Posts Tagged ‘benefits of laughter’

The HealthStyle File- Benefits of Laughter

Friday, September 17th, 2010

Children laugh almost three hundred times per day. The average American adult laughs about twenty times per day. Ok, so getting older isn’t fun, but does that mean we have to stop laughing? People who laugh a lot (more often than 20 times per day) have better immune systems, lower cholesterol levels and clearer arteries, and that’s just for starters! One study on the effects of laughing/happiness, followed people from birth to death and found that the happy optimists lived longer (much longer) had fewer cancers, heart disease, and other life threatening diseases than the non-laughing pessimists.

When was the last time you laughed? One of those deep belly laughs that brought tears to your eyes? Have you ever had problems trying to lose weight? Would you be surprised to find that one can greatly influence the other? Studies have shown that women who experience high levels of stress have a more difficult time losing weight. These women also have lower energy levels and are often depressed. The good news is that laughing can help to: diffuse stress, increase energy levels and allow your body to relax and start losing weight. Laughing also helps to release endorphins, the feel good chemical that evens out our moods and makes us happy and relaxed.

Laughing also helps to:

  • Increase immunity.  Laughing helps us to fight off colds and diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The T-cells (our infection fighters) become more active when you laugh, which helps to strengthen your immune system. Laughter helps your body fight stress induced cold/flu viruses.
  • Increase serotonin level (mood) and keep our moods level. In fact the serotonin released from one minute of laughing is equal to the serotonin released from ten minutes of strenuous rowing. The more circulating serotonin in your system, the more stable your moods will become. More serotonin will also help to diffuse anxiety and help insomniacs to sleep better.
  • Increase your energy. Have you ever had uncontrollable giggles when you were really tired? This is your body’s natural mechanism to increase your energy level. When you laugh, you increase your blood circulation, oxygen consumption and you release serotonin-a perfect remedy for a tired body!
  • Keep your arteries clear and lower cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that after ten minutes of laughing you can drop your blood pressure by up to twenty points! I don’t know of any blood pressure medication that has that kind of power.
  • Relax all of your muscles and decrease muscle tension. Laughing is considered a very effective muscle relaxant-it expands blood vessels, which allows more blood to be pumped throughout the entire body, which helps your body to relax.
  • Diminish body aches, pains and headaches. When you laugh, your body releases endorphins which are natural pain killers.

Most of us will need to seek out situations that will make us laugh. And the holiday season is the perfect time to try to add more laughter to your life!

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The HealthStyle File- Little Habits-BIG IMPACT!

Friday, July 30th, 2010

What: We are all very busy. Most of us can’t even consider adding one more task on our ever growing to-do list. But most of us would love to feel better and get more accomplished during our day. Is it possible to increase your energy and health without adding another task on your schedule? Yes!

Why: Most of us just chug along, buying the same food, ordering the same items off the menu, and wonder if it’s possible to feel better than we do right now.  It’s time to try a few new habits that can create a big impact in your body.  The following tips can help to increase your energy, help you to lose weight and help prevent colds and the flu.  What do you have to lose?  None of these will take more than a minute or two to incorporate into your routine.

How:

  1. Always eat lunch! Skipping it will set you up to be starving all after­noon, which will make you give into your sugar cravings. This will cause the afternoon doldrums to hit, which will make you want to take a nap.
  2. Eat all day. Spreading your calories throughout the day prompts your body to burn more calories. Every time you eat, you raise your body temperature, which is, in essence, your metabolism. People who eat five to six times per day burn more calories and lose more weight than people who eat only one or two meals a day.
  3. Eat the majority of your calories during the day, when you need the most energy. If your biggest meal of the day is right before bed, your body has no opportunity to burn off those calories through activity.
  4. Walk more. An extra 10 minutes of walking each day will burn almost 5 pounds of fat a year. It really does pay to park your car in the farthest space from the store!
  5. Drink alcohol in moderation. Alcohol is a relaxant, and studies have shown that you may eat up to 30 percent more calories during a meal because you are so “relaxed.”
  6. Avoid processed foods. They are low in fiber, and the less fiber you eat, the more fat you store on your body.
  7. Drink plenty of water (beer doesn’t count!) or other non-caffeinated beverages. Caffein­ated beverages will dehydrate you and could increase your risk of heat illnesses.
  8. Increase your laughter each day. Laughing more can increase immunity and help us fight off colds and diseases such as cancer and heart disease. It will also increase endorphin levels, keeping our moods steady. In fact, the endorphins released from one minute of laughing are equal to that released from 10 minutes of strenuous rowing.

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The HealthStyle File: Boost Your Immune System With Beef?

Friday, June 18th, 2010

What: The kids are back in school and they are bringing home a fresh new batch of germs and viruses. You now have the sniffles and can feel a head cold coming on. This happens every fall, and you’re beginning to wonder if there’s anything you can do to protect your health and boost your immune system.

Why: Winter is on the way, and at your office, everyone comes in sick and the same illness gets passed around.

How: Here are six simple tips to boost your immune system without taking handfuls of vitamins:

  1. Laugh everyday! Laughter has been shown to increase the power and effectiveness of your body’s disease killing cells. The average adult is lucky to laugh a dozen times a day; the average child will laugh 300 times a day!
  2. Eat your mushrooms. Mushrooms, especially Shiitake mushrooms, have been shown to help your body create natural disease fighting cells, which can cause a huge boost to your immune system.
  3. Drink green tea. Green tea is loaded with immune boosting antioxidants. One cup of green tea has more health effects than a serving of broccoli. Green Tea Frappachinos don’t count.
  4. Eat lean beef. Are you surprised that red meat can boost your immunity? Lean beef is a great source of zinc. Zinc increases your production of white blood cells. White blood cells are powerful disease fighters. Diets that are low in zinc can lead to a drop in your white blood cell count and a decrease in your immunity. Pumpkin seeds are another powerful source of zinc. I keep a bowl of pumpkin seeds out on my desk and snack on them throughout the winter months.
  5. Manage your stress. When you feel stressed, your body increases its production of stress hormones. These stress hormones can attack your immune system, making it an easy target for germs. Getting more sleep, staying hydrated and taking some deep breaths can be an antidote to high stress levels.

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