The Paranoia Placebo

Knowing more is not the same as knowing better.

All,

As we dive into a month focused on peeling back the layers on our society’s budding fascination with wellness, I’d like to plant the seed for our growth with a tale as old as time when it comes to tending to our health.

And that’s with the notion of a placebo effect.

We’ve touched on this before and I’m pretty sure we’re all familiar with the general concept of the term where belief dictates reality. In a clinical setting, we typically see this come to play in an affirmative way – as in take this medication designed to abolish your headache, and even though it’s nothing more than a sugar pill, voila, it does.

But here’s where I want us to zone in on the truth that if we believe in placebos – and their inherent effects on our brains and bodies – then we must correspondingly open our eyes that they can work in the negative too.

Yes, we must consider that in our efforts to stay well informed that we’re over exposing ourselves to data that demonizes toxins, lectins, seed oils and glucose spikes, essentially weaponizing our dinner plate.

Like maybe milk doesn’t actually bother your stomach, but you’ve been told so many times that it could, so you upcharge to add a processed plant milk loaded with thickeners to your latte.

Hmmm…

Now, don’t get me wrong: Quality and sourcing absolutely matter when it comes to ingredients we put in or on our bodies. However, there is mixed evidence about a) just how much it actually does and b) how it nets out against the stress caused from rigidity and depriving ourselves from sources of joy and inclusion.

Like when you pass on the birthday cake at the party, because you know – sugar.

This is where we need to recognize that knowing more is not the same as knowing better; quite the contrary, overexposure to information – let alone uncredentialed opinions – tends to be a precursor to paranoia.

And that paranoia leads to the ultimate irony: That in pursuit of health, we end up creating an environment where our bodies are in a state of chronic, physiological threat, always vigilant and ready to attack enemies that might not exist in the first place.

So, as always, I simply encourage you to give this some thought, because if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you reside in the upper echelons on the K-shaped wellness economy.

Which means there’s also a good chance you have a lot of rules and products in place that you believe are prerequisites for you to feel your best.

How would it feel to imagine what it could do for your wellbeing if you released yourself from some of those requirements…?

Here’s to you,