How Food Packaging Messes With Your Mind

Posted on March 20, 2013 by admin

Chew on this: People are more likely to think a food item is healthier if it has a green calorie label, according to a new study out of Cornell University.

The study, published in the journal Health Communication, took place in two parts. First, 93 undergrad participants looked at a picture of one of two candy bars. The candy bars each had the same number of calories listed: 260. In fact, they were nearly identical—the only difference between them was that one had a green calorie label, and the other had a red calorie label. Yet the participants who looked at the photo of the green-labeled candy bar judged it to be significantly healthier and to have fewer calories than other candy bars.

“Green means go and has generally positive associations, so we might see that as a green light to indulge,” says Jonathon Schuldt, PhD, the lead study author, assistant professor of communication, and director of Cornell’s Social Cognition and Communication Lab. Since red can of course carry its own implications (Stop! Warning!), the researchers decided it was unclear whether it was the green or the red that caused the results—so they performed a second study. This time, 60 online participants looked at a candy bar with either a green or a white calorie label, and they answered a question about how much value they put on healthy eating. Those who put a lot of weight on healthy eating thought the candy bar with the green label was healthier than the one with the white label.

“Even when we provided the participants with identical calorie information, the color was able to exert this effect,” says Schuldt. “It’s a reminder that it’s hard for us to navigate decisions about what’s healthy.”

And the calorie label isn’t the only packaging element that can color your perception of a food’s healthfulness. Check out the mind-benders in the infographic above.

photo (thumbnail): iStockphoto/Thinkstock

What’s the 15-Minute Fat Loss Secret? Find out here!

javahut healthy feed

How Food Packaging Messes With Your Mind

Posted on March 20, 2013 by admin

Chew on this: People are more likely to think a food item is healthier if it has a green calorie label, according to a new study out of Cornell University.

And the calorie label isn’t the only packaging element that can color your perception of a food’s healthfulness. Check out the mind-benders in the infographic above.

photo (thumbnail): iStockphoto/Thinkstock

What’s the 15-Minute Fat Loss Secret? Find out here!

javahut healthy feed

The Mind Trick That Boosts Your Mood

Posted on March 4, 2013 by admin

When you’re battling depression or feeling seriously bummed, it’s tough to recall happier moments from your past—tough, but not impossible. They key to looking on the bright side: Using the ‘method-of-loci’ memory strategy, where you train yourself to associate common objects with happy, detailed thoughts, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science.

“People with depression have trouble bringing back memories that are positive in tone with self-affirming qualities,” says Tim Dalgleish, Ph.D., the director of the Cambridge Center for Affective Disorders and the lead author of the study. “This strategy gives them the option to remember the sorts of things they’d like to be able to remember to counteract how they’re feeling.”

The trick to this mind technique is training your brain to pair random objects you see daily–like a building or tree on your commute to work–with thoughts loaded with happy, detailed emotions. So, for instance: Every time you use your car, look at the steering wheel and think of a vacation you took that left you feeling invigorated and totally joyful. The more senses and details you can conjure, the better—so look at the steering wheel and think of the smell of the ocean, and the feeling of the breeze against your skin, and how happy you were to be there with the people you loved. The object and happy memories don’t have to be related (what does a steering wheel have to do with a beach vacation, anyway?), but you should bump into these items regularly. That way, you ultimately get to a point where you remember the happy moments just by seeing the object, and you don’t have to force yourself to be optimistic when you’re feeling anything but.

For other tips about how to pull yourself out of an emotional funk–and start smiling–read more about dealing with depression:

Antidepressant Information: How to Deal with Depression

The Easiest Way to Fight Depression

All-Natural Depression Fixes

How to Fight Depression and Stress with Meditation

How to Find a Good Therapist

photo: dotshock/Shutterstock

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