Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Be Grateful, Eat Less

Can practicing gratitude help you make healthier food choices? The answer is, YES! Research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology indicated that practicing gratitude can have a positive impact on your food choices. Participants were asked to pick 1 of 3 topics to focus on: gratitude to someone that helped them with their health, […]

WRITTEN BY: Dr. Roseanne E. Scammahorn, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Darke County

REVIEWED BY: Melissa Rupp, MS , Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Fulton County

SOURCES:

  • Conlon, C. (nd). 40 Simple ways to practice gratitude. Retrieved from https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/40-simple-ways-practice-gratitude.html
  • Fritz, M., Armenta, C., Walsh, L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2019). Gratitude facilitates healthy eating behavior in adolescents and young adults. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 81(4-14). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103117308569
  • Harmon, M. (2019, April 11). Don’t Worry, Be Happy. Live Smart Ohio, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved from https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/harmon-416osu-edu/dont-worry-be-happy/
  • Harmon, M. (2017, August 11). Thank you. Live Smart Ohio, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved from https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/harmon-416osu-edu/thank-you/
  • Hopper, E. (2019, November 19). Four Ways Gratitude Helps You with Difficult Feelings. Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_gratitude_helps_you_with_difficult_feelings#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20that%20grateful%20people,stress%20and%20regulating%20their%20emotions.&text=Feeling%20grateful%20can%20bring%20us,physical%20health%20and%20improved%20relationships.
  • Scammahorn, R. (2020, March 30). Emotional eating…the battle within. Live Healthy Live Well, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved from https://livehealthyosu.com/2020/03/30/emotional-eatingthe-battle-within/

Rose, Thorn and Bud

Have you ever participated in an icebreaker or round robin based on roses and thorns? The game is to name one good thing (a rose) and one bad thing (a thorn), usually about your day. While it is often applied in a variety of group settings, it can also be introduced to household members who […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, CFLE, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Shannon Carter, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Fairfield County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Red maple flowering by Amy Stone
  • Roses from Pixabay

SOURCES:

  • Giving thanks can make you happier (2020). Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School. Retrieved April 2, 2020 from https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier
  • Gonzalez, A. (2018, May 24). A mindful way to reflect: Rose, thorn, and bud. Mindful Schools. Retrieved April 2, 2020 from https://www.mindfulschools.org/inspiration/mindful-reflection/
  • Kumar, A., Killingsworth, M., and Gilovich, T. (2014, August 21). Waiting for merlot: Anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases. Psychological Science. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614546556
  • Lieberman, M., Eisenberger, N., Crockett, M., Tom, S., Pfeifer, S., and Way, B. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17576282
  • Rose and thorn. (2020). The Family Dinner Project. Retrieved April 2, 2020 from https://thefamilydinnerproject.org/fun_content/rose-and-thorn/
  • Treber, M. (2019, December 2). I’m dining in. Live Healthy Live Well. Retrieved April 2, 2020 from https://livehealthyosu.com/tag/dine-in-day/

Gratitude? Can it affect overall health?

According to Cambridge Dictionary, gratitude is defined as “a strong feeling of appreciation to someone or something for what the person has done to help you”.  The holiday season lends itself to expressing gratitude, probably more so than any other time during the year. One regular practice my family engages in over Thanksgiving is going […]

WRITTEN BY: Lorrissa Dunfee, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Belmont County

REVIEWED BY: Amanda Bohlen, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Washington County

SOURCES:

  • Definition of "gratitude" - English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/gratitude#dataset-cacd
  • Ducharme, J. (2017, November 20). 7 Surprising Health Benefits of Gratitude. Retrieved from http://time.com/5026174/health-benefits-of-gratitude/
  • Gratitude Practice Explained. (2015, November 23). Retrieved from http://ei.yale.edu/what-is-gratitude/

Lessen Your Stress This Holiday

As we begin December and the whirl of the holiday season, we may find that our schedules are full, our wallets are light, and our hearts are overflowing with joy. For some, however, holidays bring anxiety, stress and depression. For most of us, holidays are a mix of all these things. We are challenged by […]

WRITTEN BY: Shannon Carter, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County

REVIEWED BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Lucas County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Snowman photo taken by Shannon Carter

SOURCES:

  • Bono, G. August 2012. The American Psychological Association.
  • The Cleveland Clinic. 2016.

Gratitude in Modern-Day Patriotism

It can be difficult to find news to be thankful for in the U.S. media and political landscape. We’ve surfaced from two divisive primary campaign cycles and now settle to look toward the U.S.’s future–as we also honor our Independence. This July 4th, let’s take a break from the angry rhetoric to show gratitude to those who have […]

WRITTEN BY: Shawna Hite, Healthy People Program Specialist, OSU Extension, Family & Consumer Sciences

REVIEWED BY: Pat Holmes, OSU Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences

SOURCES:

  • University of California, Berkley (2016). How to Build Gratitude. Retrieved from: http://ggia.berkeley.edu/#filters=gratitude

REFERENCES:

  • Archard D. (2013). Nationalism and Patriotism. The International Encyclopedia of Ethics.
  • Balz D., (January 2016). A divided country gets a divisive election. The Washington Post. Retrieved from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-divided-country-gets-a-divisive-election/2016/01/09/591bfccc-b61f-11e5-a842-0feb51d1d124_story.html
  • Begley S., (March 2016). Obama slams ‘divisive’ and ‘vulgar’ rhetoric of 2016 campaign. Time. Retrieved from: http://time.com/4274568/obama-vulgar-divisive-2016/
  • Emmons, R. A., & Stern, R. (2013). Gratitude as a psychotherapeutic intervention. Journal of clinical psychology, 69(8), 846-855. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jclp.22020/epdf?r3_referer=wol&tracking_action=preview_click&show_checkout=1&purchase_referrer=scholar.google.com&purchase_site_license=LICENSE_DENIED_NO_CUSTOMER
  • Greater Good (2016). Gratitude. University of California, Berkley. Retrieved from: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/gratitude/definition
  • Maclntyre, A. (1984). Is patriotism a virtue?.reprinted in Freedom and Morality. Kansas University.
  • Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (May, 2013). Patriotism. Stanford University. Retrieved from: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/patriotism/
  • Stern R., Emmons R., (N.D.). Gratitude practice explained. Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved from: http://ei.yale.edu/what-is-gratitude/
  • Stevenson, D., King, G., (2008). What is patriotism?: Leader’s guide. Oklahoma State Extension

I’m Grateful for . . . Our Military Members – Past, Present and Future

November is upon us and many of us think about “giving thanks” this month. At Thanksgiving, we often share what we are thankful for – perhaps we ask family members to share one thing they are grateful for, maybe we have a tree with cut-out leaves where we record our gratitude. Remembering and focusing on […]

WRITTEN BY: Michelle Treber, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Pickaway County, treber.1@osu.edu.

REVIEWED BY: Joanna Rini, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Medina County, rini.41@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Nancy Harris
  • Michelle Treber

SOURCES:

  • Lima Company Memorial, The Eyes of Freedom. http://limacompanymemorial.org
  • History of Veterans Day. http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp
  • Heart Centered Practices. http://wexnermedical.osu.edu/patient-care/healthcare-services/integrative-complementary-medicine/heart-centered-practices
  • Gratitude Strategies. http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_great_gratitude_strategies
  • Practicing Gratitude. http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/practicing-gratitude-topic-overview

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