Today’s PrimalMed Prescription…Comedy tonight!
Can “Think less, live more, and laugh” improve our metabolic health?
You know what I absolutely love about this newsletter? Comments and suggestions from readers like you!
A few weeks ago, a faithful reader texted me about perhaps considering a post on laughter and comedy. Why not? Besides, spring is coming and it’s time to lighten up, at least for now. The sun is out and the birds are singing.
As we approach the 1 year anniversary of Your PrimalMed Prescription, now is a perfect time to take a break from discussions of the deep biochemistry that makes or breaks our mitochondria, although I should warn you that I am working on posts all about exciting topics such as cardiolipin and your glycocalyx as key players in preserving and optimizing mitochondrial and endothelial health respectively!
Back to comedy!
Why comedy?
It comes back to INPUTS. The major inputs we feed our mind and body are in fact the chemical inputs we are feeding our cells. It is the computer software we feed our bodies to promote optimal health.
The major inputs that we have discussed are diet and exercise (nutrition and movement) and sleep, community, and stress mitigation. No surprises here. If you go back to the original PrimalMed Prescription posts from March 2022, that’s where it all started! The message hasn’t changed.
I submit that we can find ourselves in a never-ending onslaught of negative inputs. The world can be a clusterf#$k if you read too much news. Too much time ruminating on the past leads to depression and too much time worrying about the future is a source of anxiety, right?
The great Stoic philosopher Seneca opined that “We suffer more in imagination than reality.” Most of the things we WORRY about really don’t come to fruition. Ask most octogenarians their greatest regret, and they come back with “I worried too much.”
Not to say we should throw caution to the wind and never worry, but I would propose that we term it “cautious concern.”
Back to comedy! Look back to the Romans and Greeks. The philosophers spent time thinking and thinking and thinking (and drinking arsenic if they thought too much). But culture included Comedy as well as Tragedy. The works of Shakespeare included Comedy and Tragedy. Both can trigger your inner brain to laugh and cry BEFORE you even think about why. Your primitive primal lizard brain takes over!
Comedy elicits laughter. Prompt and immediate laughter. You don’t have to THINK! You just laugh! It’s a belly laugh! Sometimes you laugh so hard, you pee in your tidy whities or get a stomach cramp. It’s primal.
If you submit that over-thinking and over-worrying can be detrimental for your physical health (mind-body connection), then the converse holds true. Unprovoked laughter sends a signal to our bodies. Taking time for laughter is GOOD for your soul. If you go back to the post on Memento Mori, we know our time is finite and we need to live our days with purpose. I submit that taking time for comedy and laughter is the right medicine.
So how bout some Comedy Tonight! No deep science or medical imaging today. Just a pause, and a call to make some time in your over-busy over-scheduled week for some spontaneous laughter.
I just love this version, sung by none other than George Costanza, although the original by Zero Mostel deserves props as well!
So enjoy Today’s PrimalMed Prescription, written spontaneously in 20 minutes with no overthought or edits. Primal! Raw and unedited!
It’s our 1 year anniversary! What was YOUR favorite post? Leave some comments! And don’t forget to share with friends and family so they too can subscribe for FREE!
So true about laughter. Norman cousins claimed to have cured his sickness by doses of laughter in his book “anatomy of an illness.” Congratulations on the year anniversary which seems to have come very quickly. Keep writing and Reminding us how to be healthy and live longer.
Thanks Al for reading and planking!!!💪💪💪💪