Give Dad the Gift of Laughter this Fathers Day

Dads across America are looking for a little R&R this Fathers Day. A day of peace and fun away from the stresses of the workplace where they toil each day to support their families. Instead of another necktie or aftershave, why not give Dad the gift of laughter? Laughter has been proven to help reduce stress which is the impetus behind the "Laugh It Off" CD which plays 60 minutes of contagious laughter.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) June 1, 2005 -- Dads across America are looking for a little R&R this Fathers Day. A day of peace and fun away from the stresses of the workplace where they toil each day to support their families.

Instead of another necktie or aftershave, why not give Dad the gift of laughter? Laughter has been proven to help reduce stress which is the impetus behind the "Laugh It Off" CD which plays 60 minutes of contagious laughter. The CD is available at www.heyugly.com for $10.00. Don't let the name fool you; Hey U.G.L.Y. Inc., NFP, developed in 2001, is a 501C3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower teens with self-esteem building tools, to help them counter challenges such as eating disorders, bullying, violence, substance abuse and suicide. UGLY is an acronym meaning unique, gifted, lovable, you and proceeds from the CD help to support this cause.

Instructions on the "Laugh it off" CD advise listeners to laugh continuously for at least one minute. Every day, increase the laugh session until you can laugh for ten minutes for a great, laughtercising workout. The CD is 60 minutes so it can be used as a mood adjuster by playing it as background sound while at work, just hanging out, or when you want to get a party started. It helps lighten the mood and put a smile on your face.

"Two studies released on March 8, 2005 at the American College of Cardiology recommend that people try to laugh on a regular basis," noted Hey U.G.L.Y. co-founder, Betty Hoeffner. Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore said, "Thirty minutes of exercise three times a week, and 15 minutes of laughter on a daily basis is probably good for the vascular system."

When you are stressed and have anxiety, theres an activation of various stress areas in the brain. This alters the concentration of various hormones in blood. These stress hormones have a variety of impacts on health – you feel stressed, they impair your ability to think over time, they increase cholesterol in the heart, and they change how the immune system functions,” says Dr. Bruce Rabin, director of the Healthy Lifestyle Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Dr. Andrew Weil his April 2005 newsletter wrote: I think it's (laughter) one of the most effective ways to reduce stress, and preliminary research suggests laughter may also boost immunity, relieve pain, lower blood sugar in people with type-2 diabetes, and help protect against heart disease.”

Up to 80 muscles are used during a hearty laugh, the blood pressure rises, the heart beats faster and blood oxygen levels increase. In fact, a study released last year by German gelotologist Professor Gunther Sickl revealed that a one-minute guffaw has the same health benefits as a 45-minute gym workout. When the laughter stops, the blood pressure returns to normal and stress hormones are reduced - actually strengthening the immune system.

According to University of California, Irvine Professor Lee Berk, "If we took what we know about the medical benefits of laughter and bottled it up, it would require FDA approval." Laughter can lower blood pressure, trigger a flood of endorphins - the brain chemicals that can bring on euphoria and decrease pain, and enhances our immune systems. Gamma-interferon, a disease-fighting protein, rises with laughter. So do B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies, and T-cells, which orchestrate our body's immune response. Laughter lowers the flow of stress hormones, which suppress the immune system, raise blood pressure, and increase the number of platelets, which cause clots and potentially fatal coronary artery blockages.

According to William F. Fry, M.D., associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Stanford University, …..laughing 100-200 times per day is the cardiovascular equivalent of rowing for 10 minutes. When something strikes you as funny, you laugh. And when you laugh, your body responds. You flex, then relax, 15 facial muscles plus dozens of others all over your body. Your pulse and respiration increase briefly, oxygenating your blood. And your brain experiences a decrease in pain perception, possibly associated with the production of pain-killing, pleasure-giving endorphins.”

According to a study by Maciej S. Buchowski, PhD, and his colleagues, using a whole-room indirect calorimeter at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, a daily laughter workout of 15 minutes can burn 40 calories and melt away four pounds over the course of a year.

The late author Norman Cousins credited laughter with helping him beat a potentially fatal connective tissue disease. After his diagnosis, Cousins moved into a hotel room, watched funny videos and movies, read funny books and magazines--and staged a stunning recovery.

Editors Note: Sample product available upon request.

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