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What happens when a Chef looses her sense of smell + taste!
Well, you guessed it. I lost my sense of smell and taste. And as you already know, they go hand in hand. Working together to bring all those amazingly delicious smells to your brain and then making your mouth get all watery and ready to take that first bite.
BUT without those senses, food is like a piece of hot cardboard or mushy soap. Honestly, I can’t taste anything.
Temperature I can feel – I guess that’s a good thing.
BUT what does a Chef do when they can’t taste their creations? What happens when there isn’t enough salt or sweetness – well, you serve it up and you don’t know…that is until your guests start sprinkling the salt on their plates or start searching for some spices for that added flavor.
And you know what's interesting.
I have started to loose my appetite. If you know me, this doesn’t happen.
Alas, I still need to fuel my body with nutrition but when these sense are lost it becomes almost like a chore. Yesterday when I looked at the clock and it was 1pm and I haven’t eaten lunch yet…well, I made a quick wrap filled with jalapenos…really in hopes to kick start my tastes buds, but I didn’t taste a thing.
I did realize that I needed that food for energy. I’m glad I ate but it was very underwhelming, since I couldn’t taste those hot and spicy jalapenos. Maybe I should bite into a lemon or onion?
Heck no, I won’t waste that amazing Rocquford blue cheese, cause this girl can’t taste it. Don’t give me that chocolate peanut butter ice cream – pass the spoon to someone that can taste all that deliciousness. Oh don’t get me started on a roast chicken and how the whole house smells and makes your stomach crave every part of it…well, not me.
How is my mental health with all of this?
Well, let’s just say it’s pretty depressing. I’m not excited to shop, cook or even open my pantry. Since I can’t smell or taste anything – the enjoyment of consuming fuel for my body has gone away. When it’s gone, you realize the joy it brings to you. It wakes up other parts of you…like your brain. It’s hard to conceptualize when you still have the senses but when they are taken from you – the interest is gone.
It’s the strangest thing to explain and experience. It has given me an opportunity to explore what food means to me. Not only is it my creative outlet, my job and something I want to be part of everyday…the creation of a meal, preparation, colors, textures and smells. BUT during this time it has opened my mind up to everything that food is to us as people.
It brings us together. We use it as a social vehicle to gather. It is apart of our schedule, our daily routine and what we look forward to.
Think about taking all of those experiences that have been centered around food, away from your life.
It’s hard. It’s frustrating. Like, what the heck – why is this a side effect?
What’s next? Well, I don’t know. I wish there was a timeline. Like, my nose and tongue will bloom in 4 days. BUT nada. So much is still unknown and everyone’s body is different.
Studies show that after COVID and the lost of people’s sense of smell and taste, it can last a few weeks, few months or even a YEAR! WHAT?!?!
Should I give them a try?
During my quick google searches (which my husband keeps telling me to stop doing)…here are some things that can awaken your nose and tongue.
- blackened orange
- any kind of citrus
- essential oils of lemon, rose, cloves and eucalyptus
- lemon sorbet
Words from the wise.
“The good news is that the vast majority of people who get COVID will recover their smell and taste entirely”, says Kenneth Rodriguez, MD
“The nerve cells in our nose are the boss – they process smells, “says Dr. Danoun. “But around each nerve cell are olfactory support cells – they nourish the nerve cells. Most of the time, when you lost your sense of smell, it’s becuase the virus has attacked these support cells. When these support cells regenerate (on average four to six weeks later; for some it takes longer) your sense of smell will return.”
This video was worth watching and these 8 tips seem reasonable
Finally thoughts.
Without a timeline, living in the moment and the unknown of when my tongue will taste and my nose will smell, is another test of not being in control. And letting it be.
Giving my husband and kids lead roles in the taste testing department. They are know the official critiques of what gets posts on the blog…until further notice.
What will my most missed flavor or smell be? I think I will only know when I start to experience it again. Like a fond memory, that you thought you lost but then comes back in the most perfect way.
Send all your sensing vibes to me!
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