November 25, 2024 • 37 mins
What if you could harness the power of gratitude to transform your health and well-being? Join Dr. Thacker in this Speaking of Women's Health Podcast episode as she shares gratitude's impact on our happiness, optimism and physical health.
We are grateful to Sunflower donors, supporters, and listeners who fuel our mission to spread women's health information worldwide. With #GivingTuesday on the horizon, we explore its role in fostering generosity and community impact.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to the Speaking of Women's Health
podcast.
I'm your host, dr Holly Thacker, the Executive Director of
Speaking of Women's Health, andI am glad to be back in the
Sunflower House for a newepisode, for a new episode.
(00:31):
On this episode, I'm back inthe sunflower house for a little
bit of time to introduce and doa replay from season one,
episode 49, on why showinggratitude is good for your
health.
In this episode, I share waysto show your gratitude for
Thanksgiving it's our biggestthankful holiday and how to reap
(00:55):
the health benefits that comewith gratitude, which include
increased happiness and optimismwhile decreasing the risk of
anxiety and depression.
At Thanksgiving, it's certainlyone of my family traditions to
go around the table and haveeveryone express what they're
(01:17):
happy for, and it could be majorthings, tiny things, funny
things.
It's really a wonderful familytradition and I have so many
things to be thankful for mywonderful staff in the Center
for Specialized Women's Health,my family, my grandson Lincoln
(01:39):
is turning two and having hisbig Thanksgiving birthday party.
I'm thankful for such goodfriends.
In fact, last year's season 51also touched on gratitude and
was about fairy godmothersgiving back to the community, my
(02:02):
dear friend Lisa Margolis, whospends a lot of her time making
wishes come true for ill anddying children and at this time
we think about family.
We're around the table and havediscussions about what's gone
(02:24):
on in the year.
It's a good time to sometimescollect family history because
increasingly there is a lot ofconditions that we can trace and
figure out if you're atincreased risk because you
really know what your biologicalfamily history.
If you haven't listened to someof our podcasts on genetics,
(02:46):
I've got an upcoming one with ageneticist and genetics
counselor on the gene of law andimportant things to know about
legalities in terms of genetictesting.
Genetic testing is reallyexploding.
Genetic testing, Genetictesting is really exploding.
(03:08):
There's more and moreindications for it and it's
different than recreationalgenetic testing, and I certainly
had an interesting discussionwith my son Stetson, who is a
PhD in molecular medicine andcancer genetics, and we'll have
him on the podcast in seasonthree.
He's actually started his ownpodcast Views from Cleve Mandu,
(03:33):
so you'll hear more about that.
So, getting back to why, I wantto reprise the importance of
gratitude in this time and thisseason.
It's because anxiety anddepression are the most common
mental disorder globally andthey can come in different forms
(03:55):
and flavors.
They do share somecommonalities and it's generally
associated with negativethinking patterns.
And if you can start your dayand recognize what you're
grateful for and practicegratitude, it's kind of like
looking at the glass half fullas opposed to half empty.
(04:17):
In a study, one group wroteabout things they were grateful
for that had occurred during theweek, and a second group wrote
about their daily irritations,things that displeased them, and
about a third wrote aboutevents that had affected them,
with really no emphasis oneither being positive or
negative.
And at 10 weeks, those whowrote about gratitude were more
(04:41):
optimistic, felt better abouttheir lives and surprisingly,
they exercised more and hadfewer visits to their healthcare
clinicians than those whofocused on aggravation.
And we've all had thatexperience of being around
someone who is nervous Nelly, ornegative Nancy around someone
(05:04):
who is nervous Nelly or negativeNancy as opposed to someone
who's optimistic Olivia, orhappy Hallie.
I think that's one reason whygrandparents' health has
improved being around theirgrandchildren, because in
general, children are excitedand learning new things and take
(05:24):
pleasure in very simple thingsin life.
So there is a growing body ofresearch on the benefits of
gratitude and studies have foundthat giving thanks and counting
blessings help people sleepbetter, and that's such a common
problem, especially at midlife,and we have really terrific
(05:44):
podcasts dedicated to sleep andsleep better.
That's such a common problem,especially at midlife, and we
have really terrific podcastsdedicated to sleep and sleep
disorders.
People showing gratitude haveless stress and improved
interpersonal relationships,something that everyone should
strive for.
There was a large studyconducted by the Virginia
Commonwealth University thatshowed that thankfulness
(06:05):
predicted lower risk of not justmajor depression and
generalized anxiety disorders,but phobia, nicotine dependence,
alcohol dependence and drugabuse, which is such a
devastating problem.
With a couple hundred thousandAmericans dying every year from
(06:25):
fentanyl overdoses.
It's certainly important toeducate your college-aged and
high school-aged children atthis time when everyone's
sitting around the table, thatif they think they're just
taking a simple pill thatsomeone might give them because
they have a headache or oh, it'sRitalin it will keep you up to
study.
Or, you know, here's somethingfor your migraine headache, it
(06:47):
could be something laced withfentanyl, and there's such
tragic deaths of young people.
Another thing about gratitudeit's something I tried to teach
my children and I'm now teachingmy grandchildren, even if it's
just their coloring a little bitis to write thank you notes and
say something or expresssomething positive about another
(07:13):
person who spent time or energyor expertise or gave a gift,
because that is an excellent,excellent habit.
In fact, one of our guestpodcasters, sylvia Morrison, is
an excellent letter and notewriter and has beautiful
(07:33):
monogrammed notes and for anyoccasion or any event.
She's very good at sendingpersonal notes and in this day
and age where people are onsocial media and they're texting
, emailing electronically,interacting on Instagram and
(07:54):
sending little notes, that'scertainly a social connection,
but I think the old fashionedthank you notes and letter
writing is a good thing.
So if you're grateful for whatyou hear on this podcast or
through all of our social mediachannels of Speaking of Women's
Health or our columns on ourspeakingofwomenshealthcom
(08:18):
website, if you'd be so inclinedand would like to make a
monetary donation to ournonprofit Speaking of Women's
Health in honor of upcomingGiving Tuesday, we would
certainly appreciate this.
You can be an anonymous donor.
You can do it through ourwebsite.
We'd be happy to list your nameif you want us to.
(08:39):
We have a Sunflower Donor Club.
