Among the many benefits of quitting smoking, one is the return of your sense of smell and taste. As a way to reward yourself for successfully quitting smoking, fully indulge your senses this Monday.
It’s no secret tobacco smoke has a strong and unpleasant odor. It permeates everything smoke touches: clothes, home and car interiors, furniture, and so on. This includes your nose and mouth. The act of smoking overpowers and impairs your senses causing you to lose full functionality of smell and taste.
A study of 1,312 smokers found 18% had olfactory dysfunction and 20% had taste impairment. This means smokers are more likely to have a low-functioning sense of smell and taste than non-smokers.
“Smokers can’t appreciate the taste of many foods as intensely as they did before smoking, but it’s really the loss of the sense of smell that diminishes the ability to taste,” notes Andrew Spielman, DMD, PhD, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of basic science and craniofacial biology at the NYU School of Dentistry.
The good news? When you quit smoking and stay quit, your senses can become whole again. This is something to celebrate, don’t you agree? You can fully indulge by smelling the foods you love and experiencing all four sensations of taste (sour, bitter, sweet and salty).
Open a window in your home and replace the stale smells with fresh smells. It’s time for a feast – cook your favorite healthy meal, drink a delicious fruit smoothie, or make a glass of fresh lemonade.
This Monday, get your senses back and give yourself a fresh start by quitting smoking. Go for a #MondayMile walk. Smell every flower you see. Sit in fresh cut grass. Experience all the richness of life again. How sweet it is.
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