Laughter is the best Medicine
... could cause you profound, horrifying physical AGONY?” “Yep.” “And you’re still not afraid of me?’ “Nope.” More than a little perturbed, Satan asked, “Well, WHY aren’t you afraid of me?” The man calmly replied, “Been married to your sister for over 48 years.” How can you improve you health and well being? Although the expression, “Laughter is the best medicine”, may not be completely factual, the importance of laughter cannot be underestimated. I Laughter is a natural painkiller. A) Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. B) In the U.S. laughter is used as a pain management technique for terminally ill cancer patients. Patients who are exposed to this method of treatment are usually more tolerant of pain than those who are not. II Stress is another area that can be helped by humor and laughter. We all need a certain amount of stress in our lives, it keeps us motivated, but too much can wreck havoc with our immune systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80% of health care is spent on stress related disorders every year. A) Exercise is a great way to deal with stress, doctors believe that 100 to 200 laughs a day are equivalent to about 10 minutes of jogging. One of the easiest ways to get your ‘daily laugh’ is to watch a comedy video or sitcom. B) Laughing and hearing others laugh can help someone cope who is stressed or depressed. Sometimes a half-hour sitcom is the only way a depressed person can hold on until the next day, to do it ...