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The Imaginary Diet Hopes To Bring Attention To Hunger

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — The city of Roseville is looking at a new approach to end hunger and it's called the imaginary diet.

On Wednesday night, night city council members are being asked to vote on approving a resolution to support a community program that has benefits that go beyond the scale.

The real objective is not about losing weight, but dieting for a higher cause.

Gopal Kapur is the founder of Roseville based nonprofit Family Green Survival that helps prepare and deliver packaged food for several organizations including the Sacramento Food Bank. He is now trying to get folks to try this imaginary diet just one meal a week.

"I actually tell people you need to put it in your mouth imaginary, you need to chew on it, so your mouth salivates," said Kapur.

Kapur adds that it's important to focus while doing it, and spend at least 7-10 minutes.

Former Roseville Mayor Jim Gray has tried the concept on his favorite meal of the day, breakfast.

"I imagine pouring the milk on it, the imaginary cold milk, I imagine picking up the spoon, I stay focused, I imagine putting a bite in my mouth," said Gray.

By using the power of visualization, Kapur says it trains your brain to feel satisfied.

"You begin to feel that experience, the first couple of times you're just fighting it, then the third or fourth time your brain thinks it's actually happening," he said.

Both men say the concept of visualization isn't new-- professional athletes use it to prepare and say the tricking of the brain is similar to the placebo effect.

"I don't think it's any different than a drug trial, to where some people are taking the drug, the other group isn't, but the effects can be the same for both of them," said Gray.

The real purpose behind this isn't just a lower calorie intake it's to get people to donate the money they would have spent on that imaginary meal to a charity dealing with hunger.

"So you go hungry on purpose, to help people who go hungry because they don't have food," said Kapur.

And if the concept spreads, Kapur says the impact could be great.

Next month on October 5th, the rotary club is hosting an event and inviting folks to participate in the imaginary meal. All proceeds will be going towards Family Green Survival, and its mission.

Family Green Survival has provided more than 100,000 "BagsofLife" meals to those facing hunger.

For more information, go to www.imaginarydiet.org

or www.familygreensurvival.org.

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