Time and time again, studies have proven that what we believe we will experience, aka our expectations, has a large impact on what we actually experience.
This is where the placebo effect stems from…
Wikipedia defines the placebo effect as “a beneficial effect produced by a placebo drug or treatment, which cannot be attributed to the properties of the placebo itself, and must, therefore, be due to the patient’s belief in that treatment.”
Let’s look at how the “placebo effect” and expectations can shape our reality…
In 1962, a Japanese study was done on 13 boys who were hypersensitive to Japanese lacquer leaves (these leaves produce similar reactions of poison ivy.)
The researchers told the 13 boys that they would be touched with the poisonous leaves BUT actually touched their arm with a non-poisonous leaf. All 13 boys showed a skin reaction to the harmless leafs.
Then researched told the students they would be touched with a “placebo” or harmless leaf on the other arm. Only 2 of the 13 boys touched with the lacquer leaf showed a reaction.
This study shows that the thought and expectation of being touched with a poisonous leaf can bring on a physical reaction.
Here is another interesting study.
Two groups of 15 people read a one-page flyer about the effects of caffeine and were then each given decaffeinated coffee. One group was told that the coffee was decaffeinated and the other group was told it was caffeinated. Participants who were told that they were drinking caffeinated coffee reported greater alertness, showed an increase in diastolic blood pressure, and had an improved reaction time than those who were told (accurately) that the coffee was decaffeinated.
(Source: Expectation, the Placebo Effect and the Response to Treatment http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal/2015/05/2015-05-19-cont-brown.pdf)
If you want to learn more about the Placebo, I highly recommend this book that opens my eyes to the power of the mind, You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter
What does this mean for us?
It means our mind is POWERFUL.
And what you believe has the power to literally shape and change your life.
Tell yourself something that you want to happen.
For example: “I will be a positive role model for my children.” “I will be someone who goes to the gym.” “I will make healthy diet choices each day.”
Repeat it 5 times out loud.
And figure out a way to make it happen.
Once your mind decides you can do something, you will start finding ways to get there.
For me, when I started to work on my mindset, It was the thing that had the BIGGEST impact on my journey to whole-body wellness.
I was everywhere beforehand. ALL Diets, you name it. Doing whatever it takes to just get the weight off but not really putting many thoughts into.
After a few God sends my way and few years of studying it and putting it into practice.
It finally came alive for me!
The Mindset changed and the results just keep getting BETTER.
This why our simple course,Mother’s Mindset, that opens up on Feb.1st is just perfect for you, moms!
You will see that If you can increase your awareness of your body and understand how your brain works, you can better control your thoughts, feelings, and actions around food.
You will learn to understand your brain and yourself so that you are able to change your thoughts, feelings, and actions to live the life you want to live.
Let us be intentional in what we learn so that we can foster that deep relationship with Christ as well impact our wellness so that we can be disciples called to put the world on FIRE for God’s Kingdom.
With the love of Christ,
Maria Cecilia
