My Palate Changes When I Eat Better Does Yours ?

Cold_Steel
Cold_Steel Posts: 897 Member
edited November 16 in Food and Nutrition
This is my second go around at MFP but I noticed drastically that my sense of taste and palate changes so much when I cut out the soda, fast food and sugar. How about you ?

I think its a combination of things for me. With the minimal research I have done on the topic it is clear that sucrose and other molecules react differently to your sense of taste when you are not consuming such high amounts of it but I also think for me its a bit psychological. What I mean by that is mindfulness. When you are not counting your calories, logging, weighing etc you are not really "thinking" of the food you are consuming. Many times I sat there watching a show or playing a game dropping endless amounts of chips, candy or guzzled a soda not even comprehending or thinking about it other than the initial bite or drink.

Lets face it, when we are logging for a long time we become pretty protective of our food experiences. We don't eat as much and do not indulge like we use to and so every bite or drink is important and special to us, much more so than previously. I am very focused on the foods I eat and I savor them when I do eat them. For me when I am eating healthy as I have noticed just in the last 7 days (second go around, Im making my comeback) that my palate has changed quite drastically.

I am just curious if this is a similar experience for others? Do you taste food differently now that you are eating healthier ?

Replies

  • tar2323
    tar2323 Posts: 141 Member
    edited February 2017
    I certainly enjoy my food in a different way. Before, I would grab whatever I wanted, when I wanted it until I felt full (which usually meant above a 'standard' portion size). I would enjoy it, but fairly mindlessly. Now, I really zone in on every bite. I savour each different flavour in a meal in a way I didn't before. I'm not saying I'd not be happy to stuff in a few donuts or several slices of toast with real butter, but somehow, I'd still be hungry for more after eating a serving of those, where I'm far more satisfied after eating my healthy meals and watching my calories. Flavour/taste and quality are so much more important to me now.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    Yes it changes. In part i think it is the actual taste that changes, but in part also the change is due to habit.
    I notice that sugar laden stuff now often tastes bitter to me (burned sugar is bitter) and that I just do not enjoy it. Specifically when it is a commercial cake I taste the bitterness, which I think is also in part the gum (carageenan etc) that helps the structure. More than once I have spit out some of those airy, sickly sweet commercial desserts that my nieces just love. Inedible now.
    I still enjoy certain sweet things, but that too is changing a lot.

    We are visiting my FIL this weekend for his birthday and my MIL asked my husband whether we'd like an applepie and my husband truthfully said - we'd eat it out of politeness but not because we'd enjoy it. She won't get cake now - thank heavens.
  • lillyloki28
    lillyloki28 Posts: 15 Member
    Mine has changed too! Especially now with exercising I find it's hard to keep on a diet because my appetite is going away. I know I have to eat; yet don't seem to want to eat, but forcing myself to eat small portions of salad, fruit, yogurt or other small meals
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Mine changed over time, especially as I got older, got more adventurous with food, started cooking a lot and learning to do it right, eating more vegetables, etc. Those are all changes that happened well before MFP, however.

    I never ate much fast food or drank soda, so can't speak to that. I know many here say that cutting down on sugar changed their palates and helped them appreciate foods they hadn't, but I didn't find that, maybe because I didn't consume that much sugar before? Even as a kid and especially as an adult I haven't really been a huge sweet person -- I like plenty of sweet desserts, but they need something more than sweet to interest me (candy that is basically just sugar doesn't appeal), and things can definitely be too sweet. I dislike (and always have) lots of things that are sweet that I think should be savory (sweet dressings, overly sweet sauces). Also, when I used to drink wine I always preferred drier ones.

    So anyway, maybe because of all this I didn't find that cutting out added sugar (which I did for a bit) made one bit of difference to my palate and I've not had a problem as an adult enjoying other flavors like bitter, even, or of course enjoying savory foods and vegetables. What I do find is that I tend to crave what I eat and that level of salt affects toleration/desire for it.

