mood food

as i sit here eating my green tea mochi, i ponder about the socio-biological cycle our bodies go through on a daily basis.

provocation of this thought began a few minutes ago, when i was eating tapatio sauce with chips. as most know, i am a big fan of "food surfing," a term my professor's sister made up, which refers to eating hot chile with food.

so, i was eating, woopty woo, when i began to think of my physiological responses to eating the spicy jalapeno: 1) i eat the chile, 2) the chile then burns my tounge, 3) my body feels the pain, 4) my nervous system responds to the pain, and then 5) norepinephrine secretions are made, which then results in the secretions of endorphins.

although, my mood felt good after eating the chile, the pain still lingered, so, of course i went into the fridge to get something cold to ease the burning sensation. i began eating my mochi (japanese ice cream), and the pain went away.

this was interesting because it confirmed the previous cycle- 1) a social force (jalapeno - hot) negatively affected the external biological structure (tounge), which then affected internal biological structures (nervous system-neurological systems- pain responses)-- then a social force was later introduced (ice cream - cold), which positively affected the outer biological structure (tounge), which then created an even greater positive neurological response, since now there is an introduction of dopamine, due to the sweets.

thus, a socio-neurobiological equillibrium has been created.

my brain is craving additional dopamine secretions as i type: "get more sugar" it tells me.

its funny how our bodies respond, cope and function within an enviornmental setting.

its a continuous cycle- we bang ourselves in the head with something, our body chemically responds, we provide external responses to the injured site (i.e. rubbing, ice, etc), our body responds- chemically once again, and then we feel better.

i wonder-
would eating jalapenos, while high off of a dopamine inducing drug, facilitate and increase a positive mood? I mean, you have the endorphins going, and then the added dopamine.

hmmmmm....

although, i do prefer the alternative
- eating jalapenos in conjunction with delicious food, and then easing the pain with sweets (preferrably- chocolate ice cream or cold soda)

... the nerd in me, cant help but to ask.

gotta love them enviornmental based endorphine-dopamine secretions.

this concludes my random thought of the day.