28th Sept 2011 Newsletter

Laughter is the best Medicine

I got an email today from another Chiropractor –  Dr Jennifer Barham-Floriani about laughter, and I thought I would share it with you.

You can read it on her website www.welladjustedbabies.com  or  www.ticklishbook.com

Laughter increases the heart rate, improves blood circulation and works muscles all over the body. Fry compares laughter to “inner jogging” and claims that laughing 100 times a day is the equivalent of ten minutes of rowing. That’s a lot of laughing!

Laughter is credited with increasing the release of endorphins, a ‘feel good’ hormone which is the body’s natural painkiller and protector against depression. Although the physiology of laughter and play are far from understood, we do have good reason to believe that the secretion of endorphins in the brain affects virtually every system of the body including, of course, our behavior. When endorphins are low, people feel anxious and they are also more aware of pain.

Clinical studies have shown that laughter decreases serum cortisol levels, increases T lymphocytes and increases the number of natural killer cells. Put simply, these results suggest that laughter decreases stress hormones and stimulates the immune system.

Just for interest’s sake…

People with low endorphin levels often have an appetite for fat and fatty foods, such as chips, cheese, chocolate, creamy sauces, margarine, butter and fried chicken, for example. After eating some fat, they will notice a change in mood, feeling more pleasure due to the release of endorphins. Exercise, by releasing fat from within the body, also raises endorphins and causes the same mood changes. Isn’t knowledge powerful?

Next time you feel like eating fatty, nutritionally poor foods, choose to go for a run or a brisk walk instead. An effective way to beat cravings!