This year the list of things my girls are thankful for includes mom, dad, sisters, friends, string cheese, cookies, candy, rainbows, and unicorns!
Focusing on gratitude this season is lovely, but expressing genuine gratitude can be a healing practice all year round. So, let’s use this holiday to set the tone for the rest of the year by creating a gratitude practice.
A gratitude practice is different from having an "attitude of gratitude" or "looking on the bright side of things." It is more intentional than just being optimistic or thankful from time to time and requires a decision to set aside time for gratitude each day.
It’s a simple thing that will benefit your physical, psychological, and social well-being. Since it's free, does not take much time, and can be done in the privacy of your own home anyone can do it.
Let's explore some of these benefits and consider how to incorporate a gratitude practice into our lives.
The Benefits of Gratitude
Feeling gratitude is good for our brains activating the hypothalamus and flooding our brains with the feel-good hormone dopamine. Some studies have found it decreased the prominent stress hormone cortisol and blood pressure while increasing heart rate variability.
Robert Emmons, the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, found that people who consistently practice gratitude report many physical, psychological, and social benefits such as:
Physical
- Stronger immune systems
- Less bothered by aches and pains
- Lower blood pressure
- Exercise more
- Take better care of their health
- Sleep longer
- Feel more refreshed upon waking
Psychological
- Higher levels of positive emotions
- More alert, alive, and awake
- More joy and pleasure
- More optimism and happiness
Social
- More helpful, generous, and compassionate
- More forgiving
- More outgoing
- Feel less lonely and isolated
How to Cultivate a Gratitude Practice
A gratitude practice is simply forming habits that help you focus on something you are thankful for on a regular basis. It could be an object, person, or experience. You may be thankful for your health or a quality you see in yourself. Anything is fair game!
You must be genuine to get the benefits of this practice, so be completely honest with yourselves. More benefit will come from focusing on small things you are truly thankful for than from pretending you are grateful for larger things that you think you should be thankful for.
It’s important to keep your gratitude practice fresh. If you start to feel like you are doing your gratitude practice to check it off your to-do list, it may be time to try something new. With so many ways to explore gratitude, there is no reason to get stuck in a rut.
- Create a gratitude journal.
- Write thank you cards or letters of affirmation to people in your life.
- Think about qualities you are thankful for in yourself.
- Meditate on things you are grateful for each morning for 5 minutes.
- Help someone who doesn’t have all the advantages that you do.
- Find something to look forward to each week.
- Think about someone who has influenced your life and write them a letter.
- Pray to express thankfulness for the good things in your life.
- Write down one word that brings up feelings of gratitude and think about it throughout the day (hope, life, family, friends, health, etc.).
- Listen to a song you enjoy and take time to really appreciate it.
- Practice mindful eating to appreciate the gift of food.
- Check out 40 Simple Ways To Practice Gratitude for more ideas.
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Thanksgiving dinner may be the biggest meal of the year! In fact, it is thought that most people eat more in this one meal than a twenty-year-old, six-foot-tall, 270 lb., active man would need to eat in an entire day.
With turkey, a bunch of sides, and dinner rolls there is something for everyone. Many times drinks and desserts follow the meal with a second dinner of leftovers later in the day. No wonder we feel so tired and our pants feel tight.
I’m not a big fan of counting calories, but I do think we would feel better if we were more intentional about our choices. If you are cooking this year, consider using recipes that contain real, unprocessed, nourishing ingredients.
Here are some recipes to help you make the season's traditional dishes in a healthier way. You will be inspired to try more of these recipes when you see how good they taste and how good you feel!
Appetizers:
Easy Whole30 Paleo Snack Board | Kimbrough Daniels
Bacon-Wrapped Butternut Squash Recipe | Paleo Leap
The Best Paleo Meatballs - Whole30 Friendly! - Fresh Water Peaches
Sweet and Tangy Lil' Smokies | Plaid & Paleo (plaidandpaleo.com)
The Bird
Easy Roasted Turkey with Sage Butter
Butterflied Turkey Recipe
Stuffing
Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing
Paleo Comfort Food Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole
Paleo Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato & Squash
Sweet Potato Casserole
Roasted Garlic & Butternut Squash Mash
Butternut Squash Risotto
Cranberries
3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
"Mashed Potatoes"
Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"
Brussel Sprouts
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Beautiful Brussels Sprouts with Onion & Squash
Desserts
Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Crisp
Nonalcoholic Drinks
How To Make Virgin Piña Coladas - Strength and Sunshine
Watermelon + Cucumber Cooler - the Whole Smiths
Non-Alcoholic Paleo Strawberry Mojito - Paleo Grubs
You can enjoy a beautiful meal that will leave you feeling good! Let me know if you try any of these recipes and send me a picture of the ones you liked the most!
Dr. Jamie Thomure and Joelle Kurczodyna
This blog was originally put together by my sister Joelle Kurczodyna. She has a certification in Nutritional Therapy (NTP), is a mom of three kids, and has a homestead with two cows, more than twenty chickens, and a bunch of vegetables! To learn more about the awesome things she is up to, follow her on Instagram at
@fromscratchfarmstead.
Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. It is what allows you to bounce back from challenges. There is no way to prevent all hardship, but we can build resilience so when trouble comes we can recover in the best way possible.
We see this principle in nature all the time. In the animal kingdom, diversity keeps the different populations in check and protects our ecosystems. Rotating crops protects the soil from becoming depleted.
