.png)
How to spoil your partner on Valentine's Day with a low calorie treat
According to Dr Vincent, weight gain is contagious and something couples should be mindful of - especially in the lead up to Valentine's Day.
Dr Vincent is a leading health and wellness expert, clinical nutritionist, food scientist and antioxidant researcher. He discovered how to extract the world's most potent antioxidants 'activated phenolics' from Australian apples while undertaking a research project at The University of Newcastle and his breakthrough has been commercialised into wellness products under the brand Renovatio, which are now sold the world over.
"Valentine's Day is a romantic time of the year, but also a time of year when a lot of calories are consumed," Dr Vincent said.
"Apparently Americans purchase nearly 60 million pounds of chocolate in the seven days leading up to February 14. The number peaks in Australia as well.
"If you are buying chocolate for your special someone, you are probably contributing to their weight gain and ultimately your own."
Dr Vincent emphasises that studies clearly show that weight gain is contagious. "The term I use for this is concordance - where both people in a relationship are in harmony with each other weight wise. Studies have found that if one person in a relationship becomes overweight, their partner has nearly a 40 percent higher chance of becoming overweight as well. The reason is that behaviour is contagious. If two people are spending a lot of time together, they are more likely to do the same things, eat the same food and indulge in the same treats, like chocolate, fast food or ice cream.
"That is why you often see newly married couples putting on weight in the first few years. They enjoy each other's company, indulge in romantic dinners, sip on cocktails and nibble on nice cheeses."
Dr Vincent suggests that if you want to be a responsible Valentine - think carefully about what you buy your special one for Valentine's Day.
"There are lots of other options apart from buying them lumps of chocolate," Dr Vincent added.
Dr Vincent has put together a list of suggestions:
- Dipped Fruit
Dipped fruit still involves a bit of chocolate - but only a little bit. Dipped strawberries are always popular and go well with Champagne.
- Vegan sugar free dark chocolate
There are a number of chocolate bars available in supermarkets now that are high in heart friendly flavonoids and low in sugar. They contain a high percentage of cocoa.
- Edible rose buds or petals
Stop and eat the roses. These are great for use in cocktails and salads. They not only look great and are very romantic, they taste great too!
- Carob bars
Carob bars are made from semi sweet carob chocolate which is naturally sweetened, is vegan and nut free. While carob has a mild chocolate flavour, it's made from the carob tree not the cocoa bean.
- Honeycomb
Honeycomb is a natural product created by bees to store their larvae, honey and pollen. You can eat all of it including the wax cells and raw honey. You can add bits of the honeycomb to salad or mix the honey through yoghurt, or drizzle over fruit.
"Weight gain doesn't happen over night. It happens through small acts of indulgence on a regular basis. If you are serious about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoid giving your partner naughty treats and avoid having them yourself. Exercise together, eat well together and avoid food temptation," Dr Vincent.
.png)
