Herald on Sunday

Is it your diet, or your decor?

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What do food and appetite have in common? Turns out, a lot! How hard is it to watch what you eat? Hard! You know you shouldn’t eat the whole bag of chips, but something internally says you just have to, and naturally, you oblige. But you aren’t alone, there is a little ‘something’ that eggs everyone on one way or another. Just what is that ‘something’ — and more importantl­y, how can you tune it out?

When crafting a diet plan, you consider several elements: lifestyle, exercise routine, metabolism, etc. However, have you stopped to consider the external factors? It’s not just about individual foods and workout routines, it’s also about what you see around the house. More specifical­ly, it’s the very colour of the kitchen or pantry. Believe it or not, but the tones we see in everyday life have a big impact on the subconscio­us. And one of those impacts includes appetite.

That little voice inside your head therefore isn’t just controlled by a hunger demon, but may also be influenced by colour.

A little grey makes the appetite go away.

The power of colour

FitDay fitness blog explains that there have been several scientific studies conducted over the years to identify the specifics of how colours can be perceived as either appetising or not. This same research has been used by marketers of popular restaurant­s to get customers in the door to eat and buy more food.

Red, such as Resene Jalapeno, has the power to make you ravenous.

Colours that make you hungry

Think about the most popular fast food joints in the world. What colours do they fly? Bright reds or yellows are almost always incorporat­ed in logos of fast food outlets. This is because red has the power to make you ravenous, and works with yellow to stimulate that appetite further, explains Shape magazine. After getting through the rest of the diet plan, consider different colours in the kitchen. It could just be the key to staying on track!

Redesignin­g plan

Just like colour can get the stomach grumbling, the body can also use it to suppress hunger.

If you really want manage your snack cravings then planning a little kitchen makeover might be the last piece of your diet plan. FitDay notes that blue, pink and grey tones, such as Resene Wedgewood, Resene Paper Doll and Resene Stack have all been proven to curb appetites. Pink is typically what people associate with raw and inedible foods, while blue and grey are unnatural food colours, so they don’t tend to encourage hunger.

While paint colour can’t control weight, the right colour in the right place can make a space more or less conducive to eating.

For more inspiratio­n see the habitatbyr­esene. co.nz website with hundreds of home projects from kiwi decorators to help you plan your next decorating projects. And if you need help getting started, ask a Resene colour expert free online, resene.co.nz/colourexpe­rt.

 ??  ?? Resene Toto, Resene Golden Glow, Resene Rough N Tumble and Resene Thunderbir­d. Project by Aonui Architectu­re
Resene Toto, Resene Golden Glow, Resene Rough N Tumble and Resene Thunderbir­d. Project by Aonui Architectu­re
 ??  ?? Splashes of Resene Spotlight with Resene Half Merino and Resene Black. Project by Tracy Murphy
Splashes of Resene Spotlight with Resene Half Merino and Resene Black. Project by Tracy Murphy
 ??  ?? All in neutral with Resene Quarter Rice Cake and Resene Armadillo. Project by Nobbs Radford Architects
All in neutral with Resene Quarter Rice Cake and Resene Armadillo. Project by Nobbs Radford Architects

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