November 28, 2022
Let’s talk about what I believe is one of the most foundational powerful pieces to your success! P.S. It has nothing to do with what you shovel in your mouth or the latest, greatest exercise routine or supplement. It has everything to do with what you feed your mind! Allow me to explain …
The mind and the physical body are constantly communicating. Here’s an example… Let’s say I sneak up behind you and scream in your ear! BOOO! This emotion of fear causes physical changes in the body: the heart beats faster, blood pressure and body temperature rise. Or let’s say you have negative thoughts. These also produce emotions of fear or anger which then cause powerful physical changes in the body that can literally make you sick (Sapolsky, 1994)! Fortunately, the opposite is also true! Positive thinking, prayer and belief can actually bring about the manifestation of a goal and healing! This is more powerful than most realize!
For analytical thinkers, it’s hard to grasp how something so elusive creates something so concrete!
To make this clear, research shows that the pure BELIEF that you can heal or achieve a goal produces physical changes in the body that allow that healing or goal to manifest! This is why the gold-standard of research involves a placebo group. There are mind-blowing studies on this!
For example, one study took two groups to high altitudes. Group A was told they would get a headache from the high altitude, whereas group B was told nothing. Not only did people in group A get a headache and those in group B did not, but group A actually produced pain producing chemicals (called prostaglandins) that caused them to get the headache (Benedetti et al., 2014)!
Really think about this! A thought – an abstract BELIEF! – produced concrete physical, chemical and hormonal changes that made the situation very real. The whole “It’s all in your head” thing takes on a whole new meaning. In other words, believe you will reach your goal, believe you will heal and the body will physically respond accordingly. As the popular saying goes: “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right!”
The book ‘Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers’ by Stanford University Biologist, Dr. Sapolsky explains the science behind how thoughts can produce physical changes in the body. Let’s use the example of what happens when you have stressful thoughts…
What happens when the stress response is initiated? A host of hormones like adrenaline are released, signaling to dump glucose into the bloodstream to mobilize energy. Heart rate and breathing rate increase to deliver glucose to muscles as soon as possible. Our immune system and cognitive processes sharpen. Dopamine is released which helps us to feel good. All of these primitive, built-in mechanisms ensure survival (Sapolsky, 1994).
So far it doesn’t seem so bad, but what happens when short-term stress becomes long-term, chronic stress? We spend so much energy on stress hormones that we shut down other non-essential bodily processes not needed to save your life at that moment. Unfortunately, this includes digestion, growth and reproduction. Sex hormones diminish, digestive issues flare. This is why you need to be relaxed when you eat, otherwise the food won’t digest properly.
Chronic stress suppresses the immune system and increases the risk of infectious diseases. Colds and viral flare ups become more common. It also turns out we’re at higher risk for a variety of diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. (Sapolsky, 1994).
Researchers identified a solid link between stress and heart disease. Individuals with type “A” personality with constant mental stress are more at risk for heart disease than smokers and those with high cholesterol! Excess anger and repressing emotions can be deadly because it enhances the stress response (Sapolsky, 1994).
Chronic stress shrinks and damages neurons in the hippocampus, the part of your brain essential for learning and memory. Chronic stress enhances the synapses and neural pathways in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain responsible for fear and anxiety. Chronic stress depletes dopamine, explaining the link between stress and depression (Sapolsky, 1994).
Our body doesn’t distinguish among forms of stress. Running out of a burning building, running sprints on a treadmill, hustling to meet a work deadline, a bad breakup with a significant other, even excessive caloric restriction is a form of stress on the body. These events all initiate the SAME stress response (Sapolsky, 1994).
Now I don’t tell you all this to stress you out! That would be ironic, huh?! Actually, it’s GREAT news because if CHRONIC stress is poison, laughter truly is medicine! Health starts in the mind!
Ironically, but very importantly! Short bursts of stress are beneficial and necessary for health! Working out is a perfect example. Plus, your PERCEPTION of stress is powerful! Two people can go through the same stressful event, and one person gets sick while the other doesn’t because one person PERCEIVES the event as being more stressful (Sapolsky, 1994). Meaning don’t let this info freak you out! Instead, think of this knowledge as power!
In the NuTriDay Charge Up Challenge we discuss 4 powerful techniques to move away from chronic stress and toward health! I’ll also teach you how to harness the power of this in a way that will literally make you unstoppable! It’s a 5 minute process called visioneering that I’ll walk you through during week 1 of the NuTriDay Charge Up Challenge.
References:
Bargh, J.A. (2008). Morsella E. The Unconscious Mind. Perspect Psychol Sci.; 3(1):73-79. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6916.2008.00064.x
Benedetti, F., Durando, J., Vighetti, S. (2014). Nocebo and placebo modulation of hypobaric hypoxia headache involves the cyclooxygenase-prostaglandins pathway. Pain. 155(5):921-928. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2014.01.016
Nieman, D. (2018). Nutritional Assessment. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781259169748/
Sapolsky, R. M. (1994). Why zebras don't get ulcers: A guide to stress, stress related diseases, and coping. W.H. Freeman.
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