You Are What You Eat … Or What You Believe You Eat
It’s more than just calories in, calories out. What we *think* is in that cup may matter, too. Credit: allkindsofnew, Flickr
Ready to have your mind blown?
Pull up a chair and sit down. ‘Cause if you’re anything like me, you’re about to open your MIND to all kinds of possibilities. (And a huge thanks to Dr. Allen for sending me this study!)
Here’s the quick 411: A small study recently came out that looked at the impact of food labels and marketing on people’s ghrelin (aka the hunger hormone) levels. A researcher at Columbia Business School in New York took a milkshake and gave it to two groups. One group thought they were having an indulgent 620-calorie shake, while the other group was told they were having a diet shake with only 140 calories. In reality, both groups had the same milkshake and it had less than 300 calories. But, boy, oh, boy, did the two groups respond differently …
“The ghrelin levels dropped about three times more when people were consuming the indulgent shake (or thought they were consuming the indulgent shake),” Alia Crum says, compared to the people who drank the sensible shake (or thought that’s what they were drinking).
What I find particularly fascinating is that it wasn’t just reported hunger levels that changed. We’re talking biological signs that responded to what they expected a food to be. Quite literally, the subjects’ perceptions of a food changed how their body responded physiologically.
Now, I know, I know. It’s a small study and more are needed to further show an association and to fully understand the issue. But does this not open up a world of possibilities or what?! When you sit down for a meal, the way you see your food and the intention you bring to your food is meaningful and may even change the way your body processes it. So all that stuff we say about loving your food and choosing delicious eats that you know will make you feel good? Or taking the time to really enjoy your indulgences and not feel guilty about them? Or mindfully eating and really listening to your hunger? Or not dieting? Well, seems like there may be some scientific truth to that … !
Tell me: Will this change how you perceive your food? What questions does it bring up for you? —Jenn