Call it food for thought, from Rachel Herz, a Brown University neuroscientist, author of Why You Eat What You Eat, on Innovation Hub. The connection between what you eat and your thoughts goes beyond feeling excited to have your favorite ice cream or nostalgic for your grandmother's pumpkin pie. Here's some of what she had to share:
What you think about your food + your hunger: Say you're about to have a milkshake. If you think of that milkshake as being rich, filling, and having many calories, your body will respond differently than if you think of it as having fewer calories or being less filling. Why? When you eat, your ghrelin (the the hormone that tells you you're hungry) level drops. It will drop more when you anticipate you'll be satiated by what you're eating than if you think you're eating something that won't fill you up. What you see + your eating behavior: You are more likely to eat more if eat off of a large plate versus a small plate. If you have a variety of small foods (like all the skittle colors mixed in together) in front of you versus just one kind (like just the red ones), you are more likely to eat more if you are presented with the multicolored mix. Your feelings + food choices: If you are highly stressed, or having a day when you've had to resist many temptations, you're more likely to overeat than if you've had a calm day. Our willpower is a finite resource--if you have to expend it throughout the day, you won't have much left to resist temptation come mealtimes. "...one is silver and the other gold!"
(Girl Scouts, anyone?!) I'm off to the GOOD Fest in LA tomorrow and wanted to share my latest post for B+YND (the company behind the festival) on the links between your social connections and your overall health--including what has helped me make and maintain friendships as an adult. You can find it here. |