Your challenge today is to SMILE!

The simple act of smiling does far more than just make you look friendly – it can change your life and the lives of those around you. Here are 5 reasons why you should flash your pearly whites more often:

It boosts your immune system

Smiling changes the chemistry in your body. Medical studies have found smiling to lower heart rate, stabilise breathing and relax the body, which together results in a stronger immune system

It changes your mood

Research has found that if you grin for 60 seconds, no matter how fake or forced it feels, it releases serotonin, tricking your body into making you feel happy again.

It lowers your blood pressure

As you smile, endorphins go up and blood pressure comes down. It has been shown that blood pressure readings both before and after smiling show a measurable difference.

You’ll be remembered

When you are smiling, you are three times more likely to be remembered than a person who is displaying negative or neutral features.

You’ll look younger

Smiling is a natural facelift! It plumps up the cells in your skin and gives you a radiant glow. One study found that 69 per cent of people find women more attractive when they smile than when they are wearing makeup.

Smiling can also make others happy, help you de-stress and it’s contagious (certainly better than sharing a cold!).

Best of all, smiling just feels good.

So – today your challenge is to ‘Smile like a monkey with a new banana!’