Quiet some time ago a Dutch market opened up just a few miles down the road from my house. My husband and I would drive by there on occasion and always notice how busy it was. Never knowing what the market really had to offer we never ventured in until friends and co-workers kept telling us how wonderful it was. So, this past Friday afternoon curiosity got the best of us and went to have a look around.
As we entered we noticed all kinds of venders. There was a candy vendor, a pastry and baked goods vendor, a fresh produce vendor, plus home furnishings just to name a few. We looked around and eyed several items that we thought we might like to purchase. I decided I really didn’t desire anything and asked my husband if he wanted anything. He replied “Yeah, I think I want the pumpkin roll from the pastry section.” As we were walking back towards the pumpkin rolls we passed by a table of baked goods and there I saw it! The most beautiful cinnamon buns you could ever imagine! I stopped my husband right away and said “Honey, look at these cinnamon buns!” With one look he started to drool. Sure enough that’s what we took home!
We came home and the cinnamon buns got put away and I didn’t have another thought about them. Late into the evening, after I put our daughter to bed, my husband and I were sitting on the couch reading. Without speaking a word to each other we both got up and headed towards the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator and grabbed a handful of cherries. Satisfied with my selection I turned back towards the living room only to be stopped in my tracks, by the sight of the glorious cinnamon buns my husband had just opened! This time I was drooling! He asked if I wanted a bite and I said “No thanks.”
All the while my husband was eating his cinnamon buns I just starred at him! I could almost taste how good and sweet they were! All of a sudden my husband looked up at me and started laughing. He said, “Are you sure you don’t want a bite?” “No” I answered back. Of course I wanted a bite; in fact I wanted the whole thing just for myself!
Have you ever felt that way before? So consumed by your temptation for food that you could just taste it! According to Wikipedia, “A food craving is an intense desire to consume a particular food, as opposed to food in general. Food cravings are especially common in people following structured diet plans, and often interfere with the best of intentions to adhere to a particular style of eating. Foods with higher sugar glucose such as chocolate are often more craved the foods with lower sugar glucose such as bread. Food cravings are also commonly seen in pregnant women.” I think that description fits me to a tee!
So, now that we know what a food craving is, what can we do about it? I did some research and located a website called About.com where I found an excerpt from a book entitled “How the Rich Get Thin” by Jane Klauer M.D. She states that “The typical time span of most food cravings is 8 to 14 minutes” and recommends, “The Stop! Watch! Method.” This method is a three part process: 1. Get a stopwatch and set it for 15 minutes, 2. Drink a big glass of water, 3. Eat a protein snack. Really could it be that easy?
The second step in her process is the one step that really got my attention. Why would drinking water help my food craving? Dr. Klauer suggests that “our brain may misinterpret the signal for thirst as a signal for hunger.” Very interesting! So, maybe I just don’t get enough water to drink, and that could be very possible.
Food cravings are never easily conquered. They take strategic planning and a few good locks to keep all those tempting cinnamon buns in your life shut up tight! I know for me the best method is to just say, “NO” and walk away, far, far away! The Bible states, “People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” Deuteronomy 8:3.
In closing, I will confess to you that before I went to bed that night I did have a bite of those cinnamon buns and yes, they were heavenly! In fact it wasn’t just one bite, it was three! So, the next time you can taste temptation my advice is to tell your spouse to eat the whole package of cinnamon buns, ha ha! Just kidding!
