"Feelings of gratitude release positive endorphins throughout the body, creating health" ~ Sharon Huffman
In Marci Shimoff's book "Happy for No Reason", there's an entire chapter on our bodies and how they are designed to support our happiness. Our brains contain a wealth of natural happiness-enhancing drugs: endorphins (the brain's painkiller - 3x stronger than morphine), seratonin (naturally calms anxiety and relieves depression), oxytocin (the bonding hormone) and dopamine (promotes alertness and feelings of enjoyment) among others. This pharmacy in your brain is open 24x7 and just waiting for you to release them.
On the other hand, a French physiologist, Dr. Israel Waynbaum, shows that just frowning triggers the secretion of the stress hormones cortisol, adrenalin, and noradrenalin, chemicals that increase your blood pressure, weaken your immune system, and increase your susceptibility to depression and anxiety.
Show gratitude, smile, laugh - all of these will give you access to your body's amazing happy 'drugs' for your cells. And smiles and laughs are often contagious, so share your health and happiness with your smile today!
I am so grateful for all of you and for this great program we have to support each other.
To a Healthy and Happy Wednesday for All!
Love - Gerri
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Oh how this rings true with me! Thanks! Great to read these words this a.m. I still read our Attitude of Gratitude book we received and gave in Atlanta. I am also told a grateful heart won't drink, which is good for me! Lol!
ReplyDeleteLove ya!
Gin
Perfect read for me this morning. On my drive home from meeting Gerri to walk, I was thinking, "I need a do-over for this morning". I am not feeling gratitude and I definetly woke up with my glass half full, not my normal state!!
ReplyDeleteSo, Gerri, I apologize that I was complaining for most of the walk, what a bummer! If you hadn't posted this before our walk, I would be thinking it was for me alone! :-) I love you gals, thanks for inspiring and supporting me. In GRATITUDE, San
Isn't it great how the Universe finds a way to give us exactly what we need!
ReplyDeleteYou give SO MUCH to all of us, that it's nice to be the listening ear and helping hand once in a while. Love you!