    I am extremely glad that eating well and less hasn't ruined my ability to enjoy food and eating, too -- when people say that I always think it's sad. If anything eating well and cooking has opened my mind to even more food possibilities over time.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited February 2017
    Cold_Steel wrote: »
    This is my second go around at MFP but I noticed drastically that my sense of taste and palate changes so much when I cut out the soda, fast food and sugar. How about you ?

    I think its a combination of things for me. With the minimal research I have done on the topic it is clear that sucrose and other molecules react differently to your sense of taste when you are not consuming such high amounts of it but I also think for me its a bit psychological. What I mean by that is mindfulness. When you are not counting your calories, logging, weighing etc you are not really "thinking" of the food you are consuming. Many times I sat there watching a show or playing a game dropping endless amounts of chips, candy or guzzled a soda not even comprehending or thinking about it other than the initial bite or drink.

    Lets face it, when we are logging for a long time we become pretty protective of our food experiences. We don't eat as much and do not indulge like we use to and so every bite or drink is important and special to us, much more so than previously. I am very focused on the foods I eat and I savor them when I do eat them. For me when I am eating healthy as I have noticed just in the last 7 days (second go around, Im making my comeback) that my palate has changed quite drastically.

    I am just curious if this is a similar experience for others? Do you taste food differently now that you are eating healthier ?

    I haven't cut any of these things out, or any other foods I like, so my sense of taste is the same as its always been. Things are pretty much same old, same old except I'm now 50lbs lighter :)
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I was raised on junk food and fast food. Now I can't really stand the stuff. McDonald's french fries are far too salty.
    Subway "bread" smell makes me nauseous. I can't even imagine eating it.
    Sweets are way too sweet now.

    I'm thrilled.
  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,272 Member
    Yes.

    For instance, we went out last night for a nice shoreside seafood dinner. It was our first time out in 2 wks (I've been doing all the cooking). As a "treat" I ordered a (for me) rare lobster bisque with the intention of not getting a dessert - since I had in my head the tracking of the calories when I'd be later-on posting things into my diary. I fully enjoyed that soup. Before logging everything, I might have had both, and less-good alternatives than the broiled entree I did have. And I did have a regular, local-brew beer.

    At home, I find myself making the same sorts of tradeoffs. I would agree our basic "palette" has changed with more solid, "clean" food choices in the recipes I make, including lowered salt, sugar, fat and processed components. Food is actually tasting better. Going to chain restaurants for a bite isn't even a temptation any longer.
  • ActivatedAlm0nds
    ActivatedAlm0nds Posts: 169 Member
    Cooking my own meals has certainly changed my palate, though I still adore Pop Tarts, fast food, and Little Debbies.

    For one thing, I would never eat a vegetable that wasn't broccoli. The biggest change I've noticed is a fondness for vinegarey foods.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Not my palate so much but my body's reaction certainly seems different to the higher salt or fried foods that I don't eat so much any more. I wonder if it is just a comparison though, like before I felt like that more of the time so it wasn't so notable.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Nope.

    I do eat "healthier" foods, but I don't find the "unhealthy" foods bad/worse tasting. Chocolate for instance. I mostly eat dark now, but if there's only milk I'll eat it and be just as happy. I can taste a difference but it's not the "OMG too sweet!" some people talk about.
  • JstTheWayIam
    JstTheWayIam Posts: 6,357 Member
    Yes definitely things that I find to be delicious other people find gross and things that other people find delicious I find to be just salty
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    Cold_Steel wrote: »
    This is my second go around at MFP but I noticed drastically that my sense of taste and palate changes so much when I cut out the soda, fast food and sugar. How about you ?

    I think its a combination of things for me. With the minimal research I have done on the topic it is clear that sucrose and other molecules react differently to your sense of taste when you are not consuming such high amounts of it but I also think for me its a bit psychological. What I mean by that is mindfulness. When you are not counting your calories, logging, weighing etc you are not really "thinking" of the food you are consuming. Many times I sat there watching a show or playing a game dropping endless amounts of chips, candy or guzzled a soda not even comprehending or thinking about it other than the initial bite or drink.

