OK, maybe my milkshake isn’t what it used to be, and it’s probably yogurt by now, but I have a really cool example to share with you about how our minds affect our bodies.
There was a fascinating study carried out in 2011 called "Mindsets, Not Just Nutrients, Determine Ghrelin Response" (by Crum et al for the nerds out there who want to check it out).
It’s more commonly known as The Milkshake Experiment.
It's all about how our minds can mess with our bodies, even when it comes to hunger.
In the experiment, a group of scientists whipped up a batch of delicious milkshakes, all exactly 380 calories each.
Then, they sneaked a little trick in.
They split the participants into two groups. One group got a milkshake with a label that screams "indulgent dessert", think rich chocolate, double fudge, the whole gooey nine yards.
The other group got a label that says "sensible snack", inferring it’s low calorie and healthy for you.
Now, here's the cool part.
The "indulgent" group thought they were downing a calorie bomb, while the "sensible" group thought they were making a healthy choice, but the milkshakes are in fact exactly the same.
But here's where it gets even cooler.
The scientists measured a hormone called ghrelin which basically tells your body you’re hungry.
The "indulgent" group's ghrelin levels plummeted after the milkshake. Their bodies were saying, "Jeez - I’m stuffed! Won’t need to eat for a while."
But with the "sensible" group their ghrelin barely budged. Their bodies didn't get the memo that they'd just eaten, so their hunger signals kept on ticking.
Mind. Blowing.
And it definitely explains why I have a low calorie Alpen bar, and immediately want to eat the whole packet, because I feel like it doesn’t even hit my stomach.
This experiment shows that how we perceive food can actually impact how our bodies react to it.
Think about it – if you believe you're indulging in a decadent treat, your body might be more efficient at feeling satisfied. But if you feel guilty or restricted, it might not register the same way.
The placebo effect is often dismissed as just “all in the mind”, but it’s so much more than that. Your expectations can exert a huge force on your body.
So, the next time you grab a snack, maybe go for the "Indulgent, High Calorie, Fat-Bomb Apple"!
Who knows, it might just help you feel fuller for longer…