Week # 3 – Vitamin G ~ Get More Of This

First of all, before we dive into “Vitamin G”, last week I laid down what I believe are the 8 Pillars of health. If you missed this, I encourage you to check out that newsletter. 

Secondly, although last week I merely listed the 8 Pillars, be assured that I will unpack each one in the future. 

Thirdly, I chose this Vitamin G topic to write about today especially because of the tragic fires going on in the Los Angeles area, of which the closest one is only about 13 miles from my home. Also, there is plenty of angst regarding the upcoming inauguration. For these and other stresses I encourage you to read on.

Now for Vitamin G
You may be thinking that you have never heard of this supplement before. Calling it a vitamin might be a little gimmicky, but it wasn’t my invention. Health coach and expert Ben Azadi is the one I first heard about this. He says that he considers gratitude so essential to health that it is a necessary supplement. He claims that most of our thoughts today are the same ones we had yesterday and that 80% of them are negative. That statement really got me to thinking how true this is and how much negative thoughts may be holding us back from greater health and happiness.

In a fascinating podcast interview, Azadi and another health coach, Jeremy Abramson, talked about the “Fleas in a Jar” experiment some scientists performed. Some fleas were placed in a small jar, the lid was put on for 3 days, then removed. When the lid was taken off, all of the fleas stayed in the jar, and even their offspring! Azadi and Abramson talked about how lack of gratitude can be the jar we are stuck in needlessly. And it isn’t serving us well.

Numerous studies show that gratitude can:

• Boost the immune system
• Lower inflammation
• Lower pain 
• Increase oxytocin levels
• Increase mental health
• Improve sleep
• Enhance self-esteem 
• Increase heart rate variability
• Plus more

Pretty compelling. And inexpensive. Plus it is even Biblical. It says in I Thessalonians 5:17, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus”.

RX: Practice More Gratitude
This sounds easy enough, but it takes some effort to develop into a habit. Two problems with expressing gratitude is 1) We forget to do it. 2) We are resistant to it, and instead focus on things to complain about. Sometimes the grumbling is not even audible, but in our hearts.

Some people keep a gratitude journal. I currently keep a running list in the back of my planner. I make it a point to think of new things, and not just write down coffee every day.

Because I have known about the benefits of gratitude for some time, I have been practicing more gratefulness/thankfulness for awhile. I try to live throughout the day with an eye looking for things to be thankful and I have gotten better at it, but still a far cry from where I should be. I like to think of gratitude more as a muscle than a vitamin, but either way it  is a great habit to strengthen. 

Applicable Axiom for habit formation: START – BUILD – CONTINUE

Here are 12 gratitude/thankfulness prompts to inspire you:

• Ways your body serves you well
• Your senses
• Your present amount of health
• Family & friends
• Things good about where you live (your home, your block, your city, your state, your country)
• Things good about your job
• Things created that you admire (like mountains, oceans, trees, boulders)
• Creatures (puppies, dolphins, lions, giraffes, kittens, etc.)
• Food (especially coffee!)
• God, the Bible, beautiful hymns & songs
• Music, Colors, Art
• Trials and adversities (yes, even those, because God works all things for our good)

Wonder of Words
I love words and I love it when I discover one that I think I have never actually used.
Last weeks word was beleaguered. I invited readers to share an example using this word. I received two:
Claudia Gilbert said that she heard a reporter on KCAL9 news the very next morning referring to the “beleaguered firefighters” fighting the Pacific Palisades monstrous fire. And from Dr. Ben Griffes ~ “The beleaguered wife was upset to find her husband in a state of dismayed consternation at the apparent lack of any sustenance gracing his dining table upon his arrival home”. I love it! Doesn’t your vocabulary feel healthier now?

Breaking out of my jar,

Vanessa 
www.vanessamarsden.com
Instagram @wellnessadventure_RN
Although I need to post something recent soon on IG.  🙂