Many of my patients and friendshave donated $1,000 or more to
be in this special club, whichgives some access to our
wonderful lead nurse, alexandriaDe Los Santos Brown, who also
(09:00):
helps coordinate our custom fitconcierge program.
So this year, giving Tuesday isactually Tuesday, december 3rd,
and it's a global day that isfueled by the power of social
media and collaboration and itharnesses the potential of
social media and the generosityof people around the world to
(09:24):
bring about real change in theircommunities, about real change
in their communities.
And I can tell you, if itwasn't for our donors including
the fabulous Diane Dunkelman,who is our creative strategist
and she's the founder ofSpeaking of Women's Health who
gifted the program to us and whonow is very involved in running
(09:48):
Clever Crazes for Children, anonprofit organization to
empower and educate children,our most precious future.
And this inaugural year ofGiving Tuesday started back in
2012, and it's become quite amovement that celebrates and
(10:13):
supports giving and philanthropy, with events throughout the
year, and in the past I've hadadministrators of our Center for
Specialized Women's Health docolumns on Giving Tuesday.
I've been thankful for severalof my graduates who have donated
to the program, which includedtheir education.
(10:35):
In fact, I just gave a lectureto physicians around the country
on women's health education andspecialty women's health and
menopausal education.
Basic consultations versus morecomplex consultations.
The history of the 27-yearfellowship that I've directed,
(10:55):
as well as other informationabout our women's health
educational programs and thatlecture, if you're interested in
viewing it.
We have a lot of our candidateswho are now in interview season
interviewing for futurepositions for our fellowship.
Watch that lecture.
(11:16):
We have a link for lectures andhealth information for
physicians on thespeakingofwomenshealthcom site
and you certainly don't have tobe a physician or a nurse
practitioner to listen to any ofthese.
If you want to donate toSpeaking of Women's Health, our
nonprofit, you can click donateright at the top of the site.
(11:39):
All of our content iscompletely free.
Nothing is paywalled, and so wereally appreciate you donating
and your support will help us tocontinue to provide free,
empowering women's healtheducation nationwide.
You can tell us who you'rethankful for when you make this
(11:59):
tax deductible donation, andyour donation could be in that
person's honor.
Might be a nice gift for theholidays and in general.
When someone supports a goodcause, it usually makes you feel
good, and by donating to ournonprofit, speaking of Women's
(12:23):
Health, you will be helping tomaintain our mission to help
women and their families bestrong, be healthy and be in
charge.
Women and their families bestrong, be healthy and be in
charge.
Now, in last year's episode,which you're going to hear in
just a few minutes, I shared aThanksgiving turkey recipe with
you from our founder, dianeDunkelman, and if you visit our
speakingofwomenshealthcom site,you'll find even more wonderful
(12:45):
recipes to make and share thisThanksgiving.
Some of my favorites arepumpkin mousse with granola,
sweet potato casserole withpraline topping, butter, pecan
roasted sweet potatoes, yamcornbread stuffing, colorful
(13:06):
mashed potatoes and crescentrolls.
So, without further ado anddelay, here is last season's
episode why Showing Gratitude isGood for your Health.
From my family and my wonderfulteam at Speaking of Women's
(13:27):
Health to your family, I wishyou a wonderful Thanksgiving
holiday filled with gratitudeand joy.
Welcome to the Speaking ofWomen's Health podcast.
(13:47):
I am your host, dr HollyThacker, and I am so glad to be
back in the Sunflower House withyou on this special podcast
Thanksgiving edition.
We're going to be talking aboutThanksgiving and gratitude, as
(14:08):
well as tips to staying healthynow that we're full blown into
the holiday season.
This is a really special dayfor me and my family because
exactly one year ago, mygrandson, lincoln Thomas Thacker
, was born, and it was PresidentLincoln that set forth the
(14:30):
proclamation for Americans tocelebrate officially
Thanksgiving, and so it's soexciting seeing him and his
whole first year of life, andI'd really like to dedicate
today's podcast to our sunflowerdonors.
You are the ones that make thisnonprofit of women's health.
(14:55):
Be strong, be healthy and be incharge getting information out
to hundreds of thousands ofwomen around the world.
All you need is an internetconnection and you can get the
most up to date women's healthinformation.
So I am so um have so muchgratitude in my heart for the
(15:19):
donors, and you can go on ourspeakingofwomenshealthcom site
and look at our Sunflower donors.
Many of them are anonymous andeach and every one of you is so
important.
So, as we're getting towardsthe end of 2023, which is the
year that we started thispodcast in the late winter I
(15:42):
think we have so much to bethankful for.
So this is a good time to lookback on our major
accomplishments and thenrecognize all the people that
have supported us and ourmission throughout the year.
So, as I mentioned, we're sothankful for our national
supporters.
Like Clever Crazes for Kids,it's a wonderful nonprofit that
(16:05):
advances children's health, andwe're grateful for each and one
of you, our listeners, for eachand one of you, our listeners
and everyone who reads ourcolumns, visits our sites,
downloads our free treatmentguidebooks, interacts with all
of our social media.
We have women's health eventsand news and contents and more.
(16:33):
So we do work really hard yearround to bring you the latest in
women's health, so I hope youtake advantage of all of our
online content and if you're notalready subscribed to our free
e-newsletter, please go tospeakingwomenshealthcom click at
the top of the site.
We have a monthly newsletterand health tips, and we include
information on healthy living,healthy recipes and more.
(16:56):
If you're on Facebook Xformerly known as Twitter
Instagram, linkedin, pinterestand please go visit our new
Rumble channel.
It's Speaking of Women's Healthand you can watch these podcasts
, especially when I'minterviewing people Like I
(17:17):
interviewed the founder ofSpeaking of Women's Health and
our chief creative strategist,diane Dunkelman, and it's just
fun to kind of see the give andtake with some of the people
that I have the wonderfulopportunity to interview.
It's just fun to kind of seethe give and take with some of
the people that I have thewonderful opportunity to
interview.
I'm also very grateful for ourSpeaking of Women's Health
(17:44):
contractors, our executiveproducer and community media
manager, lee Klecker, who's alsoguest podcasting is just a gem.
And Jonathan, who is behind thescenes the tech guy oh he is
just fabulous and the whole teamat our Center for Specialized
(18:07):
Women's Health.
