Would you be interested in a simple practice that research has found to be beneficial for your physical, psychological, and social well-being? What if I told you this practice was free, did not take much time, and could be done in the privacy of your own home?
Some of you may have already guessed that we are talking about creating a Gratitude Practice. A Gratitude Practice is different than having an "attitude of gratitude" or "looking on the bright side of things."
Let's explore the benefits of this practice and how to start one, but first let's talk about why many people cringe at the thought of gratitude!
Why Many People Don't Like Gratitude Practices
With study after study showing the impact that gratitude has on both physical and emotional well-being, implementing a gratitude practice could be in our best interest. While practicing gratitude has many benefits, at times it can feel like we are just being asked to “look on the bright side”.
In truth, gratitude must be held in tension with the reality of life. It is crucial to lean into moments of both gratefulness and suffering.
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A recent survey found that 74 percent of mothers are already looking forward to their kids going back to school less than a month into the summer break. While these moms love their kids, the summer can be an overwhelming time, making the school bus a welcome sight. But going back to school can also be stressful for parents!
It’s a lot of work to make sure that the kids have everything they need to start the year off right. The links below are some resources that can help your family during this exciting, but often stressful time of year.
A Proper Fitting Backpack
Boosting Your Child’s Immune System
Healthy School Lunches
Ordering School Supplies
- Target's School List Assist - Get all your kid's school supplies without any hassle. Simply choose if you want your items delivered to your home or picked up at the store, enter the child’s class information (school and grade), and the supply list will be put in your online shopping cart. (You can remove any items you already have.)
I hope this is a great year for you and your family!
Dr. Jamie
It’s been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Choose a healthy breakfast can get your day started on the track, setting you up for a day of healthy eating and steady energy!
To make sure that your breakfast is giving you what you need, it is a good idea to make sure it includes both enough protein and healthy fat. Below you will find some breakfast recipes that are not only delicious, but healthy as well!
The 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes topped with Fried Apples would make a lovely start to your day. The simple ingredients make it a wholesome option that is complete with protein and healthy fat.
The oatmeal topped with fruit is both pleasing to the eye and the taste buds. Since the recipe includes protein and fat, it will boost your energy and sustain you until lunch.
3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes
Ingredients:
- 1 Banana
- 2 Eggs
- Coconut oil, or butter for cooking (optional)
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Gina Bria was an anthropologist studying how desert cultures survived with very little water when she got a call from her mother’s care facility. She was dismayed to hear that her mother was suffering from chronic dehydration. Bria decided to delve into her research to see if there was anything that she could learn from the desert cultures to help her mom.
Bria learned from her research that the Tarahumara people of Mexico used chia seeds to aid in hydration. Deciding to adapt this practice for her mother, she used her coffee grinder to turn some chia seeds into powder and instructed the caregiver to add it to her mom’s orange juice each morning. That did the trick and her mom did not have any more issues with chronic dehydration!
What Is Gel Water?
In their book Quench, authors Cohen and Bria describe gel water, or living water, as a “newly identified phase of water that’s not quite liquid, vapor, or ice. (It is) identified by an extra hydrogen and oxygen atom, so the molecular structure is H3O2.” Gel water exists in plants and can be found in fruits, vegetables, & seeds.
The Aztecs and Incas are thought to have often subsisted on only chia and cacti, actually going weeks without water. The fact that these plant products are full of gel water is probably the reason they could survive in this way!
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When people come into my office for their first visit, we discuss their current health concerns as well as their medical history. After sharing a list of symptoms which may include body aches, inflammation, skin irritation, digestive issues, or the like, they often explain that they have a certain condition or believe that they have a genetic predisposition towards these symptoms.
While a clear diagnosis can be helpful to understand symptoms and develop a treatment plan, often times these labels lead people to believe that there is little they can do to improve their situation. The same is true when people believe that a symptom “runs in their family.”
There is a certain level of resolution built into these beliefs - like an underlying conviction that there is nothing they can do about the situation. This is especially true when it comes to conditions like diabetes.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or respond to insulin properly, resulting in elevated glucose levels. Instability in blood sugar increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, vision problems, neuropathy, infections, and inflammation.
Diabetes has long been thought of as a chronic, progressive, incurable disease that simply needs to be managed. As Dr. Sarah Hallberg notes, “You get this disease, and there's nothing you can do about it. There’s no going back...that paralyzes people. It takes away their hope, and it takes away their control.”
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