What do you think about Food?

I believe that the most important aspect of the human-food relationship is not vitamins, nor minerals, nor enzymes, nor proteins, nor water.

I think the most important part of our relationship with food is what we think about food. What we think and feel when it comes to eating.

A man who is full and a man who is hungry will look at a full plate completely differently, will perceive a slice of bread totally differently, they will eat a slice of chocolate cake totally differently. And that’s absolutely natural, if you ask the brain. Two people will never see the same thing when they look at food and, more importantly, they will not metabolize it in the same way, they will not digest it in the same way.

Let me give you some concrete examples, so that you can begin to understand better:

Imagine a plate on which you see pasta, a grilled chicken breast and a salad.

• A woman interested in losing weight will see a danger, a threat, when she looks at pasta, because, no, we all know that flour makes you fat. She will choose the salad as a “rescue”.
• An athlete interested in “building muscle” will look at the same food and look for the source of protein. So, he will set aside the salad and the pasta and choose the meat.
• A vegetarian will not be thrilled to see chicken on a plate and may not touch any of the foods that may have come in contact with the meat.
• A farmer, animal breeder, carnivore by definition, will be happy to see such a beautiful piece of chicken.
• Someone suffering from a disease will see in the same plate, depending on the foods that are allowed in the diet related to the disease, or a source of health or, conversely, a harmful source, which could aggravate his suffering.
• A nutritionist will see a collection of chemicals, each with specific properties and fixed amounts of vitamins and minerals per hundred grams of food.

All this without the plate changing its composition or appearance!

What’s fascinating is that each of these characters listed by me will digest this food in a different way, depending on what they think about what they eat. In other words, what you think and feel about a food can mean as much or sometimes even more than what the nutrients themselves mean.

Yes, I know it may sound unbelievable, that’s why I’m helping science, my good friend:

In the body, there is a permanent connection between the brain and the digestive system, through the spinal cord and nerves.

Let’s imagine an ice cream.

The word “ice cream” and the image of an ice cream appear in the part of the brain called the “cerebral cortex”. From here, the information is passed on to the limbic system, where the main emotions and physiological functions are regulated: hunger, thirst, temperature, heartbeat and tension. Here, dwarf, there is a small piece of brain, the size of a pea, the hypothalamus, which turns what the mind “says” into actions performed by the body. In simpler words, the hypothalamus transforms thoughts, emotions and sensations into physical, physiological responses. You think of a lemon and you feel your teeth chattering, your mouth sneezing. There’s nothing paranormal about that. On the contrary.

If the ice cream you are thinking of is your favorite and, while eating it, you are happy, lustful, delighted, the hypothalamus will turn this positive thought into reactions in the salivary glands, esophagus, stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver and bile. . Digestion will be stimulated and you will have a broader metabolic response, ice cream “will not make you fat”, but will be digested, absorbed, “eaten” much more efficiently.

If, however, you feel guilty while eating it and condemn yourself to succumbing to temptation, the hypothalamus will take over this negative, frightening thought and send signals to inhibit the digestive organs mentioned above, so that this “dangerous” food does not it ends up being digested, metabolized. Than, possibly, to such an extent that we survive, but it will not be completely absorbed. Therefore, this undigested food will remain in the intestines for longer, will generate putrefaction processes, will cause toxins in the blood system, will alter the population of healthy bacteria. Moreover, due to the secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone, the efficiency with which the body burns calories from food is negatively affected and the body stores these foods in the form of fats. So, what you think about food immediately becomes a reality in your body, with the help of the central nervous system.

The brain does not distinguish between a real stressor and one that you can only imagine. If you sit on the beach, calm, happy and suddenly a song reminds you of your ex-boyfriend who left you, and this thought still has an emotional charge, your body will change in an instant – they will speed up your heartbeat, you will breathe faster, you will tear, your muscles will contract and, under these conditions, digestion will be inhibited, it will be adversely affected.

Any feeling of guilt over food or shame towards your body, any judgment about your health is considered a stress factor and the brain will automatically generate equivalent electrochemical reactions in the body. You can eat the healthiest food on the planet, but if you think badly of it, digestion can be inhibited and fat absorption metabolism can intensify, “gaining weight.” Likewise, if you eat any food, even one considered junk food or without high quality nutrients, but your mind and feelings towards this food are positive, fine, serene, the food will be perceived as “doing us good” and the body will act effectively.

The part that fascinated me the most throughout my study of feeding psychology is the placebo effect. One of the most irresistible effects of the brain on life, I might say.

In 1983, a study was done to test a chemotherapy treatment. One group with cancer received the drug, while the second group received a placebo, a salt water solution. Pharmaceutical companies are required by law to placebo test any new drug to prove its true effectiveness. Patients have been notified that their hair will fall out as a result of chemotherapy. In the group that received the actual drug, 74% of people lost their hair. In the second group, which received a saline solution, no one should have lost their hair, right? Eh, how about 31% of patients lose their hair? So great is the power of the mind. So great is the effect that our expectations can have. The effect of the brain on the body can be so mind-boggling. There is only one explanation for hair loss in the group of patients who did not receive chemotherapy: they thought they were they will lose their hair!

If your mind is able to make your hair fall out just because you expect it to fall out, what do you think it can do when you say to yourself, “This cake is going to make me fat, I really shouldn’t eat it!” Or “I want to eat this pizza, but I know it’s going to hurt” or “I really like this salad, because I know it’s super alive, super healthy!”

Of course, I’m not saying you can eat anything without anything happening just because you believe it’s good for you. I say, however, that what we think about the food we put in our mouths can strongly influence what happens in our body. Every day, millions of people drink and eat while having strong beliefs about their food and thoughts that affect their health.

source: M. Sisson