We have the best nurses andassistants and physicians and
APPs and administrativeassistants.
It's just a wonderfulenvironment and for those of you
who are listeners who alsohappen to be patients at our
Center for Specialized Women'sHealth, you know exactly what
I'm talking about.
I'm also very, very gratefulfor my current and my past
(18:35):
graduates.
Even though I never gave birthto a daughter, I have three sons
, adults, two of whom arefathers, including Lincoln's
father.
I feel like I have so manydaughters and so many graduates
keep in contact and many of themare involved in teaching and
(18:55):
educating women.
Many of them have their ownexciting social media channels
and are also participating invery important continuing
medical education of physiciansand APPs.
I'm also grateful for our guestpodcaster and good friend,
sylvia Morrison.
(19:15):
Her favorite holiday of theyear is Thanksgiving and she
worked as a chief marketingexecutive and really helped
Speaking of Women's Health getoff the ground.
She got our first big event onthe main campus I think it was
(19:39):
in 2004.
So she's been with the programfor a long time and even though
she's now enjoying a very welldeserved retirement and she's
got great tips on enjoying yourretirement she's doing some
guest podcasting for us.
So Giving Tuesday this year isNovember 28th.
If you haven't heard of GivingTuesday.
It's kind of a global day ofgiving that's fueled by the
(20:02):
power of social media andcollaboration and cooperation,
so it kind of harnesses thepotential of social media and
the generosity of people aroundthe world to bring real change
in their communities.
It's usually celebrated on theTuesday following Thanksgiving
because we've kind of recoveredfrom the tryptophan haze of that
(20:25):
great turkey, and it typicallykicks off the charitable season
when many people focus on theirholiday and their end of year
giving.
And since its inaugural year in2012, giving Tuesdays become a
big movement that celebrates andsupports giving and
philanthropy events throughoutthe year.
(20:48):
Several years ago I started witha letter thanking my patients,
telling them how grateful I wasfor them and the nonprofit
Speaking of Women's Health andeven though I appreciate cards
and letters and people will sendme pictures of their family and
some people will deliver, youknow, homemade baked treats for
my staff or sometimes send foodor gifts.
(21:11):
What I've asked from mygrateful patients and supporters
, save all that great stuff foryour family.
And if you're able to considersupporting Speaking of Women's
Health on Giving Tuesday, thatwould mean so much.
And any amount, the smallestamount to larger amounts, I can
(21:33):
guarantee you will be well usedand only utilized for advancing
this nonprofit to empower womento be strong, be healthy and be
in charge, and there's a lot ofdifferent ways you can do it.
The easiest way, probably, isjust going on the Speaking of
Women's Health site and justclick that donate button.
(21:59):
All of our content is free toeveryone, so we really
appreciate you donating to thenonprofit.
It also serves as a vehicle notonly to educate women but to
educate healthcare clinicians,and so your support will help us
continue to provide free healtheducation nationwide.
You can also tell us who you'rethankful for when you make your
(22:20):
tax-deductible donation toSpeaky on Women's Health, and
your donation will be in thatperson's honor or cause, and I
think supporting a good cause,it makes us feel good and your
donation will be in thatperson's honor or cause, and I
think supporting a good cause,it makes us feel good, and by
donating to Speaking of Women'sHealth, you'll help us maintain
our mission to help women andtheir entire families.
(22:49):
In addition to just charities,volunteering is another
wonderful way to give back and Ithink finding either a charity
or an organization or even somesocial or community or local
event that you're passionateabout and getting involved and
just thinking outside yourselfand helping others can make you
feel so much better aboutyourself and life.
So that brings me to gratitude.
(23:10):
Most people are so busy andworking so hard and I find
myself sometimes getting caughtup in just the business of life
running a home.
But I encourage all of us totake some time to enjoy, over
the holidays, our families andfriends and to separate
(23:31):
ourselves from chores and workand especially separate
ourselves from all thoseelectronic devices.
I think it's a really goodhabit to just turn off your
phone and just engage withothers.
I mean, my rule at the dinnertable and it's not only the
Thanksgiving dinner table is toturn off that phone.
Not only the Thanksgivingdinner table is to turn off that
(23:53):
phone.
And in my family what we do onevery Thanksgiving is we go
around the table and we justtell everyone what we're
thankful for.
It doesn't have to be anythingbig, it could be something small
, it could be something major,and I think to tell people that
you care about, that you'regrateful to have them in your
life, is important, and one ofthe benefits of being grateful
(24:16):
is grateful people are happypeople, and this was one of the
top findings of the HarvardAdult Development Study, which
is one of the longest runningstudies on happiness and health
in the world, spanning a centuryand a couple generations of
Americans.
So grateful people live longerand they tend to be healthier
(24:37):
overall.
So everyone should learn how topractice gratitude, and I mean
sincere gratitude.
I mean you all know thosepeople maybe potentially
co-workers at some locations whojust go through and mouth the
words.
It's very important to behonest and sincere because we
(24:59):
can tell, people can tell, and Ithink telling yourself, as well
as saying out loud what you'regrateful for, is helpful.
Some people like to journal andwrite things down in a daily
journal or even just to writethank you notes.
I think that's a lost art.
I love to write personalizednotes, even though my
(25:20):
handwriting is like atrociousphysician's handwriting, and
that's one thing I taught mysons to do.
And writing out a note asopposed to just a quick text um,
I think is is is moremeaningful.
Um, maybe I'm showing my oldfashionedness, but, and sharing
(25:41):
your gratitude and happinesswith others, like saying thank
you to a stranger, um, peoplewho who um are pleasant and
engaging, generally report morehappiness.
Now, sometimes, I know,situations can be extremely
difficult and challengingyourself.
To be grateful in difficultcircumstances can sometimes be
(26:03):
hard, but usually, no matter howdifficult something is, you can
find something small to begrateful for, and I think doing
this can help cope and deal withreally hard situations.
Now, in addition to Thanksgivingand Turkey Day and we have some
(26:25):
good turkey recipes that we'lltalk about this time of year
marks the beginning of a lot ofholidays and celebrations.
It's the beginning of Hanukkah,the Festival of Lights and the
Feast of Dedication that lastsfor eight days and nights.
It's also the beginning of theholiday season, with Christmas
(26:45):
just barely a month away, andthe last several weeks of the
year mark such greatcelebrations.
