Myth Or Fact: Colour Therapy To Control Your Appetite
We love living in a
kaleidoscope of colour - from super fun, knee-high rainbow socks to the vibrant
foods that nourish our bodies.
Colour is food for our
eyes, but did you know chromotherapy, the art/science of colour therapy may also
curb your appetite and shape your mood?
We aren’t going to say
if it’s myth or fact either way, just to keep you on your toes! But in all
honesty, we believe everyone is different and therefore
colour may (or may not) affect you differently.
Blue
Did you do double take
when checking out this photo of a blue cupcake? Many studies indicate that blue may suppress our appetites as unlike green or red, it is not a colour found commonly
in nature.
You may love eggplant, blueberries, purple cabbage and blue-purple potatoes, but these hues of colour are a rarity in nature compared to some we'll chat about later.
Blue colouring may have indicated toxicity back when
our ancestors relied on foraging to get a hunger fix.
Blue crockery or food
dyed blue may function as a deterrent to your appetite, so you may find
yourself skipping a second serving or craving that sugary sweet blue cupcake a
little less.
It’s even suggested
that installing a blue light in your fridge to suppress appetite might assist in
healthy weight management - perfect for combating those midnight snack
cravings.
Blue is also
calming, so you may be less likely to dive into your meal with full gusto.
When you
next renovate your kitchen, a paint job of cool colours like blue and purple
may just be the answer to put a stop to mindless or boredom inspired eating.
Red/Yellow/Orange
Warm colours such as red
and yellow are the dominate colours representing fast food joints across the
globe. Just think of the big golden arches.
It’s not a
coincidence. These colours are believed to stimulate your appetite, firing up neurons in your brain without you
even being aware of it, and may trigger an emotional response.
However, there is some
debate that red may also act as a ‘warning sign’ to our hungry selves, and thus
you’re less likely to overeat when
surrounded by this colour. Nevertheless, this belief doesn’t appear to have
as much support as the former.
After all, when has a
juicy red apple or sweet red capsicum led you astray?
Yellow is associated with happiness and positivity. Although we love the good vibes from this colour, you may indulge more when in a cheery mood as opposed to when tranquil or feeling blue.
Orange also acts as an appetite stimulant, and is thought to trigger an energising response in the brain. There's a plethora of fruits and veggies that fall under this spectrum - oranges (duh!), pumpkin and carrots to name a few.
Green
Green is a symbol of freshness, health and wellbeing. Even though little ones may neglect their green veggies, the colour
green is associated as being safe and edible.
It may inspire healthier eating,
so you’ll opt for the salad rather than becoming best buddies with the deep
fryer.
White
A pristine white plate
may not be the way to go when serving up, especially if it’s your next pasta
dish.
It’s suggested that contrast between plate and food colour is key to
feeling more satisfied, and white food on a white plate may decrease your
awareness of just how much you’re consuming.
Just think, when you’re
enjoying white snack foods such as buttery popcorn or salty potato chips (drooling much?), avoiding
eating the entire bag in one hit is virtually impossible. Perhaps this is because the lack of colour may suggest (incorrectly) lack of calories to our hungry brains.
Black/Grey/Brown
Doh, we burnt our
toast again! Not so appetising now is it?
Black, grey and brown
are all considered appetite suppressing colours (well, except in the case of
dark chocolate of course… yum).
As humans, typically we
enjoy bright colours that attract the eye when it comes to our eating habits, and although black may be flattering on our waistline it's not necessarily something you'd like to put in your mouth.
What colours get your tummy rumbling?