Enhance Magazine November 2017 Enhance | Page 44

did you know Let's Get Serious About by Jean Youkers Much has been written about the health benefits of humor and laughter. In fact, an exhaustive search of the literature failed to turn up a single downside to enjoying a jovial attitude, including everything from a sedate chuckle to a rip-roaring belly laugh. LIFE IS ALL ABOUT LAUGHTER. EVERYTHING ELSE IS IRRELEPHANT. 44 HACHEALTHCLUB.COM Looking at the humorous aspects of challenging or even crisis situations allows us to keep things in perspective. It can lighten our anxiety about mastering a rigorous new workout at HAC or any new experience. A good laugh might be a prescription for prevention of disease as it is said to aid us with sleeping, digestion, and heart health and boost our immune system. And (bonus!) there are no premiums or co- pays for laughter or limits to the benefit. But how does it work? They say that laughter releases endorphins, but what exactly is an endorphin? I asked HAC member Mart Amick, MD, of Internal Medicine Associates. "Endorphins are hormones found in the body that make you feel good," he explained. Endorphins are responsible for