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The Proven Health and Well-Being Benefits of Daily Gratitude

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“Research has found that higher gratitude is associated with a better life, indexed as higher positive affect, self-esteem, positive emotions, optimism, autonomy, environmental mastery, relationships, personal growth, meaning in life, and self-acceptance. Gratitude has also been associated better mental health with a positive affect on; depression, anxiety, phobia, bulimia, addictions, negative emotions, dysfunctions, anger, and hostility.”

“Life satisfaction is the cognitive component of subjective well-being and reflects the global evaluation that people make about their satisfaction with their own lives in several domains such as work, marriage, and health. Life satisfaction is associated with a host of positive outcomes, indexed in terms of better mental and physical health, healthier weight and eating behaviors, more exercise, longer life expectancy, higher levels of career satisfaction and higher organizational commitment. It has also been associated with lower addictions and unhealthy habits (e.g., tobacco, drugs, and alcohol use), lower mortality rates, and lower levels of anxiety and depression.”

“Both studies show, for the first time, that gratitude and life satisfaction mutually predict each other over time. The reciprocal relationships suggest the existence of a virtuous circle of human well-being: higher levels of gratitude increase life satisfaction, which in turn increases gratitude, leading to a positive spiral.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Gratitude is a natural, safe anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, anti-resentment, anti-self-pity, anti-pessimism intervention. Gratitude is a natural, safe, health promoting, illness preventing, energy and vitality boosting, optimism boosting, life satisfaction boosting, well-being boosting intervention.

Gratitude is literally a panacea for improving physical and mental health and well-being. Gratitude has only positive side-effects. Gratitude is FREE and it takes MINIMAL EFFORT.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

It’s good to have a daily gratitude routine. Every morning when you open your eyes immediately think of things for which you are grateful – do not get out of bed until you FEEL grateful. Every night when you go to bed think of things for which you are grateful until you FEEL grateful. Practice gratitude at regular intervals during the day.

Reference:

Unanue et al. (2019) The Reciprocal Relationship Between Gratitude and Life Satisfaction: Evidence From Two Longitudinal Field Studies

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High blood pressure? What the research says your options are.

Benefits

High blood pressure? What the research says your options are

Epidemiological and experimental studies indicate that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3 PUFA’s), preferably including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), can have cardiovascular health benefits by reducing modifiable risk factors.

“The optimal intake for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure reductions (mm Hg) was obtained with moderate doses between 2 g/day and 3 g/day.”

“Subgroup studies showed stronger and approximately linear dose-response relationships in hypertensive, hyperlipidemic, and older populations.”

“This dose-response meta-analysis indicates that the optimal combined intake of omega-3 fatty acids for blood pressure reduction is likely between 2 g/day and 3 g/day. Doses of omega-3 fatty acid intake above the recommended 3 g/day may be associated with additional benefits in lowering blood pressure in high-risk groups for cardiovascular diseases.”

“Clinical implications: An optimal dose of omega-3 fatty acids may be necessary for blood pressure control in the general population, but individuals at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases may benefit from higher doses.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients, which means that humans genetically need sufficient intake of these nutrients to promote health and prevent disease. Every cell in every organ in the body requires omega-3 fatty acids for proper structure and function.

Therefore, inadequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids alone is a risk factor for high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, high blood sugar, inflammation, and reduced immunity. These are all primary risk factors for heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, dementia, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and virtually every other chronic disease.

Your body and brain simply cannot function properly without adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids, and inadequate intake is a primary causative factor in nearly every chronic disease.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Prevention is always the best approach. High blood pressure can be caused by various factors such as stress, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, so it’s important to address those measures.

In addition, it is crucial to ensure that you get sufficient omega-3 fatty acids daily. Consuming a variety of omega-3 rich foods like cold-water fatty fish, chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseed, hemp seeds, egg yolks, seaweed, algae, and chlorella can help. However, the easiest, most efficient, and cost-effective way to do this is by supplementing with high-quality fish oil.

We recommend the following product because we know the company checks the source for heavy metals, which is not the case with all omega-3 supplements. You can find it available for purchase online or in-store at Holland & Barrett.

www.arctic-blue.com

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Some simple steps to detoxify your life in The Netherlands.

Benefits

Some Simple Steps to Detoxify Your Life in The Netherlands

Unfortunately, we live in a world where we are constantly exposed to a number of toxins. These toxins build up in our body over time and have been linked to a number of health problems including manipulation of hormones, thyroid disease and even some cancers. While some toxins (the ones we breathe) are unavoidable, there are a number of toxins we can reduce in our everyday life by implementing a few simple changes. Even if you just complete 1 of the steps listed below, you will have created a change that will better your health and wellbeing long-term.

Water

Comparing world-wide water sources, The Netherlands has a good source however, many houses still have lead pipes that leak into the water which has been shown to decrease IQ points in young children amongst other effects on health, the use of medications that go into the sewage system and waterways can end up in our drinking water and usage of other chemicals used to clean the drinking water. Investing in a good quality water filter can help to remove unwanted chemicals and additives from your drinking source. We love the Berkey water filter as it filters the water up to 99.9%. You can also look at reverse osmosis filters that remove all the minerals in water (good and bad) however it is important to find a way to replenish the good minerals.

*Hot tip – This website sometimes has stock product that has a little dent in it and you get it for a discount price: www.alternatievemiddelen.nl

Use a stainless steel water bottle or glass (if you aren’t accident-prone) rather than a plastic bottle at all times to avoid exposure to Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical linked to breast cancer and other health concerns.

Voedsel

Buy organic whenever possible. Ensure you wash and/or peel all conventional fruit and veg to minimize pesticide exposure. Check out our Instagram page here for foods that have higher rates of pesticides and are especially important to buy organic, and the ones that have lower measurements of pesticides that if you can’t buy organic, are a better option. Ekoplaza/Marqt is organic and provides home delivery and Jumbo is getting a higher amount of organic produce every month. The Noordermarkt on a Saturday offers a wide range and Odin is a great Co-op supermarket in Amsterdam. Become a member there and they give you a discount on your shopping plus also offer online ordering for your groceries: www.odin.nl.

Always buy fresh, seasonal vegetables. These have the highest nutrients as they are recently picked.

When buying vegetables and fruit, try to go somewhere that offers the product that hasn’t been wrapped in plastic to avoid any plastic exposure.

Avoid canned foods. Many food and beverage cans are lined with BPA.

Cook using stainless steel fry-pans or cast-iron. Avoid the use of Teflon and other non-stick surfaces. For cooking utensils use either wood or steel, not silicon or plastic as these degrade over time and end up in your food.

Reduce your exposure to foods in plastic containers, choose for glass storage containers instead. Everywhere sells these now from Hema to Blokker.

Home

Switch to natural cleaners for household cleaning whether it be dishwashing tablets, washing detergents or kitchen cleaner as we are also exposed to toxins that way – you cook your food on these surfaces, you sleep in the linen, your children play on the floor.

**Hot tip #2 We buy in large amounts of 5L here: www.biggreensmile.nl

Personal Care

Use an aluminium-free natural deodorant and reduce your use of perfume. When you do use perfume, spray this on your clothes, instead of your skin. For aluminium-free deodorants, you can find these at Ekoplaza/Marqt, Lavendula on the westerstraat and Holland and Barrett.

Choose natural skin products where you can. Personal care products like makeup, lotions, and even baby shampoo may contain chemicals that have been linked to everything from reproductive complications to cancer. Choose natural, clean products that don’t use things like parabens (preservatives) or petroleum-derived ingredients.

Even just one of these changes can make a huge difference in the long run!

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