Do Cats Affect Health?

If you are already a cat owner or lover, then you already know about all of the intangible benefits that owning a cat brings to your life. The constant companionship and entertainment are something that most cat owners would tell you they would prefer to never live without. However, in addition to all of the warm and fuzzy memories that cats can bring you, there is a long list of health benefits that make owning a cat a great investment in a healthy lifestyle. 

Cats Lower Your Stress Level


If you are looking for a way to improve your heart health, owning a cat just might be what the doctor ordered. Studies show that petting a cat when you are feeling stressed or anxious can almost instantly lower your anxiety level. 


Cat Owners Sleep Better


Stuides in the UK have shown that women who sleep with their cats in bed at night are more likely to get restful sleep for longer. Cats can give you a sense of calm and companionship, which helps you to relax and fall asleep faster. Getting an adequate amount of sleep at night is important for a wide range of health conditions. 


Cats Might Boost Your Immune System


From getting exposure to cat hair and other associated dander, you can reduce your risk of developing asthma. In addition, you may increase your resistance to allergens later in life. 


Cats Reduce Your Risk of Stroke


Studies have proven that cat owners are less likely to suffer from a stroke. Because cats require relatively little maintenance as pets, cat owners are able to get all of the benefits of companionship from cats without having to invest significant time and energy into caring for them. This is one of the reasons why cats make for sure a great pet for elderly people or those who have limited mobility.


Cats Can Improve Your Socialization


It is very important to stay connected to others as you age. Owning a cat is a common bond that you can nurture with new friends to give you a natural conversation starter. Making sure that you seek out the company of others is important because it keeps you mentally stimulated and helps prevent depression. This can be difficult for adults with social anxiety. Cats may help to reduce social anxiety in group situations. 

Greek Yogurt and Why You Need it In Your Diet

Greek yogurt is a dairy based food that is high in protein and has been shown to have many nutritional benefits. Greek yogurt tends to be thicker than other types of yogurt because of the way it is strained out and is an excellent source of probiotics, potassium, protein, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12. Also, Greek yogurt can be a vital part of a diet structured around weight loss because when eaten in moderation, Greek yogurt is very low in calories compared to many other food options. When compared to other yogurt choices, Greek yogurt is also high in calcium, which helps keep your bones strong and healthy.

Because Greek yogurt is a high-protein choice, it is considered effective as part of a high-protein, high-fat and low calorie diet. Diets that are particularly high in protein can help you feel fuller longer after you stop eating, which may help to reduce the total amount of calories that you eat during a typical day. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends that healthy women trying to lose weight should consume between 1,000 and 1,200 calories per day. For healthy men attempting weight loss, they should consume between 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day. Given that many Greek yogurt options contain between 120 and 160 calories per serving, it is easy to see why this nutritional choice could help assist your weight loss goals without robbing you of the vital nutrients and vitamins that you need each day.

One thing to make sure that you do when shopping for Greek yogurt is to always read the nutritional label. Not all yogurts are created equally. In fact, some brands of Greek Yogurt may be so high in sugar and calories that it is almost more of a dessert than a nutritional meal choice. You also want to check to make sure that your Greek yogurt is high in protein in order to get all of the nutritional benefits of consuming Greek yogurt. In addition, the brand that you choose should also be as low in fat as possible, which could help contribute to further weight loss.

Another important consideration about Greek yogurt is that if you are trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight, stay away from add-ons to Greek yogurt. For example, Greek yogurt options that contain fruits and other syrups are likely higher in sugars and calories than other types of Greek yogurt. If you can handle eating just plain, vanilla Greek yogurt, you can likely save yourself a few calories and avoid adding unnecessary sugars to your diet. 

Going to Bed Early Can Help You Reach a Healthier Weight

Working out for hours on end and cutting out high-calorie foods are the most common pathways that people take to lose weight. However, there's actually a simple solution to some of your weight-loss issues. Your sleep quality also plays a huge role in whether you have a healthy or overweight appearance. In fact, an early bedtime is one of the most effective ways to lose weight on a long-term basis.

Less Time Awake
The simplest reason why an early bedtime is better for your body is basic math. If you sleep for eight hours, you're only awake for 16 hours. You'll eat a certain volume of foods during this time, and there's no temptation to eat junk food when you're fast asleep. Reduced sleep deprivation also gives you a clear mind about what to eat. Instead of grabbing that bag of chips, you might look for fruits and vegetables as a healthy alternative.

