Warning: You are about to read about a very cool science experiment.
Do you have a hard time passing up sweets? Well, your prefrontal cortex may be the culprit.
Professor Baba Shiv from Stanford University designed a "sweet" science experiment where he had his subjects memorize a 7-digit number or a 1-digit number. Then they walked down the hall to another room, where they would tell another person their number. Along the way, a member of the research team stopped them in the hall and offered them a snack as a way of saying thanks. They could choose either a big slice of chocolate cake or a bowl of fruit salad. The majority of the people who were assigned the 7-digit numbers picked the cake over the fruit salad.
Shiv speculates that the effort required to memorize seven numbers limited cognitive resources, decreasing our ability to control our urges. This lines up with the brain's anatomy since working memory and self-control are both located in our prefrontal cortex. A high cognitive load was enough to overload the rational part of the brain and make the person go with the cake. When our mind is stressed or overloaded, it causes us to be more reliant on our impulsive emotions.
So, if you are stressed out, busy with life, or just have a lot on your plate, take a second to think before you choose what to eat.
And if you really want the chocolate cake, here is a recipe for the best chocolate cake I have ever had. I don't do the whole orange thing - the cake itself is decadent enough. Make sure you serve it with a homemade raspberry sauce. It's delicious.
