Health Benefits To Owning A Pet

I have 2 dogs. A 3 year old Husky named Calla and a 4 year old German Shepard, Border Collie, Husky mix named Scout.  Both have a lot of energy and both drive me absolutely crazy; but without them in my life, I honestly believe that I would be suffering from some weird, incurable, anxiety ridden disease. My girl, Calla has this innate ability to make me laugh so hard that my stomach hurts and my boy, Scout, is always by my side if I'm feeling low. They are my constant loyal and faithful companions.

There is a lot of truth behind owning a pet and reeping the health benefits from it as well though. In fact, there is about 25 years worth of research behind the benefits of pet ownership and the effect they have on our overall health and wellness. Besides the obvious health benefits of lowered blood pressure, decreased anxiety, increased immune system function, owning a pet also helps with your dating life!! As a matter of fact, the reason my boyfriend and I first went out was because I asked him out for a "doggy date". Three and a half years later, we have a beautiful 16 month old son, named Kaynen to add to our mix of daily chaos. I like to think of my dogs as my sanity savers however. Aside from the fact that yes, Scout sticks his head into the garbage can all too often to eat the leftovers and Calla chews up every toy that belongs to Kaynen, when I hook them up to their leashes and take them out for their daily walk,  an inner calm takes over and all the little hiccups from the day disappear. That right there is the first item on the list of health benefits to which owning a pet can do for you.

Natural De-stressor: When our bodies stay in a state of stress, we enter into a "dis-eased state". This is the state where harmful chemicals like norepinephrine and cortisol start to negatively effect our immune system. People who own animals, when tested, have shown that when in the act of "play"mode, have higher levels of serotonin and dopamine which are known to have pleasurable and calming effects on the body and mind thereby decreasing the chances a person may suffer from depression and high blood pressure.

Heart happy: Another reason to own a pet - they are good for the heart. Heart attack patients who own a pet live longer than those who don't. How does this happen? Male pet owners have lower levels of triglycerides and cholesterol levels which can contribute to heart disease.

Date magnets: If your dating life is in the dumps - owning a pet is a great way to increase your chances of a making a love connection. If you've walked down the street lately and seen someone with a new puppy, what's the first thing you want to do? Stop and meet the puppy of course!! Naturally, conversation with the owner will follow and making a connection, whether a love connection or otherwise can begin. In fact, psychologists say that owning a pet decreases an individuals risk of social isolation and shyness. All the more reason to get outside and go for a walk, you never know who you are going to meet!

Allergy deterrents: If you have ever come across someone who said to you "I'm allergic to animals" you can be pretty sure that that person did not grow up with an animal in the household. Dogs are dirty animals, and studies are now showing that infants who have a greater exposure to dirt and allergens also have stronger, healthier immune systems. I can attest to this; my son is 16 months old and has been sick only twice. Will I stop the dogs from licking his face? Most definitely not.

Workout buddy extraordinaire: Let's face it, a pet can be a great workout partner! Never the one to tell you "don't eat that!" or worse yet, "those jeans make you look fat", they are always ready and willing to go outside for a walk or run. It's not only good for your health but the health of your pet as well. And remember, a happy, healthy pet means less vet bills for you. :)

Sometimes I wonder what my house would be like if I didn't have my dogs. First off, it would definitely be a lot quieter! But then I think, who wants that much quiet to begin with? Won't I get all the quiet I can ask for when I'm six feet under? I won't lie, owning a pet is a lot of responsibility. You are in fact raising a furry beast to co exist peacefully amongst society and it is not meant to be an easy task. All the ups and downs that I have had while raising my dogs have truly helped me become a humble, happy and healthy person. I am grateful to my dogs for allowing me to be their owner.

To all that will read this blog, Cheers to Your Health and have a Safe and Happy New Year!

Until next week,

Katerina

Health and Wellness

GEM Magazine LI

Positive Thinking: Is it Really Something to Think About?

Have you ever wondered how our thoughts impact our physical, emotional and mental health? Do you think there is any truth when someone says to you "take a walk on the bright side of life?". The Mayo Clinic has been conducting numerous studies that are concluding that our thoughts have a very deep meaning to how our body reacts. Here is an example I think many of us can relate to; your standing in line at the grocery store and the clerk is brand spanking new and struggling with some of the procedures. She is trying to move as quickly as she can, but is making mistakes and begins fumbling. The person in front of you is obviously in a foul mood and is reflecting her bad energy onto the clerk and everyone around her. With her frustration mounting she eventually blurts out a very rude and unnecessary comment as the clerk completes the transaction and then leaves the store, but not without having ruined the day of 3 other people. Sound familiar? I have seen this all too often and, suffice it say, have also been one of those rude and disgruntled customers going around ruining other peoples days. So what does positive thinking really do for us and how can we go about making the small changes on a daily basis to encourage positive thoughts. I reflect on these questions below. First up: health benefits of positive thinking

1. Weight Loss - Obesity has been linked to depression and depression is a form of negative thinking. We, as humans, are built to move. Our jobs, unfortunately, restrict much of our movement on a daily basis as we are chained to a desk, stuck in a chair for 8-12 hours a day (depending on your job). When people include some form of physical activity in their everyday regime, be it walking, running, swimming etc., they are less likely to suffer from depression as physical activity promotes the release of all those "happy hormones" called Endorphins. People who move around on a daily basis are also less likely to gain weight as they are using the food eaten throughout the day as a source of energy or "fuel" to keep us moving.

