Sunday, May 27, 2007

Nerissa's Romantic Love Diet

The Romantic Love Diet (RLD) is the easiest way to practice calorie restriction. While possible for men it is much easier for women to the point that an alternative name for the diet is the Amazon Diet. Unfortunately that name is taken so the "Romantic Love Diet" will have to do.

To be fair using the term "my" with the RLD is a bit misleading. It turns out the RLD was perfected by a man well known to most of us - Jesus. Doubt this? When is the last time you ever saw a picture of a fat disciple?

Flashing back 2000 years see http://www.reuniting.info/node . Early Christianity encouraged nonsexual but sensuous relationships known as "agape." Agape is defined as "spiritual, selfless, chaste love."

http://www.reuniting.info/wisdom/agapetae goes into more detail. An agape type relationship was characterized by sensous activity such as sleeping together. It was non-sexual in the sense that the relationship did not lead to orgasm.

http://www.reuniting.info/wisdom/samael_aun_weor_sex_secret_gate_to_eden explains that this type of love has been encouraged by various religions over time.

Least you think I'm kidding you, to take this to the scientific plane consider http://www.reuniting.info/science/prolactin_sex_libido which points out that prolactin surges after having an orgasm. Bad news! This increases appetite leading to a tendency for weight gain.

However, sensous but non-orgasmic love increases dopamine which is a natural narcotic which lowers appetite. The RLD also encourages strong friendships even without the sensuality. As you can see from (1) modern research suggests that being in a sensous physical relationship (i.e. increases dopamine which is like morphine and which has the normal narcotic effect of lowering appetite immediately) leads to a long term increase in appetite BUT the desire for being sociable increases even more. Fullfilling that desire eliminates the long term appetite stimulation effects of sensous relationships.

So, how hard can my RLD be? Have a handful of physically sensous relationships that do not involve orgasms and a lot of close friends one socializes with regularly.

Of course if you know men you'll realize that a RLD is going to be difficult if they are on the receiving end of romance! Most men will not avoid trying to have sex with you for long!

So, a woman on the RLD is best off practicing agape type romance with other women. From http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb07/lovesnot.html we see that romantic partners best have the following qualities: "kindness, warmth, a sense of humor, sociability, trustworthiness and a stable personality."

Compare and make your own decision -

Tradional diet - count calories and exercise fanatically - FOREVER!

The Romantic Love Diet - have a few non-orgasmic yet physically sensous relationships with women who are kind, amusing, dependable, etc. and have a lot of close friends of both genders that one socializes with regularly.

Keep in mind that I've been in relationships like this with my transgendered and bisexual friends in Houston. These being the same friends who often smoke lots of pot while staying quite slim. The power of the lifestyle easily overcomes the appetite stimulating aspect of marijuana. How did the RLD work for me? I lost about 30 pounds without counting calories and with very little exercise.

1. Behav Brain Res.
2007 Apr 20
Prior morphine experience induces long-term increases in social interest and in appetitive behavior for natural reward.
Nocjar C, Panksepp J.
Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Brecksville, OH 44141, United States.
Brain opioids regulate social emotional responsivity. One neuro-evolutionary theory of addiction suggests that exogenous opiates may induce addiction via opioid-controlled emotional changes; with the drug eventually fulfilling the need for social comfort that is normally provided by endogenous opioids. This view predicts that past opiate experience may enduringly alter social responsivity. Although the acute social effects of opiates are well known, little evidence is available concerning the enduring effects of past opiate experience on social motivation aside from copulatory behaviors. This study evaluated the long-term effects of 10 daily morphine (10mg/kg/day) or saline injections on social and non-social motivated behaviors. Following 3 days or 2 weeks drug abstinence, social interest, food-seeking, and sexual pursuit were assessed. After 2-weeks opiate withdrawal, sexual pursuit and food-seeking behaviors were significantly increased. After a shorter 3-day withdrawal, these effects were not seen. Importantly, social interest was consistently magnified, even after short-term 3-day opiate withdrawal, and it was magnified more than sexual or food pursuit. These findings indicate that the incentive for social and non-social natural rewards were increased following withdrawal from intermittent opiate treatment, but that different morphine-induced neuroadaptations may regulate their expression.
PMID: 17512616


Nerissa

3 comments:

Arturo said...

Hi Nerissa
As always, you come up with unusual subjects. I know you're super busy, but I'm tagging you in our bloggie world - mine is on yoga and CRON. You write 8 random things about you and then "tag" 8 people.
Cheers,
Arturo

Grant said...

Nerissa -

I've read all the material at Marnia Robinson's "Reuniting" website. Fascinating.

It is true that the idea of romance without "release" is almost impossible for most men to comprehend. In our eroticized American culture, anyway.

Our society is so engulfed in immediate gratification that few couples are still virgins on their wedding night. What a sad fact. Think about the old way men and women courted; the sweet, aching tension and the constant desire. Why not let that delicious, romantic, flowers-and-poetry giddiness go on indefinitely? Why end it with a "little death".

I can't really think of anything more erotic than NOT having an orgasm. And I think I'm a fairly normal testosterone-filled male. But this would only be attractive to me in an exclusive and committed relationship with one special person.

I think our culture misses out on a lot of wonderful, tender, playful lovemaking by being so focused on orgasms. I think we miss out on most of what is available to savor and cherish in our loved one.

Grant

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