Embracing Gratitude: A Tool For Personalized Well-being
As the season of reflection and gratitude approaches, it’s time to pause and consider the transformative power of gratitude in our lives – both personally and professionally. The season comes with joy, family, friends, and connection, but it may also come with challenges, like stress and anxiety. Today, we explore how gratitude serves as a tool for wellness and how it can help support personalized nutrition consumers on their health journeys.
What do we know about the benefits of gratitude?
Gratitude is more than a feel-good emotion – it’s a potential wellness enhancer. A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry suggests that gratitude may support longevity. In a cohort of over 49,000 older female nurses from the Nurses' Health Study, the research found that individuals in the highest tertile of gratitude experienced a 9% lower risk of all-cause mortality, compared with those in the lowest tertile. Regarding specific causes of mortality, gratitude was associated with fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD), reinforcing its potential role in promoting a longer, healthier life. This was also supported by an earlier systematic review of 13 studies that found individuals who practiced gratitude experienced improved cardiovascular outcomes (inflammation, blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, heart rate) in healthy individuals and those with CVD, suggesting gratitude may be a tool for prevention.
In a randomized controlled trial, women who completed a gratitude or mindfulness practice at home, 3-4 times a week, improved depression, stress, and happiness outcomes compared to the control group. A comprehensive review of 21 studies supported gratitude’s emotional and physical well-being benefits and its positive impact on brain function. Gratitude practices stimulated brain regions related to emotions, self-perception, cognitive function, social behavior, memory, and altruism.
What is gratitude, and how can we practice it?
Gratitude is “a generalized tendency to recognize and respond with grateful emotion to the roles of other people’s benevolence in the positive experiences and outcomes that one obtains.” Of course, sometimes we don’t experience other people’s “benevolence” but as the Greek philosopher Epictetus wisely said, “We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them”. Cultivating gratitude doesn’t have to be complex. Simple, intentional practices can have profound effects.
These small actions can shift focus toward positivity, strengthen relationships, and foster emotional and physical well-being. It may just bring a few more years to our lives and life to our years.
How can gratitude play a role in personalized nutrition innovation?
In personalized nutrition, gratitude intersects with science, innovation, and human connection. Our research shows that 74% of personalized nutrition consumers ranked emotional and mental health in their top 3 most important elements of their health. Additionally, more than 30% report experiencing anxiety and depression. Including strategies for cultivating gratitude can help support behaviors to improve overall well-being. This is important because personalized nutrition consumers aim for the trifecta of health – physical, mental, and emotional. Gratitude aligns with these priorities, as the evidence above suggests that gratitude positively impacts emotional and physical well-being, which can extend into other areas of life including eating and social behaviors.
This season let’s mobilize our gratitude into action – whether it’s supporting a colleague, rethinking how we engage with consumers, or simply pausing to acknowledge the good in our lives and work. Consider personalized practices toward holistic health including gratitude – your customers will thank you.
At Nlumn, we are giving thanks for the incredible advancements in personalized nutrition, the collaborators who trust and partner with us to move this field forward, and the growing body of research driven by the scientific community that deepens our understanding of human health and well-being. It inspires us to create products and services that resonate deeply with consumers, fostering a healthier, more connected world.