Be happy…& be healthy

By Shlomo Maital

   I have a theory I would like to share.  It’s based on close observation of people around me. 

   To be healthy, you need to work at being in a happy frame of mind.

    Why?  Because your immune system requires it.  If your brain says you are unhappy, your immune system loses its motivation to keep you healthy.

     I’ve known people who suffer setbacks, tragedy, car accidents, loss of loved ones… and fall ill. 

      This sounds naïve.  My country is in deep trouble at the moment and it is easy to fall into despondency.  Rebbe Nachman, who suffered from manic depression, taught us to practice irrepressible optimism.  It was how he treated himself.

       Consider ice cream.  I make good ice cream. It makes me happy. I eat it.  Not excessively. And I drink Coke.  Also not excessively.  Economists teach the law of diminishing returns.  That second scoop? It will taste far less good than the first. Same for alcohol.

       Do things in moderation, in daily life, that make you happy and keep you happy. In general, I believe, without a lot of deep medical evidence, that in the end it will keep you healthier.  And by the way – practice it on those you love, not just yourself.  Make those you love happy – so you can keep them healthy, and keep them with you longer.