"Art history class" and "salivating" are two terms I never thought could be used in the same sentence. Yet I needed several sponges to wipe drool off my desk after watching the movie "Tampopo," a tribute to the Japanese noodle.
Yes, everyone was salivating in my Japanese and the West art history class: a dire craving for noodles was an understatement after this movie.
We wanted to devour them, slurp them, chew them, look at them, order them and smell their fresh, floury aroma. Every scene of the movie was about the reverence given to food, namely, mouth-watering noodles.
Some high-quality Japanese food would have been ideal at the movie's end, but I'm sure most of the class settled for pre-packaged Ramen.
Would I be bold and brave or give into my noodle urge? The "Thai-style pasta" was calling out my name in Dewick. Just as I was preparing to ladle out a hefty portion in my spellbound haze, I suddenly wondered if I would have chosen to eat pasta that night if it weren't for "Tampopo."
It was then when I realized what an impact the visual media has upon our appetites. Visual stimuli can sometimes persuade us to make choices that we don't necessarily mean to.
It is only after the fact that we realize we probably wouldn't have wanted to eat what we did if it weren't for that enticing image of a Ben and Jerry's logo on some guy's T-shirt, or some savory noodles on television, for that matter.
The mind is a very powerful chemical mediator: it will sometimes give you the idea that you want to dive into a vat of fudge brownie mix. But withstand the urge! You don't need to give into these mindless cravings if they are going to ruin a good diet.
That's not to say that it isn't okay for food to be "pleasurable." Strict discipline in your food choices is not necessary all of the time, so long as your overall diet is of good quality most of the time.
Just for the record, noodles are not "bad." The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating 6-11 daily servings of grain-based products that are high in complex carbohydrates - foods like whole grain pasta, breads and cereals - as the foundation of a healthy, balanced diet. Carbohydrates are the source of most of the body's glucose, which is the crucial fuel energy source for the brain, red blood cells, muscle and organs.
Without carbohydrates, a diet is not balanced or complete. The carbohydrates become glucose stored in the muscles and in turn, the glucose energy is released when needed during long, tiring exercise, like long-distance running or biking. Therefore, there is not much harm in eating a single portion of noodles, as long as it is for the right reasons.
The question then becomes: how do we resist these impulses and discipline ourselves when over-stimulated by images?
These impulses are more of a psychological than physical addiction, and again, it is fine to give in to these urges sometimes. But once we find that it is happening more often than we'd like it to, that's when it becomes important to figure out what eating that food will accomplish.
Next time a craving appears like my Tampopo one did, use the bombardment of everyday images to your advantage. Rather than just dwelling upon the noodles that you "must" have, think about healthy alternatives to the foods you are craving, like whole-grain noodles tossed with olive oil or crisp green broccoli with a hint of garlic.
Or, think about images other than food that make you feel good. Take, for example, the image of a Greek Olympian or other great athletes, who enable us to feel as though we could achieve anything. Andy Roddick sure puts me back on track.
Do something counterintuitive. Immerse yourself in an activity - anything that keeps you busy, i.e. the 200 pages in your course reader you have yet to touch let alone open, catching up on e-mails, or calling your grandma, whose day will be made by your five-minute call.
In short, it's okay to have your Tampopo and eat it too - but be sure it fits into your overall dietary plan.
Senior Marissa Beck, an English major, works with the Strong Women program as an assistant manager and personal trainer for the Tufts Personalized Performance Program. Contact her at Marissa.Beck@tufts.edu. This column is written in conjunction with the Balance section of the Daily.
