For many (including me), the word “cake” alone is a mouth-watering, luring facet to many other stimulants that are perceived to create that feel good factor, and harmony and calm within.
Cake can typically be described as a sweet food and it is usually made by baking a mixture of ingredients such as flour, eggs, sugar, essence, and fats. A cake, in its many variations can be incredibly easy on the eye, effortlessly enticing its “prey” to take a step closer – not prey to be hunted and killed however, but simply to explore and unleash the many delightful emotions and feelings that are commonly associated with its make-up.
Cake is promoted positively in many celebratory situations such as wedding ceremonies, birthdays, and christenings. Cake also features in other less celebratory social events such as wakes, workplace meetings, and simply going to visit grandma. In fact, when putting on our “observation goggles”, cake seems to be EVERYWHERE, which due to my own love of cake, this for me is a huge bonus.
So what is it about cake that attracts us to take that step closer to devouring the delightful delicacies of its composition?
Let’s face it, for any cake lover pretty much all of our senses can be activated when it comes to cake! The visual look of the product, both in its inception as well as the end result can be incredibly appealing promoting lots of “mmmm’s” “ooooh’s” and “ahhhhh’s”; then there’s the sound of the mixture binding together as the product is being formulated – the gentle crack of the egg shells as the inner slowly trickles into the bowl, and the crunching of those sugar granules that are slowly ground down into a paste formation. The aromas of the ingredients, particularly during the baking stage stimulate the nasal cavity into wanting to explore more, and then the touch when testing the fluffy bounciness of the product leaves the finger tips tingling with anticipation for when you get to actually pick the cake up to eat it.
This brings us on to the actual taste – now if your anything like me, a finger dip here, and a finger dip there is a must during the cake formulation process, and despite that I am no longer in my childhood, I still like to lick the spoon and the bowl once the preparation process is complete. However, in bypassing the majority of the pre eat functions, (and I say majority because for most, the visual is always present), even in the absence of the other senses being stimulated, by simply accelerating to the taste element, this brings an array of exquisite and wonderful feelings and emotions.
Whilst this blog is not to profess evidential medical science, or research of any kind that advocates the consumption of cake, it is to highlight that overall, these “feel good” factors for cake lovers are not placebo effects; they are in fact very real.
For example, while Dietitian Kathy McManus, Director of the Department of Nutrition for Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital rightly points out that significant additional research to understand the potential mechanisms around consuming foods rich in carbohydrates (to include cake) is needed, there are several small studies that have been undertaken and of which indicate that foods that have a high percentage of carbohydrates help our bodies to increase the levels of the “feel-good” hormones (serotonin), and as such, indulging in a piece of our favourite cake is thought to improve our mind and body instantly.
Further, cake baking has been shown to improve symptoms of depression. The process not only stimulates all of the senses, it also allows an individual to take charge; cake baking takes care, precision and concentration to actively engage the process, with the end result demonstrating a sense of achievement and self-worth that depression often eats away at.
Whilst we do of course need to be aware of the fact that the sugar and fats involved in the constitution of cake is not overly conducive to our physiological health and wellbeing if taken in excess amounts, what’s not to overlook is the fact that cakes are typically made with milk, eggs, and butter, and so this makes them a great source of calcium and essential vitamins needed for bones and teeth health.
If like me, you like to indulge in cake, that’s fine! At the end of the day, it’s all about getting the balance right. Deprivation can result in over indulgence, and over indulgence can result in an array of health related problems. So by incorporating cake (or whatever your favourite “go to” food is) into a balanced meal plan, focusing on the portion size, the frequency, and the time of day where enjoyment of consumption works best for you, this is a sensible, balanced, and enjoyable approach.
Please note, the content of this blog is for information only, and should not be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor, or from any other relevant qualified clinician that you may be under the care of.
