Nourishing ways to say 'I love you' this Valentines day

Make an old skool mix tape with the tracks that bring back special memories, express your feelings or just make sure you both have a good time. Not only does a little time and effort make a special personalized gift, music has so many health benefits which includes everything from relieving stress, to increasing brain focus, even promoting muscle recovery or reducing the feeling of pain.

Give your undivided attention. In this world of virtual hyper-connectivity, we are constantly distracted from the people that we are physically with by email, facebook, instagram, twitter etc. Staying present and fully engaged in the moment or your partner has never been harder. So this valentine’s day give the gift of yourself, by turning off your phone and other connected devices, to have a whole day with your partner with no distractions. Not only will this enrich your relationship, it will allow you to feel the wellbeing benefits of mindfulness.

Write a love letter. Again, due to the ease of communicating with each other all day every day instantaneously, we talk all the time but often don’t say what truly feel. We have often lost the art and pleasure of considered heart felt prose. So take some time and effort to write a letter, it doesn’t have to soppy, just telling someone how they make you happy and the things that they do to enrich your live is enough. Hide it in their work bag or send it through the post as a surprise (that isn’t a bill!). Studies have shown that love letters can tangibly strengthen your relationship.

Valentines day wouldn’t be the same without chocolates! Not only do they taste delicious, studies have shown that chocolate affects your emotions, energy and mood by raising neurotransmitters serotonin and theobromine. It contains a compound anandamide, the ‘bliss’ messenger which produces uniquely euphoric feelings of relaxation and contentment. These combine to make cacao a libido stimulant and aphrodisiac. Of course the quality of the chocolate or cacao is key, check out this recipe for raw chocolate truffles 

Long romantic walk. Regularly walking has been shown to better for reducing your risk of cardiovascular health than running. Getting outside into green spaces has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, enhance psychological wellbeing and improve attention and concentration. Its one of the best forms of exercise to be social, especially with your partner.