There are few luxuries in life as wonderful as the taste of a delicious chocolate cake, or the sensation of whipped cream on your tongue. Food is just amazing, and it’s no wonder that we are obsessed with it.
But of course, food can have a downfall too: when we eat the wrong foods or not enough of the right foods, our bodies are impacted in different ways; usually, these ways are not positive.
There is, of course, the other side of enjoying food that we don’t talk about a lot, and that’s when our age, the drugs we take, and our lifestyle can all impact the way we get to enjoy food and the taste sensations.
Let’s explore why these three things can impact our taste buds in a negative or positive way.
Your Age is Not Just a Number
While it’s lovely to think about aging gracefully, the reality is that over time, our bodies stop working the way they once did, and our senses begin to break down. Most notably, our eyesight and our hearing becomes reduced, but also our touch, response time, and of course, our taste. As we age, our tastes change.
When you are middle-aged, your palate may become more refined, based on the foods you eat. As you age into your senior years, however, you may find that the foods you once enjoyed are not cutting it anymore.
This is because our bodies are slowly dying. It’s not a fun thought to think about, but it is a true one.
Medication Can Cause Problems for Your Taste buds
Another interesting side effect of aging is that we tend to take more medications. As our bodies age, they require more care and upkeep. Even very young people sometimes need medications or drugs to keep their health in good working order, but the side effects of those medications can cause problems with our taste buds.
Cancer patients, for example, may report having lost an appetite for food – even their most beloved dessert choices.
People who use cannabis or CBD products on a regular basis, either for pain or for recreational purposes, often report that their tastes have changed as a result of using those products. It’s not a secret that smoking (anything) can change the way you smell and taste and experience the world.
Your Lifestyle May be to Blame for Your Loss of Taste
While we can’t choose to stop aging, and in many cases, we can’t choose the diseases we get or the treatments we need to undergo to manage those diseases, we can make good choices about our lifestyles.
Interesting enough, some people who take poor care of themselves and drink excessive alcohol, eat sugary, refined foods, and who smoke cigarettes or eat foods that are high in processed additives have a different taste and sense of food than those who take care of themselves.
To prove this point, all you have to do is give someone fries with salt who never eats salty food and watch their faces twist up as they try to manage the strong flavor of the salt.
There’s no right or wrong way to live your life, but if you want to make the most of the years you have on this earth, there’s no doubt that taking care of yourself and living a healthy lifestyle can ensure – at least to some degree – that you get to enjoy your old age.
Making the Most of What You Have
If, for whatever reason, you find that you are losing your zest for food and often it’s just routine, trying to spice up your eating routines and habits might be helpful.
Try adding some spices to your food or changing the side dishes you usually eat at dinner. Try a new restaurant or add a new sauce to a stir-fry.
There are countless ways to improve your eating habits and help you regain your sense of taste as well. Retraining your body to recognize good food is a great place to start.
A plain carrot might not seem like a taste treat, but once your body is accustomed to eating real, healthy food again, you might find that carrot is more than enough to satisfy your hunger and your desire for tasty food.
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