Nickatilynx
02-23-2005, 12:56 PM
CHEAT YOUR WAY TO TRUE LOVE Feb 17 2005
Love tricks to keep him keen and guarantee flowers galore next Valentine's Day...
By Paul Jonhson
YOU know the feeling when you think you've just met the love of your life.
Your heart does somersaults and your stomach brims with butterflies.
But forget the Mills & Boon notion of romance. When it comes to love, it seems there's no mystery at all. Like animals, we're just slaves to our instincts.
Scientists are discovering exactly what governs love and romance. So you don't have to leave it all to nature if you put our tips and tricks to good use.
STAGE ONE: SNIFFING OUT A MATE
WE'RE programmed to find the best mate around who will help us have the healthiest and most capable children.
We choose a partner who is strong and disease-free and has a different genetic make-up from ours, to ensure that any offspring are drawn from a wide and varied gene pool.
We all give off odourless chemical signals, and it's thought that these scents - called pheromones - are subconsciously picked up by others.
One theory is that during the first flush of a relationship we enjoy almost constant snogging to "sniff out" a partner at close range and size up their baby-making potential.
LOVE TRICK
Increase your pulling power with bottled pheromones - Falling in Love by Philosophy, £48, from Space NK or call 0870 990 8452.
Or try Guerlain's Shalimar fragrance, £26 - so erotic that its launch in 1925 was met with disapproval. Nice girls don't smoke, dance the tango or wear Shalimar.
Musk is renowned for its aphrodisiac effects. Kiehl's Original Musk Oil Essence, £22, is available from Space NK, or call 0207 240 2411 for mail order. Or try Jovan musk for men, £7.95 from Boots and Superdrug.
STAGE TWO: FALLING IN LOVE
ONCE you've worked out that you're genetically compatible, the hormones really start to kick in. This is the euphoric high we get when we become infatuated.
One of the most important is dopamine, a powerful feel-good hormone. Raised levels of it are linked with feelings of elation, confidence and happiness. This is a powerful reaction not to be underestimated. Cocaine has a similar effect on the brain.
Another key hormone is adrenalin. Raised levels during the early days of going out with someone give us the characteristic racing pulses, sweaty palms and dry mouths.
LOVE TRICK
Cook your new partner a juicy steak and buy him peanuts with his pint. These foods are known to boost dopamine levels. Other useful fooods include dairy, fish, beans and soy. You could also go on a fairground ride together or book an adventurous holiday, because excitement boosts dopamine.
STAGE THREE: OBSESSION
YOU seem to eat, sleep and breathe your new lover. Your mind can't fix on anything else and you drive your friends potty talking about him.
In fact, it's thought chemical changes in the brain mean that this stage of love is similar to mental illness.
A study in Italy found that people who had recently fallen in love had symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder - which can make people behave irrationally about certain things, such as constantly washing their hands.
Scientists say that plummeting serotonin levels are probably to blame for this. Low levels of the hormone can trigger anxiety and depression - the down-side of the roller-coaster ride your emotions have embarked on.
The good news is that this insanity is only temporary and after about a year hormone levels should return to normal as the relationship settles down.
As for the biological purpose of this stage, one theory is that it has its roots in obsessive animal mating instincts such as persistent courtship or nest building.
LOVE TRICK
You might want to play it a bit cool at this stage to keep your partner keen. Dampen down your obsession by increasing your serotonin levels. You can do this by spending time in the sunshine, exercising hard and by eating starchy foods such as pasta, potatoes and bread.
STAGE FOUR: ATTACHMENT
WHEN the initial surge of emotion begins to subside, the relationship moves towards a less frantic but much deeper bond that keeps couples together through life's challenges.
Nature's goal is that we stick to our partner so that we have children and look after them with the support of two parents. Again, this is achieved through the release of key hormones, often triggered through repeated sex.
First, we release endorphins - morphine-like substances that make us feel so good that we become dependent on our partner for the next fix.
Another chemical that plays a crucial role in attachment is oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, which is released by both sexes during orgasm and prompts caring feelings for each other. The idea is that the more sex a couple has, the deeper their bond becomes.
During sex the human brain produces another bonding hormone, vasopressin, whose main function is to help us to stay monogamous.
Scientists in the US studying the monogamous prairie vole found males had receptors for vasopressin, but their non-monogamous cousins did not.
This is an evolutionary mechanism to ensure that prairie voles stay with one sexual partner, protect their mate and offspring and share parenting tasks. It's the same in humans.
LOVE TRICK
Have lots of sex to keep the bond with your partner strong and get him to stay faithful. Hugging will also help - studies show that this, too, can boost oxytocin levels.
