Laughing - the only medicine you'll ever need

"Time spent laughing is time spent with the Gods."
-Japanese Proverb

Laughing is in my opinion, the biggest pleasure in life. I just love that feeling of laughing, it's those moments when every thought is out of your mind and you get this carefree feeling. Laughter is the best remedy for stress and frustration, anger and so on. 

Apparently we are not the only ones that enjoy laughter. The first hoots of laughter from an ancient ancestor of humans rippled across the land at least 10 million years ago, according to a study of giggling primates.


Researchers used recordings of apes and babies being tickled to trace the origins of laughter back to the last common ancestor that humans shared with the modern great apes, which include chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans.

The finding challenges the view that laughter is a uniquely human trait, suggesting instead that it emerged long before humans split from the evolutionary path that led to our primate cousins, between 10m and 16m years ago.

Laughter is a great example of how the best things in life are free.  Besides the great feelings you experience during "a laughing session", laughter comes with more good news. Laughing is really healthy for your whole body. 

In 2005 researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center were the  first to report  a link between laughter and healthy function of blood vessels. They stated  that laughter causes the dilatation of the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, and increases blood flow.

Some of the other benefits include:

• reduction of inflammation and decreased platelet aggregation.
• reductions in stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine.
• When laughing the brain also releases endorphins that can relieve some physical pain.
• Laughter also helps your immune system by boosting the number of antibody-producing cells and enhancing the effectiveness of T-cells

Laughing 100 times is equal to 10 minutes of rowing or 15 minutes of bike riding so just keep that in mind. It's a really fun way to burn calories and keep your body and mind healthy.

Wishing you the best,
Rachel