4 Reasons it's Kissing Season
If you're planning to meet someone under the mistletoe or looking forward to a kiss when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, we're rooting for your magical moment.
The holidays are a time of love and giving, so it might be time to give that special someone a smooch. Sure, kissing the person you can't stop thinking about feels good, but there are also surprising benefits that come with lip service.
Kissing is good for the heart.
Your heart may flutter and feel warm and fuzzy around that special someone, but kissing also can improve your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers. As your heart rate kicks up, your blood vessels dilate and your blood flow improves.
Smooches burn calories.
Studies show that kissing helps tone facial muscles and you also can burn between two to 26 calories per kiss, depending on how passionate it is. (But how steamy it gets is none of our business!)
Puckering up boosts mood.
Ever notice that kissing someone you love makes you feel like you're walking on air? Kissing helps reduce cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress and anxiety. Instead, it boosts "happy hormones" like serotonin and oxytocin, which also can help deepen your feelings for each other.
A canoodle is good for your noodle.
While you may not feel kissable when you're experiencing discomfort, kissing can lower headache pain and other symptoms because it increases blood flow and lowers stress (and stress is a headache trigger).
So this season, feel free to pucker up because now you have some very healthy reasons to celebrate under the mistletoe!
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