Why Simple Joy’s Matter
- First and foremost, Dopamine (happy reward)
- Secondly, Community building and sharing
- Thirdly, Healthy routines and positive association
- Lastly, Motor skill development (with popcorn)
I LOVE POPCORN
Popcorn feeds my soul, not just my belly…
I was recently chatting with a friend about finding joy in the little things. We talked about having things that we love, that give us energy and feel enriched for having done, and that are part of our routine. Let’s look a little bit at why these are important, both the popcorn and the routines.
One of the most known chemicals to people when talking about the brain, or neuroscience in general, is dopamine. This is the chemical that is released when we experience a reward, or in this case, a simple joy. When you find something that brings you joy, and thinking about it puts a smile on your face, that’s GOOD. As we will talk about in just a minute here, having healthy habits that bring joy will further develop the positive neural pathways we are all trying to build. A good tell tale is how you feel during and after. If you beat yourself up after, then that is more than likely not a healthy habit. If you look back on that time spent with gratitude and a smile, that is more than likely a healthy habit in the making. For me, popcorn brings a smile to my face, especially when it’s made at home in my Whirley Pop popcorn maker. I’ll share my secrets below.
When I think back on the decades of popcorn consumption, there are less than a handful of times where the popcorn wasn’t something that was shared with others. Another reason I love popcorn is because it means that I am spending time with people that I care about. More often than not, in my home, I am making popcorn for others because I know they love popcorn as well. A small labor of love. Historically, food was used as a way to bring people together, and build communities. Has this really changed? I don’t think so. Sharing a meal (or popcorn) with someone is a way to come together, and share in one of our most basic needs as a human. It invites equality by sharing the same meal, at the same time, at the same place. There is power in this form of community building, trust me!
Because I have my people together sharing in the delicacy that is David’s Popcorn, and it puts a smile on my face, I now have a healthy routine that is reinforcing positive emotions. Positive association is key to the development of healthy routines and habits. While it’s not always easy, it’s VERY important to have a positive association with a healthy routine that you are trying to build. You can look at the glass half empty or half full when you are establishing new routines. For example, if you are trying to exercise more you could either focus on your sore muscles and the fact that you may need to get up early to workout, OR you could focus on the cardiovascular endurance that you are building, the strength that you are developing, and the longevity that you are investing in for your future. Work to reframe your thoughts when it comes to developing HEALTHY habits.
Lastly, and this may be a bit of a stretch, but afterall we are talking about neuroscience a lot here, eating popcorn is a way to develop the brain! Hear me out… the Cerebellum is located near the base of your brain stem, and is responsible for the control of fine motor skills, balance and coordination. You tell me how eating popcorn doesn’t assist in the development of those fine motor skills!
As promised – my way of making popcorn in the Whirley Pop (and has been for 6+ years)
- tablespoon (ish) of avodado oil (or olive)
- 2/3 cup of kernels into the pot
- put lid on the pot, and start stove on medium heat
- crank a few times (and then every 20-30 seconds until kernels start popping)
- start melting butter in a bowl or mug (42 seconds in my microwave)
- once the popcorn is popping then crank continuously until the crank doesn’t go anymore, then turn off stove and remove from heat
- wait 20-30 seconds, then pour popcorn into a large bowl
- drizzle melted butter over top, sprinkle with some real sea salt
- mix popcorn around, and ENJOY!
** I’m picky with my butter and salt, which is why I have included links to what I use. The Kerigold is a better deal at Costco usually if you’re a member **