I'm really looking forward togoing on our Polar Express trip
the book the Polar Express aboutbelieving and being able to
hear the Christmas bell.
(27:06):
I shared that with my childrenand my youngest son, grayson.
We took him and the older boysand when Santa came through and
and said what do you want forChristmas young boy, a Batman
watch.
So this year we're takingthree-year-old Artemis and her
(27:27):
best friend Josephina.
And's going to be so much funto see the joy in their face and
just the excitement and theanticipation and, of course, the
meaning behind celebrating theholiday.
And I think that family rituals,faith, spirituality all of
(27:50):
those things do promote healthand wellness.
Superficial aspects, and theparties and buying gifts and
(28:14):
rushing out on the day afterThanksgiving, stampeding to get
the latest you know toy orobject that's probably going to
be discarded before you know it.
So I think, giving thanks forour many blessings, celebrating
important traditions, findingout what other people do,
because people celebratedifferent family traditions,
(28:36):
have different faiths, differentactivities.
It's also a great time to reachout to loved ones and others in
the community, as well as visitplaces of worship.
But we all know that theholidays can also be a time for
stress time, crunches,overeating all the party food
and overspending.
(28:58):
And it's very important tobudget.
It's very important to keepregular schedules, regular sleep
cycles.
So here's some tips we're goingto go over about how you can
stay healthy and happy and stillmake the most of your holiday
season.
So remember the reason for theseason, faith, family, country
(29:23):
and just simple reaffirmation ofour love for our family and
friends.
It makes up the heart and soulof our holiday celebrations.
And don't overeat and regretwhat you've eaten.
Just take time to taste somefood, savor it, sample,
(29:43):
especially with the heavy foodsand the desserts.
I always say that you know, aswe get older, we've kind of had
a lot of desserts in our lifeand kind of it's time to outgrow
them.
Maybe just take a little pieceand save some or share some.
And it's always nice to havegood leftovers later.
And I think putting down yourfork and engaging in
(30:06):
conversation is very importantControlling your portion.
Intake smaller plates I havesome very fun little tiny plates
for the holidays and alwaysavoid extreme hunger and thirst.
It's always good to drink somewater before you eat or go to a
party.
Maybe have a high-protein snack.
(30:30):
Now some people find foodconfessions writing down
everything they eat helpful.
Our guest podcaster, sylvia,does that.
I certainly I could write in adaily journal, but I can't.
I can't do that.
So what works for one persondoesn't necessarily work for
another.
Regarding spending, please staywithin your budget.
(30:52):
It's really time and attentionand making memories and
recalling and rememberingcherished family memories that
really make the holidays sospecial, not the material
aspects Keeping to routines, notjust small children, but older
children and older people too.
(31:14):
We all need sleep and exercise,staying on your prescribed
supplements or medications andavoiding excessive alcohol,
caffeine, sugar, processed fats,high salt food, sugar processed
fats, high salt food, the seedoils.
Regular exercise.
(31:34):
If you want glowing skin forthe holidays, you've got to get
your heart rate up and buildsome muscle with both aerobic
and strength training activities, and we've got some good
information on our website andpodcast on exercise for many
different people, ages andconditions.
Practice saying no.
I don't think women in generalare as good at that.
(31:57):
Saying no to non-essentials,pacing yourself and just realize
that you can't fit in.
All parties, events,volunteering, hosting, making
homemade cookies volunteeringhosting, making homemade cookies
.
My girlfriend and our guestpodcaster, sylvia she gave me a
really wonderful gift, which wasa small little plate with a
(32:19):
bubbly, smiling woman say pleasestop me before I volunteer
again.
And every time Artemis is at myhouse and she sees that, she
points to it and she's likethat's my mommy.
She thinks it's her motherbecause there's pictures, of
course, of her family and allthe family members at my house
Getting together.
Even though it's a happy time,sometimes you might not have as
(32:43):
much time to spend with farawayrelatives, and asking family
members blood relatives abouttheir medical history can be an
opportune time to politely askabout medical histories because
they can be very important andhelpful to your health care team
.
If you're someone who suffersfrom holiday blues or seasonal
(33:07):
affective disorder, or if youfeel depressed during the winter
holidays, it's very importantto seek help.
Certainly, healthy eating,exercise and bright light.
Some nutritional supplementsand boosting vitamin D can go a
long way, and some people doneed more intensive treatments,
(33:29):
and don't be afraid to ask forhelp.
So we have some wonderfulrecipes on our site and one of
them is by our founder, lady DiDiane Dunkelman, her favorite
Thanksgiving turkey recipe, andshe gives the different cooking
(33:50):
times, whether it's an eightpound turkey all the way up to a
24 pound turkey, preheating theoven to 450 degrees, removing
those giblets in the neck andthen rinsing that turkey and
patting it dry and rubbing theskin of the turkey with olive
oil and the skin of the turkeywith olive oil.
(34:11):
Olive oil is so heart healthy.
If you haven't listened to myOmega-3 and olive oil podcast,
that would be a good one tolisten to.
And then she recommends stuffingthe cavity with a heel of bread
, some celery stalks, a wholeonion peeled and an apple, and
(34:35):
fresh sage or rosemary are greatherbs to use.
And then wrap the turkey inheavy foil two ways, scrunch it
but not airtight, and then placeit in a roasting pan about two
inches deep and cook it at 450degrees, according to size,
until the meat thermometer readsabout 180 to 185 degrees.
Open the foil to brown for thelast 40 minutes and for easy
(34:58):
slicing, cover it with foil andlet it stand after removing it
from the oven for 15 minutes.
So we've had lots of turkeystories in my family, from the
time that we smoked out thehouse, to the one year that the
turkey was undercooked and wegot food poisoning, to last
(35:24):
year's Thanksgiving that we hadin a Cincinnati hospital.
We had in a Cincinnati hospitaland it kind of changed our
plans because Lincoln came alittle bit early, but it was so,
so exciting.
So, from my family to yours andfrom our wonderful team at
Speaking of Women's Health andthe Center for Specialized
(35:46):
Women's Health, may you enjoygood tidings and great joy with
your loved ones, and I just wantto again share my gratitude
with you, our listeners, and Ihope that you, if you don't
already subscribe to Speaking ofWomen's Health, hit the follow
(36:11):
or subscribe button on yourpodcast app and give us a
five-star rating and if you'reso inclined to make a donation
this holiday season or GivingTuesday, you can go to
speakingofwomenshealthcom, and Ihope that you'll join me again
back in the Sunflower House.
