Countless medical studies have shown just how dramatically our beliefs influence our health. People who believe they’re receiving a powerful drug or treatment often experience improved mood or profound relief from pain—even when they’re in the placebo group. Our beliefs can even alter how toxins affect us. And on the “nocebo” side of the equation (the negative placebo effect), we can develop signs and symptoms of diseases we don’t have.

In one Japanese study, participants with strong reactions to poison ivy were told that one of their arms was being rubbed with the plant. Yikes! But researchers actually used a harmless leaf. Every participant still broke out in a poison-ivy-like rash.

Then, the researchers told the same subjects that their other arm would be touched with a harmless plant—but this time, they used real poison ivy. Only two out of thirteen participants had any reaction.

We can make ourselves sick, and we can make ourselves well. The key lies in the incredible power of belief. This effect has been thoroughly and indisputably proven, yet few people consciously harness it in their daily lives. I’d like to change that.

As a start, let’s practice positive expectation every time we put something into our bodies.

When you eat, take a moment to mentally and emotionally align with a positive outcome. Admire the food. Tell yourself it’s deeply nourishing. Picture your body efficiently extracting its nutrients and delivering them to your tissues. It’s reasonable to expect that it will support clear thinking, steady energy, glowing skin, strong digestion, and vibrant immunity.

Try setting this intention at the beginning of your meal, revisit it during the meal, and then enjoy anticipating the benefits afterward.

You might even bring your awareness inward—visualize the nutrients being absorbed and flowing into your cells—and say something like, “I allow myself to receive the fullest, most complete health benefit from this food.” Or use whatever words feel natural to you.

Notice what happens when you tell yourself or your dining companion, “I feel really good from this food. My body thrives on it. I can already tell this meal is exactly what I needed.”

 

This practice can be even easier with supplements, herbs, and medications, since you're likely already taking them with a specific healing intention. Don’t forget it. As you take them (or apply them, if topical), tell yourself they’re doing exactly what they’re meant to do, that they’re perfectly compatible with your body, and that the benefits are already beginning—whether you feel it yet or not.

If you make a practice of priming yourself to expect good things, you’re significantly more likely to experience good things, to notice them, and to be grateful for them.

Be well,
 Peter