When you're feeling cheerful, your body settles into a state of calm and seems better able to focus on taking care of itself. Since you're at peace with the world, there's no reason to blast out stress hormones, which not only raise your blood sugar levels, but also increase your blood pressure and your heart rate.
There's also some intriguing research suggesting that happy people may be less likely to develop infections and other illnesses. In one study, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, USA, exposed men and women to various viruses. They found that those who were upbeat and positive produced significantly greater numbers of infection-fighting proteins called cytokines - substances secreted by the immune system which carry signals between cells.
How you feel also affects your behaviour. Other studies have found that people who are optimistic about their lives are more likely to eat right and exercise - and have lower blood sugar levels to show for it.
Remember the old saying about how a smile exercises more muscles in your face than a frown ?
Well, it turns out good to smile. Keep smiling.
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ReplyDeleteBeautifully written. Doc, I have a doubt. I suffer from low BP and other stress related issues. I'm easily disturbed and I panic a lot too. As you mentioned in your blog, I also suffer from skin allergy caused due to stress and that gets aggravated due to detergent, dust and AC. If I have these symptoms, I should've had high BP right?22 January 2014 15:10
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