Health Blog

A healthy body and a sound mind

4 Tips For Decreasing Stress and Anxiety

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Stress and anxiety is something that affects millions of people a day. Since life can be full of challenges and curveballs, often people don’t have the tools to be able to overcome them without it affecting their stress levels.

If you notice stress and anxiety starting to take its toll on your quality of life and making you feel worse and worse, it’s time to take control and make a change.

Rather than missing out on the beauty of life and all it has to offer, get rid of the stress in your life by trying these tips. [Read more…]

Getting Back Up: 3 Ways To Manage Depression

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It’s inevitable in this world: you will have bad days and some of those may turn into bad months or years. With that said, sometimes that’s just the luck of the draw and sometimes your brain can have a genuine chemical imbalance that can kick you while you’re down.

It’s not about how many times you get pushed down, though. It’s about whether you choose to get back up or not. Below are some things that can help you get back up and on the road of life and help keep you there, as well.
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Fitness For Your Mind, Body, And Soul

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If you aren’t integrating fitness into each and every day you are missing out on something that can make you feel great inside and out. Fitness isn’t just something that helps you build muscles or lose weight, it can do great things for your mind, help you be more focused, give you more energy, and strengthen your entire body.

It depends on what type of workouts you do on what it can do for you. If you are doing cardio, not only will you start to lose weight and gain muscle tone, but you will also be helping your heart and lungs be more healthy. If you are doing yoga, you are giving your mind and soul a workout while also building muscle and strengthening your core, among other things. [Read more…]

Health Benefits To Being A Pet Owner

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Portrait of a woman with her beautiful dog lying outdoors

If you already have a furry companion you know how much happiness your pet brings to your daily life.  No matter how bad your day was you know that when you get home your pet will always greet you with a smile and unconditional love as soon as you enter the door.  Besides making a bad day a little better, owning a pet has health benefits too.  From decreasing stress to improving your mood, your pet can improve your health.

Lowers Blood Pressure And Reduces Stress

Have you ever noticed that just being around your pet makes you feel better?  Lisa Fields, a contributor for WebMD, notes that petting your animal makes you feel good and “It can lower your blood pressure, helps your body release a relaxation hormone, and cuts down on levels of a stress hormone.”

Eases Pain

Pets can be a great medicine when a person is dealing with chronic pain such as migraines or arthritis.  One study found that people who use some form of pet therapy while recovering from surgery need significantly less pain medication than those who do not.

Mood Booster

Many of the health benefits of owning a pet may stem from the mental and emotional benefits.  Pets are used in various forms of therapy for this very reason.  Dogs are used to help people with anxiety issues as well as helping veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Helps People Socialize And Exercise

Owning a dog can actually increase a person’s opportunities to socialize and be more active.  Since dogs need to be walked to reduce certain behavioral issues (like digging) the simple act of getting some fresh air and walking your dog can be a great opportunity to socialize with your neighbors as well as get active yourself.

Helps With Childhood Development

Children who grow up with pets can benefit in many ways.  Having an emotional attachment to a pet along with the responsibility of taking care of a pet can help a child develop an emotional connection with animals as well as teach them about responsibilities.  Pets can also be beneficial to children who have autism and ADHD.

Monitor Blood Sugar Levels And Prevent Strokes

According to the American Diabetes Association, a study found that one-third of pets (dogs, cats, bird and rabbits) living with diabetics would change their behavior when their owner’s blood sugar level dropped.  Also owning a pet, particularly a cat can be beneficially in cardiovascular health.  Studies have shown that if you own a cat, you are 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack and 40 percent less likely to have a stroke.

So make sure you are taking care of that pet of yours.  Make sure to give your animal lots of love and exercise and keep that pet healthy.  Look for a great vet and pet insurance to keep your furry friend healthy, because they are keeping you healthy too.