Relieve Stress by Spending Time with Animals

By The Healthy Living Institute on Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 | No Comments

Created 2012-09-10 16:22 By Dana Blinder in ORGANIC GARDENING

A pet prescription can remedy all sorts of problems, says animal expert Arden Moore. Spending time around animals, such as going bird watching, enjoying the company of a therapy dog, or even playing with your pet spider can be beneficial to your well-being. “There’s something about the animal kingdom that possesses the ability for us to enjoy life a little better,” says Moore, author of more than 20 pet books and radio host of Oh Behave, an online Pet Life Radio show. Read on for five reasons to include some animal time in your day.

#1: They relax you
Petting your cat or dog may be noticeably enjoyable for them, but the act can relax you as well. Moore suggests petting with a purpose to increase the release of feel-good hormones in animals and humans. “Give your dog or cat a head-to-tail therapeutic massage by running hand over hand through the body,” she says. Your touch relaxes the animal and releases feel-good endorphins in you, reducing your heart rate. A therapeutic pet massage can also be used to regularly check animals for fleas or suspicious bumps, or to relieve muscle knots, says Moore.

#2: They reduce blood pressure
Communicating with animals may lower your blood pressure and improve your overall health. Moore suggests engaging animals in “happy talk,” or speaking in an upbeat tone. “Happy talk or laughter around animals releases hormones in humans that lower blood pressure, and make animals feel better too,” she says. Thinking happy thoughts when talking to your pet or speaking to birds and squirrels in your backyard may seem silly, but the conversation can put you at ease (even if it’s one-sided).

#3: They’re therapeutic
Animals from dogs to rabbits are often used for therapy in hospitals and nursing homes. “I’ve taken my dog to a few hospitals and schools, and it’s amazing how people are reluctant to talk to people but will open up to an animal,” Moore says. There’s something rejuvenating, renewing about coming home to a friendly animal that greets you like a rock star, she says. Moore suggests the strong human-to-animal bond could be related to fond childhood memories. Even if it’s a just a spider, people often feel more comfortable being themselves around animals, says Moore. (Though admittedly, spiders aren’t for everyone.)

#4: They can improve human nutrition
Eat alongside bad company and you may lose your appetite, but eating in the company of an animal may improve your eating habits. “In nursing homes, if there’s a fish tank where people are eating, seeing those fish actually motivates some residents to eat,” says Moore. In some cases animal companionship has helped the nutritional habits of their humans. For example, she says, research has shown that recipients of the Meals on Wheels program who were allowed to eat near their pets improved some of their eating patterns.

#5: They improve your relationships
A good relationship with your animal friends may spill over into better relations with humans. An animal doesn’t care who you are or what outfit you’re wearing, they want to play and be around you, says Moore. This carefree, playful attitude, she says, has made many animal-lovers more prone to live in the moment. According to a 1997 study at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, observing animals in nature can teach valuable characteristics like patience, and help restore mental energy. Taking care of an animal can also teach responsibility, and stimulate feelings of trust, openness, and companionship.

The Dangers of Your Car’s Air Conditioning

By The Healthy Living Institute on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 | No Comments

Some of you may already know this but in case you don’t…

This was very interesting and a caution for all of us.

My car book says to roll down the windows to let out all the hot air before turning on A/C.

WHY ???????????

Car Air-conditioning –

No wonder more folks are dying from cancer than ever before. We wonder where this stuff comes from, but here is an example that explains a lot of the cancer causing incidents.

Many people are in their cars first thing in the morning and the last thing at night, 7 days a week.

As I read this, it makes me feel guilty and ill. Please pass this on to as many people as possible. Guess its not too late to make some changes.

Car A/C (Air Conditioning) MUST READ!!!

Please do NOT turn on A/C as soon as you enter the car.

Open the windows after you enter your car and then turn ON the AC after a couple of minutes..

