Nutrition Game Changer: Daily Gratitude Practice

A Nutrition Game Changer (NGC) is a food or habit that has made a big impact on the nutritional health of clients I’ve worked with. And, in my life too. Some may call these nutrition hacks. But I'm not a fan of that phrase. Today I’m sharing a habit that isn’t directly nutrition-related. Perhaps you could call it a “life game changer” or “life-hack”.

Now since this habit isn’t a food or drink so you’re likely wondering why I’m sharing it. I’m sharing it because I’ve found it to be a powerful way to improve wellness. To increase joy. To decrease the chronic stress that drives us to eat all that highly processed, sugary, salty food. So I guess in a round-about way it really is a nutrition game changer.

So what’s this powerful habit? It’s having a daily gratitude practice. At the end of each day, simply write down one thing for which you’re grateful. You can do it in a journal or on your phone. I choose to write it on a piece of notepaper and place it in a glass bowl beside my bed. That way I have a visual reminder of all the many good things that I have in my life.

Yes, it’s as simple as that. And yes, this practice can have a powerful impact. I know this because I do it myself. It’s such a small thing, yet it made a huge impact on my mental health when I was at a really low place post-divorce. By naming one thing each day, day after day, I changed my attitude from only seeing everything that I didn’t have (glass half empty), to seeing just how much I did have going for me (glass half full). I became happy. And, my emotional eating decreased.

Since then I’ve added it to the action plans for a lot of clients. Many have told me how much they liked the practice (even those who originally resisted it).

Do you wish you were happier? Looking for a simple way to fit in this mindfulness stuff in your already overly busy life? Want to loosen the grip that emotional eating has on you? Give a daily gratitude practice a try. You may just find it a game changer.

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Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash