A KISS FOR YOUR HEALTH!

Kissing is good for you. No, really. Here’s the proof: a Japanese study published in 2009 showed that healthy couples allowed to kiss and hug had higher circulating proteins, a finding associated with health and well-being[i]; and here’s a study demonstrating that when it comes to allergic skin reactions, kissing sometimes does make it better[ii].

I don’t know whether or not being Irish is good for you—though I suspect there are statistics on file at the CDC or the World Health Organization—but I can think of a few qualities we associate with the Irish that are known to improve wellbeing. Here they are: a sense of humor[iii] increases immune function; expressing yourself through music[iv] and stories[v] can retain and improve brain health; eating potatoes (along with other vegetables)[vi] and cabbage[vii] decreases your risk for cancer; and drinking black tea[viii] helps improve vessel function in coronary artery disease. Need I mention the cardiac and social benefits of dancing all night at a Ceili (Irish dance)?  I’ll leave it to you to evaluate claims of “Guinness for Strength” and the usefulness of a wee drop of whiskey to soothe sore throats and broken hearts.

In celebration of kissing, being (or pretending to be) Irish, and all things healthy, Stellaria is proud to present a new design, now available on t-shirts, aprons and other useful goods. This little beauty was conceived by me, created by Jeff O’Connor and uses a clover symbol by Nevit Dilmen.

We have set ourselves a new challenge for this year: a new design every month. Look for something entirely different in April, but in the meantime, indulge yourself in our “Kiss me” store. It’s good for you!