Welcome to the Speaking of Women's Health
podcast.
I'm your host, dr Holly Thacker, the Executive Director of
Speaking of Women's Health, andI am glad to be back in the
Sunflower House for a newepisode, for a new episode.
(00:31):
On this episode, I'm back inthe sunflower house for a little
bit of time to introduce and doa replay from season one,
episode 49, on why showinggratitude is good for your
health.
In this episode, I share waysto show your gratitude for
Thanksgiving it's our biggestthankful holiday and how to reap
(00:55):
the health benefits that comewith gratitude, which include
increased happiness and optimismwhile decreasing the risk of
anxiety and depression.
At Thanksgiving, it's certainlyone of my family traditions to
go around the table and haveeveryone express what they're
(01:17):
happy for, and it could be majorthings, tiny things, funny
things.
It's really a wonderful familytradition and I have so many
things to be thankful for mywonderful staff in the Center
for Specialized Women's Health,my family, my grandson Lincoln
(01:39):
is turning two and having hisbig Thanksgiving birthday party.
I'm thankful for such goodfriends.
In fact, last year's season 51also touched on gratitude and
was about fairy godmothersgiving back to the community, my
(02:02):
dear friend Lisa Margolis, whospends a lot of her time making
wishes come true for ill anddying children and at this time
we think about family.
We're around the table and havediscussions about what's gone
(02:24):
on in the year.
It's a good time to sometimescollect family history because
increasingly there is a lot ofconditions that we can trace and
figure out if you're atincreased risk because you
really know what your biologicalfamily history.
If you haven't listened to someof our podcasts on genetics,
(02:46):
I've got an upcoming one with ageneticist and genetics
counselor on the gene of law andimportant things to know about
legalities in terms of genetictesting.
Genetic testing is reallyexploding.
Genetic testing, Genetictesting is really exploding.
(03:08):
There's more and moreindications for it and it's
different than recreationalgenetic testing, and I certainly
had an interesting discussionwith my son Stetson, who is a
PhD in molecular medicine andcancer genetics, and we'll have
him on the podcast in seasonthree.
He's actually started his ownpodcast Views from Cleve Mandu,
(03:33):
so you'll hear more about that.
So, getting back to why, I wantto reprise the importance of
gratitude in this time and thisseason.
It's because anxiety anddepression are the most common
mental disorder globally andthey can come in different forms
(03:55):
and flavors.
They do share somecommonalities and it's generally
associated with negativethinking patterns.
And if you can start your dayand recognize what you're
grateful for and practicegratitude, it's kind of like
looking at the glass half fullas opposed to half empty.
(04:17):
In a study, one group wroteabout things they were grateful
for that had occurred during theweek, and a second group wrote
about their daily irritations,things that displeased them, and
about a third wrote aboutevents that had affected them,
with really no emphasis oneither being positive or
negative.
And at 10 weeks, those whowrote about gratitude were more
(04:41):
optimistic, felt better abouttheir lives and surprisingly,
they exercised more and hadfewer visits to their healthcare
clinicians than those whofocused on aggravation.
And we've all had thatexperience of being around
someone who is nervous Nelly, ornegative Nancy around someone
(05:04):
who is nervous Nelly or negativeNancy as opposed to someone
who's optimistic Olivia, orhappy Hallie.
I think that's one reason whygrandparents' health has
improved being around theirgrandchildren, because in
general, children are excitedand learning new things and take
(05:24):
pleasure in very simple thingsin life.
So there is a growing body ofresearch on the benefits of
gratitude and studies have foundthat giving thanks and counting
blessings help people sleepbetter, and that's such a common
problem, especially at midlife,and we have really terrific
(05:44):
podcasts dedicated to sleep andsleep better.
That's such a common problem,especially at midlife, and we
have really terrific podcastsdedicated to sleep and sleep
disorders.
People showing gratitude haveless stress and improved
interpersonal relationships,something that everyone should
strive for.
There was a large studyconducted by the Virginia
Commonwealth University thatshowed that thankfulness
(06:05):
predicted lower risk of not justmajor depression and
generalized anxiety disorders,but phobia, nicotine dependence,
alcohol dependence and drugabuse, which is such a
devastating problem.
With a couple hundred thousandAmericans dying every year from
(06:25):
fentanyl overdoses.
It's certainly important toeducate your college-aged and
high school-aged children atthis time when everyone's
sitting around the table, thatif they think they're just
taking a simple pill thatsomeone might give them because
they have a headache or oh, it'sRitalin it will keep you up to
study.
Or, you know, here's somethingfor your migraine headache, it
(06:47):
could be something laced withfentanyl, and there's such
tragic deaths of young people.
Another thing about gratitudeit's something I tried to teach
my children and I'm now teachingmy grandchildren, even if it's
just their coloring a little bitis to write thank you notes and
say something or expresssomething positive about another
(07:13):
person who spent time or energyor expertise or gave a gift,
because that is an excellent,excellent habit.
In fact, one of our guestpodcasters, sylvia Morrison, is
an excellent letter and notewriter and has beautiful
(07:33):
monogrammed notes and for anyoccasion or any event.
She's very good at sendingpersonal notes and in this day
and age where people are onsocial media and they're texting
, emailing electronically,interacting on Instagram and
(07:54):
sending little notes, that'scertainly a social connection,
but I think the old fashionedthank you notes and letter
writing is a good thing.
So if you're grateful for whatyou hear on this podcast or
through all of our social mediachannels of Speaking of Women's
Health or our columns on ourspeakingofwomenshealthcom
(08:18):
website, if you'd be so inclinedand would like to make a
monetary donation to ournonprofit Speaking of Women's
Health in honor of upcomingGiving Tuesday, we would
certainly appreciate this.
You can be an anonymous donor.
You can do it through ourwebsite.
We'd be happy to list your nameif you want us to.
(08:39):
We have a Sunflower Donor Club.
Many of my patients and friendshave donated $1,000 or more to
be in this special club, whichgives some access to our
wonderful lead nurse, alexandriaDe Los Santos Brown, who also
(09:00):
helps coordinate our custom fitconcierge program.
