Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine, Your destination for travel resources and entertainment.

Spirit’s guide to big laughs, healthy lunches, and sweet dreams.

Hundreds of health-related studies come out every month, but we know you don’t have time to separate the useful from the useless. Here’s the best of what we found that promise to boost your well-being.

Strong Words. The next time you stub your toe, don’t worry about biting your tongue. British researchers at Keele University found that swearing can actually help increase your pain tolerance. The study concluded that swearing may trigger a fight-or-flight response that helps reduce your body’s perception of pain. At least, that’s the excuse we’re saving for Mom and Dad.

Veggie Tale. Bartenders may want to add asparagus to their list of chasers. Researchers in Korea recently found that minerals and amino acids in asparagus extract could help alleviate the affects of an alcohol hangover and protect liver cells against damage. We’ll drink to that.

Dream On. Sleeping on the job? No worries. A new study at the University of California–San Diego shows that napping may be one of the best ways to solve problems. Research suggests REM sleep might strengthen “associative networks” in the brain that could lead to a spike in creativity.

Laughing Matters. Just call him Will Ferrell, M.D. According to a pair of recent studies, comedies may be one of the best prescriptions you can give yourself for long-term heart health. In both studies, people who watched comedies showed a higher rate of “arterial compliance,” an increase in bloodflow that can lead to lower blood pressure.

Dairy King. Milk could hold the cure to those afternoon hunger pangs. Researchers in Australia found that people who drank 20 ounces of skim milk in the morning felt more full and consumed an average of 50 fewer calories at lunch than people who started the day with a fruit drink.