Laughter - Best Medicine

Feeling out of sorts? Stressed out and depressed about life's frivolities? Watching and reading too much news and knee-jerk journalism? Remove yourself from that trite. If not, you'll probably end up on Zoloft or some other mind altering drug. LAUGH!

Find some kind of laughter in your day. Perhaps a friend that carries with them a contagious smile and attitude, or someone that provides a belly pain from the laughter they provide. Do it quickly, as the alternative is not pretty.

Smile and laughter are the healthy medicines that boost the immune system and triggers pleasure inducing neuro-chemicals in the brain. Research has shown that giggling and laughter, and other forms of humor have health enhancing properties.

Laughter lowers blood pressure, increases muscles range of motion and allows for an abundance of beta endorphins, which is the brain's morphine-like compounds, thus inducing a sense of euphoria. Research also shows the body's immune system is enhanced with laughter. Natural "killer cells" that destroy viruses and tumors increase during a state of merriment and high spirits.

Dr. Stanley Tan, an expert on laughter's effects on the nervous and endocrine systems, says humor provides a safety valve that shuts off the flow of stress hormones, which are the fight-or-flight compounds that come into play during times of stress, hostility and rage.

Often times it's difficult to smile and be witty when so much can be wrong in your world. The cure is laughter in any form, being mindful that no harm or threat should be displayed to others.

"If you laugh a lot, when you get older your wrinkles will be in the right places."