Be Thankful for the Health Benefits of Gratitude

It’s Thanksgiving long weekend once again, a wonderful time to slow down and share good food with loved ones. It’s also a great time to reflect on what we have to be thankful for. Recent studies have shown that expressing gratitude has several health benefits including:

  • Decreased stress levels
  • Increased feelings of happiness
  • A more positive outlook on life
  • Better ability to cope with difficult times including traumatic experiences
  • Improved immune system function
  • Fewer visits to the doctor
  • An increase in other health-promoting behaviours like exercise and healthy eating

Here are some simple ways you can start expressing gratitude & improve your health this Thanksgiving:

  • Start a gratitude journal: Write 3 things you are thankful for every morning or night for 1 month.
  • Write a thank you note to someone. It could be for something big or small, something recent or from far in the past. Consider mailing it or even hand-delivering it to them with a hug.
  • Share one thing you are thankful for with your significant other, every day.

Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to you & your loved ones,

Odette Bulaong, ND

Is your lipgloss making you sick?

If you suffer from skin, immune-related, reproductive or other hormone-related health conditions there are many nutritional, herbal and lifestyle changes that are helpful to restore your body back to health. One of the important lifestyle changes that often goes overlooked is limiting your exposure to chemicals found in everyday beauty products.

Women in particular can use multiple beauty products on a daily basis. In addition to lip gloss, women often wear foundation or powder, blush, mascara and that is often on top of a moisturizer and other skin care products. Unfortunately, many beauty products contain harmful chemicals that can have a negative impact on our health by:

  • causing allergic reactions (hives, rashes)
  • disrupting hormones (reproductive, stress, thyroid)
  • irritating the skin and worsening conditions (eczema, psoriasis, acne)

The good news is that there are many good quality make-up and skin care products that are formulated to be free of these chemicals. You can learn more about the top 10 most harmful chemicals in beauty products at the Environmental Defence website.

If you are looking to try natural make-up and body care products but don’t know what to start, you’re in luck. The Environmental Defence is hosting a FREE event called “The Just Beautiful Eco-Beauty Event” on April 4th where you can try and buy beauty products that are chemical-free making them healthier for you.

It was a great event last year and I was able to find some fantastic products.

Hope to see you there,

Odette Bulaong, ND