Research on Heart Health from Gratitude…..Do you have Baditude or Gooditude?

Paul Mills, a professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, conducted a study on the impact of gratitude on health. He found that the more grateful people were, the healthier they were: less depressed mood, slept better, more energy, lower levels of plaque on the heart, as well as reduced inflammation.

As a senior citizen desiring an Awesome Aging experience, I love teaching empowering lessons to young children. Bringing awareness to their little minds and hearts, their everyday experiences, means they can have more choices in how they live their lives. Gratitude is a heart filler that keeps a positive outlook on life, so why not teach ages 3-6! It is what I call Empowering Superkids – they can be their own heroes and heroines in everyday situations.

And we can EMPOWER SUPERKIDS by teaching them simple, fun ways to focus on gratitude.

BADITUDE AND GOODITUDE….. these words were created this week in a Kindergarten class where I was teaching about GRATITUDE and APPRECIATION – how they keep the heart happy and healthy. The yellow poster with the glowing heart I designed gives a FEELING of what happens to the heart when we are thankful/grateful/appreciatiave.

Baditude – when we do not have a good attitude because we are grumpy and do not find something to feel grateful for. Gooditude (good attitude) happens when we choose to FEEL grateful. Saying ‘thank you’ without heart does not register on the Gooditude Scale. There’s always a choice….and how exciting in my aging process to be inspiring children with this vital information for heart health! I am GRATEFUL to know to do this, to feel passion to do it and helping my own heart in the process.

As published at Ashland Daily Tidings