Chocolate & Wine Bring The Ultimage Relaxation Moment on a Friday Eve

Stressed Brits needing a break should clear their diaries at 8.38pm this Friday, head to the living room sofa, dim the lights and set the thermostat for precisely 19.8 degrees Celsius. New research from Lindt EXCELLENCE released today reveals that this is the perfect conditions for total relaxation.

According to the research of over 1,000 Brits, anyone wanting to completely relax should leave the kitchen and curl up with a good book. It is also recommended that work attire is discarded for some comfortable loose fitting clothing. However, the onesie is not a popular wardrobe choice, with 25% of respondents finding it the least relaxing item of clothing to wear.

The conclusions were reached by questioning how people prefer to relax, before testing relaxation levels of a selection of people in lab conditions by monitoring their brain activity and stress levels.

Lab tests conducted as part of the research also concluded that drinking a glass of red wine or port whilst indulging in quality chocolate, such as Lindt EXCELLENCE, can also physically heighten feelings of relaxation as opposed to other food and drink options.

The study also found that, for those who don’t drink alcohol, a hot drink can also have the same effect – so pairing your chocolate with a cup of coffee can take you to a new level of relaxation too.

Head of Lab at Mindlab, Amy Walsh, who oversaw the tests, said, “Eating chocolate releases chemicals in the brain that increase feelings of pleasure, whilst wine activates the GABA neurotransmitter in the brain which reduces anxiety and makes us feel more relaxed.  When observing the brain patterns of our test subjects we found that the two combine to create an enhanced sensation of overall relaxation and contentment.”

The study concluded that those seeking the optimum relaxation moment may require a spot of redecorating in advance. 42% stated that a cream coloured room is the easiest to chill out in, whilst colours such as black, orange and brown were seen as the least relaxing. The majority of people prefer to relax by lying on their sofa from left to right and with no more than two cushions supporting their head.

To help people have the best relaxing experiences, Lindt EXCELLENCE is launching a new website containing tips for the perfect combination of chocolate with both wine and coffee. The Lindt Master Chocolatier, Stefan Bruderer has worked closely with Master of Wine, Sarah Jane Evans and expert Barista, Robert Henry to create the best possible pairings and the notes are available at www.lindt-excellence.co.uk along with a step by step guide on wine, coffee and chocolate tasting.

The Lindt Master Chocolatier, Stefan Bruderer said, “It’s no secret that many of us enjoy a nice glass of wine and a square or two of chocolate at the end of a hard week. What is interesting though is how combining the right wine and chocolate can affect your state of relaxation. I have thoroughly enjoyed tasting different wine and chocolate and coffee and chocolate combinations to create the ultimate pairings. I hope that we help people get more out of those moments of relaxation, as well as introduce them to a whole new world of delicious flavour combinations.”

So there you have it – if you want to relax tonight you know exactly how to do it. You can thank me (and Lindt) later 😉