My friends and family poke fun at me because of my imaginary eating. They tell me to stop because they fear it will cause more cravings. I find the opposite is true.
I may begin with something like, "Oh my gosh, that ice cream would be delicious with toffee bits, peanuts, caramel, cherries and hot fudge." I close my eyes and with a huge smile on my face, imagine taking bite after bite. I savor the thought. I make a fool out of myself. Amazingly if my imagination is vivid enough, it is pretty satisfying.
A study published in the journal Science seems to support the notion that there may be a method to my madness.
It goes to show the power of thinking. I personally feel my imagination satisfies my cravings for those flavors.? I also think the real thing is probably not as good as the stuff I imagined (with less mess and damage to the pocketbook too).
However, the researchers feel it is due more to a process called habituation. In other words, when you are exposed to something enough you are desensitized and your desire is not as strong. The logic is that the craving for the 30th piece of chocolate would not be as strong as the craving was for the first piece.
What do you think about this?
While imaginary food can be delicious, you can't live on imaginary food alone. Here are over 100 suggestions for for quick healthy snacks.
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