2. Happy Thoughts - Back to those endorphins I mentioned earlier - Positive thinking helps to keep those feel good chemicals secreted from your brain flowing, which in turn makes us feel pretty darn good. However, start thinking negative thoughts, and the brain will actually start to secrete hormones which will keep us in that negative state of mind. Those hormones are serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.

3. Physical Effects - Thinking positive reduces our bodies overall feeling of pain and lethargy as well as gives us an extra boost of energy to help us get through the day!

4. Future Effects - By thinking positive, we are able to easily influence others who will enjoy being around us simply because we are happy and positive. For example, the last time you went in for a job interview, can you recall what your mood was like? If you walked into the interview feeling strong and confident and made sure to answer the questions with a positive outlook and a friendly smile, did you get a call back or better yet...land the job? It is a well known fact, that interviewers will look for a candidate with a positive outlook on life to help keep the morale of the team up. A grumpy candidate just doesn't land the job. Something to think about when going out for your next interview...put on your best smile!

5. Karma - We've all heard the saying "Karma is a bitch" and you know what? that bitch is right. You are what you reflect. By reflecting a positive vibe or feeling onto others, your more likely to influence another person or attract another person with the same feelings. In a grumpy mood, it's almost a guarantee that the majority of people you run into that day or week will also be grumpy. On a side note, it takes more muscles to frown then it does to smile, so why are we prematurely aging ourselves?

6. Financial Effects - Your wallet will thank me for this one day - Comfort spending is at an all time high when you are in a negative kinda mood. I too have been a victim of comfort spending. You walk into the mall, telling yourself that your not going to buy anything, but then it spirals out of control suddenly and you end up leaving the mall with 2, 3 even 4 bags in hand! What happened??? Your mind sucked you into it that's what happened! Your emotional state of balance needed some comforting so your mind did the only thing it knew how to do in that particular moment. Searched for comfort. Now, your wallet hates you. Now you hate yourself and now you have to make another trip back to the mall to return all the items you never should have purchased to begin with. It's amazing how what was purchased only felt good for a short period of time thereafter. Comfort spending happens because we aren't dealing with the issues that are causing us to spend money in the first place. Deal with your issues and your wallet will thank you.

Now we come to the second part having looked at some of the benefits to positive thinking, we take a look at some ways to help us change our habits to increase our positive thoughts throughout the day.

1. Talk to the mirror - saying positive things to yourself about how you look, feel and what you desire first thing in the morning and during the day will help you to believe it. The more you believe it, the more you will reflect that image onto others.

2. Find humour in Everyday life - laughing brings out those happy hormones which helps to reduce stress and encourage positive thoughts!

3. Make a "Dream Board" - find a wall in your house that you walk past everyday and place your dream board there - make it pretty too. Fill your dream board with everything that makes you smile, makes you think, makes you persevere.

4. Positive People - surround yourself with positive, action minded people to keep the positivity flowing. As your positive energy builds, you will naturally start to attract like minded people.

5. Positive Media - find songs or books that inspire you and encourage you. Find media that will help you relax, make you laugh and keep you learning, all in a positive way. The more we train our brain with positive information, the less likely the negative information will try to take over.

Can I say that I do this on an everyday basis, truthfully, no, but I am only human and I do try to go about my day with a genuine smile on my face when greeting new people or dealing with lifes' dilemas. Nothing in life is perfect, and I have learned that if you try to fight every tug and pull of the rope, then you will always go through life in turmoil. If you can learn to just "roll with the punches" suddenly, life seems a little bit easier and alot less stressful.

I would like to pose a challenge to those who are reading this post - I would like you to start each day with a smile and greet everyone you meet the same way you would like to be greeted each and every day and then write down or try to keep tab of the reactions you received. Comment below on how your day(s) went as you took this challenge on. What was the general consensus you came to after having completed the challenge.

Can't wait to read your replies!

Until next week, keep a happy spirit and enjoy a happy life!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Katerina
Health and Wellness Blogger, GEM Magazine LI

Foods That Help You Combat Colds

Sniff, sniff...Achoo!

