Katie’s Korner<br>KATIE HUNTER, Special to The Standard

Fact: laughter is the best medicine. Really!

Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts your mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress.

How important is it to laugh?

It doesn’t just lighten your load mentally; it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can stimulate many organs, enhance your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulate your heart, lungs and muscles, and increase the endorphins released by your brain.

Humour lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. In addition, it helps you release anger and forgive sooner.

As I get older, I realize laughter really is overall the best medicine.

Go ahead and have a good laugh.

A man walks into a pet store and asks for a dozen bees. The clerk carefully counts 13 bees out onto the counter.

“That’s one too many!” says the customer.

The clerk replies, “It’s a freebie.”

#health #katiehunter #laughter