Monday, January 12, 2009

plop plop fizz fizz

For the most part, I consume a fairly healthy diet. But when I feel even mildly ill, all I want is Saltine crackers and 7up. What with the high fructose corn syrup and all, I know that I cannot be biologically evolved to crave these highly-processed foodstuffs (can you tell that I've been reading Michael Pollan?), so I'm sure it's a cultural thing. No doubt the connection is largely psychological: I have Saltine-and-7up memories from childhood sick days, and somehow the pair has been built up in my mind as a semi-magical elixir, despite how unhealthy I know the components to be. I figure, since I never eat Saltines or drink 7up unless I'm feeling sick, it's not so bad to let them sneak in a couple of days a year, right? If nothing else, they make me think that I feel better. And they give me some calories when I don't feel like getting them from anything else.

What do you crave when you're sick?

2 comments:

Kimberly said...

I'm with you on this one for sure. For me, though, it's Sprite that has been de-fizzed and Lipton chicken noodle soup. No, I can't do any other kind. I have tried them all (including homemade) and when I'm sick, I crave the tiny noodles and watery soup.

rantipoler said...

Yes on the saltines for sure. We often had coke syrup over crushed ice for stomach-settling.