Science of Mindsets for Health & Performance | Dr. Alia Crum

My guest is Dr. Alia Crum, Associate Professor (tenured) of Psychology at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Mind & Body Lab. Dr. Crum is a world expert on mindsets and beliefs, and how they shape our responses to stress, exercise and even the foods we eat. We discuss how our mindset about the nutritional content of food changes how satisfying it is to us at a physiological (hormonal and metabolic) level. She also explains how mindsets about exercise can dramatically alter the effects of exercise on weight loss, blood pressure and other health metrics. Dr. Crum teaches us how to think about stress in ways that allow stress to grow us and bring out our best rather than diminish our health and performance. Throughout the episode, Dr. Crum shares high-quality peer-reviewed scientific findings that we can all leverage to improve health and performance in our lives. For an up-to-date list of our current sponsors, please visit our website: https://www.hubermanlab.com/sponsors. Previous sponsors mentioned in this podcast episode may no longer be affiliated with us. Dr. Alia Crum Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/AliaCrum Stanford Mind & Body Lab - https://mbl.stanford.edu Support Dr. Crum’s research at Stanford (tax-deductible) - https://mbl.stanford.edu/support Dr. Crum’s published work - https://mbl.stanford.edu/publications Social: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab Website - https://hubermanlab.com Newsletter - https://hubermanlab.com/neural-network Links: Toolkit for changing stress mindsets - http://sparqtools.org/rethinkingstress/ Publication on mindsets & side effects - https://bit.ly/3AnUkGY Changing patient mindsets about non-life-threatening symptoms during oral immunotherapy - https://bit.ly/3FT4Irh Stress, mindsets, and success in Navy SEALs special warfare training - https://bit.ly/3IAnS7d Nutritional analysis of foods and beverages depicted in top-grossing US movies, 1994-2018 - https://bit.ly/3ItrrMn Nutritional Analysis of Foods and Beverages Posted in Instagram Accounts of Highly Followed Celebrities - https://bit.ly/3nU42f0 Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introducing Dr. Alia Crum from Stanford University 00:03:15 Thesis, ROKA, InsideTracker 00:08:26 What Is a Mindset & What Does It Do? 00:14:45 Mindsets Change Our Biological Responses to Food 00:22:28 Beliefs About Our Food Matter 00:25:57 Placebo vs Beliefs vs Nocebo Effects 00:28:57 Mindset (Dramatically) Impacts the Effects of Exercise 00:33:44 Motivational Messaging & Mindset About Fitness 00:39:30 The Power of a ‘Potency & Indulgence’ Mindset 00:42:03 Mindsets About Sleep, Tracking Sleep 00:45:00 Making Stress Work For (or Against) You 01:01:50 Mindsets Link Our Conscious & Subconscious 01:04:50 3 Best Ways to Leverage Stress 01:10:40 4 Things That Shape Mindsets, Influencers & Mindsets 01:19:40 Mindsets About Medicines & Side Effects 01:26:25 How to Teach Mindsets 01:31:47 Dr. Crum’s Research, Clinical & Athletic Backgrounds 01:36:20 The Stanford Mind & Body Lab, Resources for Stress 01:38:30 Synthesis, Participating in Research 01:39:04 Subscribe, Sponsors, Patreon, Instagram, Twitter, Thorne Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed

Andrew HubermanhostAlia Crumguest

Jan 24, 20221h 41mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: January 24, 2022
Duration: 1h 41m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

My guest is Dr. Alia Crum, Associate Professor (tenured) of Psychology at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Mind & Body Lab. Dr. Crum is a world expert on mindsets and beliefs, and how they shape our responses to stress, exercise and even the foods we eat. We discuss how our mindset about the nutritional content of food changes how satisfying it is to us at a physiological (hormonal and metabolic) level. She also explains how mindsets about exercise can dramatically alter the effects of exercise on weight loss, blood pressure and other health metrics. Dr. Crum teaches us how to think about stress in ways that allow stress to grow us and bring out our best rather than diminish our health and performance. Throughout the episode, Dr. Crum shares high-quality peer-reviewed scientific findings that we can all leverage to improve health and performance in our lives. For an up-to-date list of our current sponsors, please visit our website: https://www.hubermanlab.com/sponsors. Previous sponsors mentioned in this podcast episode may no longer be affiliated with us. Dr. Alia Crum Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/AliaCrum Stanford Mind & Body Lab - https://mbl.stanford.edu Support Dr. Crum’s research at Stanford (tax-deductible) - https://mbl.stanford.edu/support Dr. Crum’s published work - https://mbl.stanford.edu/publications Social: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab Website - https://hubermanlab.com Newsletter - https://hubermanlab.com/neural-network Links: Toolkit for changing stress mindsets - http://sparqtools.org/rethinkingstress/ Publication on mindsets & side effects - https://bit.ly/3AnUkGY Changing patient mindsets about non-life-threatening symptoms during oral immunotherapy - https://bit.ly/3FT4Irh Stress, mindsets, and success in Navy SEALs special warfare training - https://bit.ly/3IAnS7d Nutritional analysis of foods and beverages depicted in top-grossing US movies, 1994-2018 - https://bit.ly/3ItrrMn Nutritional Analysis of Foods and Beverages Posted in Instagram Accounts of Highly Followed Celebrities - https://bit.ly/3nU42f0 Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introducing Dr. Alia Crum from Stanford University 00:03:15 Thesis, ROKA, InsideTracker 00:08:26 What Is a Mindset & What Does It Do? 00:14:45 Mindsets Change Our Biological Responses to Food 00:22:28 Beliefs About Our Food Matter 00:25:57 Placebo vs Beliefs vs Nocebo Effects 00:28:57 Mindset (Dramatically) Impacts the Effects of Exercise 00:33:44 Motivational Messaging & Mindset About Fitness 00:39:30 The Power of a ‘Potency & Indulgence’ Mindset 00:42:03 Mindsets About Sleep, Tracking Sleep 00:45:00 Making Stress Work For (or Against) You 01:01:50 Mindsets Link Our Conscious & Subconscious 01:04:50 3 Best Ways to Leverage Stress 01:10:40 4 Things That Shape Mindsets, Influencers & Mindsets 01:19:40 Mindsets About Medicines & Side Effects 01:26:25 How to Teach Mindsets 01:31:47 Dr. Crum’s Research, Clinical & Athletic Backgrounds 01:36:20 The Stanford Mind & Body Lab, Resources for Stress 01:38:30 Synthesis, Participating in Research 01:39:04 Subscribe, Sponsors, Patreon, Instagram, Twitter, Thorne Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed

SPEAKERS

Andrew Huberman
host
Alia Crum
guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Andrew Huberman and Alia Crum, Science of Mindsets for Health & Performance | Dr. Alia Crum explores how Mindsets Rewire Stress, Food, Exercise And Medical Treatment Effects Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Alia Crum explore how core beliefs—or mindsets—about stress, food, exercise, and medical treatments directly shape motivation, behavior, and even measurable physiology. Drawing on landmark studies, Crum shows that what we think about a milkshake, a work shift, or a medication can alter hormones like ghrelin and DHEA, blood pressure, immune markers, and performance under stress. They distinguish placebo/nocebo from broader “belief effects,” arguing mindsets act as a portal between conscious interpretations and subconscious bodily responses. The conversation concludes with practical frameworks for adopting more adaptive mindsets and a call to consciously design healthier cultural narratives around health and performance.

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