TOP TIPS ON HOW TO GET YOUR TASTEBUDS TINGLING AGAIN

Simply being aware of how your sense of smell and taste change as you age can help you address any dysfunction, according to taste expert Barb Stuckey, author of Taste: What You're Missing: The Passionate Eater's Guide to Why Good Food Tastes Good.

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"Loss of smell will plague most people at some age. The best way to fight it is to employ other senses," she says.

"This is because everything, from our emotions to the colour of the food and the sounds around us, plays an important part in how much we enjoy the food we are tasting."

SMELL THE FLAVOUR

The first step to boosting taste is to strengthen your sense of smell. One way to improve this is smell training. This involves sniffing the same four scents, such as coffee, garlic, lemon, or a favourite perfume, every day for several months.

Concentrate as you make short 'bunny sniffs' and spend about 20 seconds on each scent.

But you have to be consistent, says Chrissi Kelly.

"Smell training is something that happens in the brain. It takes time and needs thoughtful attention every day."

The good news is that this smell training can work well, bring back your sensitivity to smell - and lift your mood into the bargain. Depressed people who completed a three-month course saw their depression 'decreased significantly'.

Researchers believe this is because it boosted the number of smell receptors in their noses and mouths again, allowing them to enjoy sensual experiences - like eating food they liked, and even sex - more fully, again.

For more guidance on smell training, go to https://abscent. org/learn-us/smell-training

FEAST YOUR EYES