It's that time of year again. Cold and Flu Season is back and are you prepared? I find this time of the year the most difficult. Never sure what to wear on a daily basis as the weather patterns are continuously fluctuating. One day hot, the next day cold and wet. Arggghhhh!!! What a pain. I have found that the best way to combat the cold and flu season is to stay prepared for it throughout the year. Sounds funny doesn't it though??; preparing the whole year for a season? But, when it comes down to it, the winter season is 6 months long approximately, give or take a month, which is roughly half a year. That's a long time to be consistently sick, so its worth the effort to try to maintain a solid base of good health leading up to the cold and flu season.

To help me combat the Cold and Flu Season, I consistenly throw in the following top 10 foods to support my immune system and to help keep me in tip top shape:

1. Cremini, portobello or white button mushrooms and barley ~ mixed in with soups, vegetable stir-fry, or eaten entirely on their own, these guys pack a powerful amount of beta-glucan. It is widely known that beta-glucan is one of the most powerful immune stimulants known to man. A dose of 200mg is all you would need to help support the immune system.

2. Garlic ~ I love Garlic and cook with it almost every chance I get. I'm talking heaping spoonfulls of this amazing stuff. Garlic is a well know bacteria killer. It contains high amounts of phystochemicals which help to give your immune system an anti-bacterial boost! I love to use garlic when slow cooking meats and veggies.

3. Green Tea with Honey ~ Yes, yes I know, tea is not a food group, but you cannot go through a cold and flu season without having green tea with honey! The green tea leaves themselves contain a substance called L-theaninie, which helps to strengthen the immune system and specifically fight the flu. The Honey offers incredible antibacterial, antioxidant and antiviral polyphenols which can help in treating sore throats all the way to bacterial infections.

4. Warm Broth ~ Mmmmm, picture yourself sitting in front of a roaring fireplace, with your feet up, nuzzled under a thick blanket while sipping on warm broth. Sounds amazing doesn't it? Warm broth, when taken from steeped vegetables, offers the body a boatload of phyto-chemicals which in turn helps your body absorb all the anti-bacteiral properties the broth offers; Thus, assisting your immune system to a) ward off a cold and b) help fight the cold/flu faster so you get better quicker!

5. Tomatoes paired with Olive Oil ~ This combination is not only delicious but extremely powerful. The tomatoes contain a powerful antioxidant called Lycopene that can help protect against degenerative diseases. It does this by neutralizing free radicals in the body which in turn helps to protect you from disease. The Olive oil helps to bolster the immune system, which in turn helps to protect against viruses. What a great mid-night snack no?

6. Apple Cider Vinegar ~ Paired with some EVOO, Apple Cider Vinegar is delicious as a salad dressing! But it does more than just offer up some amazing flavor. When your battling a cold or flu and congestion has set in, Apple Cider Vineger has the amazing ability to help cut through and banish the accumulated mucus congestion. A serving a day on your salad can help to keep your sinus passages and respiratory tract mucuous free!

7. Oregano ~ If you are not yet familiar with Oregano...then you need to be! Oregano has the highest anti-oxidant compound out of all the herbs!. It contains thymol and carvacrol, two oils which have remarkable bacteria-fighting power...research has shown that “…On a per gram fresh weight basis, oregano has demonstrated 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges and 4 times more than blueberries.” Order Up!

8. Red Bell Peppers ~ This beautiful vegetable packs a remarkably high source of phyto-chemicals, beta-carotenes and Vitamin C. Twice the amount of Vitamin C than most of the vegetables eaten. What does this mean to you? Well, in a nut shell - vitamin C helps in the immune system function to fight against bacteria, viruses, and infection. It also serves as an effective antihistamine which can help to lessen the unpleasant effects of the common cold, including inflammation, stuffy nose and unpleasant aches and pains.
Tossed into salads, stir frys or eaten raw straight off the shelf (figuratively speaking, of course), red bell peppers could turn out to be your best "food" friend.

9. Pumpkin ~ Not only for Halloween! Pumpkins are packed with beta-carotene; a nutrient that helps the body make Vitamin A. Vitamin A helps to regulate cell to cell communication which is the basic foundation of our immune system. Bottom line, if our cells are communicating well together then they are better able to detect when a virus or bacteria has entered into our system which thus enables the immune system better access to ward off the cold and flu. A simple serving of pumpkin 2-3 times a week will suffice.

10. Broccoli ~ The mini tree vegetable! Broccoli contains extremely potent antioxidant compounds which help to combat disease; cold, flu and otherwise. High in glucosinolates - which helps to stimulate the bodies immune system - these little trees do more than just look great on a plate, they help to keep the roots of your immune system strong and stable.

Well, there you have it. My top 10 favorite foods that I eat on a regular basis to help me survive the cold and flu season. I hope that you find this information serves you and your body well. If you haven't already included some of these power house foods into your daily/weekly regime, try to add in a couple a month until it becomes a habit. It takes 30 days to break old habits and replace them with new ones. The first step though in anything we do is to just take that first step. The rest will follow!

Let's get moving :)

Cheers to your health!

Katerina