Health Hacks, Day 8 of 21 Days
Health Hacks, Day 8 of 21 Days
By: Pastor Cheryl Thomas
Merry Heart Doeth Good Like A Medicine
Research has shown that the health benefits of laughter are far-ranging.
In fact, one study suggests that healthy children may laugh as much as 400 times per day, but adults tend to laugh only 15 times per day.
We could all use a little more laughter in our lives, considering how beneficial a good laugh can actually be for our stress levels and overall wellness.
Villanova University Study–https://www1.villanova.edu/content/dam/villanova/studentlife/documents/healthcenter/Health%20Center/stress_less_laugh_more.pdf
The Top Ten Benefits of Laughter
1. Manage your hormones.
Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones, but increases the level of health-enhancing hormones. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the efficiency of T-cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.
2. Nice internal workout.
A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart. Laughing 100 times is the equivalent to 10 minutes on the rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike!
3. Physical release.
Have you ever felt like you had to laugh or you’d cry? Have you experienced the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.
4. Positive frame of mind.
Laughter brings the focus away from negative emotions, making you more cheerful and putting you in a positive frame of mind.
5. Change your perspective.
Researchers found that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a “threat” or a “challenge.” Humor can give us a more light-hearted perspective and help us view events as “challenges,” thereby making them less threatening and more positive.
6. Social benefits of laughter.
Laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you laugh more.
7. Fight illness better.
People who are optimistic (who are out there laughing!) have stronger immune systems and are actually able to fight off illness better than pessimists.
8. Live longer.
According to some recent research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, elderly optimistic people, those who expected good things to happen (rather than bad things), were less likely to die than pessimists.
9. It feels like eating 2000 chocolate bars.
That’s right — according to The British Dental Health Foundation, a smile gives the same level of stimulation as eating 2000 chocolate bars. The results were found after scientists measured brain and heart activity in volunteers as they were shown pictures of smiling people and given money and chocolate.
10. It costs absolutely nothing.
King Solomon left among his wise sayings a prescription for sick and sad hearts, and it is one that we can safely take.
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”
Joy is the great restorer and healer. Gladness of spirit will bring health to the bones and vitality to the nerves when all other medicines fail, and all other sedatives cease to quiet.
Worry, fear, distrust, care-all are poisonous! joy is a balm and your healing.
“The joy of the Lord is our strength,” Joy in Christ is the balm for our pain, our fountain of healing, His joy, our solution for body and brain.
If we will rejoice, God will give power. He wants us to be glad and rejoice, and He never fails to sustain.
“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.”
This means no matter how sad, how tempted, how sick, how suffering you are, rejoice in the Lord just where you are-and begin this moment.
He who laughs lasts and lasts and lasts. The joy of the Lord doesn’t give you strength it is your strength! Ha Ha Ha!!! Be well my friends.
I loved the children’s laughter at the beginning of Pastor Cheryl’s health hack. It made me laugh and my grandkids who were with me paid attention to what you had to say as well. My grandson repeated most of what you said to his mom when she picked them up for school says Deborah. How true it is when you have a bad day, you just need to have a big belly laugh says Terry….I know from experience.
Your message has literally caused me to get started on laughing my butt off!
I love , love , love this super beneficial fall out from laughter.
Only God, in his supreme wisdom could make being fit, and well so much fun!
Thanks Pastor Cheryl. Great way to start a day, HA HA HA myself to a healthier lifestyle.
Good Stuff !
New goal…400 rounds of laughter a day. Love this!
Just thinking about your laugh Janet makes me happy and giggle too.
Have an awesome and funny day today.
As a scarecrow, people say I’m outstanding in my field.
But hay, it’s in my jeans.
lol. Love you Kelly
Hahahaha. I pray for more funny moments and opportunities for laughter today.
I also wanted to share that my dad sent me a text this weekend sharing that my aunt Anne who had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer (given a maximum of 2 years to live) got news on Friday from her doctor that the cancer is in remission and their assessment is no longer in effect. This is amazing news. My dad went from reporting a very glum situation to me week to week with the resolute report that my aunt Anne would be dying from cancer soon. I continued to pray and gently talk to my dad about hope and the possibility that god’s healing is for everyone. Anyways, this report makes me so happy because although my dad was convinced that can heal and wants to heal he was discouraged because my aunt Anne was not wanting to talk about god at all and did not have any hope or faith that she might be ok. What a testimony that god doesn’t need our belief. In fact, it was good enough for me and my dad to mix our faith with the willingness of god to heal.
How do you make a tissue dance?
Put a little boogie in there!
Some of my family came to Impact on Sunday for the first time and most of them commented how “Fun” it was to be in church… how free it was that people could just move around and dance … and specifically mentioned how we “laughed” in church!
It was great medicine for the whole family!
My mom said that they should have chairs like ours in her church!
Listening to a Health Hack is also a great way to end the day….. with a 🙂