The Mind over Milkshake Study: When Belief Becomes Biology 🔬
Issue #53 — The Sweet Science of Belief. Find the Purpose Behind Your Action. Attraction needs Attention.
If you like reading this, feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack. 🙏
💡 Here are 3-tips to help you learn, grow, and be inspired this week!
🎓 Learn
In today's issue, I'll share about the "Mind over Milkshake Experiment" and how you can leverage the findings of this experiment to achieve personal and professional goals.
This fascinating experiment was conducted by Dr. Alia Crum at Yale University. Its main objective was to investigate how human beliefs and mindsets can influence physical responses within the body, specifically focusing on how perception can impact feelings of hunger.
About the Study
Participants were divided into two groups.
Each group was given the same milkshake, but the labeling differed. One group received a milkshake labeled as a "low-calorie, guilt-free" treat, while the other received a milkshake labeled as a "high-calorie, indulgent" treat.
Unbeknownst to the participants, both milkshakes were actually identical in nutritional content.
Before and after consuming the milkshake, the participants’ ghrelin levels (a hunger hormone that signals the body to eat) were measured.
The study found that those who believed they were consuming the indulgent milkshake experienced a steeper decline in ghrelin levels, whereas those who thought they were consuming the low-calorie treat had a much more modest reduction in ghrelin.
Applications for Health and Personal Goals
Mindset in Dieting: “How” you eat matters as much as what you eat! Eating with awareness and a positive attitude during eating matters a lot. Eat mindfully!
Impact on Exercise: Your belief about how strenuous and effective your workout is might influence how your body responds to it. Approaching physical activities with a positive and confident mindset might make them more effective.
Workplace Productivity: If you approach your work tasks believing that they are meaningful and that you're capable of accomplishing them, you might find that you are more efficient and fulfilled in your work.
Key Takeaway: The Mind over Milkshake experiment demonstrates the powerful connection between the mind and body, showcasing that our beliefs, perceptions, and expectations can significantly influence physiological reactions. This connection between mind and body has profound implications for areas like dieting, exercise, and overall well-being, showing that what we think and believe can have real, measurable effects on our physical health and life goals.
Watch this video to learn more about this study:
(Read more about this study)
🚀 Grow
In this article, Corey Wilks explains how, using the Functional Analysis method, you can find the true motivation behind your actions.
Once you understand what drives your actions, you can work on it to make it work for you and your goals.
🤩 Inspire
[On a different note, here’s something I’m excited to share to help you boost your productivity and performance through better writing in 2025]
How Samir, an Engineer, Transformed His Career with One Skill
Samir wasn’t a writer. He was a software engineer, great at building things but struggled when it came to explaining ideas, pitching projects, or sharing updates.
After being passed over for a promotion, he realized something: It wasn’t his technical skills holding him back—it was his writing.
He signed up for a copywriting course, thinking it would help him write better emails. (It did that and more.)
In a few months, Samir’s emails were clear and persuasive. His project proposals got approved faster. He became the go-to person for internal presentations. And, yes—he finally got that promotion.
Why? Because writing is a meta-skill.
Whether you’re an engineer, designer, accountant, or manager, writing impacts everything. Emails, reports, pitches, presentations—good writing makes you more productive, more effective, and more valuable.
Here’s the good news: WRITING IS A SKILL. You don’t “have it”, you learn it.
If you can improve only one skill in 2025, make it writing.
I’ve spent over $5,000 on different writing courses, and out of all of them, I highly recommend CopyThat—an email-based copywriting course you can complete in just 30 minutes a day for 10 days.
✍🏻 Check it out here: CopyThat
May the Peaceful Growth be with you! 🪴
