Immunize with Happiness to Fight H1N1 Swine Flu

   Don't worry. Enjoy the season to stay healthy. [credit:istockphoto.com]

Now with the first week of school under our belts and flu season just around the corner, there is more worry about protecting ourselves against the H1N1 Swine Flu virus. But the truth is, the worry may leave us more susceptible to infectious disease.

Researchers have known for some time that chronic stress actually suppress the immune system, leaving the worrier open to opportunistic germs and viruses. But new research from the Association for Research into the Science of Enjoyment (ARISE) have found that happy thoughts and pleasant smells can actually boost the immune system. In other words, relieving stress and increasing your happiness quotient creates a more robust immune system that can block illness, like the H1N1 virus.

Though it is still important to regularly wash your hands, it is just as important to boost your mood to effectively boost your immunity. “Instead of worrying about the often ill-founded health scares created by so- called health experts most people would do better to listen to their bodies. These studies illustrate how our bodies naturally seek to protect themselves from disease by doing the things we enjoy," offers David Wharburton, Professor of Psychopharmacology of Reading University.

So, if you are ready to fight off the latest plague, get happy! Add serotonin-producing foods to your diet. In many cases, these are also foods packed with antioxidants, B complex and C vitamins that also promote a strong immune system. Foods like pineapples, miso soup, spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes, blueberries, plums, pumpkin, sweet potato and oranges all naturally trigger the brain to produce serotonin (the happy hormone) and GABA (the calming hormone).

Practicing guided visualizations that foster happy thoughts and self-empowerment are also excellent tools. This process actually retrains the brain to a more automatic optimistic point of view. Continually replaying of happy thoughts allows the brain to create more receptors for this information and increases the electrical flow of brain traffic to an automatic optimistic outlook. Make happiness a habit and your expectations will tend toward optimistic possibilities rather than the automatic pessimistic outlook that says, “it will never work.”

Don’t worry about the H1N1 Swine Flu. Do what you can do to prevent it. Along with hand washing, echinacea and Vitamin C, up your happy quotient. You’ll get more out of life and boost your immune system for a happier, healthier cold season.
 

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