What are our priorities? Food, shelter and clean water are what aid agencies emphasize. But human excrement is a weapon of mass destruction. A gram of human feces can contain up to 10 million viruses. At least 50 communicable diseases — including cholera, meningitis and typhoid — travel from host to host in human excrement. It doesn’t take much: a small child, maybe, who plays in soil where people have been defecating, then dips his fingers in the family rice pot. The aftermath of a disaster like Cyclone Nargis — with masses of weakened people on the move — is a communicable disease paradise.
A substance common to all of us, and as vital to life as breathing, has become unspeakable, and particularly in the polite and powerful circles that could do something about its deadly effects.

Celebrities like Matt Damon and Jay-Z line up to talk about water. Shiny taps and clean water make good pictures. Have you ever seen a movie star pictured in front of a new latrine? It can double its user’s life span.

Of course food and water are crucial. But feces can undermine both. If people are eating fecal particles, no amount of high-energy biscuits will make them well. In poor countries, diarrhea is the reason you find malnourished children in well-fed families. It’s why millions of girls drop out of school, and why millions of dollars’ worth of productivity is lost from workers sick with this week’s bout of dysentery.

Good disposal of human excreta can reduce diarrhea by 40 percent. Washing hands reduces it still further. Health economists reckon that every dollar invested in sanitation can save $7 on health costs and lost productivity. No wonder the readers of The British Medical Journal last year voted sanitation the greatest medical milestone ever, over penicillin and anesthesia.

Adopted from ‘Send in the Latrines’ By ROSE GEORGE

Published in New York Times

Laughter reduces muscle tension, distracts attention from the pain, has a positive effect on a person’s attitude and can actually stimulate the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. In addition, laughter stimulates the cardiovascular system thereby increasing oxygenation of the blood which further promotes healing.

Laughter is a form of internal jogging. In responding to the initial phase of a typical joke, comedy routine or story, muscle tension increases in anticipation of the climax of the story or punch line. Immediately following the story climax, the thorax (chest), abdomen and face get a vigorous workout. In convulsive laughter, where the individual really breaks up, even the legs and arms are involved. During this phase, heart rate, breathing and circulation are speeded up. When the spasm of laughter subsides, the pulse rate drops below normal and the skeletal muscles become deeply relaxed. During the laughter response, the body is revitalized by what sometimes is called internal massage.

Humor can be a powerful tool to moderately treat depression, physical illness and reduce tension.

Many companies are beginning to see the wisdom in fostering a certain amount of measured fun in the workplace to boost loyalty, enthusiasm, and productivity in the employees. These tactics can range from familiar activities like company picnics, Christmas parties, athletic events, and casual dress days to the more outlandish “costume” days.

A company in Redmond, Washington, that makes heart monitors and defibrillators lightened up their dull workplace by having an employee dress up like a clown and pedal a tricycle towing a little red wagon that carried a siren and a banner announcing production of $500,000 worth of goods every time they reached this mark in production. While this created a temporary disruption of work, sometimes as often as three times a day, overall production soared.

Adopted from Feebee A. Clown - RN, Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Stress affects us physically, mentally, emotionally, and influences all our behaviors. Stress may be defined as a demand for adaptation. It has been shown, however, that we humans respond to demands not as they actually are, but as we perceive them to be. A stress may be real or imagined.

There are many types of stress we constantly face. These stress factors may be physical (exposure to the extremes of temperature, injuries, or accidents), chemical (exposure to pollutants, allergens, poisons, toxins, and drugs), microbiological (germs, bacteria, viruses, fungus, and other microorganisms), psychological or extreme emotional states (fear, anger, sadness, or a sense of loss), mental functioning (suppression or repression), as well as inborn drives to hurry, to succeed, to compete, as well as sociocultural (work pressures, crime, IRS, regulations, financial crisis and peer and parental pressure). Stress affects practically every organ in the body and if not controlled can certainly aggravate and complicate most any known disease or illness. You can better cope with stress and relieve stress in your life. Following methods help you reduce stress, relax better, and enjoy life more.

• Develop a positive attitude about everything you do.
• Tell yourself to relax totally.
• Practice breathing exercises to relax.
• Cultivate a good sense of humor.
• Listening to relaxing music will dissolve your tension.
• Call a relative or friend.
• Exercise or take a brisk walk to lift your spirit.
• Stretch or yawn for better relaxation
• Take a nature break.
• Take a vacation or a weekender.
• Get proper rest.
• Prayer will break the anxiety cycle.

Of course, there are other stress-relieving techniques such as getting a pet ( Excellent for Many ), but the important thing is to Do Something To Relieve the Existing Situation !

Adopted from Mental Attitude and Self Image
By Gus J. Prosch, Jr., M.D.