Vitamin L stands for love and laughter. One of the main reasons love and laughter help the cardiovascular system is because love and laughter reduce stress. When your body is under stress the hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released. If these hormones remain in the body at elevated levels over a period of time, the cardiovascular system is harmed. People who are under constant stress without social support or another form of connection are more likely to show early signs of atherosclerosis. Other risk factors for heart disease are also negatively affected by stress. Blood pressure levels go up and weight is gained.

Let us take a look at six ways you can increase the love, laughter and connection in your life.

Animals: Owning pets can help your health. While it is true that owning a pet can be extra work and perhaps worry at times, the rewards are huge. Owning a pet gives you something outside of yourself to care for and love. Pets often bring joy, laughter and even ward off a sense of loneliness.

Nature: People who are afraid of nature and the outdoors are missing out on one of the greatest ways to connect to something amazingly beautiful, mysterious, and powerful. In addition, when I am in nature, I feel a connection to spirit that I don’t feel at other times. Being in nature reminds me how all living things and non-living things are connected. I feel part of something much greater than myself. In addition, my mood always improves.

Selfless Service: Reaching out to help others with no expectation of anything in return is a great way to feel connection to others. One way to selflessly serve is to join a volunteer group that supports a cause of interest to you. Or you can find ways to selflessly serve as you go through your everyday life. For instance, smile at a stranger, pick up something that someone ahead of you dropped, or pay the toll for the car behind you that let you in line.

Humor: What makes you laugh? Your friends? Comedy? Funny cat and dog videos? Society? Or simply nothing much at all? Take a moment to think about what makes you laugh, feel happy, and jump for joy. Once you have identified what tickles you pink, make sure you get more of it in your daily life. Laughter is a great way to reduce stress, improve mood and even heal.

Touch: Countless studies have shown the positive effects touch can have on our ability to cope with the world. Countries where touch is not as much a part of the culture tend to have higher levels of violence. Touching and holding others is a wonderful way to lower blood pressure, reduce stress and to gain a sense of connection and love. All of us should try incorporating more touch into our everyday lives.

Spirit: Connecting to and believing in a higher power can help you to heal faster and even possibly live longer than you would have otherwise. This higher can be anything and can have many names. Perhaps for you it is a universal energy, God, spirit, mother nature or something else entirely. The important thing is to believe in something greater than yourself that sustains you and gives you comfort.

Author Bio: Sandra is a Heart-Healthy Food Coach. She received her nutrition and coaching training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC. Sign-up for a FREE special report “Top 3 Secrets to Reduce Your Cholesterol Fast” at cutcholesterolnow.com to learn about some less talked about yet highly effective ways to lower your cholesterol naturally without the use of drugs or surgery.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: getting more love,laughter,spiritual,heart disease,heart-health,lower blood pressure,reduce stress