Love
at
first bite
FOODS TO SHOW AND SHARE YOUR LOVE By Jackie Nunnery
W
hether celebrating another year with a birthday cake or getting through a breakup with ice cream, we’ve all used food to make us feel better, and there’s science behind it. Studies have shown that our brains are wired to crave rewards, so food gives our brains a payoff similar to gambling or other pleasures.
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Given the connection to the pleasure centers of the brain, it should be no surprise that food is also believed to lead to other pleasures. Aphrodisiacs, named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, have been around for centuries. From spices to sweets, seafoods to meats, certain foods and recipes have been concocted to improve our moods, rev up our nervous systems or get our hearts pumping. All of this in the name of love.
February/March 2020