So this year, giving Tuesday isactually Tuesday, december 3rd,
and it's a global day that isfueled by the power of social
media and collaboration and itharnesses the potential of
social media and the generosityof people around the world to
(09:24):
bring about real change in theircommunities, about real change
in their communities.
And I can tell you, if itwasn't for our donors including
the fabulous Diane Dunkelman,who is our creative strategist
and she's the founder ofSpeaking of Women's Health who
gifted the program to us and whonow is very involved in running
(09:48):
Clever Crazes for Children, anonprofit organization to
empower and educate children,our most precious future.
And this inaugural year ofGiving Tuesday started back in
2012, and it's become quite amovement that celebrates and
(10:13):
supports giving and philanthropy, with events throughout the
year, and in the past I've hadadministrators of our Center for
Specialized Women's Health docolumns on Giving Tuesday.
I've been thankful for severalof my graduates who have donated
to the program, which includedtheir education.
(10:35):
In fact, I just gave a lectureto physicians around the country
on women's health education andspecialty women's health and
menopausal education.
Basic consultations versus morecomplex consultations.
The history of the 27-yearfellowship that I've directed,
(10:55):
as well as other informationabout our women's health
educational programs and thatlecture, if you're interested in
viewing it.
We have a lot of our candidateswho are now in interview season
interviewing for futurepositions for our fellowship.
Watch that lecture.
(11:16):
We have a link for lectures andhealth information for
physicians on thespeakingofwomenshealthcom site
and you certainly don't have tobe a physician or a nurse
practitioner to listen to any ofthese.
If you want to donate toSpeaking of Women's Health, our
nonprofit, you can click donateright at the top of the site.
(11:39):
All of our content iscompletely free.
Nothing is paywalled, and so wereally appreciate you donating
and your support will help us tocontinue to provide free,
empowering women's healtheducation nationwide.
You can tell us who you'rethankful for when you make this
(11:59):
tax deductible donation, andyour donation could be in that
person's honor.
Might be a nice gift for theholidays and in general.
When someone supports a goodcause, it usually makes you feel
good, and by donating to ournonprofit, speaking of Women's
(12:23):
Health, you will be helping tomaintain our mission to help
women and their families bestrong, be healthy and be in
charge.
Women and their families bestrong, be healthy and be in
charge.
Now, in last year's episode,which you're going to hear in
just a few minutes, I shared aThanksgiving turkey recipe with
you from our founder, dianeDunkelman, and if you visit our
speakingofwomenshealthcom site,you'll find even more wonderful
(12:45):
recipes to make and share thisThanksgiving.
Some of my favorites arepumpkin mousse with granola,
sweet potato casserole withpraline topping, butter, pecan
roasted sweet potatoes, yamcornbread stuffing, colorful
(13:06):
mashed potatoes and crescentrolls.
So, without further ado anddelay, here is last season's
episode why Showing Gratitude isGood for your Health.
From my family and my wonderfulteam at Speaking of Women's
(13:27):
Health to your family, I wishyou a wonderful Thanksgiving
holiday filled with gratitudeand joy.
Welcome to the Speaking ofWomen's Health podcast.
(13:47):
I am your host, dr HollyThacker, and I am so glad to be
back in the Sunflower House withyou on this special podcast
Thanksgiving edition.
We're going to be talking aboutThanksgiving and gratitude, as
(14:08):
well as tips to staying healthynow that we're full blown into
the holiday season.
This is a really special dayfor me and my family because
exactly one year ago, mygrandson, lincoln Thomas Thacker
, was born, and it was PresidentLincoln that set forth the
(14:30):
proclamation for Americans tocelebrate officially
Thanksgiving, and so it's soexciting seeing him and his
whole first year of life, andI'd really like to dedicate
today's podcast to our sunflowerdonors.
You are the ones that make thisnonprofit of women's health.
(14:55):
Be strong, be healthy and be incharge getting information out
to hundreds of thousands ofwomen around the world.
All you need is an internetconnection and you can get the
most up to date women's healthinformation.
So I am so um have so muchgratitude in my heart for the
(15:19):
donors, and you can go on ourspeakingofwomenshealthcom site
and look at our Sunflower donors.
Many of them are anonymous andeach and every one of you is so
important.
So, as we're getting towardsthe end of 2023, which is the
year that we started thispodcast in the late winter I
(15:42):
think we have so much to bethankful for.
So this is a good time to lookback on our major
accomplishments and thenrecognize all the people that
have supported us and ourmission throughout the year.
So, as I mentioned, we're sothankful for our national
supporters.
Like Clever Crazes for Kids,it's a wonderful nonprofit that
(16:05):
advances children's health, andwe're grateful for each and one
of you, our listeners, for eachand one of you, our listeners
and everyone who reads ourcolumns, visits our sites,
downloads our free treatmentguidebooks, interacts with all
of our social media.
We have women's health eventsand news and contents and more.
(16:33):
So we do work really hard yearround to bring you the latest in
women's health, so I hope youtake advantage of all of our
online content and if you're notalready subscribed to our free
e-newsletter, please go tospeakingwomenshealthcom click at
the top of the site.
We have a monthly newsletterand health tips, and we include
information on healthy living,healthy recipes and more.
(16:56):
If you're on Facebook Xformerly known as Twitter
Instagram, linkedin, pinterestand please go visit our new
Rumble channel.
It's Speaking of Women's Healthand you can watch these podcasts
, especially when I'minterviewing people Like I
(17:17):
interviewed the founder ofSpeaking of Women's Health and
our chief creative strategist,diane Dunkelman, and it's just
fun to kind of see the give andtake with some of the people
that I have the wonderfulopportunity to interview.
It's just fun to kind of seethe give and take with some of
the people that I have thewonderful opportunity to
interview.
I'm also very grateful for ourSpeaking of Women's Health
(17:44):
contractors, our executiveproducer and community media
manager, lee Klecker, who's alsoguest podcasting is just a gem.
And Jonathan, who is behind thescenes the tech guy oh he is
just fabulous and the whole teamat our Center for Specialized
(18:07):
Women's Health.
We have the best nurses andassistants and physicians and
APPs and administrativeassistants.
It's just a wonderfulenvironment and for those of you
who are listeners who alsohappen to be patients at our
Center for Specialized Women'sHealth, you know exactly what
I'm talking about.
