How to deliver taste training?
June 28, 2022 7:04 AM Subscribe
I am working with someone who would benefit from taste training. I can't find out much about this but know it has evolved, particularly since Covid. Where do I start? Interested in basic theory and also practicaly applying it - whether from longstanding sensory deficits or as a consequence of covid/long covid.
Thanks.
With regard to covid :
I had covid pre-vax, and lost my taste and smell. Recovered it fully about two weeks after the other covid symptoms had departed. Didn't know about smell training at the time, although in retrospect, that's pretty much what I did.
I would just recommend being super mindful about tastes and smells. I hadn't completely lost my taste — I could still sense sweet, sour, bitter, and salty — but all the subtleties were gone. Like I would drink a cup of tea and could taste the sugar in it but not the tea. So when eating something, I'd say just really concentrate on what you're eating try your best to notice the subtleties. Look for any hints of taste, however faint.
With smells, I would look for opportunities to smell things. Opening the refrigerator? Open that jar of mustard and stick your nose in it! Taking a shower? Hold a handful of shampoo up to your nose before rubbing it in. Walk past a bunch of garbage bags on the sidewalk? Take a deep breath in through your nose! Sounds gross, but honestly, when I was recovering my taste and smell, even unpleasant smells were still welcome because it meant I was smelling something again.
Finally, keep in mind that taste and smell might not come back quickly, but for the vast majority of people, they do come back. Something like 96% of people get their taste and smell back within 6 months. So don't get discouraged if it takes longer than you expect — it's a little different for everybody.
posted by panama joe at 8:33 AM on June 28, 2022
I had covid pre-vax, and lost my taste and smell. Recovered it fully about two weeks after the other covid symptoms had departed. Didn't know about smell training at the time, although in retrospect, that's pretty much what I did.
I would just recommend being super mindful about tastes and smells. I hadn't completely lost my taste — I could still sense sweet, sour, bitter, and salty — but all the subtleties were gone. Like I would drink a cup of tea and could taste the sugar in it but not the tea. So when eating something, I'd say just really concentrate on what you're eating try your best to notice the subtleties. Look for any hints of taste, however faint.
With smells, I would look for opportunities to smell things. Opening the refrigerator? Open that jar of mustard and stick your nose in it! Taking a shower? Hold a handful of shampoo up to your nose before rubbing it in. Walk past a bunch of garbage bags on the sidewalk? Take a deep breath in through your nose! Sounds gross, but honestly, when I was recovering my taste and smell, even unpleasant smells were still welcome because it meant I was smelling something again.
Finally, keep in mind that taste and smell might not come back quickly, but for the vast majority of people, they do come back. Something like 96% of people get their taste and smell back within 6 months. So don't get discouraged if it takes longer than you expect — it's a little different for everybody.
posted by panama joe at 8:33 AM on June 28, 2022
I’ll speak from the experience of a long-standing deficit: I lost my sense of smell due to an untreated infection that lasted from around age 2-3 until I was 18 and could go to the ENT doctor myself. I then was able to get sinus surgery at age 27 to correct anatomical issues and since then should theoretically have a normal sense of smell. Of course, it did not return regardless.
I attempted smell training and it was an exercise in frustration. Basically, you’re just supposed to attempt to smell things, like people have said above. And if you can’t smell them, then… *shrug.* There’s not much to do but try again. I would go for extremely strong smelling and heated stuff (chopping onions and hot chocolate were the two I could sort of smell). The training honestly did nothing for me, but I guess it’s harmless.
Something odd, though: when I became pregnant, my sense of smell became much stronger. That is to say, I could identify *some* smells (maybe 2-3, my sense of smell is still terrible). Unfortunately, I miscarried the baby at 9 weeks, and my HCG is now only barely elevated past pre-pregnancy baseline — but the sense of smell has stayed for some reason. So in theory, maybe kickstarting your sense of smell could work, I just personally wasn’t able to do that through smell training specifically.
posted by rue72 at 10:18 AM on June 28, 2022
I attempted smell training and it was an exercise in frustration. Basically, you’re just supposed to attempt to smell things, like people have said above. And if you can’t smell them, then… *shrug.* There’s not much to do but try again. I would go for extremely strong smelling and heated stuff (chopping onions and hot chocolate were the two I could sort of smell). The training honestly did nothing for me, but I guess it’s harmless.
