Laughter the Forgotton Medicine

Laughter the Forgotten Medicine

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. – Victor Borge

A keen sense of humor helps us to overcome the unbecoming, understand the unconventional, tolerate the unpleasant, overcome the unexpected and outlast the unbearable. – Billy Graham

The best of healers is a good cheer. – Pindar

Over the last ten years practicing as a holistic physician, I have always strived to educate my patients on the basic essentials of optimal health & wellness; water, food, exercise, rest, sunlight and breathing. However, I overlooked an important basic essential to optimal health, laughter. We live in a fast paced world burning the candle at both ends nine way of Sunday. Between work, school, home, driving time, kids activities, church, organizations, bills, taxes, deadlines, and commitments; we leave little time for laughter to remind ourselves not to take life so seriously. We are all guilty of it from time to time. We have become so entrenched in our day to day activities that we are either to afraid or unable to remember how to seek the humor in all facets of life.

Incorporating everyday humor and laughter is essential for optimal health and wellness. The physical act of laughter as well as the physiology behind laughter has many health benefits. Japanese researchers demonstrated that patients with type2 diabetes had decreased blood sugar levels after eating when they watched a comedy compared to listening to a lecture. UCLA’s, Johnsson Cancer Centre began a five year study in 2000 to see if laughter improved pain and immune function with children suffering from cancer and other types of chronic diseases. The study showed that children had decreased levels of pain when they watched funny videos. Many other studies demonstrated that laughter had many other positive results including:

• Decreased blood pressure
• Increased oxygen utilization
• Increased endorphin levels resulting in a greater sense of well being. - Decreased cortisol levels resulting in decreased levels of stress. - Promotes relaxation
• Decreased depression
• Improved immune function
• Improved lung functio

Laughter allows us to fully express our emotions and feelings in a positive, harmonious way. By acknowledging and accepting humor regarding our own insecurities, imperfections, and being able to laugh at them, enables us to transcend to a higher level of spiritual development. The roll of comedians over the last 50 to 60 years has helped humanity to take an honest look at ourselves not only as an entire civilization but, as an individual and allow us to laugh at ourselves. To poke fun at reality; if we can’t go through life without laughing at our own insecurities, imperfections and idiocities then there is no point in living at all.
I have always had a great sense of humor I can laugh at the most mundane things till tears start running down my face. The late comedia
Sam Kineson had a knack for somehow always finding the humor with any topic or situation. To many, Kineson came across as loud, blasphemous and offensive. However, his ability to find the humor in any situation is truly a gift of healing. Finding humor in all areas of life and expressing it through laughter is our own built in pressure release valve. Opening up the valve with laughter allows us to free up any repressed or suppressed emotion or feelings we as humans are carrying. As I have said throughout this book; loss of health is the direct result of our inability to freely express our emotions and feelings in a safe, productive, harmonious way.
As we travel through life we will always be confronted with uncomfortable and unpopular topics such as war, death, politics, religion, sex, God, and love. Laughter is just another way of moving past our attachments to these topics.
What happens to us when we get together with friends or family? Usually, everyone takes turns recalling a humorous incident that they shared with in the past. Before the end of a night everyone is laughing and smiling and sharing in good cheer. If you’re ever around a group of close friends, especially men, they take turns quoting their favorite line from a funny movie. No matter how many times my friends and I have heard an impersonation of Bill Murray in Caddy Shack we always end up rolling on the ground, laughing with tears in our eyes. Can you imagine how healthy we would be if we laughed like that everyday? This inspired me to list my top 101 funniest movies. I do not believe one can have too much laughter. If you happen to be suffering from cancer or some other debilitating chronic disease then I suggest seeking any way to make you laugh as much as possible. Please read my disclaimer before watching any of the movies, enjoy.

WARNING/Disclaimerr
The/my top 101 funniest movies listed are movies that make me laugh till my gut hurts. I had help formulating the list from my wife and two of my good friends from college.
What I find funny, other people might find lame, boring, stupid, and/or tasteless. If your one of those, then maybe your taking life too seriously. Even God has a sense of humor; the platypus and the hedgehog really crack me up.
All movies contain material that might be offensive to some people (bad language, nudity, alcohol, drugs, etc.) Please watch at your own discretion, I did not list the movies by their rating. That, I leave up to the viewer. In conclusion, most of the top 100 movies are not suitable for children.
Dr.Coreys Top 100 Gut busters!

A Christmas Story Dr. Doolittle (Eddy Murphy)
A Fish Called Wanda Dumb & Dumberr
Airplane Easy Moneyr
Airplane 2 Elfr
American Pie The Endr
American Pie 2 European Road Tripr
American Wedding Fargor
Anger Management Fast Times at Ridgemont Highr
Animal House Ferris Buellers Day Offr
Arthur Fifty First Datesr
Austin Powers Fletchr
Austin Powers 2 Forty year old Virginr
Austin Powers 3 Gross point blankr
Back to School Groundhog Dayr
Bad Santa Happy Gilmorer
Bad News Bears (original) History of the World part 1
Baseketball Home Aloner
Being John Malkovich The Jerkr
Being There King Pinr
Big Knocked Up
The big Lebowski
Big Daddy Little Nickyr
Blazing Saddles Little Shop of Horrorsr
Blues Brothers Longest Yardr
Caddy Shack Mashr
Christmas Vacation Me, Myself & Irener
Clerks The Money Pitr
Coming to America Monty Pythons Holy Grailr
Dazed and Confused Monty Pythons Life of Brianr
Detroit Rock City Monty Pythons Meaning of Lifer
My Cousin Vinny Mr. Mom
The Whole Nine Yards Wedding Singerr
Night Shift Weird Sciencer
Nutty Professor (Eddy Murphy) You, Me, & Dupreer
Old School Young Frankensteinr
Pink Panther (Sellars) Zoo Landerr
Pink Panther (Martin)
Planes, Trains & Automobilesr
Raising Arizonar
The Refr
Road Tripr
Ruthless Peopler
Saving Silvermen
Shrekr
Shrek 2
Shawn of the Deadr
Sixteen Candlesr
Slap Shotr
South Park Bigger, Longer, Uncutr
Smokey and the Bandit
Snatchr
Son in Lawr
Space Ballsr
Starsky & Hutch
Stripes
Superbadr
Talladega Nightsr
There’s something about Mary
Throw Mama from the Train
Tootsier
Uncle Buck
Vacationr
The Water Boyr
Wedding Crashersr
Because I did not want to forget about the importance of laughter and children, here are my top 20 movies for kids, enjoy!

Any Loony Tunes Movie
A Bug’s Life
A Christmas Storyr
Alladin
Dr. Doolittle (Eddy Murphy)
Elfr
Finding Nemor
Flubber (Robin Williams)
Freaky Friday (Both versions)
Home Aloner
Mrs. Doubtfirer
The Muppet Movier
Rugrats the Movier
The Sandlot
Shreckr
Shreck 2
Space Jam
The Toyr
Toy Story
Toy Story 2