Appetite & Eating

I've been wondering about appetite. No, not in the sense of 'where
did my appetite go?' Sometimes I wish I didn't have such appetite.
My eyes are definitely larger than my stomach. A bad translation?
you get the idea...

I've been wondering about what factors affect our appetite. I began
thinking about this after a friend told me he doesn't need to eat much
when he is writing papers. We've all been there. Skipping lunch on
busy, chaotic day, coming home at 11pm, realizing "wait, I haven't had
anything solid all day!"

Also we've been there, where we are constantly munching on ANYthing
chewable, not because we are starving, but rather because we feel
stressed, and eating is comforting. Both scenarios seem familiar and
catholic, yet it is a bit of oxymoron. Our appetite, like a balloon swinging
back & forth, waxes and wanes depending on the stress level!?

Perhaps, stress does cause us to eat more. I have read that one way
to avoid emotional eating is to manage the underlying stress through
relaxation, exercising, etc. Being able to dissociate eating due to
physiological state of hunger vs. due to emotional needs may be helpful
in avoiding the latter. Wait like 10 min. and work, go for a walk etc.
and see if still hungry. Also for runners, it is important to eat even when
you are NOT hungry. Often right after a run more than 45 min. or so,
I'm not hungry at all. So it becomes like a ritual to immediately replenish
water and carbohydrates within 1 hour of running.

Ok, stress, we got that down. What else affects our appetite?

1. visual images, colors

Why some just cannot resist food..

Those miniature plastic food in front of restaurants in Japan is an industry
in of itself for a good reason..

2. delicacies driving appetite away, far far away..

Btw, is reindeer penis really good for skin? I can see a new brand,
'Reindeer Penis' natural beauty from the wild wild Northpole.
Mrs. Santa's favorite casserole!

3. smell, our olfactory nerve is one of the oldest nerves, and directly
linked to the cortical area. Yummy sniff, and you are powerless..

4. weight of food supposedly also affects whether we stay full or not.
more on this topic later another day!

Welcome to Natural Foodie, a site dedicated to foodies! This site is created for sharing foodie information (e.g., where to go for that amazing slice of pizza or sea urchin topped Udon), fotos, and recipes. Also I started running about a year ago, and I have learned about nutritional value of the food I like to eat. I'll be posting stuff related to food's impact on our body and mental state here from time to time.

You may be a natural foodie (born as a foodie, the structural representation on the left) if..

1. eating is an important event during your routine day
2. you can answer at least 10 dishes when someone asks you "what do you like to eat?" (and cannot comprehend when others blank out when asked this question)
3. you enjoy cooking for one or for a dinner party
4. you remember details of what you ate at a restaurant better than the conversation.
5. you can talk about food even when you've just finished a ten course meal.
6. fit the definition (for those of you who have the need to define things :)
   

Foodie: A person who has an ardent or refined interest in latest food fads; a gourmet

I used to separate the two definitions of "natural foodie" those naturally a foodie, and those who like organic and natural food. Lately I see that many people, especially those with young children are both. Well, if you can afford it, you know it's better for you :) Ok, so you maybe a natural foodie (the one on the right) if you

1. like to shop at Whole Foods (a.k.a. Bread & Circus, Fresh Fields)
2. look at labels and can actually tell the difference between "certified organic" and "beyond organic"
3. look forward to getting up bright and early on weekends to go to local farmer's markets
4. would rather starve than eat unhealthy snacks
5. look up places to eat out healthy before visiting new place
   
6. have Greek yogurt and soy milk in your fridge

Ok, so it was super easy to start this blog. Check back soon!