June Owners Update
Tags: healthy (71), wellness (71), natural remedies (35), illness prevention (32), mental health (13), healing (10), family (6)
As we write this, Joe and I are in Portugal, visiting our son and daughter-in-law, Matt and Jyl, who are teaching here for 2 years. During our trip, Joe competed in the 2014 Duathlon World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain (if you’d like to read his race recap, click here). But, we had to ask ourselves, are there really any health benefits to vacationing besides the obvious unwind, relax, and create memories agenda--which alone are all noble reasons to travel?
The answer is a resounding YES according to studies, including the Framingham Heart Study and the Global Coalition on Aging Report. In the 20 year Framingham Study, women who rarely vacationed had a significantly higher risk of heart attack and coronary death compared to those who vacationed twice a year. Lowering stress obviously plays a role, and there are brain boosting benefits too. Participating in new experiences such as visiting unknown destinations help overall cognitive health, lowering the risk of dementia.
So get out and explore new places, even if it's just a hike at an unfamiliar spot, a weekend getaway to a B&B in another state, or maybe take a trip to a neighboring country like Mexico or Canada. Your body, heart, mind and soul will thank you!
See you in the aisles (but not until June 12th!).