Cravings

You know when, for whatever reason, you think of a really specific kind of food and start craving it?

I've been studying human nature for a while now, and when you put it in that context, it turns out to be a really interesting topic. Going back to our evolutionary days, cravings were essential. It made sure we had all the nutrients and vitamins we need to survive.

The human body is designed to recognize all the different things you eat. It pays special attention to this task, just as it does to recognizing subtle body language, or the minute details of spoken word. Suppose you're eating a specific food, let's say a baked potato. Here your body is doing two things at once. Firstly, it takes a mental picture of the food, focusing on everything about it; its taste, its texture, the movements involved in eating it, and of course, how delicious it is. These sensations are saved and memorized, but this is only half the picture.

After the food is eaten, your body begins the second phase. During digestion, it is sorted and checked for all its nutritious value. It could have Vitamin C, which helps you live longer. It could have carbs, which give you muscle energy. If your baked potato had butter on it, you have energy which can be stored for future use. All of these things are remembered, and directly associated with the memory of eating the food.

So now, you have a complete picture of a baked potato. Whenever your body wants Vitamin C, or carbohydrates, or anything else coming up short in its day-to-day workings, the picture is there, ready for use. It's amazing, a testament to the wonders of evolution. A direct link between our imagination and our basic biology.

Some people feel guilty for their cravings. According to the seven deadly sins, it's actually wrong to have these feelings. In its appreciation of the miracle of human life, Proverbs 23:2 proclaims "put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony." I don't know about you, but I have the utmost respect for an intelligent force that wants me to stay alive.

Cravings can lead to all sorts of interesting situations, and that's why I wanted to start this thread. Yesterday I bought six bottles of sparkling mineral water. I usually have some kind of drink with me throughout the day, but I figured I could use a change from all the sodas and fruit juices I'm used to.

So for the last few hours or so since my last meal, I've basically drank nothing but sparkling water. The bottle has been here next to my desk, exactly where a carbonated, sugary soft drink would sit. But a moment ago, something very interesting happened. Just as I was drinking it, I got a sudden craving for golden syrup. Sweet, sugary golden syrup. Weird, huh?

But that's exactly it! Sugar is just the thing missing from this water. After all this association between the fizzing CO2 of a pepsi, and the sugar registered in my body, I have combined in my head the cravings for carbonated soft drinks and sugar. My body senses this lack of sugar and, with a suggestive nudge, selects the beautiful image of dessert syrup, something I must've eaten years ago.

I just think it's really amazing to see this mechanism working in action, and to marvel at what it can do.

You're right. Guess what my body needs right now is hard liquor, tobacco, and pills!

nice read, thanks :D it is amazing. and i love sparkling water.

alright but seriously, I need a ripe juicy heirloom tomato right now

i could go for pumpkin pie

Avocados are the love of my food life right now. I often find myself looking forward to the next morning when I can peel a luscious ripe avocado again.

Can I haz bake pottao?

I crave a fancy blowjob, most of the time.

  On 11/7/2012 at 4:25 AM, Candiru said:

Avocados are the love of my food life right now. I often find myself looking forward to the next morning when I can peel a luscious ripe avocado again.

LoL. Of all the food in the world I have eaten a 'luscious ripe avocado' is the worst thing I have ever eaten. Jesus I fucking hate them! Just made me laugh. Having said that I once ate possum pie in New Zealand and that was the worst, the taste and thought disturbed me for days afterwards. Made my soul shudder.

Olives are one of my bodies most consistent cravings as long as I can remember.

  On 11/7/2012 at 8:20 PM, beerwolf said:

Of all the food in the world I have eaten a 'luscious ripe avocado' is the worst thing I have ever eaten. Jesus I fucking hate them!

huh?? Different strokes, I guess! Avocado (well, guacamole) was my first food and I still love the shit out of the things. So damn tasty. Avocado + bacon is particularly amazing... slap that shit on a cheeseburger, yum!

  On 11/7/2012 at 8:32 PM, sweepstakes said:

  On 11/7/2012 at 8:20 PM, beerwolf said:

Of all the food in the world I have eaten a 'luscious ripe avocado' is the worst thing I have ever eaten. Jesus I fucking hate them!

huh?? Different strokes, I guess! Avocado (well, guacamole) was my first food and I still love the shit out of the things. So damn tasty. Avocado + bacon is particularly amazing... slap that shit on a cheeseburger, yum!

When my gf was studying in Scotland, her (then) boyfriend tried to cook an avocado by frying it.

Fresh avocado is incredibly complimentary to good grilled meat, especially with a little salt and citrus. And on its own it's subtle and pretty inoffensive tasting to me. I know many people who hate avocados (most of them are from the northeast U.S. or from across the pond) and I don't understand how it's possible to hate something like avocados. It would be like hating flowers, or rainbows. Unless you're some Scotsman trying to fry it up like a hairy coo's bollock.

I get cravings for (chicken) eggs and guacamole pretty frequently. The guacamole thing is more recent, because I used to live in the northeast U.S., and my family was too terrified of avocados to ever introduce me to it.

When you say eggs and guacamole do you mean you use the guacamole on the eggs? Anyone have some creative ways to use guacamole? I have a bunch but ran out of chips and I'm not sure what else it would go with besides burrito.

Sorry, I meant "eggs, and also, separately, guacamole" instead of "eggs n guac"

BUT THERE IS ALSO THE GLORIOUS UNION OF THE TWO IN HUEVOS RANCHEROS

And if you had (or can make) tortilla chips you could make the seriously underrated and disgustingly amazing CHILAQUILES

(both of those would more traditionally use sliced avocado rather than guac, but you can totally make it work with guac)

fried avocado is delicious you luddite. preferably soaked in a stodgy batter made from ground teeth, and then deep fried.

with copious brown sauce, maybe

Maybe I should clarify that the avocado was in no way skinned or halved before frying, but was fried whole and intact by this particular Ned, which served only to cook the avocado without imparting any crispiness or deliciously greasy frystuff to the edible portion of the fruit.

edit: he's probably a watmmer

this thread is making my mouth water

i usually crave nothing, my body has learned to be disappointed that I am not constantly shoving sugar in my face anymore

I am from the Northeast and avocados make me stupid hard. The ones from California are superior to most Mexican or Peruvian ones. Cali 'cados have that beautiful yellow and green and buttery flavor, rather than that light green fleshed ones with more obscenely veggie flavor.

Avocados like you so you should like them.

i crave cheese so much. and carbs. i want to eat all the cheesy pasta and grilled cheese sandwiches. so comforting. i should probably eat avocados instead. healthy fats yess

after i eat loads of sushi i crave cheese

actually after eating any asian food that craving is felt