I’ve always wanted to live in a fairytale cottage covered in ivy, surrounded by flowers and forest. Isn’t that every little girls dream? With the environmental movement in full swing, and some pioneering experts to lead the way, now I can! You’ve seen Lord of the Rings, right? (If not, you better get on that). The hobbit holes that they inhabit in that movie are breathtaking.
You may think of techniques like yoga or meditation when it comes to trying to reduce stress. These are both great options to keep in your arsenal, but my personal favorite, which not only relieves stress but offers numerous other health benefits as well, is spending time with my furbabies. I count my dogs among my best friends. They’re loyal, unconditionally loving, and care about me without strings. They’ll jump up and lick my cheek when they think I’m sad, wait with bated breath when they think I’m talking to them, and sprint to the door with wagging tails every time I come home. They are my favorite running partners, and the cutest darn mooches I know. As it turns out, numerous studies have shown that pets like dogs and cats are not only great companions, but they’re good for your mental and physical health as well. Read more…
Tired, stressed, or depressed? If you’re like 90% of the people I know, you’re tired most of the time, you don’t get enough solid sleep, you depend on caffeine for energy, and you’re stressed constantly, which leads to a moody or depressed funk far too often. This description certainly encapsulates my everyday woes, or at least it used to. But before I get into the solution that pulled me out of my funk once and for all, let’s talk about the cause. Stress. We all know that chronic stress is harmful. It increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, susceptibility to infection, chronic muscle pain, skin problems (like psoriasis and eczema), and possibly diabetes. Chronic stress can also over-activate the immune system causing autoimmune illnesses such as arthritis and MS. Stress becomes apparent in someone if they demonstrate impatient or hostile behavior and rapid speech patterns. Stress doesn’t stop at the physical, however. Psychologically, chronic stress can leave you with indecision and feelings of overwhelm, anxiety and a sense of being out of control, which could eventually cause depression. And who wants to be the burnt-out grumpy guy with all the health problems? Certainly not me, but it’s not like you can eliminate stress, so what can you do? And WHY does stress have such a negative impact on us in the first place? Read more…
Hi there, and welcome to my blog about health and living green! I’ve created this website not only as a personal archive of information and ideas, but as kindling for a firestorm of sharing and debate. I’ll share the information that I’ve gathered about the things that I’m passionate about in the hopes that others (namely you; hint, hint) will do the same. I encourage you to be respectful and open minded with the opinions of others, and I promise to do the same. Since this is my first post, rather then delving into the crux of the matter, why don’t I tell you a little bit about myself. Read more…