Here’s why: According to research, the car dashboard, seats, air freshener, etc. all emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen – take time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car).

In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer. Can also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50mg per sq.ft. A car parked indoors with windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene.

If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level. (Think of all the warnings you’ve heard about using plastic containers to heat/reheat food in the microwave . . .)

People who get into the car, keeping windows closed will inevitably inhale, in quick succession, excessive amounts of the toxin.

Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidneys and liver.. What’s worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.

So friends, please open the windows and door of your car – give time for interior to air out – dispel the deadly stuff – before you enter.

This is what snopes.com says. It is not the air conditioning in the car but the Benzene producing agents that cause cancer.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/benzene.asp

Thought: ‘When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.’

Think of this as a public service message and pass it on.

Great Article Link For You

By The Healthy Living Institute on Thursday, July 15th, 2010 | No Comments

Found this great article we just had to share with you. Enjoy!

Foods That Mimic the Body Parts they Nourish

womansday.com — Every child has heard the healthy-eating mantra “You are what you eat.” But there may be a closer resemblance between good-for-you grub and your body than you thought. We found 10 foods that mirror the body parts they provide nutrients for—for example, brain-boosting walnuts actually look like a brain. Coincidence? Maybe.

Start your own Personal Health Mission To Save A Life

By The Healthy Living Institute on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 | No Comments

How many of us started a health resolution this year to be healthy, lose the weight, go on an exercise program, or to quit a habit, stop smoking and did not take action?

Or, you started a healthy lifestyle program and you kept at it determined this was the final time and you were going to change that habit no matter what?

Maybe you even purchased new gym clothes, pedometer, cleaned out your pantry, bought a food journal, checked out the newest information on “how to”s” and set a date to start your health resolution.

That day came and went.

And those thoughts keep nagging you in the head.

“I should quit that habit and do ? . . .

And you tell yourself, “Tomorrow I’ll start my health program”?

How many tomorrow’s I’ll do ____ have you told yourself?

We typically think and plan for New Years as the time to reflect on our lives, health, and well-being.

Why wait for tomorrow to change what you can do about your health now?

Isn’t it worth the price to put honor on your life, body, health and wellness now to be able to enjoy living past this moment?

At the Healthy Living Institute we partner with clients to help them overcome those barriers that keep holding them back from reaching their health and fitness goals.

We are our clients’ cheering section as they conquer their health challenges, quit those habits and they discover themselves healthy, happy, and energetic enough to live life passionately.

In Nurse led Coaching our clients talk about the medical diagnoses they wish they didn’t have, the medications that leave them nauseated, the excruciating pain that stops them from getting out of bed each day.

Their stories of hope, wishing, insecurities, doubts, and personal struggles with trying to change their health on their own become stories of purpose, action and success.

As Nurse Health Coaches we often hear about the reasons why our clients want to start to do something about their health, but don’t.

It’s the inner voice that reminds us, “You’re not good enough” ” You don’t have time” “You don’t deserve to be healthy” or ” What difference does it make” are a few examples.

Our thoughts of ourselves and what we percieve others may think keeps us from moving forward to just being able to feel good, look good, and be healthy enough to care.

At the Healthy Living Institute we meet our clients wherever their health is. Our coaching philosophy is to give our clients that personal touch towards health. To educate our clients on the “how to’s” for health & wellness in a fun, simple, stretching forward to one awesome health goal at a time.

In Nurse Led Health Coaching we partner with our clients to save lives.

In the process our clients have a better outlook on life and reverse the effects of years of an unhealthy lifestyle.

And our clients, get results, get healthy, get energy, lose the excuses, release the weight and are empowered to start their own personal health mission to save a life.

Processed Foods, Do They Really Affect Your Health?

