Written by Rose Posted in Nutrition on Thursday, 29 March 2018.
A few years ago, I was in an appointment with a client and she wanted to show me something on her phone. As she touched it, I noticed that her backdrop screen was a picture of healthy vegetables and I commented on her having such a great photo to look at often. This lead to a conversation about “the power of suggestion” and how it is either our best friend or worst enemy and that has inspired me to share my thoughts with you.
Hmmm…that little marketing tool called “The Power of Suggestion”…so what is that any way? The power of suggestion is actually a psychology concept that shows if your subconscious accepts something, it will likely act on it. This could be either negative or positive. Take for example, if someone says to you “Don’t be Nervous”, the word “Nervous” is implanted in your subconscious and you are training yourself to be nervous because that word is repeated over and over again in your subconscious. Instead, it would be better to say “Be confident” and to have the word “confident” as the word that is planted in your subconscious. It’s actually a very powerful mental game that our culture likes to play with your mind. “And how does all of this relate to food?” you ask.
Every time you walk in a restaurant, turn on your tv, or open up your social media you will be the target of this mind game. You are marketed to from so many angles that you don’t even realize that this blog you’re reading right now is marketing to you! The biggest problem is that we don’t even REALIZE what’s happening because it’s not as obvious as a piece of junk mail showing up in your mailbox.
Take for example, a restaurant: You walk in and are immediately hit with the smell of delicious food reminding you that you are STARVING, followed by a menu that you read over which also includes some photos of foods that looks so tempting you just might lick the menu. You close the menu and look around the table to see photos and suggestions of cocktails, desserts and appetizers. And then the waitress asks you “would you like bread?” or “Can I get you a drink?” (or both). You haven’t even ordered and you have been “suggested” to have foods that just might sabotage your entire week…all in a matter of a few minutes. That’s only the beginning, but you probably understand how the rest of that innocent little trip out to eat can really challenge you.
Have you ever opened up your Pinterest to search for curtains and the next thing you know you’re drooling over desserts? Do you have that friend on Facebook that continuously posts recipes for things like “Momma’s Best Mac & Cheese”? And don’t even get me started on the ads you see on television. It’s a continuous battle in which you are hit with snow balls left and right that will lead you right into foods you know you shouldn’t be eating.
But…on the other hand, the Power of Suggestion could be just what you need to help you down your journey to optimal health. What if you changed the back screen on your phone to be that off a beautiful salad that you would droll over 200 times a day? What if every time you opened your fridge you were welcomed with healthy food? What if you read a cookbook of healthy meals? What if you walked and talked all day long about how healthy you choose to eat? What if you reminded yourself that YOU ARE WORTH IT and that YOU LOVE HEALTHY FOOD?
So do yourself a favor and set yourself up for success on your healthy journey. Stop lighting candles in your house that smell like vanilla cupcakes. Move any “off limits foods” to a place that your eyes can’t see them every time they open the pantry. Save the eating out for special occasions and not just because of your lack of planning. Change the backdrop of your electronics to be some healthy habit. And you might even need to delete that wonderful Pinterest account…don’t worry, somehow we did pick out curtains successfully prior to Pinterest. Read a book about healthy eating. And lastly, and maybe most importantly, surround yourself with people that will be your biggest cheerleaders and support you, even when you feel like giving into temptation. Don’t be the victim of the Power of Suggestion, flip this mental tool to put your mindset smack dab in the middle of your success program.
*Disclaimer…even this article could be working against you with the power of suggestion. I did mention some “off-limit” foods in order to get the concept across to the readers, however, I have also given you some hands-on tools and actions that you can do right away to work on that healthy mindset.
*Thank you to my awesome client that inspired this blog…you know who you are 🙂
