It all started when I was running late for Norah’s ice skating lesson. I told her I needed to make every green light for us to be there on time. She quickly replied that she “knew” we weren’t going to make it. Upon hearing the confidence in her voice that it would not happen, I knew I had to tell her a secret that could possibly change her life forever.
You Become What You Believe.
I explained there was no faking allowed. She had to believe, beyond any question, that we would hit all the green lights. As we discussed the possibility of our minds creating only green lights, I could see her in the rearview mirror, giving me that look that says “I want to trust you because you are my all-knowing mother, but I don’t understand the concept.”
I’ve seen that look before.
Just replace the word Mother with Nutritionist and you might see where I’m going with this. So often my clients tell me they are addicted to a certain food, they cannot have it in the house, or they can’t stop eating it once they start. They often believe this is unique to their chemistry, that it’s their biological destiny to be addicted to the foods they love. Why do some people feel this way and others do not?
Do we create this reality for ourselves simply by believing it to be true? Or is it totally out of our control and predetermined by our genes?
Dr. Christiane Northrup, a leading authority in the field of women’s health, believes that our personal wellness (or lack thereof) is dictated far more by our beliefs than by our biology. She says our “belief trumps genes” and that what we think and how we feel about ourselves effects every organ of our body, influencing our long-term health. I wonder what my clients are thinking in those moments they feel powerless around food?
What would happen if you changed your language around food? What if you decided there were no foods more powerful than you? If you believed it so much you could stare down any pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream with discipline, resistance, and strength? How would your life change?
As I’m writing this it sounds very much like The Secret, but what I’m saying goes far beyond the laws of attraction. I’m talking about affecting your physiology just by the way you think. It’s possible. This study illustrates beautifully the power our perception has over our body composition.
So the next time you find yourself using negative or unempowering words to describe your relationship with a particular food, remember that your mindset creates your reality. The power is in the moment, so try to catch yourself doing it as it happens and then allow yourself to change course. I truly believe we can think ourselves healthy, if we start to really pay attention.
I will have to work a bit harder on creating only green lights when I’m running late. Ultimately we didn’t make it on time for her skate lesson. But I think it was worth it.