant stress reliever.

6. Bon Apetit

Cook a meal filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. You’ll be insuring that you are getting adequate amounts of key vitamins like C, D, E, A, and Zinc that are vital for you immune systems function.

7. Lozenges

Feeling like you are coming down with a cold? Use lozenges that contain zinc gluconate at the first sign to help shorten the duration of the common cold by almost half.

8. Quit

Do you smoke? Tobacco smoke is linked with increase upper respiratory illnesses, asthma exacerbations, and ear infection. Make quitting your ultimate gift for those around you.

Above all else, have fun with your partner and show those around you how much you love and appreciate them.

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dr jennifer collinsDr. Jennifer Collins, MD has been an Assistant Professor and physician specializing in Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in the Department of Otolaryngology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEEI) since September 2009. She maintains a personal blog “Itchy & Scratchy” where she provides medical on fighting allergies and asthma to her patients in New York City.

Featured photo by familymwr

Originally published 2/13/13 and updated 2/12/14. 

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