Our Bodies Knew

Before modern medicine had advanced brain imagery, our bodies knew what our psyches needed to survive a cruel and demanding world.  There are several colloquialisms, or cultural ways of expression, that were as true generations ago as they are today.  Below is a top 6 list of sayings that we can confirm were ahead of their time.
 
 1)      A Good Cry:  Have you ever heard the expression?  Perhaps someone recommended a good cry to you so you would feel better.  Perhaps in grief you experienced an emotional release of tears, and at the conclusion experienced some relief from your sadness.  This term that generationally has been passed down, and widely accepted as truth holds water.  Researchers have found that crying is therapeutic and when we release tears, there is a neurochemical benefit.  Clinicians who work with grieving clients always encourage clients to be emotionally expressive and never hold back tears.
 
2)      Comfort Food:  There was always something about mom’s home cooking that seemed to bring a sense of happiness and delight.  Big meals around holidays or special occasions are ingrained in every culture.  Food as an identifying part of who we are bonds us all.  But when people speak of the comfort that food brings, we are speaking of the ignition of the circuitry in our brains that signals reward.  It was something that our bodies just knew.  For some, there is too much comfort in food!  Food can become a maladaptive coping mechanism if not controlled.  But yes, there was an intentional design to food bringing us comfort.
 
3)      Boys Will Be Boys:  It was hard to understand and curb the craziness young boys brought to the scene with them!  The saying is a fun way to dismiss the high levels of energy and aggression driven by surging levels of hormones, namely testosterone.  The levels are significantly lower in female adolescents who present with a calmer demeanor then their male counterparts.
 
4)      Runner’s High:  For athletes, this was a way of expressing the euphoria they experienced during high levels of anaerobic exercise that resulted in the release of endorphins.  Endorphins are neurochemicals that alleviates pain while reducing stress and improving mood.
 
5)      A Good Laugh:  Ever provide a giggle and someone says, “I needed that?”  Or ever hear someone say that they had a “good laugh” over or about something.  Before we knew… our bodies knew.  We experience another release of endorphins when we laugh.  See above for the benefits thereof.
 
6)      Needing A Hug:  Well it is not like oxygen and if we are deprived of a hug we aren’t going to die…right?!  Again, our bodies were telling us that the need was real.  Hugs produce oxytocin, a neurochemical responsible for activating that pleasure pathway of the brain.  Oxytocin is like a chemical binder and plays a role in monogamy.  It is also produced during sex (honorary mention but not listed…Good Sex).