Balanced Hormones

You have two main hormones, grehlin and leptin, that regulate your food intake. Grehlin tells you when you should eat while leptin indicates that you're satisfied. When you don't sleep for the optimal eight hours, however, leptin drops in levels while grehlin surges. As a result, you feel ravenous and eat more. Your body doesn't really need these calories when it's tired, so it immediately turns the food into fat.

Improved Metabolic Rate

Your metabolic rate is the speed with which you burn calories for energy. Going to sleep early will ultimately drive that rate upward. You'll burn calories at an efficient rate, and weight loss is the result. Being sleepy only drives this rate down. You'll end up eating more with a lower metabolic rate. It's nearly guaranteed to gain weight in this case. Adding in daily exercise with an early bedtime is a great way to enhance the weight loss too.

You might be ready to go to bed at 9:30p.m., but you're still wide awake. Try to create bedtime rituals that allow your body to unwind before laying down. Turn off those electronics and read a book, for example. Less light entering your eyes will trigger natural melatonin to kick in and lull you to sleep.

How to Live a Long, Healthy Life

Your long-term health is determined 75 percent by lifestyle and 25 percent by genetics. How you live day-to-day plays a bigger role in long-term health than your family health history in most cases, in other words.

Here are just a few factors in our lives we can manage to live long and well.

1.       Stress Level: Stress creates cortisol, an excess of which can degrade bones, weaken muscles, and shorten life span by as much as five years. A study of identical twins revealed the less-stressed twin to be "younger," and to face less risk of developing age-related disease.

2.       Carrying Fat: Being overweight is generally unhealthy. That's no surprise. There are other kinds of fat that are also unhealthy though. For example, the stores of excess fat around your organs can create major problems. Women are more vulnerable to this fat than men. Lack of exercise, as well as high-fat, high-sugar diets contribute to this buildup. Eating a high-resistance starch, such as chickpeas and lentils, can help reduce these fat stores.

3.       Eating Meat: A lot of research suggests a vegan diet really is a great option to stave off illnesses and disease, including cancer. A vegan diet has been proven to slow the aging process. If you're not interested in giving up meat, try adopting the Mediterranean diet, which has been proven to have heart health benefits. You can also pick one day a week to not eat meat. Even reducing meat consumption can create health benefits.

4.       Muscle Shrinkage: As we age, it is normal and really inevitable to lose muscle mass. Dancing is one of the best exercises around to help keep muscles young.  In a German study, 20 elderly people danced three hours per week and another 20 worked out in a gym. Results revealed significantly better improvements in strength among the dancers.

5.       Eat Nuts: One study revealed people who ate a handful of nuts five days a week were 50 percent less at risk of heart attack than those who do not eat nuts.

6.       Adopt a Pet: Studies have proved animals significantly improve our stress levels. They help lower blood pressure and improve focus. If you're not an animal person, try meditation or yoga to help reduce stress.

Volunteering is Healthy

Volunteers across the country have said for years they are healthier and happier because they make a difference in other people’s lives.

Science is catching up to this claim. Studies are beginning to demonstrate that the mental and physical benefits of volunteering are part of why people keep coming back to help. They just feel better! This is in spite of the fact that people who volunteer are often put in contact with individuals who are sick or victims of homelessness, a crime or natural disaster, or are lonely, despairing, or dying.

Empathy is experiencing another person’s feelings, while compassion is the recognition that someone is suffering and the desire to help that person. One must first have empathy before they can have compassion. It is thought that people who volunteer tend to have both of these emotions.

The physical effect of compassion on the brain is what many scientists have been studying for years. From the American Association of Psychological Science:

●     A study shared at a conference at Stanford University discussed people who describe themselves as very happy. These people tend to have lower levels of cellular inflammation, which can increase stress levels and risk for developing cancer). Researchers found this to be the case if people live with purpose, but not if people lived with much material wealth.

●     Another study found the area of the brain that lights up when a person experienced pleasure is the same area that is active when a person donates to a charity.

●     A study at the University of Buffalo concluded stress does not predict mortality for people who volunteer, but it is a good predictor in people who don’t volunteer.

●      Yet another study concluded not having social connections is more harmful than smoking, high blood pressure, or obesity. It builds a healthier immune system, helping people recover more quickly from disease, stay less anxious, and remain happier with better self-esteem.

All these studies confirm the idea that volunteering makes us both happier and healthier, despite whatever circumstances we volunteer in. Through all of it, volunteers keep smiles on their faces and on the faces of the people they help. In addition, they live longer, fueled by compassion.