Love tricks to keep him keen and guarantee flowers galore next Valentine's Day...
By Paul Jonhson
YOU know the feeling when you think you've just met the love of your life.
Your heart does somersaults and your stomach brims with butterflies.
But forget the Mills & Boon notion of romance. When it comes to love, it seems there's no mystery at all. Like animals, we're just slaves to our instincts.
Scientists are discovering exactly what governs love and romance. So you don't have to leave it all to nature if you put our tips and tricks to good use.
STAGE ONE: SNIFFING OUT A MATE
WE'RE programmed to find the best mate around who will help us have the healthiest and most capable children.
We choose a partner who is strong and disease-free and has a different genetic make-up from ours, to ensure that any offspring are drawn from a wide and varied gene pool.
We all give off odourless chemical signals, and it's thought that these scents - called pheromones - are subconsciously picked up by others.
One theory is that during the first flush of a relationship we enjoy almost constant snogging to "sniff out" a partner at close range and size up their baby-making potential.
LOVE TRICK
Increase your pulling power with bottled pheromones - Falling in Love by Philosophy, £48, from Space NK or call 0870 990 8452.
Or try Guerlain's Shalimar fragrance, £26 - so erotic that its launch in 1925 was met with disapproval. Nice girls don't smoke, dance the tango or wear Shalimar.
Musk is renowned for its aphrodisiac effects. Kiehl's Original Musk Oil Essence, £22, is available from Space NK, or call 0207 240 2411 for mail order. Or try Jovan musk for men, £7.95 from Boots and Superdrug.
STAGE TWO: FALLING IN LOVE
ONCE you've worked out that you're genetically compatible, the hormones really start to kick in. This is the euphoric high we get when we become infatuated.
One of the most important is dopamine, a powerful feel-good hormone. Raised levels of it are linked with feelings of elation, confidence and happiness. This is a powerful reaction not to be underestimated. Cocaine has a similar effect on the brain.
Another key hormone is adrenalin. Raised levels during the early days of going out with someone give us the characteristic racing pulses, sweaty palms and dry mouths.
LOVE TRICK
Cook your new partner a juicy steak and buy him peanuts with his pint. These foods are known to boost dopamine levels. Other useful fooods include dairy, fish, beans and soy. You could also go on a fairground ride together or book an adventurous holiday, because excitement boosts dopamine.
STAGE THREE: OBSESSION
YOU seem to eat, sleep and breathe your new lover. Your mind can't fix on anything else and you drive your friends potty talking about him.
In fact, it's thought chemical changes in the brain mean that this stage of love is similar to mental illness.
A study in Italy found that people who had recently fallen in love had symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder - which can make people behave irrationally about certain things, such as constantly washing their hands.
Scientists say that plummeting serotonin levels are probably to blame for this. Low levels of the hormone can trigger anxiety and depression - the down-side of the roller-coaster ride your emotions have embarked on.
The good news is that this insanity is only temporary and after about a year hormone levels should return to normal as the relationship settles down.
As for the biological purpose of this stage, one theory is that it has its roots in obsessive animal mating instincts such as persistent courtship or nest building.
LOVE TRICK
You might want to play it a bit cool at this stage to keep your partner keen. Dampen down your obsession by increasing your serotonin levels. You can do this by spending time in the sunshine, exercising hard and by eating starchy foods such as pasta, potatoes and bread.
STAGE FOUR: ATTACHMENT
WHEN the initial surge of emotion begins to subside, the relationship moves towards a less frantic but much deeper bond that keeps couples together through life's challenges.
Nature's goal is that we stick to our partner so that we have children and look after them with the support of two parents. Again, this is achieved through the release of key hormones, often triggered through repeated sex.
First, we release endorphins - morphine-like substances that make us feel so good that we become dependent on our partner for the next fix.
Another chemical that plays a crucial role in attachment is oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, which is released by both sexes during orgasm and prompts caring feelings for each other. The idea is that the more sex a couple has, the deeper their bond becomes.
During sex the human brain produces another bonding hormone, vasopressin, whose main function is to help us to stay monogamous.
Scientists in the US studying the monogamous prairie vole found males had receptors for vasopressin, but their non-monogamous cousins did not.
This is an evolutionary mechanism to ensure that prairie voles stay with one sexual partner, protect their mate and offspring and share parenting tasks. It's the same in humans.
LOVE TRICK
Have lots of sex to keep the bond with your partner strong and get him to stay faithful. Hugging will also help - studies show that this, too, can boost oxytocin levels.