Here is what we know.
Cortisol a stress hormone designed to get us out of danger. It is produced by our adrenal glands, and it is supposed to help us flee danger. It raises our blood sugar, which our body needs to fight or run and increases blood pressure. That is good if you are being chased or there is a real emergency. But it’s not so great when it kicks in because we have consistent stress in our life, like kids, work deadlines and bills to pay. Chronic high cortisol levels raise our blood sugar so that we become at-risk for Type 2 Diabetes, makes us crave sugar, and creates that belly pouch, which makes our bodies look older than we are or want to be!
So what does that have to do with pets? Glad you asked.
Owning a pet has been shown to reduce stress levels, improve healthy habits and decrease anxiety and depression. Petting your dog or cat increases oxytocin, the calming hormone while minimizing cortisol levels. That means feeling better and looking better because of less belly fat! How Practical and Beautiful is that? But wait, there’s more!
Owning a dog has been shown to improve our exercise habits and help pet owners lose weight (Kushner et al., 2012). Walking your dog, even if only for 30 minutes per day, can help you get to the Practical Beautiful Lifestyle recommendation of 10k steps per day. Owning a cat has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and lessen the risk of cardiovascular diseases (Qureshi et al., 2009).
Beauty and health is an inside job. Looking and feeling beautiful, sexy, and vibrant starts on the inside. Nutrition, movement, and meditation are foundational to living a Practical Beautiful Life!
References
Qureshi, A. I., Memon, M. Z., Vazquez, G., & Suri, M. F. (2009, January). Cat ownership and the Risk of Fatal Cardiovascular Diseases. Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up Study. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317329/
Kushner, R. F., Blatner, D. J., Jewell, D. E., & Rudloff, K. (2012, September 06). The PPET Study: People and Pets Exercising Together. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2006.203/full