In order to build resilience, we need to establish diversity in our lives. It makes us more resilient physically and mentally. This helps our bodies heal more fully and makes us more capable of moving through trials in a healthy way.
Let’s explore some areas in our lives that would benefit from diversity.
Diversity in our Diets
We need to eat a variety of foods to ensure we get the right combination of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Even if you are eating healthy food you need diversity; it’s not enough to eat chicken and broccoli all day.
A diet consisting of an assortment of healthy food supports the different types of gut bacteria. It is necessary for each microbial species to be taken care of in order to have a balanced microbiome. Imbalances in the gut can lead to health problems throughout the body.
Step outside of your comfort zone and try to…
- eat the rainbow - have fruits and vegetables of every color throughout the week.
- eat a variety of protein - chicken, beef, eggs, fish, and shellfish.
- eat different parts of the animal - organ meat is the most nutritious part of the animal; liver is like nature's multivitamin.
- drink bone broth - it has a different amino profile than muscle meat and is incredibly nourishing to your gut lining, skin, hair, nails, and joints!
Diversity in our Movement
It is best to use a variety of full-body movements. Repetitive movements will make you prone to injury while limiting the mobility and strength that you would likely gain through more diversified movements.
Katy Bowman, the author of Move Your DNA, believes we need a variety of movements. She equates diversity in movement to getting movement "nutrients."
Step outside of your comfort zone and try to…
- go barefoot outside on irregular surfaces - those tiny foot bones will get some movement instead of being trapped in a shoe on flat grounds.
- get out in nature- hike off the beaten path or climb a hill.
- ditch the couch - sitting on the floor will engage your core.
- play like a child - incorporate movements you did as a child (running, chasing, climbing, or swinging).
- participate in sports - most sports will give you much more variety of movement than simply going for a run, a walk, or working out on an Elliptical.
- mix up exercise routines - some days lift heavy things focusing on body weight movements. Do mobility work on other days. Remember to use your whole body.
Listen to your body, and take breaks when necessary. Remember, movement doesn't just count when you are exercising. All your movement counts.
Diversity Emotionally
It is normal and natural to feel all different kinds of emotions. It shows that you are in touch with your inner world. People who aren’t able to feel a full spectrum of emotions are often stuffing their difficult ones. This can lead to depression, anxiety, resentment, as well as a host of physical problems.
Allowing a variety of emotions to be experienced can help you move through the difficult ones more effectively. This creates emotional resilience that you can’t get if you only allow yourself to feel “good” emotions.
Step outside of your comfort zone and try to…
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As we go into the winter, many people feel the need for a little self-care. However, this can be difficult with so much to get done during the holiday season. It’s important to find little things that you look forward to each day rather than waiting for an opportunity to do something big.
Making a special drink can be a quick way to take care of yourself in these busy times. Now I’m not suggesting you make a cocktail or put vodka in your water bottle; there are plenty of fun healthy alternatives that you can enjoy without guilt.
In addition to lifting your spirits, these drinks provide hydration and health benefits. It doesn’t take much to grab these drinks during a busy day if you do a little preparation ahead of time.
Let’s take a look at some drinks you may enjoy.
Kombucha
Kombucha is a fermented drink. It is made when you combine tea, sugar, and a SCOBY. That funny word is an acronym for a “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast.” As the bacteria eats the sugar it produces probiotics which are good for your gut and help keep the bad bacteria in check.
There are many flavors on the market today. Some brands have high levels of sugar, so be sure to read the label before buying a jar. Kombucha is also relatively easy to make at home which allows you to control the ingredients even more. Check out this article about the benefits of kombucha and how to make it.
If you are ready to make your own kombucha, you can get the Urban Kitchen organic starter SCOBY. Otherwise, you may enjoy premade kombucha from these brands…
Water Kefir
Traditional kefir is a fermented drink made from milk with a variety of bacteria and yeast. As you would probably guess, water kefir is made following the same process using water as the base.
It is difficult to find premade water kefir, but it is really easy to make. Simply get the grains, put them in sugar water, and let them ferment. It will be ready to drink after the first fermentation which takes a few days. Some people enjoy adding flavor and fermenting it for another couple of days to enhance the taste and make it a little bubbly.
If you would like to learn more or are interested in making your own, check out this article. You can find the Florida Sun Live Kefir Grains on Amazon. They will multiply over time, so you shouldn’t have to buy more and will eventually be able to share them with friends.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is naturally sweet making it taste great. It is a good source of nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, and potassium. In fact, it has more potassium than a banana.
Some studies suggest that coconut water may provide antioxidants, lower blood sugar in those with diabetes, decrease the risk of kidney stones, and support heart health. However, more research is needed to support these claims. For more information on the health benefits, check out this article from Healthline.
It is important to look at the ingredient list when purchasing coconut water. Some companies add sugar, preservatives, or additives. Paloehacks has done your research for you in “Six Healthiest Coconut Water Brands.” Here are some of the top brands.
Mineral Water
Mineral water with a splash of juice is a lovely treat; you can choose any juice you like. It will give you the flavor without the higher sugar levels of straight juice.
You can also put a couple of tablespoons of balsamic in your sparkling water. Yes, it sounds gross, but don’t knock it until you try it. Start with a fruity flavor such as mango, blueberry, strawberry, peach, or lemon. For a tried and true recipe check out the Sparkling Balsamic Refresher from the Vintage Olive.
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