"couples" news and stories

Women tend to take on the eating habits of the men they live with, and vice versa, according to a report from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. For women, this generally means a less healthy diet; the opposite appears to be true for men, says the report, which examined results of studies done in the UK, North America and Australia. A press release from UNuT suggests that partners may try to please each other by changing their eating habits in the early stages of living together to mimic the person they live with. Another study cited by the report found that both partners gained weight after living together, possibly because less time was devoted to exercise.

[Via Science Blog]

When a phone call or e-mail isn't as intimate as you would like, there is a new technology that will allow you to share a drink with a loved one - no matter how great the physical distance between you two: glowing wine glasses. The glasses were designed by researchers at MIT. When one glass of a pair is picked up, its matching glass gives off a red glow. When lips are pressed to one glass, presumably while drinking, the partner glass glows brightly. The glasses contain liquid sensors and wireless links that trigger the light-emitting diodes.

Source

Diet is a word that you don't really want to hear on Valentine's Day, especially since the word you probably want to hear is chocolate. Unfortunately, millions of people are either actively dieting or simply watching their weight - and they neither want to eat all those extra calories and fat grams at a meal, nor do they want to refuse them. After all, they've only lost weight, not their taste buds. Dieters have learned how to cope at restaurants, but if you are inclined to cook for your sweetheart, you will have to customize your dinner menu to their requirements. Fortunately, this isn't as difficult as it seems. Try one of these menus for your special evening, one lower in fat and one lower in carbs. Both include an appetizer, side dish, a main course and a dessert, all of which should go over in a big way with your Valentine - without making them any bigger.

On Valentine's Day, more than 30% of all Americans will eat at a restaurant, making it the second most popular holiday for dining out, after Mother's Day. When numbers are broken down by age, it is not surprising to see that for people between the ages of 25 and 34, the numbers are much higher, with 41% of people dining at a restaurant on February 14. The highest numbers are among the 18-24 year olds, with 47% percent heading out to eat. Those who dine out will spend an average of $62 dollars on dinner, while possibly spending more on gifts such as chocolates and flowers. OpenTable.com is a great way to check for reservations are some of your favorite restaurants across the country and the world.

Though dining out can be fun and romantic, for some lovebirds there is nothing as romantic as a home-cooked meal shared across a table for two. Cooking together or cooking for a loved one can be a more romantic and thoughtful gift than a box of chocolates, for those who enjoy cooking.