A Whiff of Vanilla

CEBU, Philippines - One hot Saturday afternoon, little Louie was sitting at the veranda sipping his favorite chocolate drink and munching on his mom’s freshly-baked red velvet cupcake.

 His mom was worried on Louie’s fascination for  sweets. She feared Louie might taint his teeth with caries or worse, suffer from diabetes.

 “Tooth decay or cavities is the second most prevalent disease next to colds,” his mom murmured what she read from dentistry.about.com. With Louie’s addiction to sweets his pearly whites might get a paint job in no time.

 Louie’s mom never forgets to remind him after every meal to brush his teeth and to use a mouth rinse to prevent cavities.

 According to the 2007 survey by the Philippine Cardiovascular Outcome Study on Diabetes Mellitus (PhilCOS-DM), one out of five adult Filipinos is diabetic. Five thousand people die of diabetes, the seventh leading cause of death in the country, each year.

 “I don’t want my son to add to the country’s rising Diabetes statistics,” Louie’s mom exclaimed. “I must do something.” She thought of trying a tip she read about curbing cravings using Vanilla extract. 

 In the kitchen, vanilla extract is used as a baking ingredient.

 In a news article from ABC News, “the sweet vanilla smell reduces cravings for sweets, making someone less likely to grab for the nearest chocolate bar or other high-calorie, sugary dessert or snack.”

Vanilla-scented candles, incense, and aromatic sprays infused through your home will stave off one’s cravings. The scent will not only prevent him/her from teeth problems or diabetes, but will also help him/her lose weight because of reducing his usual intake of sugary food. (FREEMAN)