A CURE FOR STRESS: LAUGHTER or having Jewish Sense of Humour helps.
I am a Doctor/Anthropologist to some of the
poorest people in the USA. Because they live in isolated regions, access to
what other Americans take for granted are minimal, Education and Food to give
two examples. When applying for jobs, they are slotted into the lowest of the
rungs in the hierarchy, thus perpetuating their dire financial straits. They
have some of the highest rates of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in the world.
To add insult to injury, there is a fair
bit of racism shown against them by the majority culture.
They have something that makes them UNIQUE,
their cultural identify, their tenacious adherence to the teaching of their
ancestors.
They are the American Indians.
They also have excellent access to health
care not congruous with their socioeconomic status because of the treaties they
made with the invading Europeans, All of them entitled to reasonable primary
and secondary medical care, without cost to the individual.
With constant stress of every day living
staring at them, you would think of them huddled around, morose and tepid in
their relationships?
Nothing could be further from the truth! I
have never heard anyone laugh as much as the American Indian. Not just a little
bit of stretching out your lips a little upwards, the Have a Nice Day kind of
smile, but what can be described as Belly Laugh! As if the laughter is arising
deep in their souls, deep inside their bodies.
Laughter is contagious, as witnessed by the
lack of solemnity in our clinics in isolated hospitals, in villages with no
shops or cinemas and the nearest towns are hours away by car. So much so that a
visiting Nurse (European American) commented at the lack of decorum at the
clinic. We only laughed out louder!
Belly Laugh releases endorphins from the brain,
which activate receptors on the surface of the endothelium of the blood
vessels, releasing Nitric Oxide that in turn dilates the blood vessels. That
increases the blood flow, decreases inflammation, inhibits platelet clumping
and reducing the formation of cholesterol plaques!
Do you need any further incentive to laugh
out louder?
Out of the blue, a neural connection to
Nitric Oxide!
What other medications or natural
food/supplements increase Nitric Acid?
Sunlight, Olive Oil, Bitter Melon, warm
bath, pranayama
And Sildenafil Citrate!
Which is a selective inhibitor of Phosphodiesterase
5, which is known to enhance Nitric Oxide and increase venous circulation. (It
was studied for its effects on Cardiac Failure, but had some interesting side
effects)
A Johns Hopkins study published as early as
Oct 2005 in Circulation, demonstrated that Sildenafil reduces by half the
hormonal stress on the heart.
The commercial name for Sildenafil is
Viagra!
For those of you who cannot manage a good
hearty laughter, may I remind you what that American Philosopher Woody Allen
once wrote?
Sex is the most fun you can have without
laughing!
As Epidemiologists would say, here is the
scientific proof for it! Viagra! Reduces Stress!
Jewish New Year is just a few days away, what
a nice way to wish HAPPY NEW YEAR to my friends…
Laugh if you can. Read quotes from Woody
Allen.
Why are so many Comedians Jewish? Even
though Jews are only about 2.5% of the population in the USA, and nearly ¾ of
all well known comedians are Jewish?
Jon Stewart, Groucho Marx, Billy Crystal,
Adam Sandler, Jackie Mason (Yaakov Moshe Maza), Sarah Silverman, Jerry
Seinfeld, Larry David, Sacha Baron Cohen (Brit, Oxford grad and creator of the
unforgivable Borat), Mel Brooks (Melvin Kaminsky), Lenny Bruce (Leonard Alfred
Schneider), George Burns (Nathan Birnbaum), Gilda Radner, Bette Midler, Moe
Howard of the 3 stooges (Moses Harry Hurwitz), Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg (David
Andrew), Peter Sellers (Brit/American), Woody Allen (Allen Steward Konigsberg),
Howard Stern….. et al
Suffering gives rise to Laughter one of
them quipped without realizing Laughter is a great remedy for Suffering. Not
all people who suffer become comedians!
So I leave you with Happy New Year
Greetings, may the coming year be less stressful, and read jokes like the one below;
laugh loudly at comedy movies or series.
A waiter comes over to a table full of
Jewish women and asks, “ Is ANYTHING all right?”
It was mealtime during a flight on El Al.
“Would you like dinner?” the flight attendant asked Moshe, seated in front.
“What are my choices?” Moshed asked.
“Yes or No,” she replied.
Parting thought: People don't realize that
our management has not changed in over 5775 years!
