---
title: Thanksgiving and How Gratitude Heals (Includes Film)
description: Gratitude as essential component of eating disorder recovery.
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A filmmaker who takes time-lapse photography of flowers has much wisdom to share about eating disorder recovery. His film (9.56 min) is in this post.

"We protect what we love," says cinematographer Louis Schwartzberg in his wondrous [TED](http://www.ted.com/talks) presentation of candid talk and heart-moving film. I agree. As we expand our [gratitude](http://zenhabits.net/why-living-a-life-of-gratitude-can-make-you-happy/), we expand ourselves. We become more capable of gratitude and then more capable of love.

This gratitude/love wave builds in us and affects the world around us. It expands our courage as we cherish and protect what we love, and that includes ourselves.

You can start by being grateful for every part of your body because every part of your body does a job that keeps you alive and functioning in this world. Genuine gratitude expands to love. That love can inspire you to cherish and protect yourself. There's no room for an eating disorder when you are grateful and loving to the fact of you.

Enjoy the film, and please let me know what you are grateful for. Thanksgiving can be an everyday holiday.

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**Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.**

---

***Written by Joanna Poppink, MFT.** Joanna is a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in eating disorder recovery, stress, PTSD, and adult development.*

*She is licensed in CA, AZ, OR, and FL. Author of the Book: [Healing Your Hungry Heart: Recovering from Your Eating Disorder](https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Your-Hungry-Heart-Recovering/dp/1573244708/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344473529&sr=1-1&keywords=healing+your+hungry+heart)*

*Appointments are virtual.*

*For a free telephone consultation, e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.*

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