Adding A New Supplement

Those of you who know me probably already understand that health is a pretty big deal to me. Over the past few years, I’ve faced several situations that made me not only reflect on my well-being but also take more intentional steps toward improving it. Along the way, I’ve incorporated a variety of vitamin supplements into my daily routine.

Recently, during a quiet moment of self-reflection, I discovered a different kind of deficiency—one that no bottle on a pharmacy shelf could fix.

To address it, I added a new “One A Day” to my life.

Now, you might be thinking of the popular One A Day multivitamin. But the supplement I’m talking about isn’t found in a capsule or tablet. The One A Day I committed to was this: every single day, for the rest of my life, I would do something—watch something, read something, remember something—that made me laugh out loud.

Yes, that’s right, laugh out loud. LOL.

Before you roll your eyes or judge me, just hear me out.

Science backs this up: laughter is a powerful tool for health. It turns out, this simple act of joy brings a long list of benefits for your body, mind, and relationships.

Physical Benefits of Laughter:

• Reduces stress hormones: Laughter lowers cortisol levels, which helps reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
• Boosts immunity: It increases antibody-producing cells and strengthens T-cells, enhancing your immune system.
• Improves heart health: Laughter encourages better blood flow and reduces artery inflammation—key to preventing heart disease.
• Relieves pain: It triggers endorphin release, which acts as your body’s natural painkiller.
• Burns calories: Laughing for 10–15 minutes can burn 10–40 calories—not bad for doing something fun!
• Increases oxygen intake: Laughter stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles with an extra dose of oxygen.

Mental and Emotional Benefits:

• Reduces stress and anxiety: It promotes relaxation by lowering stress hormones.
• Boosts mood and fights depression: Those same endorphins help lift your spirits and ease emotional pain.
• Increases optimism and resilience: Seeing humor in life makes it easier to cope with challenges.
• Enhances creativity: A playful mind is more flexible and innovative.
• Releases negative emotions: Laughter helps let go of anger, frustration, and sadness.
• Shifts perspective: It allows you to see problems from a different angle, often making them feel less overwhelming.

Social Benefits:

• Strengthens relationships: Laughing together builds bonds and deepens connections.
• Improves communication and teamwork: Humor breaks down walls and encourages collaboration.

Even the Bible agrees. Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”

Life can get heavy and disappointing. Sometimes unbearably so. But in those moments—especially in those moments—finding something that makes you smile or chuckle can be one of the most healing things you do.

So whether or not you’re taking vitamins or supplements, I encourage you to consider adding this one to your routine: Laughter—One A Day.

It does a body good.

Still Believing!