Sugar, Salt, Fat and ... Bliss

For my fall semester at Ball State University, I am not taking typical classes, as some of you know. Instead I am participating in a seminar at the Virginia Ball Center for Creative Inquiry. Here I am taking a 15 credit hour seminar entitled "Sustainable Agriculture and Policy Making". Although the title may sound intimidating, 14 other students and I along with Dr. Wolfe, our supervising professor, are exploring agriculture, its impact on our lives, and how policy fits into the picture.

For this class, we are reading 5 books, one of which is Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss. I just finished reading it yesterday and can say that I was intrigued and entertained the whole way through. He details "how the food giants hooked us" on processed food by formulating the salt, sugar, and fat levels to the perfect bliss point. The bliss point can be defined by the amount of sugar, for example, that we find pleasurable. It is at the brink of being to much, but just enough to make us want even more.

I do have a reason for explaining all of this. Today I had a harrowing time activating internet and cable (automating help center we all know to well). Frustrated and wanting to feel better I reached for some dark chocolate. This had a calming effect, most likely due to the sugary nature of the candy. Afterwards, I was still craving something that instinctively I knew would make me happy... cheese. With all that fat and sugar, it makes sense.

I trotted off to Fazoli's, a restaurant that I will not be able to frequent starting next Monday, and ordered myself a baked alfredo. After eating some, my taste buds were humming and I was feeling happy and relaxed. This lines up with what Michael Moss said in his book, we eat these foods because they make us feel happy. I guess I will need to find a way to fulfill this desire when I cut out processed foods. Let me know if you have any ideas for savory dishes!