SEX ADDS YEARS TO YOUR LIFE
Good Sex | Bad Sex |
The Flashing Images above are designed to provide you with a "Mental Image" of what takes place when your brain's Pleasure Pathway is stimulated by activities associated with feeling good. Sexual Intercourse releases chemicals that activate this pathway as do other activities associated with continued survival such as seeking food, drink, shelter, and social bonding. Science now believes positive stimulation of your built in reward system can add many quality years to your life. Unfortunately there are other activities that stimulate our Reward System that feel equally good, but can be destructive to our quality of life as well as our survival. Drug and Alcohol addiction stimulate your Pleasure Pathway in much the same way, which is why substance abusers feel a "High" when they use them. Read on to discover how managing your built in "Reward System," influences the quality of your life.
YOUR PLEASURE PATHWAY... Brain scientists have long known the human Brain is equipped with a system of pleasure centers, also known as reward pathways, but until recently this knowledge was mainly used in the study of addiction. Further study has led to the discovery that these pathways evolved over time to promote behaviors that increase our ability to survive, such as feeding and reproductive behaviors. In other words this reinforcement or Pleasure Pathway, evolved to promote activities that are essential to the survival of the human race. That's good news for those of us who grew up believing anything that felt or tasted good had to be bad for us.Science has now concluded our Pleasure Pathway plays a much greater role in our lives than just the survival of the species. It is now believed this Reward System has to be sufficiently stimulated as often as daily, if we are to feel, function and perform to our maximum potential. Could it be that depriving ourselves of pleasure has nothing to do with living a long and healthy life? If that's true it means disciplining ourselves to do what we don't want to do may not always be the right course of action. The truth is we have to get a certain amount of pleasure from our daily activities or we can create a pleasure deficit, known as a "Reward Deficiency," which can lead to poor performance and even anxiety and depression if we deprive ourselves too much. Being stuck in a job you hate may be causing you more harm than you think. We all know we perform better when we're doing something we enjoy, but if that's not possible, right now, at a minimum try to plug in some fun every day. You'll live longer and be more productive if you do.
We don't have to become "Thrill Seekers" to stimulate our Reward System. Even the wise use of the basic necessities of life, such as eating, drinking and especially Sex, stimulate our "Pleasure Pathway." In fact, staying sexually active is one of the best activities we can engage in because it releases several positive hormones in the body, increases intimacy and also has other social and mental benefits. According to recent studies frequent orgasms, at least 100 per year, can increase Life Expectancy by 3 to 5 years. One study of men with a high frequency of orgasms concluded they may be able to reduce their mortality by as much as 50 percent. Sounds hard to believe, but even 10% improvement is a lot when you're having fun.
The amount and kind of pleasure we need varies with the individual, but the evidence is clear boredom and lack of social contact not only cause us to perform poorly, we can even die if it goes on too long. Study after study has shown that people who are isolated socially die prematurely. It's important to remember our Reward System isn't optional equipment, it's built in and it is tied to our basic survival system, so we can't just let it run wild it has to be managed. There are healthy, positive pleasures, as well as destructive negative ones. Hard drugs belong in the latter category.
Nothing illustrates the powerful role our Pleasure Pathway plays in governing our behavior more than Addiction, especially Drug Addiction. Remember it was through the study of addiction that the positive role our Reward System plays in our lives was discovered. But too much of anything can be harmful, even food. Eating normal amounts of nourishing food is pleasurable and life sustaining. Overeating, particularly Junk Food, can be harmful. The challenge we face is anything we associate with "Feeling Good" is capable of activating our Pleasure Pathway, so in a sense we have to train our Brain to like the right things. Nobody enjoys starting an exercise program after a long layoff, but if we stay with it the pleasure replaces the pain. Now that you know you have a built in "Reward System" don't give up before it kicks in. Exercise triggers positive chemicals in the body too!
A HELPFUL MENTAL IMAGE ... The flashing Brains above aren't meant to be exact replicas of the human brain. Their purpose is to assist you in forming a useful mental image to help you manage what is taking place inside your Brain's Reward System. We say "Manage" to remind you that healthy and unhealthy behavior can stimulate your Pleasure Pathway in similar ways. We used Sex as an example rather than Drug Addiction because we need positive images to stimulate positive behavior. But too much of anything can lead to addiction, so your goal should be balance. If you're more comfortable using exercise or something else as a "Positive Mental Image," be our guest, but don't just think about it - do it and claim your reward!
The other reason we chose Sex as an example of the benefits you can receive by stimulating your Pleasure Pathway, is because it delivers so many benefits with one activity. Perhaps we should have used "Good Sex" to remind you that two people are benefiting from this one very special activity to encourage you to try a little harder to please your partner. The more you enjoy each other the more intimate you'll become and that's a good thing, especially if you have the right partner. Intimacy is a big part of the Sexual Formula we have in mind because the Life Expectancy Data we review indicates the longer you stay together the longer you are both going to live. So take care of each other because the evidence is equally clear that living your life alone can reduce your Life Expectancy.
Your biggest enemy is boredom, so get out there and have some Fun!
(http://worldlifeexpectancy.com/sex-brain)
