Mature Life Features

. . . said the newly arrived lady

was a bookkeeper for a dozen years

before moving here.

She had our concierge return it to the library.

Hedonism Can Boost Longevity

Indulging in wine, chocolate and sweet snacks in moderation can actually help increase your
longevity, according to a British psychopharmacologist.

Dr. David Warburton of Reading University in Reading, England, said, “These substances have
a mild effect on the pleasure pathways of the brain, resulting in the improvement of mood. A good
mood lessens stress and helps strengthen the immune system. And research shows that people
who are happy on a regular basis are healthier and live longer.”

Warburton does not advocate giving up exercise and sound nutrition. But he does encourage
more leeway for indulging in life’s small delights. “I really worry that the health-conscious world
may be going overboard,” he says. “A too-severe, restrictive approach to pleasure produces a climate that encourages negative emotions and, ultimately, poorer health. You might say that we are advocating a life of moderate hedonism.”