Remember the story of The Little Engine that Could? (I think I can. I think I can.) It perfectly illustrates the power of thoughts. Even though it's fiction (As far as I know, anyway; maybe it really did happen. Ha ha), the principle it teaches is true. Our thoughts matter.
A. Lot.
Placebo effect
In 1983 researchers tested a new chemotherapy treatment. (World Journal of Surgery 7, no.3) One set of patients received the new drug; the other set got a placebo – a harmless chemical substance. Not surprisingly, of the group that received the actual drug seventy-one percent of them lost their hair. What was unexpected was that thirty-one percent of the group taking the placebo also lost their hair. The only injection they were receiving was inert saltwater, and yet, because they expected it to, their hair fell out.
There is no shortage of studies showing the power of the placebo effect. Some claim it's as high as ninety percent! With this in mind, it'd be wise to consider what impact our beliefs about food, exercise, and our bodies may be having on us and our metabolism. What are your thoughts about food, exercise, your body?
Have you ever had any of the following thoughts? If I eat fat, I'll gain fat. Sugar is practically poison, but I still eat it (or that's why I'll never eat it). Salt will raise my blood pressure. Wine is good for you. Wine is bad for you. Food is fuel, nothing more. It's too hard to eat better. I've tried, and I just can't do it. I'll always be overweight/weak/tired. It's in my genes. If I just workout harder/more often, then I'll be fit and slender. What is wrong with me? Why can't I stick to my food and exercise plans?
Can you see that none of these ideas (or any number of others like them) is necessarily true? Or false? Good food/Bad food
Most of us have lists of foods that are akin to Santa's Naughty and Nice lists. Carrots are good. Sugar is bad. Whole foods are good. Refined foods are bad. You know these lists. You know what items are on your own food Naughty and Nice lists.
Here's the thing though, the impact a food has isn't simply about the nutrients (or chemicals) it contains. Of course the nutritional content matters, but it's not all that matters. Not by a long shot. Our belief about a food is potent and affects how we metabolize it as is shown in the study mentioned above. No food or drink is inherently moral or immoral – it's not "good" or "bad" in and of itself. A carrot is just a carrot. Sugar is just sugar.
When we think of foods or specific kinds of exercise for that matter, as "good" or "bad" we stop the process of discovery. We stop being curious about it. If we put sugar on the Bad list, we don't take time to consider whether all types of sugar are the same. Are some kinds more desirable than others? Does it react differently in different people or does it affect everyone in the same way? If I eat it in different forms, does my body react differently to it? If "sugar is bad" then what about the natural sugars found in fruit? The same goes for exercise. If we put running on the Good list, does that make me bad if I don't run? And is running good for everyone?
The point of all this is that it's a smart practice examine our ideas and beliefs about food, exercise, ourselves, and our capabilities. Are our beliefs limiting us or are they empowering us? PRACTICES – 1) Notice and write down thoughts you repeat to yourself about eating, exercising, and your body. 2) Analyze your list. Put an X next to any thoughts that are negative and/or diminish your metabolism. Put a star next to any that are positive and empower you and therefore your metabolism. 3) Replace the negative, energy-draining thoughts with inspiring ones. For example, you could change, "I'll be happier when I lose this extra weight," to "My weight doesn't have to determine my happiness. I can choose to be happy now."
The power of our thoughts doesn't lie in being a Pollyanna who looks at things through rose colored glasses, more so it lies in the principle Henry Ford expressed when he said, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right."