I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.
-Joyce Meyer
Overall health remains to be one of the most essential aspects in getting the most out of one’s life. May it be mental, physical or spiritual wellness, how one keeps his or her health dictates the quality of his life.
Needless to say, the everlasting human concept of “Health is Wealth” still proves to be the most truthful of them all.
However, in sport of this repeated emphasis on health, one’s state of health is still often taken for granted. In the hustle and bustle of this generation, people have place work, studies or business as THE top priority when in fact its health that should come first of the list. In fact, a study in the United States reported that most employees aren’t really familiar with (thus, not taking advantage of) the healthcare system provided by the government. This is an alarming reality considering the fact that there are rapidly growing epidemics in practically every corner of the globe.
What people don’t recognize is that there are various ways to go about maintaining good health. Sadly, there are people who don’t realize that some of the things they normally do can actually improve their overall well-being.
The perfect example is having one of the best companions anyone could have – a dog!
Having and keeping a healthy dog at home does not only encourage love and affection, it is also a catalyst of many other health benefits:
Lessens the Likelihood of General Illnesses
Since these cute pets are highly active and playful, they bring about a wide array of bacteria and other foreign substances at home. However, contrary to popular belief, research shows that a home with a furry friend can reduce the likelihood of childhood allergies by 14 percent. Anyone who has ever wiped down muddy paw prints knows dogs aren’t necessarily the cleanest family members, but the extra dirt and allergens a dog introduces to a home actually boosts the immune system of their human owners.
Surprisingly, dogs are very good boosters of immunity to diseases.
The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ suggests that man’s modern day obsession with cleanliness has left their bodies incapable of reacting appropriately. Not only does this pernickety approach to what people touch leave them open to attacks from bad bacteria, it also leaves their immune systems hyperactive to harmless substances like pollen, and results in allergies.
Researchers from Arizona’s Department of Psychiatry have launched a study called “Dogs as Probiotics for People” to examine whether dogs can improve human health by acting as a probiotic, particularly in older people. However, before getting them as one’s probiotics, they should have probiotics on their own too. Probiotics for dogs help them become healthy and free from general illnesses themselves.
Humans already have a strong emotional bond with their dogs and the study explores the possible existence of a biological bond that can improve the immune system of both people and their pets. The researchers say their work aims to build on previous findings that dog owners are much more likely to share the same kind of “good” bacteria with their dogs.
Studies have also found that children who grow up with dogs are less likely to develop immunity-related problems, such as asthma and allergies. Keeping dogs healthy can lead to keeping one’s health boosted and reinforced.
Allows for more opportunity to exercise
Relaxation comes in a plethora of sources. One of which is by doing physical activities. It is true that physical activity can in fact make the brain function even better.
Moving those muscles can provide the same effects to the brain as it is when doing mental exercise. This is due to the fact that the most powerful brain boosters are activities which incorporate both aerobic activity and coordination. Physical activities like sports essentially improve one’s mood, improve concentration as well as mend bad sleeping habits. This bridges the physical and perceptual aspects that make up a person’s overall mental health.
This is where dogs can bring their owner the most benefit.
Engaging in outdoor activities like playing fetch gives a person a natural energy boost, and allows them to let off steam. It also makes a person more physically fit, strengthening muscles and bones, which helps not only the body, but also the self-esteem. Also, since these lovely pets live actively and are always sniffing around places, walking them can also be a form of a physical exercise., and bonding moment between the master and the pet.
Similarly, according to studies, having pets like dogs can make one less likely to have heart disease. This is because owners exercise more when walking their pets, and therefore induce lower blood pressure. Having a pet person is actually hitting two birds with one stone. People get to love their pets and love themselves all at the same time.
Lowers chances of Depression, Replaces with Love
Mental health is central in having good overall health because of the fact that the human mind works in intricacies and works under a lot of pressures coming from various factors. This gives light to the fact that training the mind to be mentally stable is one of the most arduous tasks to handle. This is for the fact that most methods can be quite tedious and uninteresting.
With dogs, everything is brand new and exciting while providing wonders for one’s mental health
Also, petting dog induces a feeling of relief and relaxation. It can similarly help the body release relaxation hormones, and in turn, level down the stress hormones. This soothing effect is a major advantage especially when coming home tired and stressed. Dogs have a way to make everything feel okay.
It is a given fact that dogs can be great domestic companions. Often times, they are intuitive and seek to comfort his owner out when he’s feeling down, refusing to allow that person to remain alone. A warning though – dogs should not be used to fill a temporary void and then pushed aside. A dog is a long-term commitment, and it’s not always easy.
If a person is up to it, they can provide enough loving feeling for their owner through the good times and the bad.
Talk to his or her pet about anything — one’s hopes, dreams, secrets and bad moments – is another way to keep one’s mood up. In spite of having a one way conversation, pet owners can still talk to them, lament about a breakup, or utter truths that one may be afraid to actually share with someone else. It’s really not about the conversation. It is the act of releasing to a living being that makes the gesture worth doing.
A dog can be the perfect “person” to go to when that person wants to vent without any potential repercussions.
Most importantly, having a dog to care for can give a person a feeling of purpose, which can be crucial when one is feeling really down and overwhelmed by negative thoughts. By caring for a dog, or another person or animal in need, a person is focusing on something else other than oneself. One’s good deeds and one’s pet’s positive response give a person a feeling of instant gratification.