Hug It Out

Did you know today is National Hug Day or National Hugging Day? Apparently it has been a holiday since it was founded on January 21, 1986, coincidentally my high school friend Gail's 18th birthday. Which means it may or may not have been the year a certain blogger graduated from high school.

Let's move past the fact that was 30 YEARS AGO, shall we?

Despite the fact that I could hug a huge ice cream cone and eat it – right now – hugging is healthy. It reduces stress and the risk for depression. According to Hug sources, 4 hugs a day is the recommended dosage to stay emotionally healthy. A 20-second hug can even lower the risk for heart disease and infections. And it's calorie-free!

That can't be why I'm a hugger. Because I have been one long before I joined Weight Watchers this week! Hugging just comes natural to me. In fact, I have converted a few non-huggers to huggers and have learned to love those I could not convert.

Why is it good for us? Here are some medical facts about the benefits of hugging, brought to you by me – and the first person I ever hugged, my womb-mate, my twin, my loving sister, Raylene!



Babies need hugs as much as water and food! According to researchers at Harvard University, hugs help promote normal levels of cortisol necessary for child development.

Even if you want to strangles someone, hugs alleviate stress! Just as a good hug increases our oxytocin levels, it decreases our cortisol or “stress” levels.

And sometimes we don't outgrow the strangle-hold!

Hugs make us feel “happy”! When we hug another person, our bodies release oxytocin, a hormone associated with “happiness,” according to scientific studies.

A hug a day keeps the doctor away! A hug stimulates the thymus gland, which in turn regulates the production of white blood cells that keep us healthy and disease-free. I didn't say it makes us "normal," did I?

A hug stops the bug! Researchers at Carnegie Mellon proved that individuals who were sick and received hugs had less severe symptoms and were able to get better quicker. Which is very important when you have to appear as the Hager Twins on Hee-Haw. (Just because my childhood was dysfunctional, doesn't mean it was boring.)

A hugging heart is a healthy heart! Research from University of North Carolina showed that a good hug helps ease blood flow and lower cortisol levels, which in turn help lower our heart rates. Which typically go back up when performing the Opening Act for our sister weekend! (Again, you can't get bored when you create your own entertainment!)

And finally, hugs let someone know you care without having to say a word! According to Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at University of California, Berkeley, we can identify love from simple human touch – imagine how much love a big hug can communicate!

So get off the computer and hug it out! It's good for your heart and soul.

Trust me, I've done my research.