Sick of feeling the urge to pick at food? Good intentions always flying out of the window? We have good news. It may not be your fault – the root of the problem may lie at the colour you've painted your walls, not a lack of will power.
Colour isn't just cosmetic – research into the physiological effects of colour shows that certain colours have a very real effect on mood and behaviour, including stimulating appetite, encouraging creativity and even alleviating pain.
According to Angela Wright, author of the The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology (Colour Affects, £12.99), 'There are four psychological primary colours – red, which relates to the body, blue to the mind, yellow to the emotions, and green, which provides a balance between the three. Shades and tints of these determine how they affect us.'
Chromatherapy (the use of colour as a health treatment), has been used in the western world since the early 20th century. But long before then, ancient Indian and Egyptian cultures used colour to treat ailments, and feng shui practitioners have always used colour as a means of helping create harmonious living spaces. June McLeod, author of Colours of the Soul (O Books, £7.99), says 'Colour is the most important consideration for any space, it's transformational.' So use it wisely.