By The Healthy Living Institute on Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 | No Comments

Walk down any supermarket aisle and you’ll find products fortified with a variety of added ingredients that have no nutritional value. Some of these packages have brightly colored advertising that jumps out and says. ” Heart Healthy” and ” Lowers Cholesterol”, ” High In Fiber”, “Low (or no) Fat.” What do these claims even mean? Do the fortified foods really help meet heart healthy nutrition goals? Why do healthy foods cost so much?

Many people are pinching pennies these days and for convenience and keeping costs down in the food budget, how many people really pay attention to what is in the food and where the food comes from?

Let’s start with what we eat . . .

Did you know that . . .

* HFCS ( High Fructose Corn Syrup) has been a known factor in rising rates of obesity and diabetes since its discovery in the 1970′s.

* High Fructose Corn Syrup is made by changing the sugar (glucose) in cornstarch to fructose – another form of sugar.

* The end product is a combination of fructose and glucose because it extends the shelf life of processed foods and is cheaper than sugar.

* High Fructose corn syrup has become a popular ingredient in many sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and other processed foods.

* Many beverages and other processed foods made with high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners are high in calories and low in nutritional value.

* Regularly including high fructose corn syrup in your diet has the potential to promote obesity-which, in turn, promotes conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, and other potentially serious diseases.

The Healthy Living Institute stands firmly on educating people on alternatives that you can do each day. To take control over your health, to improve your lifestyle and well being for your family, children, and future impact of our healthcare system.

The Healthy Living Institute recommends you reduce and eventually eliminate processed foods from your lifestyle. Not only are you exposed to colorings, trans fats and preservatives, but also unnecessary additives. These added ingredients provide little or no nutritional value to your body.

Processed foods are devoid of nutrition and are designed for extended shelf life and low cost. Unfortunately, they’re designed to shorten our lives. Have you ever been able to eat a whole bag of potato chips and still have room in your stomach to eat chocolate? How do you feel after you eat those foods, tired, sick? What happens when you eat 10 apples? Does your body feel the same way? Your body has a hard time communicating to you that it’s FULL because it has not received anything to satisfy it. However, your body knows healthy food and is able to feel satisfied and be more energetic when you feed your body nutritious food.

Here’s what you can do to take control of your health.

The Healthy Living Institute recommends that you take a look at the processed products that are in your refrigerator and pantry. Take a few minutes and establish a new habit of looking at the labels.

According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, Cardiac Surgeon and host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” there are 5 ingredients to avoid in order to consume a healthy diet. ”It’s called the rule of fives,” he says. “When you look on the back of a food label, they have to list the ingredients from the most common to the least common. You want to actually make sure these five ingredients are not in the top five on the food label.” Dr. Oz call this his “rule of fives.” You must read the labels of the foods you eat. If any of the first five ingredients listed is one of the following, don’t eat it.

High fructose corn syrup

This is most commonly found in soft drinks. It’s an inexpensive sugar, so that means we’re getting a lot of it in most of what we eat.

Sugar

Sugar is very confusing to the body. It causes an increase in insulin production by the pancreas, which then causes a decrease in blood sugar, making us alternately hyper and lethargic. It also wreaks havoc with the brain, which is unable to turn off the cravings for food since it contains no nutrients. Your body will keep craving food until it gets those nutrients.

“Enriched”

Beware of products made with “enriched” flour, like white bread. The reason foods need to be “enriched” is because all the nutrients are removed, so they have to add some back. Unfortunately, only a small amount of nutrients are added back.

Trans fat

Also known as hydrogenated fat, these are fats that were once in liquid form but have hydrogen added to make them solid at room temperature. It extends the shelf life of the product,” Dr. Oz says. “But it shortens the human life.”

Saturated fats

These fats come from four-legged animals like pigs and cows. It’s one thing to eat them when you eat the meat, but you don’t need additional amounts in everything else you eat.

The Healthy Living Institute provides the tools and information to make health, fitness, and prevention priorities. As a society, we need to make changes in what we make available to put into our bodies. As individuals, we need to take back control and be more aware of what we eat and how we spend our time.