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Action on <strong>Junk</strong> <strong>Food</strong> <strong>Cravings</strong> at Event<br />
Buffets; Our Unique Way of helping!<br />
Millions of people every day enjoy a bar of chocolate, a packet of crisps, a slice of<br />
cake or another form of indulgent dessert. Many of them say that they simply crave<br />
these foods – their body tells them they need the injection of sweetness, or perhaps<br />
they’re simply dying to enjoy the delicious taste of their favorite food. In fact, as part<br />
of our daily routines of meeting guests’ event catering requirements of majority of<br />
our clients, we’re faced with this constant demand for something sweet or snacky as<br />
part of any buffet spread proposal. Yet amidst all this caving is a constant barrage of<br />
weight loss and dieting news. Worst of all, each comes with a first scare then follows<br />
a supposed solution such as 11 best ways to lose weight, unique ways to lose weight<br />
and the like. Sadly, the pressure isn’t about to stop for those of us that really indeed<br />
have that genuine craving. The writers and bloggers are hard at it and before too<br />
long, their intention is to wean us off any and all of those slight indulgences we might<br />
have for a reason or another. Genuinely, am one of these though on another side,<br />
reality has to be borne upon us.
In this regard, we sat and wondered; what if we could transform these cravings, so<br />
that we nudged guests that they no longer desired sugar-laden desserts and snacks<br />
filled with saturated fat? What if we could help them crave green juice, salad, quinoa,<br />
fruit and vegetables? Did our guests have to really necessarily sit out a meal just so<br />
they could tame our cravings and the<strong>ref</strong>ore avert the looming crisis in our lives of<br />
Multiple cancers, Cardiovascular disease, Neurodegenerative disorders and Diabetes?<br />
How realistic is it that in any single day one could eat their full 3 meals and still end<br />
up anywhere near 500 calories or less each day like some dieticians have us believe;<br />
more especially when the festive times come around and buffets are all abound<br />
everywhere we turn? Some say that It’s not always what you eat but rather when<br />
you eat that makes a huge difference. How many event buffets do run on time?<br />
The idea of a different craving altogether is something that we want to highlight in<br />
this article. It sounds like a far-off fantasy, but it might not actually be so unrealistic.<br />
A study conducted by Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow found<br />
that taking what’s known as an inulin-proportionate ester (IPE) supplement could<br />
actually reduce or remove those pesky cravings for high-sugar, high-fat, high-calorie<br />
foods.<br />
By analysing MRI scans of the study participants, researchers were able to establish<br />
a connection between the brain’s ‘reward trigger’ and foods that taste great but are<br />
bad for your health. One of the professors in charge of the research said, “IPE can<br />
decrease activity in brain areas associated with food reward, at the same time as<br />
reducing the amount of food they eat.” Though the study was a fairly small one, with<br />
just twenty people taking part, another study in 2013 has also backed up these<br />
claims, lending real credibility to the idea that there could be a scientific way to<br />
reduce junk food cravings.<br />
Until the day arrives when IPE is readily available for those who feel they may<br />
struggle with a junk food addiction, there are a number of options we like to employ<br />
to help curb those cravings besides the very an ideal approach many tend to go for;<br />
– L-glutamine supplements that are said to have a similar effect, preventing people<br />
from reaching for their biscuit stash or wolfing down some cake when they get a<br />
craving.<br />
An activity to fit in with the event is another way to quietly nudge guests into that<br />
conscious though of healthy wellbeing. The choices are wide from a yoga class to a<br />
bowling, swimming or jogging break up activity to build in with the theme of the<br />
event. It could also be a small informal discussion of how well or not so well the buffet<br />
went. This is so guests can help build more awareness around issues of their health<br />
and wellbeing. All this is obviously in context.
We nudge people so they consider food swaps, so that when they give into them,<br />
they won’t necessarily feel like they have to diet and detox in the aftermath. Great<br />
food swaps include:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Switch crisps for pita chips, with a rich hummus dip. Hummus is packed with<br />
protein, and the pita won’t be packed with saturated fat and salt like the<br />
regular crisps<br />
Instead of chips or fries, try sweet potato fries. Sweet potatoes are actually a<br />
distant relation of the carrot, so they have an entirely different make-up to<br />
regular potatoes. Bake them in a healthy oil (olive oil is great) for a delicious<br />
alternative.<br />
Ditch chocolate bars for chocolate-themed trail mix. Nobody’s saying you have<br />
to ditch the chocolate entirely, but if you combine small chocolate chips or<br />
buttons with nuts (almonds, macadamias, walnuts) and dried fruit, you’ll have<br />
a much healthier snack on your hands.<br />
We have a lot of ideas at <strong>Benons</strong> <strong>Catering</strong> that we’re happy to explore and share but<br />
we would love to hear from you. Particularly, what have you considered or considering<br />
to help nudge your guests at your next/upcoming event buffet?<br />
Send Us an email at info@benonscatering.co.uk<br />
London Office and Corporate Caterers<br />
www.benonscatering.co.uk<br />
Contact Person: <strong>Joas</strong> Serugga