I listened to a fantastic conversation with a new-to-me acronym that made so much sense, I couldn’t wait to share with you. It’s a beautiful way to remember our daily well-being Rx to make sure we’ve checked all of the boxes for body + mind:

Gratitude

According to research out of UC Davis, people who wrote down 10 things they’re grateful for each week were 25% happier than those who did not. And on that happy note, glass-half-full humans live an average of 10 years longer than pessimists and have a 77% lower risk of heart disease. Gratitude begets happiness, and happiness begets a full, healthy life! And one more fun science tidbit: A recent study by USC confirms that people who practice gratitude on a daily basis benefit from: better sleep, more exercise, reduced symptoms of physical pain, lower levels of inflammation, lower blood pressure, and a host of other things we associate with better health. Yes, please!

Love

Did you know moments of love and connection can help you live longer? A new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that love, both given and received, is now known to be one of the most crucial components associated with a long and healthy life.

Outside

When we get outside first thing in the morning, we reap countless rewards from getting sunlight in our eyes: a boost in mood, setting our circadian rhythm for better sleep, and even improved focus, digestion, and an immunity boost. But of course the benefits don’t stop after noon; spending time outdoors also improves our thinking, reasoning, mental health, and physicality.

Vegetables

One of my favorite experts to follow in terms of eating for healthspan, is Dr. Mark Hyman. This particular post that highlighted the healing compounds in various vegetables was phenomenal. Eating the rainbow helps us to detoxify our cells, reduce inflammation in our bodies, and fight chronic disease!

Exercise

As we age, regular, intentional exercise becomes more important than ever to support our muscles and bones, improve brain health and memory function, plus reduce our risk of developing age-related disease. But let’s not forget the mood-enhancing benefits, the improvement in our sleep quality, and the most natural way to keep anxiety at bay!

Sleep

Of all the wellness protocols I now know and practice, sleep is the biggest, most impactful tool I wish I prioritized sooner. Because when our sleep suffers, so do all of the well-being pillars listed above. We are more irritable when we don’t get enough restorative sleep, which causes us to be more reactive, negative, and make poor well-being decisions throughout the day (sugar cravings and skipped workouts). If you need an incredibly effective tool to prompt your body into a deep-rest state, we do this exercise before bed each night and I 10/10 recommend.

Head this way if you want to listen to the Feel Better, Live More conversation featuring Dr. Gemma Newman. There were several great takeaways when it comes to a more holistic approach to healing body, mind, and spirit. Be well + joyful, kind friend!

xo, kaylea