How Can Humour Improve Well Being
By Jane Redford

Laughter And Health: Is Laughter Really The Best Medicine?

This old saying lasts from generation to generation, but is there any truth to it? Of course, we all know that there is. Put simply, laughter makes us feel better. It cheers up a bad day, lightens up serious situations, helps us bond with others, and lets us see the positive in not-so-fun situations. But does laughter have any physical health benefits? Surprisingly enough, this has been researched, and YES, it does!

The connections between laughter and health are many. From boosting our immune systems, which avoids illness, to helping us heal from injuries and illnesses that we have, laughter and health have a lot of connections. Here are 10 interesting ways that laughter really is the best medicine (or if not the best, it at least helps a little).

Laughter fights stress. It’s actually been proven scientifically that laughter reduces your stress hormones and increases the hormones that calm you down and make you feel good.

Laughter builds immunity. Some of these same hormones strengthen your immune system. See? Happy people may get sick less because they’re happy!

Laughter strengthens your diaphragm. Big, “belly laughs” utilize your diaphragm, which is an important muscle that helps you breathe deeply.

Laughter benefits sleep. By reducing stress (both physically and mentally), laughter helps your body and mind unwind, so it’s easier to fall asleep, and you’ll sleep better.

Laughter is cardiovascular? It’s true! Every little bit helps. The more you laugh, the more of a little workout your heart gets. So laughter makes your heart happy, too!

Laughter promotes ‘good’ wrinkles. Okay, this is more vanity than health, but we’d all rather have smile lines around the eyes than wrinkles from a furrowed brow. Lighten up! You’ll look happier when you’re old.

Laughter and recovery. In some cases (but not all), how fast people recover from an injury can be affected by their attitude and frame of mind. The more you laugh, the more positive you’ll be.

Laughter burns calories. It’s true! Laughing for several minutes at a time can burn calories. If even just 10 at a time, it’s a good excuse!

Laughter increases blood flow. Your body needs blood, so let it flow. Negative emotions can constrict blood flow, but laughter frees it up!

Laughter builds confidence. This may not seem like a direct connection between laughter and health, but it is important. Laughter makes you feel better about yourself, which affects how you use your body. The more you laugh, the more likely you are to sit up straight, be active, and try new things.

So what about the saying “laughter is the best medicine”? Laughter and health do have some clear, proven connections. Maybe it’s not a wonder cure for any big diseases, but it certainly doesn’t hurt (unless you have a bad cough or stomach cramps. Then it might hurt and you should probably stick to smiling!)

At the very least, laughter just feels good. Who can argue with that?

Of course if you have other health issues you should consult your doctor first.

http://laughterthebestmedicine.com/

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Better Health and Well Being Through Holistic Medicine
By J Todd

Perhaps you’ve heard the term Holistic Medicine and wondered just what it means. Is it some sort of mystical healing art or far out alternative method of medicine? Well, it’s not either of those. In fact, it’s not far out or strange in any way. Holistic medicine is really just a “whole” approach to treatment as opposed to a narrow approach. So, if you’re interested in an overall approach to both your health and well being then you should definitely take a look at holistic health.

Standard medical practice tends to focus on specific maladies and treatments. You have medical condition and the doctor takes care of that condition with a specific treatment. Many times the root cause of the condition may be ignored and the focus is upon the symptoms. As an example, if you have high blood pressure your doctor will most likely prescribe a drug to lower it. But, the root cause of your high blood pressure may remain requiring that you stay on the drug for an indeterminate period of time. Unfortunately that is generally how standard medicine works. It tends to ignore your overall state of health and well being and focuses on particular ailment or condition. This approach is not necessarily bad but it does not always create a better level of health for its patients.

