Laughter for Heart Health
Well, we love to laugh and go out of our way to find some belly laughs as often as possible. (We stumbled onto a stack of “Good Old Days” magazines recently with some very corny seasonal poems and photos. We read them in bed for a few mintues each night. It’s been better entertainment than anything on TV lol!) We thought we were reading just for fun and to lighten the heaviness of 2020, but we think there’s more to it.
On a more scientific note, From the website “www.Bestlifeonline.com” is the following:
“It’s well known that laughter can be a valuable coping tool for those suffering from medical conditions. But according to one 2016 study published in The Journal of Epidemiology, it could also directly contribute to a healthier heart. Among male and female study subjects over the age of 65, those who reported laughing daily had drastically lower rates of cardiovascular disease and stroke.”
I clicked on the link for the study and found a treasure chest of health conditions that postively benefit from laughter: Did you know that laughter is a serious research topic at NIH with many clinical studies? How fascinating!
Here’s the intro on this particular study for heart health at NIH:
“Laughter is increasingly recognized for its potential health benefits, including ameliorating symptoms of
Depression,1
Dementia,2 and
Insomnia.3
Several studies have reported beneficial effects of laughter on biomarkers, such as markers of immune function4,5
Laughter has a role in complementary medicine, such as laughter yoga,7 the Smile-Sun technique,8 and laughter and exercise programs.6
Laughter is also believed to improve vascular function,9,10
You can click on the numbered links to review the actual studies … Whether you have time to do that or not, just know that we gotta make LAUGHTER a priority every day like our lives depend on it, because they DO!
Well, our laughter for today is heading up to do our Friday Morning playtime with grandkids. Those kids are a hoot!
Are you up to another soup recipe? This one is always SO delicious. It tastes so rich and fattening … but it’s not! Just vegetables and almond milk! It’s delicious served with simply fresh fruit, like cut up oranges, apples or pears.
Carolyn’s EZ Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
2 large or 3-4 small sweet potatoes
1 large chopped onion
2 cups vegetable broth (or 2 bouillon cubes + 2 cup water)
2 cups almond milk
Salt, pepper, cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg as desired
Cut into pieces and cook sweet potatoes until very tender, either boil or in a steamer. We prefer the steamer because it’s SO easy to just cook and peel.
Bring broth and almond milk to a gentle boil and add the chopped onion. Simmer until the onion is tender.
Blend all ingredients in batches in a blender to puree. Transfer pureed batches to a crockpot or a saucepan to keep warm.
Season with salt, pepper and a little cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired.
Oh, so creamy, hearty and delicious!
Please enjoy your day and know how much we care. Please stay safe, sane, healthy and happy. Be sure to drink some tea to keep things moving and something cute to laugh about!