The research team set up an environment inside a converted monastery in New Hampshire that would remind these men of a time when they were in their late teens and early 20’s. They brought games, clothes, music, etc. and recreated the era. The men were also dressed in appropriate clothing from the era such as hats, shoes, and even underwear! During the study, they were asked to play and act like they would have when they were that age. They even gave them the cigarettes they smoked back then. Not surprisingly, they all quickly acted like teenagers again. What was surprising is that found that there was a vast improvement in dexterity, grip strength, flexibility, hearing and vision, memory and cognition — probably the closest things the gerontologists of the time could come to the testable biomarkers of age. All of the subjects also experienced less pain. Actually, for the days that they were reliving their early ages, pain significantly decreased, and some even had no pain at all. Some of them even walked without the assistance of a cane or walker for the first time in years! This went on for about a week, and their health markers like blood pressure, blood sugar, and overall mood was also markedly improved. Before the experiment began, the researches were given a baseline of labs before the experiment and then again during – in which all had improved. This truly impressive experiment just goes to show us that mindset an imperative element when it comes to our health that we have total control over. The idea that the mind and the body are on separate tracks is completely wrongheaded. We can make the decision to change and improve our situations. Equally important, it is also a great reminder that we should not forget to play more!

Why do we add labels to ourselves?

Once we convince ourselves that we are one of our labels, it is very hard not to live and see ourselves as that label. And it compounds the longer we subscribe to this mindset. For example, when someone comes to me for help regarding weight loss, the first thing I try to work with them on is their mindset. If you see yourself as being overweight and live your days as an overweight person might, then you will certainly struggle with losing the weight. I also have people that want to put on weight that still see themselves as too skinny, so it definitely goes both ways. My ex-husband tried for years to gain weight. He was 5’10” and weighed 120 pounds for years with about 5% body fat. He finally started putting on weight in his early 30’s when I was pregnant with our first child and it did not stop. He gained almost 100 pounds in a few years, but he still saw himself as the skinny kid with chicken legs (his words). You see, it’s not until we peel those labels off of ourselves and replace it with “I accept myself just as I am, but for my health, I wish to lose/gain some weight” then that change can and will occur.

When you are able to change the paradigms and your perspective regarding why you want to accomplish your goal, then and only then can the magic happen.

All this is to say that the mind has a powerful role to play in your health and wellness.

If you feel that you need may need help with removing the labels that you have attached to yourself, first try to put yourself around more people that represent how you want to see yourself. Ditch the negative reinforcements. Remember that our thoughts are also a big part of our nutritional intake and, seek out the services of a professional nutritional health coach. 

Consultations are always FREE. If you are interested in personalized Nutritional and or Epigenetics Coaching or if you have questions regarding your health and how it may be affecting your life goals please feel free to reach out to me by filling out the contact form below. It’s time to stop suffering and to start thriving!