How photos of comfort food feed your unhealthy cravings

Sharon Struthers

If you are concerned about your weight, the last thing you want to do is share comfort food photos on Facebook or pin comfort food recipes on Pinterest. You know the ones I'm talking about. They look so yummy. Creamy, cheesy baked pasta goodness. Casseroles with eggs and bacon and cheese. Desserts to die for.

You know why? Because Facebook or Pinterest will just keep serving you up more of these delicious photos. And they trigger and reinforce unhealthy cravings, which may have been lying peacefully dormant in your subconscious.

You don't need to stir those cravings up, forcing them to rise to your conscious awareness and drive you crazy. It's not in your best interest. It's not your intention. It's not your goal. So be careful when you're on social media.

And don't forget that if you merely use Google to look for a comfort food recipe, Pinterest magically gets that information and starts serving you up whatever you Googled. Last week, I Googled open lane hours for the local high school swimming pools, and by the next day, Pinterest had links to both high schools, complete with photos of their lovely pools.

Sometimes we forget that we have given up some of our online privacy when we use social media and search engines. At any rate, give yourself a break and reduce your cravings. You won't miss what you don't see.