The Science of Cellf Health

This page explains the theory* behind Cellf Health and provides links to relevant research for anyone who's interested in finding out more.

You are What you THINK you Eat!

As I've already mentioned, at the most basic level, human beings are a collection of cells and science has shown that we have the ability within ourselves to affect the behaviour of these cells.

There are many studies demonstrating this but one of my favourites is the so-called ‘You are What you Think you Eat’ experiment conducted by scientists at Yale University. Participants were given the same milkshake to drink however, one group were told it had 620 calories whereas the other group were told it only had 140 calories. Tests showed that the group told it was a 620 calorie shake had a significantly steeper decline in the ‘hunger hormone’ ghrelin than those told it had 140 calories. Therefore, the cells that produce ghrelin were responding to the number of calories the participants thought were in the shake not the actual amount. The study concluded that, ‘The effect of food consumption on ghrelin may be psychologically mediated, and mindset meaningfully affects physiological responses to food.’ You can read the full study here.

Mental Practice

This is not an isolated study; similar effects have been demonstrated by other studies and the results are not just linked to the cells’ responses to food. The mind has been shown to impact the results of exercise as well as improving skills such as playing the piano and shooting basketball hoops.

The research into the effects of what scientists call 'Simulated Mental Practice Techniques' is so exciting. In fact, scientists are now looking at the implications of similar techniques to support patients with motor control. Clearly, much more research is needed but the potential implications are significant: 'Motor imagery offers several advantages in rehabilitation efforts by improving motor function, cognitive capabilities, and psychological well-being while fostering neuroplasticity and motor recovery in disabled individuals.... A myriad of techniques and training protocols can be employed to support motor imagery interventions—including mental practice...'

Cellular Growth

Some of the clearest evidence for the mind being able to affect physiological changes comes from studies of the effects of meditation on subjects' brains.
Scientists are now able to detect visual changes in the brain during meditation practice using imaging techniques such as functional MRI (fMRI). This meta analysis suggested that, 'These results demonstrate that a biological substrate underlies the positive pervasive effect of meditation practice and suggest that meditation techniques could be adopted in clinical populations and to prevent disease.'
Another meta-analysis details some of the physiological changes that meditation produces: 'When all meditation forms were analysed together, meditation reduced cortisol, C - reactive protein, blood pressure, heart rate, triglycerides and tumour necrosis factor-alpha. Overall, meditation practice leads to decreased physiological markers of stress in a range of populations.' This is clear evidence of the power of the mind to make changes at a cellular level.
Interestingly, it was through meditation that I discovered the limiting beliefs/stories that were preventing me from making positive changes to my health. (I explain more about this here.)

*I want to be clear that I am not a scientist or a doctor. However, as a teacher, I have had a lifelong obsession with learning and since being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis just over six years ago, I have been on the most important learning journey of my life. After transforming my own health, I retrained as a Health Coach and I now work with clients to help them transform their health by focusing on the core beliefs or stories preventing them from sticking to healthier habits.