What you think about your food matters
The holidays are here!
That means lots of goodies and
LOADS of temptation…
But here’s the good news…
Today I’ve lined up a cool little Jedi
“mind trick” you can use to hopefully
eat a little less this holiday season.
Your waisitline will thank you! 
Why What You Think About Your Food Matters…
There’s no doubt about it…
Your body and your mind are
directly linked.
What you think about has a clear
effect on your health and vice
versa.
In fact, I’ve just come across a fascinating
study that shows how strong this mind-body
connection is.
Researchers at Yale University decided to
see how your thoughts affect your body’s
response to food.
The study, published in the online
journal Health Psychology, focused on
ghrelin levels in the body.
So we’re on the same page,
ghrelin is also known as the “hunger”
hormone. It sends a signal to your brain that
makes you want to eat.
If your body’s ghrelin levels are high,
you’ll tend to overeat… even if you are
already feeling full.
Likewise, low ghrelin levels are
associated with feelings of satiety
and not needing to eat more. .
One more thing – ghrelin levels
Pondering
typically increase before meals and
decrease after eating.
Back to the study…
The researchers recruited volunteers
and divided them into two groups:
Group 1 – received a milkshake that
they were told was a 620-calorie
“indulgent” shake.
Group 2 – received a milkshake that
they were told was a 140-calorie
“sensible” shake.
In reality, both groups got the same
exact shake, which came in at 380 calories.
So what happened?
After drinking the shake, both groups had
their ghrelin levels measured.
The group that thought they were having
the nice, fatty-shake had a dramatic and
steep decline in their ghrelin levels.
The group that thought they were being
healthy had a neutral ghrelin response.
“This study shows that mindset can affect
feelings of physical satiety. The brain was
tricked into either feeling full or feeling
unsatisfied. That feeling depended on what
people believed they were consuming, rather
than what they actually were consuming,” said
Alia J.Crum, the study’s lead author.
“What was most interesting,” Crum added, “is that the
results were somewhat counterintuitive. Consuming the
shake thinking it was ‘indulgent’ was healthier than thinking
it was ‘sensible.’ It led to a sharper reduction in ghrelin.”
Pretty crazy, right!?
The mere perception of what you’re eating
has a direct effect on your body.
How’s that for “food for thought?”
So next time you embark on a diet,
try to see if you can get yourself to
change the perception of what you’re eating…
and then see how it makes you feel.
Imagine the possibilities… indulgent chicken
salads… hearty protein shakes… and exquisite
veggies.
The sky’s the limit on this one!
Well, that’s all for today. Keep up those
good eating and exercise habits… and make
sure to use this neat little Jedi “mind trick” this
holiday season.
Oh, and a BIG happy early New Year!
Thank YOU for being a loyal reader.
And by the way … if you’re serious about
taking your overall health and fitness to the
next level before the New Year, why not take
advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation?
During this consult, you’ll receive detailed
information on how to get fit and trim that’s
tailored to YOUR body.
There’s no obligation and it’s totally and completely
free. To sign up, use the link below.
