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www.MOSTmag.com || FITNESS MAG A ZINE || 155Mother Theresa said, %u201cWe shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.%u201d True. But we actually do know a lot about the power of a smile.Numerous studies have shown the health benefits derived from smiling and laughing. In fact, it can act as a mini workout by burning calories and engaging your abs. Laughter can also help blood flow, lower blood sugar levels, reduce stress, and improve sleep. Plus, it may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies, helping boost your immune system. So the moral of the story is pretty simple. Smile!Five reasons to smile The next time you%u2019re stressed about work or realize that your favorite jeans feel a little snug, don%u2019t freak out. Take a few deep breaths and smile! The Mayo Clinic has found that smiling can reduce the symptoms associated with anxiety. When you smile your brain is receiving a message that you are happy %u2013 even if you really aren%u2019t %u2013 and your body will react by slowing down your breathing and heart rate.You want to avoid Botox and overpriced creams? Smile. The facial muscles used in a smile will help you remain looking younger. So how much younger are we talking about? A recent German study at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin asked 150 men and women to guess the ages of the faces from over 1,000 photographs. They found that %u201chappy faces%u201d were voted as the youngest looking with the pictures of smiling faces appearing two years younger on average. Besides living a healthy lifestyle, exercising, and eating right, a simple smile can help boost your immune system. Studies have shown that on a biochemical level, smiling releases endorphins. These endorphins can act as natural painkillers for our bodies, and the more endorphins that our brain releases the more our bodies can fight off the symptoms of illness. Yes it does! Here%u2019s a fun, five second experiment. Think of a happy thought that will make you smile. Now think of an unhappy thought while continuing to smile. Was it hard to do? Smiling feels so good that your brain sends a signal to your body that says everything is okay and that you should be happy. There is science behind all of this. You see, smiling releases serotonin. Serotonin acts as a natural antidepressant, and helps regulate our mood, sleep, and even the way we learn. But it doesn%u2019t take a rocket scientist to know that smiling sure feels better than frowning! Believe me, it works. Since I was a little girl she warned me some people in this world will be darn right mean and nasty for reasons you will never understand. The trick is to take away their power. And the best way to do that is to smile. Smile at them when they are calling you names. Smile at them in the gym. Smile at them in passing. You can never smile too much. Mean people cannot defend themselves against random, unexplainable kindness. So next time you face negativity, don%u2019t get sucked into it, just smack a smile right back at them!