Saturday, January 16, 2010

Food up my nose: Aversions and Cravings

Sadly, this will be a boring post. Acorn has not proven to be a picky eater, nor I a nosy smeller. Aversions: Very general so far. I can't eat rich food (see also: the onset of queasiness brought on by Christmas Eve dinner). I don't like complex-savory things, like chili, to eat or to smell. (Given to whom I am married, I'm lucky that the smell aversion to complex-savory stuff is not too strong, otherwise I'd have to get my own apartment.) I find that really sugary things make me feel hot and bothered -- probably a blood sugar thing -- so I haven't had too many sweets. Gummy bears or angel food cake are about my tolerance limit for sweets right now.
Cravings: first let me say that I have always, always been a highly suggestible person. If I am hungry and I see a ritz cracker commercial, then I want ritz crackers. I smell the scent of burgers as I drive home, I want burgers. And so on. So the random cravings I've had -- hot dogs, lo mein, taco salad -- have mostly been based on something I saw on tv, or smelled a hint of, at some point during the day. I have noticed, however, that when I eat something fresh and good for me -- apples, carrots, salad -- my body sends off endorphin fireworks that make me feel like the healthiest, smartest person on the planet. Apples -- specifically crisp Pink Ladies -- make me feel downright euphoric. My body has made a point of ensuring that I am hormonally rewarded for eating well; it's the easiest time I've ever had of doing so. Interestingly, however, I don't crave apples or the other good foods, I just know how I'll feel after I eat them.
Weirdest moments: Only two so far. One day at the office a large box of crayons started to smell like a scented candle store. It was like having 6 or 7 of them stuffed up my nose (lest you ask, no, I did not have 6 or 7 of them stuffed up my nose at the time). I've been in the same office since with no problem. Apparently that day my olfactory mojo was cranked up. The second: one night I was nibbling on plain American Cheese while in the process of making myself a grilled cheese sandwich. The cheese, for no discernible reason, tasted floral to me. As though someone had said, hmmm, let's add some lavender and rose oils to these three slices, and see if it takes America by storm! It wasn't gross, but I wouldn't be buying stock in floral cheese any time soon.

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