I'm also very, very gratefulfor my current and my past
(18:35):
graduates.
Even though I never gave birthto a daughter, I have three sons
, adults, two of whom arefathers, including Lincoln's
father.
I feel like I have so manydaughters and so many graduates
keep in contact and many of themare involved in teaching and
(18:55):
educating women.
Many of them have their ownexciting social media channels
and are also participating invery important continuing
medical education of physiciansand APPs.
I'm also grateful for our guestpodcaster and good friend,
sylvia Morrison.
(19:15):
Her favorite holiday of theyear is Thanksgiving and she
worked as a chief marketingexecutive and really helped
Speaking of Women's Health getoff the ground.
She got our first big event onthe main campus I think it was
(19:39):
in 2004.
So she's been with the programfor a long time and even though
she's now enjoying a very welldeserved retirement and she's
got great tips on enjoying yourretirement she's doing some
guest podcasting for us.
So Giving Tuesday this year isNovember 28th.
If you haven't heard of GivingTuesday.
It's kind of a global day ofgiving that's fueled by the
(20:02):
power of social media andcollaboration and cooperation,
so it kind of harnesses thepotential of social media and
the generosity of people aroundthe world to bring real change
in their communities.
It's usually celebrated on theTuesday following Thanksgiving
because we've kind of recoveredfrom the tryptophan haze of that
(20:25):
great turkey, and it typicallykicks off the charitable season
when many people focus on theirholiday and their end of year
giving.
And since its inaugural year in2012, giving Tuesdays become a
big movement that celebrates andsupports giving and
philanthropy events throughoutthe year.
(20:48):
Several years ago I started witha letter thanking my patients,
telling them how grateful I wasfor them and the nonprofit
Speaking of Women's Health andeven though I appreciate cards
and letters and people will sendme pictures of their family and
some people will deliver, youknow, homemade baked treats for
my staff or sometimes send foodor gifts.
(21:11):
What I've asked from mygrateful patients and supporters
, save all that great stuff foryour family.
And if you're able to considersupporting Speaking of Women's
Health on Giving Tuesday, thatwould mean so much.
And any amount, the smallestamount to larger amounts, I can
(21:33):
guarantee you will be well usedand only utilized for advancing
this nonprofit to empower womento be strong, be healthy and be
in charge, and there's a lot ofdifferent ways you can do it.
The easiest way, probably, isjust going on the Speaking of
Women's Health site and justclick that donate button.
(21:59):
All of our content is free toeveryone, so we really
appreciate you donating to thenonprofit.
It also serves as a vehicle notonly to educate women but to
educate healthcare clinicians,and so your support will help us
continue to provide free healtheducation nationwide.
You can also tell us who you'rethankful for when you make your
(22:20):
tax-deductible donation toSpeaky on Women's Health, and
your donation will be in thatperson's honor or cause, and I
think supporting a good cause,it makes us feel good and your
donation will be in thatperson's honor or cause, and I
think supporting a good cause,it makes us feel good, and by
donating to Speaking of Women'sHealth, you'll help us maintain
our mission to help women andtheir entire families.
(22:49):
In addition to just charities,volunteering is another
wonderful way to give back and Ithink finding either a charity
or an organization or even somesocial or community or local
event that you're passionateabout and getting involved and
just thinking outside yourselfand helping others can make you
feel so much better aboutyourself and life.
So that brings me to gratitude.
(23:10):
Most people are so busy andworking so hard and I find
myself sometimes getting caughtup in just the business of life
running a home.
But I encourage all of us totake some time to enjoy, over
the holidays, our families andfriends and to separate
(23:31):
ourselves from chores and workand especially separate
ourselves from all thoseelectronic devices.
I think it's a really goodhabit to just turn off your
phone and just engage withothers.
I mean, my rule at the dinnertable and it's not only the
Thanksgiving dinner table is toturn off that phone.
Not only the Thanksgivingdinner table is to turn off that
(23:53):
phone.
And in my family what we do onevery Thanksgiving is we go
around the table and we justtell everyone what we're
thankful for.
It doesn't have to be anythingbig, it could be something small
, it could be something major,and I think to tell people that
you care about, that you'regrateful to have them in your
life, is important, and one ofthe benefits of being grateful
(24:16):
is grateful people are happypeople, and this was one of the
top findings of the HarvardAdult Development Study, which
is one of the longest runningstudies on happiness and health
in the world, spanning a centuryand a couple generations of
Americans.
So grateful people live longerand they tend to be healthier
(24:37):
overall.
So everyone should learn how topractice gratitude, and I mean
sincere gratitude.
I mean you all know thosepeople maybe potentially
co-workers at some locations whojust go through and mouth the
words.
It's very important to behonest and sincere because we
(24:59):
can tell, people can tell, and Ithink telling yourself, as well
as saying out loud what you'regrateful for, is helpful.
Some people like to journal andwrite things down in a daily
journal or even just to writethank you notes.
I think that's a lost art.
I love to write personalizednotes, even though my
(25:20):
handwriting is like atrociousphysician's handwriting, and
that's one thing I taught mysons to do.
And writing out a note asopposed to just a quick text um,
I think is is is moremeaningful.
Um, maybe I'm showing my oldfashionedness, but, and sharing
(25:41):
your gratitude and happinesswith others, like saying thank
you to a stranger, um, peoplewho who um are pleasant and
engaging, generally report morehappiness.
Now, sometimes, I know,situations can be extremely
difficult and challengingyourself.
To be grateful in difficultcircumstances can sometimes be
(26:03):
hard, but usually, no matter howdifficult something is, you can
find something small to begrateful for, and I think doing
this can help cope and deal withreally hard situations.
Now, in addition to Thanksgivingand Turkey Day and we have some
(26:25):
good turkey recipes that we'lltalk about this time of year
marks the beginning of a lot ofholidays and celebrations.
It's the beginning of Hanukkah,the Festival of Lights and the
Feast of Dedication that lastsfor eight days and nights.
It's also the beginning of theholiday season, with Christmas
(26:45):
just barely a month away, andthe last several weeks of the
year mark such greatcelebrations.
I'm really looking forward togoing on our Polar Express trip
the book the Polar Express aboutbelieving and being able to
hear the Christmas bell.
(27:06):
I shared that with my childrenand my youngest son, grayson.
