Why researching what you do matters?

Dr. Alia Crum, a Stanford University psychology professor, explores the fascinating intersection of our "minds over matter" concept and its real-world effects on things like health, performance, and even the food we eat. Her research delves into the power of our beliefs and mindsets to influence our physiological responses and ultimately shape our outcomes.

Here are some key areas of Dr. Crum's work:

Mindset and Food Choices: Dr. Crum's research has shown that our beliefs about food can significantly impact how our bodies react to it. For example, in one study, participants who were told they were eating a "healthy" milkshake (even though it had the same calorie content as a "indulgent" one) experienced lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and felt more satisfied afterward. This suggests that simply believing something is healthy can trigger positive physiological changes.

Mindset and Stress: Dr. Crum has also studied how our mindsets can influence our stress responses. She found that people who view stress as a challenge or opportunity tend to have better coping mechanisms and experience less negative health effects compared to those who view stress as a threat. This highlights the importance of reframing our perception of stress to manage it more effectively.

Mindset and Exercise: Dr. Crum's research extends to the realm of exercise as well. She has shown that people who believe in the benefits of exercise are more likely to stick with their workout routines and experience greater gains in fitness and health. This suggests that cultivating a positive mindset about exercise can be key to achieving fitness goals.

The Power of Placebos: Dr. Crum's work even touches on the placebo effect, demonstrating how our expectations can influence our physical responses even when receiving inert substances. This further underscores the mind-body connection and the potential for harnessing our beliefs for positive health outcomes.

Overall, Dr. Alia Crum's research offers compelling evidence for the power of "mind over matter." By understanding how our mindsets and beliefs influence our bodies, we can harness this knowledge to make positive changes in our health, performance, and well-being.

Here are some additional resources to learn more about Dr. Crum's work:

• Her Stanford University faculty page: https://mbl.stanford.edu/
• Her TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTDYtwqKBI8
• A Forbes article about her research on genetic testing and mindsets: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/08/22/your-mindset-is-the-secret-to-successful-growth/
• Her podcast with Andrew Huberman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFR_wFN23ZY&ab_channel=AndrewHuberman

My key take aways: 

Research or trust someone else to research the things you are doing to impact your health and training so that you truly believe in them as much a possible. This helps to motivate me to delve as deep as I can into my food choices (meat), any supplements, mental training, the running training etc that I do, This allows me to believe, or in my mind know, that what I am doing is optimal for me and my running performance. According to the above research this could then have an impact on how my body responds to it.