I recently read an article on healthy eating that suggested cutting out dinner by candlelight. The reason? Eating with the lights low leads to overeating because when you can’t see (or more accurately, when whoever you’re eating with can’t see) what’s going on, you’re less self-conscious. Thus you not only eat more, you don’t lighten up when it comes to higher-calorie items. I say pshaw!

Eating healthy, nutrient dense foods is important. But, when it comes to overall health, eating right doesn’t trump feeling emotionally well. While wholesome eating does play a role in emotional well-being, camaraderie and bonding, as well as romance, are irreplaceable components of overall health. There’s nothing quite so stress-relieving in just the same way as sitting down to a relaxing, delicious meal with people you share a special bond with.

Nor can anything match gazing into the candlelit eyes of someone you love. Special dinners like these can be the patches that mend tears in the relationships that are most important to you. Feeling good about your relationships means feeling good about yourself, which translates to better eating and healthier lifestyle choices in your daily life.

All in all, I say chalk doing away with dimly lit dinners up to a change you shouldn’t make. After all, diet isn’t everything. My recommendation? Just the opposite: Put fresh flowers in a vase, pull out the cloth napkins and those special-occasion candle holders, and put something delicious in the oven. Call up some good friends or a loved one and let the soft lights and lovely aromas wash your cares away. Why? Because it’s Monday.