Saying thanks is good for your health
People who adopt a grateful outlook in daily life tend to experience fewer stress-related health symptoms, such as chest pains and headaches. They may also be less likely to become depressed, according to research with students at Hofstra University and the University of California at Davis.
Perhaps we should think of Thanksgiving as a practice session for the rest of the year, and not our once-annual counting of blessings-a-thon.
Thanksgiving food is healthy food
Set aside your calorie guides, your 10-ways-to-avoid-winter-weight-gain posts: Thanksgiving food can be good for you. Think about it: antioxidant-rich carrots, sweet potatoes, greens, pumpkin, beans, cranberries, and a helping of lean protein. Is there a meal of the year where we eat more vegetables?
The trick, obviously, is preparing those foods in a healthy way (e.g., homemade, lower-sugar cranberry sauce instead of the jelly from the can; marshmallow-free sweet potato casserole). But even if our Thanksgiving recipes are perhaps more indulgent, it is a great idea to draw from the menu for meal inspiration throughout the year.
From the Wall Street Journal: Why do we get sleepy after a huge meal (medical term: post-prandial somnolence)?
Is it really due to tryptophan? Does it have something to do with blood leaving the brain and heading stomach-ward? What role does evolution play in the process — and can it actually help us build community?
The article is subscriber-only, but you can watch the video, which should fully prepare you to impress/annoy your friends with SCIENCE at your holiday table.
Update your family health tree
If you are spending time with family this Thanksgiving, consider checking in on your family health history. Your family’s health is a major indicator of your own health risks. Here is a beginner’s guide to building a family health history. If you already have a family health history, make sure it’s up-to-date.
Employees are grateful for their benefits — and their wellness programs
Even though employees are paying more for their benefits, they are increasingly grateful for them: a 2011 Mercer survey found that 80% of employees cite their benefits as a reason they work for a company.
What gives?
One key offering more and more employees are taking advantage of is workplace wellness programs. Motivated by the additional costs of their health benefits, nearly a third of employees state they are participating in the programs their employer provide to help them adapt healthier behaviors – a participation uptick from 23 percent a year ago. And nearly twice as many employees are participating in condition management or coaching programs.
News we can all be thankful for.
Have a happy and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving! And thank you.