The sex sabbatical: could taking a break from intimacy improve your life?
Age: Perennial.
Appearance: Surprisingly frequent.
Taking a break to have sex? You mean like at work? This is taking a break from sex.
What? Who wants to do that? Er, 24% of American adults, according to a new survey.
Why? Reasons vary, from 'wanting to learn other forms of intimacy' to favouring 'emotional closeness over physical connection'.
All I'll say to that is: be careful what you wish for, survey respondents. In addition, 52% of the 2,000 adults surveyed said they had previously taken an extended break from sex, lasting six months on average.
So? I've managed that – and then some. I think they mean on purpose.
Everybody says it was on purpose afterwards. Who commissioned this survey? The sexual wellness brand Lelo.
What does 'sexual wellness' mean? They sell vibrators, mainly.
Sounds as if they have a vested interest in these survey results. 'Taking breaks from sex or focusing on other forms of physical intimacy can actually enhance a sex life,' says Lelo's chief marketing officer, Luka Matutinovic.
Oh yeah? How? 'By reducing pressure and fostering exploration, as well as introducing new additions to your routine, like sex toys …'
I knew it. In any case, most of those who had taken a sex sabbatical were very positive about it: 53% said it helped them appreciate sex more.
It will tend to do that. But it's not all good news.
None of this is good news so far. According to the survey, 30% of Americans believe romance is dead.
I'm not surprised – what's the point? Fortunately, 69% of those not in relationships said they were happy being single.
Good for them. What about the ones who are in a relationship? Forty-seven per cent of them said it can be healthy for a couple to have a sex break.
Oh my word. On the other hand, 44% said their relationship wouldn't last a year without sex.
Oh, naive respondents – you might surprise yourselves. Indeed.
So if Americans are taking sex breaks and sabbaticals intentionally, does that mean they're having less sex than they used to? The latter assertion seems unquestionable – the percentage of American men and women not having sex has risen by every measure since 1982.
That's quite an alarming statistic. Not if you own a vibrator company.
Do say: 'Oh look, Newsnight's on.'
Don't say: 'Could we try taking a break from taking a break?'
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The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
The power of pulses: 15 easy, delicious ways to eat more life-changing legumes
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'Many are 'nitrogen fixers', meaning they have the ability to convert nitrogen in the atmosphere into a form that can be used in the soil, making it more fertile for other crops,' she writes. Justine Butler, the head of research at Viva!, says: 'The lowest-impact beef still creates six times the greenhouse gases and uses 36 times more land per gram of protein than peas.' Pulses are filling and good value but, say the Reading researchers, the typical British adult eats only about 15g a day, with the average household spending just £1.68 on pulses a week. UK guidelines state that 80g of pulses (about a third of a tin) counts as one of your five a day. The University of Reading study is part of the Raising the Pulse project, which aims to increase pulse consumption to improve public and planetary health. One of its strategies is adding fava bean (dried broad bean) flour to white bread – similar to a successful programme in Denmark using rye flour to increase wholegrain consumption. Prof Julie Lovegrove, the director of the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition at the University of Reading, says: 'These foods are not only nutritious but also incredibly versatile, affordable and sustainable.' If you want to start eating more pulses, here are 15 things you need to know. You don't have to cook pulses for hours. 'Don't be put off by the idea that you have to soak dried pulses in advance,' says Maidment. 'I am rarely organised enough to do so, but thankfully there's a huge range of jarred and canned varieties that require no prep and are hugely convenient. If you can afford to spend a bit more, then jarred varieties have the edge over canned in terms of flavour and texture. Brands such as Bold Bean Co, Brindisa or Belazu are consistently excellent.' But batch-cooking dried pulses is the best value. Jenny Chandler, the author of Super Pulses and Pulse, soaks and cooks a big pot of pulses once a week. 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