According to a recent study, laughter is the only natural way your internal organs get a massage. It is also a principal element in the digestive process. Simply, your body needs it.
And laughter doesn’t stop there. The results of a recent US study found that humour decreases levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline, helps lower blood pressure and boosts immunity by raising levels of antibodies such as T-cells.
Plus, Stanford University research indicates that a good laugh also makes you more alert, exercises the skeletal muscles and stimulates circulation. In fact, 100 laughs a day has the same cardio-respiratory response as 15 minutes of riding a stationary bike.
So what are you waiting for? Unleash your inner comedian:
Lie in bed and sing a few duets with your partner.
Devise a humourous answering machine message.
Tickle your kids.
Set up a laughter notice board at work or home and pin up funny clippings, cartoons or photos.
Send a funny card.
At your next party, rent some DVDs of comedy classics.
- Stephanie Osfield in WeightWatchers.ca
Nail Guide
Did you know your fingernails can alert you to a health problem? Here are some signs and remedies:
Horizontal ridges.
You could have a zinc deficiency. Take a multivitamin. These could also be due to a bout with illness.
Splits or chips.
You may not be getting enough calcium.
Curled up.
You lack iron. Ask your doctor about a blood test.
Brown.
Are you a vegetarian? Over 50? You may have a vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Yellowish green.
It could be a fungus. Keep your nails dry, and see your doctor.
Also… Large blood vessels around the cuticle, and flat or two-toned nails, could be signs of conditions such as lupus or kidney disease. See the doc.
- Georgie Binks in Chatelaine
Eating for Two
You’re managing a healthy diet and you feel virtuous. Then you get pregnant and suddenly you’ve got a ferocious urge to eat chips, chocolate, sour foods—maybe even weird things like chalk or coal. Is your body trying to tell you something?
“There’s no evidence that cravings indicate nutrients you are deficient in,” says UK dietitian Fiona Ford, “though some women may crave foods they subconsciously think are healthy for the baby, such as fruit or milk.” Pregnancy can also dull the senses, which may explain cravings for sharp, sweet or sour foods. Urges to eat non-foods, such as soil or coal, may be about the crunchy texture; try munching ice cubes instead. As far as “bad” foods go, moderation is the watchword, says Ford. And it’s OK to eat chocolate every day as long as it isn’t a big bar.
According to other experts, pregnant women should get, each day, about 300 additional calories than they did before pregnancy. But don’t eat just any calories. Here are five diet recommendations to keep you—and the unborn baby—healthy:
Eat a variety of foods so that you get all the nutrients. Include plenty of fibre-rich cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Eat and drink at least four servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day: Calcium will give both of you healthier bones that will help decrease the risk of osteoporosis later in life.
To prevent tiredness and depression, get at least three servings of iron-rich foods per day: green leafy vegetables and brinjals, dals, prunes, raisins, egg yolk, fish and liver. To enhance absorption of iron and to boost your immunity, take a good source of vitamin C: oranges, strawberries, cauliflower, sprouts, tomatoes.
Add a good source of folic acid, like dark green leafy vegetables, legumes—black beans, black-eyed peas and chick peas (kabuli chana). Folic acid is known to prevent birth defects.
Laugh a Little
