This Food Hack’s a Twofer — It Deseeds a Pomegranate And Doubles as Anger Management
Solve two problems at once.
When you’re feeling ticked off, finding a calming environment, repeat gentle affirmations, and engage in a healthy outlet (like journaling) are key. But another, more fast-acting method of anger management is whacking an inanimate object. JK… sort of.
If you’re angry and need a snack, a new method for opening pomegranates solves both problems at the same time! Did someone cut you off on the highway? Whack a pomegranate. Did someone eat the leftovers you were saving for lunch? Whack a pomegranate. Feeling generally peevish about the state of the world? You guessed it — whack a pomegranate.
Keep reading for the TikTok hack that makes opening pomegranates easy and emotionally satisfying.
Are people really that angry?
Yes, they are — especially women. For almost 20 years, polling organization Gallup has collected annual data about global emotional wellness by surveying more than 120,000 people from 122 countries. The BBC analyzed the reports over the past decade and found that, as time goes on, women are becoming progressively angrier — and last year’s report shows that they are, on average, 6 percent angrier than men. There are several possible reasons for this anger gap, but because you can probably come up with a few of them yourself, I won’t postulate here.
What do pomegranates have to do with this?
Pomegranates offer quick, harmless relief from your frustrations. First of all, research shows that the chemical compounds in pomegranate juice may reduce psychological stress on a molecular level. In one study, scientists had select participants drink pomegranate juice daily, while other study participants did not. After two weeks, the pomegranate juice drinkers felt more inspired and less distressed than those who didn’t drink pomegranate juice. In addition to reducing stress, pomegranates also support heart and bone health, as well as provide immunity and defense against diseases like diabetes and cancer.
Another pomegranate anger mitigation factor is their architecture. Extracting pomegranate seeds is notoriously messy and time-consuming. (This could explain pomegranate powders, which make pom’s nutrients more accessible to people who weren’t eating them because of the labor involved in cracking them open.)
But what if this was reframed as a pleasure (versus a nuisance); as in, the pleasure of pummeling a pomegranate to release both its seeds and your tension? Everything I’ve read about self-help says my happiness depends on how I choose to see things, after all — and I see this hack from TikTok user @nanajoe19, which advises giving the pomegranate “firm smacks” with a wooden spoon to remove its seeds, as peak stress relief.
Of course, there’s no scientific proof that whacking your food will make you feel better, but given the number of women attending kickboxing classes at my gym, I suspect there’s something to it. Watch the TikTok below for a step-by-step guide to deseeding your pomegranate with the wooden spoon whacking method.
The Bottom Line
Don’t think of this food hack as an anger cure-all. (If you’re non-stop angry, you probably need more than a pomegranate.) Rather, consider it a fun way to simultaneously alleviate stress and serve a snack. Because what’s better than a happy belly and inner peace?