Something odd, though: when I became pregnant, my sense of smell became much stronger. That is to say, I could identify *some* smells (maybe 2-3, my sense of smell is still terrible). Unfortunately, I miscarried the baby at 9 weeks, and my HCG is now only barely elevated past pre-pregnancy baseline — but the sense of smell has stayed for some reason. So in theory, maybe kickstarting your sense of smell could work, I just personally wasn’t able to do that through smell training specifically.
posted by rue72 at 10:18 AM on June 28, 2022
Use your spice cabinet/ fresh herbs and spices, too, if available:
There are a millionty kinds of mint, and oregano and basil are forms of mint. Somebody in your area has gobs of kinds of mint over-running their garden; find them on nextdoor or freecycle or some local resource. Learn to identify plain garden mint, spearmint, wintergreen, basil, oregano, lemon mint/lemon balm, etc. Mints dry easily, so if you get fresh ones, save some to try as dried, or as tea.
There's lemon mint, lemon balm, lemongrass, Meyer lemons; distinguishing them is good practice. Also oranges, tangerines, etc.
Clove is pretty obvious, but there's mace, cinnamon, and other similars. Make some German style meat, which often includes clove.
Make some stew, add different components - some gets wine added, some gets bay leaf, or oregano, or thyme, etc. This would be a fun thing for me.
In any food and drink related question, there may be a Calvin Trillin answer, and reading Calvin Trillin is always informative, fun, sometimes hilarious ,and occasionally deeply heartfelt. You should replicate the question of whether experienced wine drinkers can actually tell the difference between red wine and white.
As you can tell, I love the question, wold love to hear how it works out.
posted by theora55 at 11:25 AM on June 28, 2022
There are a millionty kinds of mint, and oregano and basil are forms of mint. Somebody in your area has gobs of kinds of mint over-running their garden; find them on nextdoor or freecycle or some local resource. Learn to identify plain garden mint, spearmint, wintergreen, basil, oregano, lemon mint/lemon balm, etc. Mints dry easily, so if you get fresh ones, save some to try as dried, or as tea.
There's lemon mint, lemon balm, lemongrass, Meyer lemons; distinguishing them is good practice. Also oranges, tangerines, etc.
Clove is pretty obvious, but there's mace, cinnamon, and other similars. Make some German style meat, which often includes clove.
Make some stew, add different components - some gets wine added, some gets bay leaf, or oregano, or thyme, etc. This would be a fun thing for me.
In any food and drink related question, there may be a Calvin Trillin answer, and reading Calvin Trillin is always informative, fun, sometimes hilarious ,and occasionally deeply heartfelt. You should replicate the question of whether experienced wine drinkers can actually tell the difference between red wine and white.
As you can tell, I love the question, wold love to hear how it works out.
posted by theora55 at 11:25 AM on June 28, 2022
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So, the common recommendation is to pick for things that you can smell and identify. Most people use essential oils. You just are supposed to smell 4 things twice a day. So, you could make a game out of it. Take the labels off of the four bottles and try to identify them each day with smell.
If possible I prefer smelling things you have around the house. The dog. The cookie jar. The trash bin. Your deodorant. Your coffee grounds. The only limiting factor is that you're supposed to smell things 8 times a day and without a routine, it's tempting to only smell one or two things.
I know you mention taste, but my understanding is that the lack of taste is usually caused by your smeller not working. Taste is a big proportion smell so I believe the things will transfer. Or, recommend doing both when you eat! Be a fancy chef and smell your salad before chowing it down!
posted by bbqturtle at 7:15 AM on June 28, 2022 [2 favorites]