Let the fun and frights of this Oct. holiday improve your health and well-being.

If someone says that Halloween can make you healthier, you’d probably
laugh and say”how can loads of sugary candy, make you healthier?”

Well, it’s not just about candy, it’s about the pumpkins, scary movies
and the costumes.
Still not convinced?
Read on, for more details.

a) Jack-O-Lanterns-
Carving up a pumpkin or even strolling through a neighborhood
and looking at jack-o-lanterns can reduce stress levels.
Engaging in an activity or enjoying someone’s creativity can activate
key areas of the brain that significantly increase your resilience to stress,
reducing tension and keeping you relaxed.

b) Halloween Pranks-
Placing a gummy worm onto a family member or friend’s plate
or putting on a mask and doing a goofy dance can protect your heart.
That’s right, displaying a sense of humor this time of year or at any time
can reduce your risk of heart disease by 70%. Laughter releases nitric oxide
in blood vessels that help widens them. This allows for easier blood flow,
taking pressure off the heart. So the more reasons you have to laugh,
the stronger your heart will be.

c) More Chocolate-
Think eating chocolate will cause weight gain? Think again, a tiny
amount of milk or dark chocolate (3 Hershey’s kisses) in the morning
will trim about an inch off your waistline within 2 weeks.
Cocoa’s compounds fire up metabolism and curbs appetite.

d) Costume Rx-
If your daughter or son plan on going out trick or treating this year,
you may want them to go as someone who’s brainy.
Why? Wearing a “smart outfit” like thick horn-rimmed glasses,
a lab coat or a blazer helps family and friends think you’re more intelligent,
and that boost in confidence makes you surer about your abilities when wearing
them.

e) Passing Out Candy-
If kids have stopped going to your house for candy, you may want to pass some
out at a homeless shelter, church or school. Why? Doing good deeds can
lower blood pressure, which protects your heart.

f) Scary Movies & Haunted Houses
If you only watch scary movies during Halloween, you may want to watch them
year round. Why? They (movies) can help keep colds and flu at bay. No- that’s
not a misprint, heading to a haunted house or watching scary movies spurs a 55%
rise in virus- and bacteria-killing white blood cells in the bloodstream, in less than
30 minutes. And subjecting yourself to being scared sends a message to your
immune system that danger may be afoot. And in response, the body churns out
more of these protective white blood cells to help keep you healthy.

g) Sit In The Dark-
Turning down the lights to make your house look more frightening or spooky
can help create calm. Bright evening light throws off your body clock, which
increases the stress hormone cortisol, and dimming the lights lower this
stress hormone.

h) Halloween Music-
Want to boost creativity? Listen to songs like Thriller, Monster Mash or
Ghostbusters. Songs that spur a smile boost optimism, which makes you believe
you can come up with even more ingenious ideas, if you just think about it a
little longer-and then you do.

Sources:
* Coventry University, In The U.K.
* University of British Columbia, Canada
* Northwestern University, Research Dept.

Please make sure to pass this article on to family and friends who
love to celebrate Halloween. Share it over at Facebook, Snapchat, LinkedIn,
Tik-Tok, Reddit, Pinterest and Twitter.