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Calling Dr. Feel-Good
HOW TO KEEP FINANCIAL STRESS FROM HARMING YOUR HEALTH
Is your precious pup beginning
to look more like a furry sumo
wrestler? About 40 percent
of American dogs are over-
weight or obese, putting them
at risk for heart disease and
other ills. Excess pounds usually
result from overeating and
underexercising, but losing
just 10 percent of body weight
can dramatically improve
your pet’s health, says Tony
Buffington, D.V.M., veterinary
professor at The Ohio State
University. Canines have varying
needs, so first check with your
vet to ensure your pet’s weight-
loss program is on target. Then
stick to these strategies.
Guard the goodies Don’t use
food as a love offering. When
you see those sad eyes, play a
game or give a warm pat.
Monitor munching Buffington
says many people don’t know
how much their pets eat. He
advises owners to track their
dogs’ food intake and ask vets
about the proper serving size.
Double the drills You and your
four-legged friend can work
out in tandem. The Thank Dog!
Bootcamp in West Hollywood,
California, offers a fitness pro-
gram for owners and pets (888-
364-4256; www.thankdogboot
camp.com). At home, step to
Bow Wow Bootcamp’s audio
program (MP3 files, $19.95; 866-
752-3538; www.bowwowboot
camp.com). —Christina Ianzito
A Ruff Workout
Make this New Year’s
resolution: help your
pooch shed pounds
cope. But you can conquer anxiety
without compromising health, says
Stephanie Smith, Psy.D., a Colorado
psychologist. Here are some surpris-
ing suggestions for better outcomes.
Crack a joke You may not want to
smile after seeing your 401(k) state-
ment, but laughing helps suppress
stress-related hormones, says Joel
Goodman, Ed.D., founder and director
of The Humor Project Inc., which pro-
motes the positive power of laughter.
Focus on fragrance People sleep-
ing in a jasmine-scented room report-
ed lower anxiety upon waking,
research from Wheeling Jesuit Uni-
versity in West Virginia shows.
Walk it out Brisk walking for 30
minutes on most days can re-
duce blood pressure and boost
mood, Mayo Clinic notes.
Blow a bubble Avoid com-
fort foods; instead, chew
gum—this helps to relieve
stress and reduces snacking,
studies in Australia and the
United Kingdom found.
Get artsy Listening to music while breathing slowly
lowered blood pressure in a
study by Italy’s University of
Florence. And people visiting
an art gallery over lunch had
a drop in the stress hormone
cortisol in a study by the UK’s
University of Westminster.
—Leslie Quander Wooldridge
YOU COULD LOSE more than money in
today’s economy: new research shows
that anxiety associated with financial
uncertainty can endanger your physical and mental health. Eight of ten
Americans now say the economy is a
significant source of stress—which
contributes to ills from headaches to
heart disease—according to a recent
survey from the American Psychological Association. And 52 percent are
lying awake at night—bad news, since
sleep loss is linked to higher blood
pressure and lower immune response,
the National Sleep Foundation notes.
Some behaviors add to the damage:
almost 50 percent of Americans say
they overeat or eat unhealthy foods to
Yearning to make
senior moments
a thing of the
past? Now you
can, with online services that
kick in when your memory
fails. For instance, if you’re
tired of scribbling memos to
yourself—and then misplacing
BRAIN BACKUP
them—visit Evernote.com.
Just send text or images to
the site (by e-mailing, sending
a photo from your cell phone,
or copying online material into
your account) and the service
stores and catalogs your data.
You can save to-do lists, pho-
tos, and even copies of busi-
ness cards. Basic service is
free; you’ll pay just $5 monthly
for a premium account, which
includes more storage and
faster image recognition.
FROM TOPLEFT: ERIC ISSELÉE © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; TRACYKAHN/CORBIS