Holistic medicine approaches health from a more generalized perspective. It looks at the physical, mental, emotional, nutritional, environmental, social and spiritual aspects of the patients well being. It also considers all aspects of diagnosis and treatment. Holistic medicine views treatment from a natural perspective first but does not rule out drugs or surgery if they are needed. While conventional medicine tends to immediately rely upon drugs, holistic medicine explores all other opportunities before going down the drug path. Personal responsibility for one’s health and well being are also an important aspect of holistic medicine. After all, if your own personal health is a low priority for yourself then you really can’t pass the responsibility on to someone else. Holistic practitioners want to help their patients in any way they can but the patient himself must take some responsibility for their well being.

The holistic approach looks at each person as a unique individual and disease as the result of an imbalance in the physical, emotional, spiritual, social or environmental aspects of a persons life. It is believed that by re-introducing balance between these components healing will occur naturally. The holistic practitioner explores all aspects of their patients livelihood and tries to guide them toward a more balanced equilibrium. The patient, however, is the one that must make the effort to change things such as habits, beliefs, lifestyle etc.

Holistic medicine is an umbrella term that covers many different alternative and mainstream approaches. Acupuncture, acupressure, aromatherapy, homeopathy, meditation, reflexology, yoga, qigong and massage are just a few of the techniques used in holistic medicine. Obviously these techniques can result in better health even when no disease is present. Unlike traditional medicine where you usually visit your doctor only when something is wrong, the practice of holistic medicine can result in much better health and well being long before any illness or disease occurs. And, hopefully the practitioner can avoid disease all together.

So, if you’re considering a holistic approach to your health there are many options available to you and you should carefully consider each of them. Find what works best for you as an individual and make the move toward better health. As the holistic approach becomes more popular more practitioners, and conventional doctors for that matter, will be available to help you better understand your options. In the future an effective blend of alternative, complementary, and traditional medicine, which is the goal of the holistic approach, will hopefully result in better health and longevity for everyone.

Jay Todd is an alternative medicine practitioner.
http://www.sawpalmetto.org

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Improve Your Well-Being With Well Rounded Reviews
By Chris Robertson

How can you improve your life? What will make you healthier, more prosperous, and wiser? What does it mean to be well rounded?

These are questions with many answers. Improving your life means different things to different people. Today, many people have ideas and success secrets about how to increase wellbeing. The huge variety of self-improvement products and information means there’s something for everyone. But with so many resources out there, how do you decide what’s right for you?

One way to sort through the available resources is to divide them into categories. Improving your life means different things to different people. It may mean improving your physical health through nutrition, fitness, or supplements. Or it may mean increasing your financial wellbeing through better investments or more lucrative career choices. For some people, wisdom through knowledge and understanding is the secret of success.

Whether you are looking for ways to improve your health, finances, or wisdom (or all three!), you can find resources online. Websites can help you find information and products that will help you create and maintain a healthy, prosperous, and full life. They help you sort through the available resources to find the recipe for success that’s right for you.

How do they do this? Of course, different sites take different approaches, but here’s a typical approach. A website has a staff of people with experience in the different areas of wellbeing. They may be an expert in nutrition, a financial wizard, or a person well-read in the field of self-improvement. These staff members examine new products-diet plans, supplements, business opportunities, career options, books, etc.-and write about them. The reviews describe the products and detail what’s good about them and what’s not so good. A good site has well rounded reviews; that is, the reviews give you the pros and the cons. The reviews don’t tell you whether you should buy a product or not; that’s up to you to decide using the information from the reviews and what you know about yourself.

The important point to remember is that you are not alone. Most of the self-improvement products and information available today are based on the experience of people who have found themselves in situations similar to yours. At some point in their lives they faced a problem, decided they needed to change some aspects of their lives. Maybe they weren’t earning enough money to make ends meet. Perhaps their health was failing. Or maybe they were confused about the meaning of life. The self-improvement methods you see online are often what these real people found worked best to increase their health, prosperity, or wisdom.

Whatever you want to change, there are people willing to share success stories that will help you. Their success may be based on learning new information, on changing the way they live their lives, or on using special products. Well rounded reviews can help you decide what resources will do the most to help you improve your life. Don’t wait-start now!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Well Rounded Information.

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