Don't Be A Turkey, Give Thanks

For Thanksgiving 2005, I wrote about the myth of the amino acid tryptophan inducing that Thanksgiving dinner nap we all love. Thanksgiving 2006, I wrote about the science behind why some foods taste delicious to us.

This year, I decided to focus on the whole giving thanks part of Thanksgiving.

University of California - Davis psychology professor, Dr. Robert Emmons, has been researching just how important it is for us to give thanks. According to Dr. Emmons, people who show gratitude on a daily basis for all of life's little blessings are:

* exercising more
* complaining of fewer illnesses
* feeling better about their lives overall
* feeling more loving
* feeling more forgiving, joyful, enthusiastic and optimistic about their futures

"Gratitude is literally one of the few things that can measurably change people's lives," Emmons says.

In his book, Thanks: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, he gives us 10 researched-based strategies for practicing true gratitude. Apparently, you can just half-ass think of a couple things you're thankful for as you pass the mashed potatoes.

True gratitude involves contemplation and introspection.

So I guess I'll start. I'm very thankful for all of you. I appreciate your readership, your comments, and your coming to my little corner of cyberspace. To all my ol' faithfuls and newly found buddies, thank you very much.

Happy Thanksgiving