We took him and the older boysand when Santa came through and
and said what do you want forChristmas young boy, a Batman
watch.
So this year we're takingthree-year-old Artemis and her
(27:27):
best friend Josephina.
And's going to be so much funto see the joy in their face and
just the excitement and theanticipation and, of course, the
meaning behind celebrating theholiday.
And I think that family rituals,faith, spirituality all of
(27:50):
those things do promote healthand wellness.
Superficial aspects, and theparties and buying gifts and
(28:14):
rushing out on the day afterThanksgiving, stampeding to get
the latest you know toy orobject that's probably going to
be discarded before you know it.
So I think, giving thanks forour many blessings, celebrating
important traditions, findingout what other people do,
because people celebratedifferent family traditions,
(28:36):
have different faiths, differentactivities.
It's also a great time to reachout to loved ones and others in
the community, as well as visitplaces of worship.
But we all know that theholidays can also be a time for
stress time, crunches,overeating all the party food
and overspending.
(28:58):
And it's very important tobudget.
It's very important to keepregular schedules, regular sleep
cycles.
So here's some tips we're goingto go over about how you can
stay healthy and happy and stillmake the most of your holiday
season.
So remember the reason for theseason, faith, family, country
(29:23):
and just simple reaffirmation ofour love for our family and
friends.
It makes up the heart and soulof our holiday celebrations.
And don't overeat and regretwhat you've eaten.
Just take time to taste somefood, savor it, sample,
(29:43):
especially with the heavy foodsand the desserts.
I always say that you know, aswe get older, we've kind of had
a lot of desserts in our lifeand kind of it's time to outgrow
them.
Maybe just take a little pieceand save some or share some.
And it's always nice to havegood leftovers later.
And I think putting down yourfork and engaging in
(30:06):
conversation is very importantControlling your portion.
Intake smaller plates I havesome very fun little tiny plates
for the holidays and alwaysavoid extreme hunger and thirst.
It's always good to drink somewater before you eat or go to a
party.
Maybe have a high-protein snack.
(30:30):
Now some people find foodconfessions writing down
everything they eat helpful.
Our guest podcaster, sylvia,does that.
I certainly I could write in adaily journal, but I can't.
I can't do that.
So what works for one persondoesn't necessarily work for
another.
Regarding spending, please staywithin your budget.
(30:52):
It's really time and attentionand making memories and
recalling and rememberingcherished family memories that
really make the holidays sospecial, not the material
aspects Keeping to routines, notjust small children, but older
children and older people too.
(31:14):
We all need sleep and exercise,staying on your prescribed
supplements or medications andavoiding excessive alcohol,
caffeine, sugar, processed fats,high salt food, sugar processed
fats, high salt food, the seedoils.
Regular exercise.
(31:34):
If you want glowing skin forthe holidays, you've got to get
your heart rate up and buildsome muscle with both aerobic
and strength training activities, and we've got some good
information on our website andpodcast on exercise for many
different people, ages andconditions.
Practice saying no.
I don't think women in generalare as good at that.
(31:57):
Saying no to non-essentials,pacing yourself and just realize
that you can't fit in.
All parties, events,volunteering, hosting, making
homemade cookies volunteeringhosting, making homemade cookies
.
My girlfriend and our guestpodcaster, sylvia she gave me a
really wonderful gift, which wasa small little plate with a
(32:19):
bubbly, smiling woman say pleasestop me before I volunteer
again.
And every time Artemis is at myhouse and she sees that, she
points to it and she's likethat's my mommy.
She thinks it's her motherbecause there's pictures, of
course, of her family and allthe family members at my house
Getting together.
Even though it's a happy time,sometimes you might not have as
(32:43):
much time to spend with farawayrelatives, and asking family
members blood relatives abouttheir medical history can be an
opportune time to politely askabout medical histories because
they can be very important andhelpful to your health care team
.
If you're someone who suffersfrom holiday blues or seasonal
(33:07):
affective disorder, or if youfeel depressed during the winter
holidays, it's very importantto seek help.
Certainly, healthy eating,exercise and bright light.
Some nutritional supplementsand boosting vitamin D can go a
long way, and some people doneed more intensive treatments,
(33:29):
and don't be afraid to ask forhelp.
So we have some wonderfulrecipes on our site and one of
them is by our founder, lady DiDiane Dunkelman, her favorite
Thanksgiving turkey recipe, andshe gives the different cooking
(33:50):
times, whether it's an eightpound turkey all the way up to a
24 pound turkey, preheating theoven to 450 degrees, removing
those giblets in the neck andthen rinsing that turkey and
patting it dry and rubbing theskin of the turkey with olive
oil and the skin of the turkeywith olive oil.
(34:11):
Olive oil is so heart healthy.
If you haven't listened to myOmega-3 and olive oil podcast,
that would be a good one tolisten to.
And then she recommends stuffingthe cavity with a heel of bread
, some celery stalks, a wholeonion peeled and an apple, and
(34:35):
fresh sage or rosemary are greatherbs to use.
And then wrap the turkey inheavy foil two ways, scrunch it
but not airtight, and then placeit in a roasting pan about two
inches deep and cook it at 450degrees, according to size,
until the meat thermometer readsabout 180 to 185 degrees.
Open the foil to brown for thelast 40 minutes and for easy
(34:58):
slicing, cover it with foil andlet it stand after removing it
from the oven for 15 minutes.
So we've had lots of turkeystories in my family, from the
time that we smoked out thehouse, to the one year that the
turkey was undercooked and wegot food poisoning, to last
(35:24):
year's Thanksgiving that we hadin a Cincinnati hospital.
We had in a Cincinnati hospitaland it kind of changed our
plans because Lincoln came alittle bit early, but it was so,
so exciting.
So, from my family to yours andfrom our wonderful team at
Speaking of Women's Health andthe Center for Specialized
(35:46):
Women's Health, may you enjoygood tidings and great joy with
your loved ones, and I just wantto again share my gratitude
with you, our listeners, and Ihope that you, if you don't
already subscribe to Speaking ofWomen's Health, hit the follow
(36:11):
or subscribe button on yourpodcast app and give us a
five-star rating and if you'reso inclined to make a donation
this holiday season or GivingTuesday, you can go to
speakingofwomenshealthcom, and Ihope that you'll join me again
back in the Sunflower House.
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