    Lets face it, when we are logging for a long time we become pretty protective of our food experiences. We don't eat as much and do not indulge like we use to and so every bite or drink is important and special to us, much more so than previously. I am very focused on the foods I eat and I savor them when I do eat them. For me when I am eating healthy as I have noticed just in the last 7 days (second go around, Im making my comeback) that my palate has changed quite drastically.

    I am just curious if this is a similar experience for others? Do you taste food differently now that you are eating healthier ?

    I haven't cut any of these things out, or any other foods I like, so my sense of taste is the same as its always been. Things are pretty much same old, same old except I'm now 50lbs lighter :)

    Likewise! Once I realized that I didn't have to cut those foods out to be healthier or to lose weight, I relaxed. :)
  • JohnnyPenso
    JohnnyPenso Posts: 412 Member
    edited February 2017
    When I cut out almost all the processed sugars, white flour and pretty much all processed carbs I did find my palette was more refined and I savoured each bite even more. Might only be a psychological effect but I enjoy eating my healthy food way more than my old diet that was heavy on the processed and convenience foods. I bring my lunch to work these days, something I haven't done since my 20's and it's always something I made myself in a thermos plus nuts or some other snack. I can honestly say I get more satisfaction out of eating now than at any time of my life.
  • Natso29
    Natso29 Posts: 28 Member
    Funny I was just thinking the same thing today! Every time I really amp up my healthy eating and get really strict with clean eating I notice that i digest healthy foods better and come to look forward to and enjoy them! When I start eating more junk food (pizza and deep fried anything are my weaknesses) I find eating healthy foods becomes so unappealing and taste so blah and unsatisfying.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    lillyloki28 wrote: »
    Mine has changed too! Especially now with exercising I find it's hard to keep on a diet because my appetite is going away. I know I have to eat; yet don't seem to want to eat, but forcing myself to eat small portions of salad, fruit, yogurt or other small meals

    @lillyloki28 This posts sounds very worrying. This sounds like a starvation diet.

    Have you read all the Most Helpful Posts in the General forum?

    http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w194/orphia/Science/59bc4cca1a98c6d2fd94b22df0a2c66a_zps4ab32162.jpg

    I also think you should read this:
    Faithful_Chosen wrote: »
    Losinandmovin wrote: »
    Faithful_Chosen wrote: »
    Two weeks is not a lot, so be patient and keep at it... But just to be sure: do you weigh everything in grams? Do you eat back all you exercise calories? Weight loss is a simple equation: calories in vs calories out: eat at a deficit and you lose. People tend to underestimate what they eat (especially when weighing in cups and pieces) and overestimate their exercise burns (do not trust MFP or your device. Heart rate monitors for steady-state are the only things even close to accurate). Weigh and log all your food in grams on a digital scale up to your goal as set by MFP and eat back 50 to 75 percent of you exercise calories (75% for HRM) and you will lose. It's science.

    What is HRM? WHY would one eat back their exercise calories? Wouldn't that deficit lead to weight loss? What are you reading and basing your advise on? I really want to lose this weight, but some of the advise I'm reading on MFP confuses me. I'm a registered nurse, and fairly intelligent, but some of the acronyms I see on here are foreign. Thank you.

    Thanks, everyone, for the answers already :smile: I am just going to add that MyFitnessPal calculates your projected loss (so, the amount you have set to lose a week) into the net goal you recieve. It assumes that if you want to eat more, you have to move more to stay in that deficit. Makes sense, right?

    Now, especially newbies have a tendency to up the cardio and decrease the food to make a bigger deficit, assuming they will lose faster--and they might! I am not gonna sit here and say that you won't lose more. It's probably not going to show up on the scale due to water weight, but they will lose more. The question is: at what price? And what are they losing?

    The MyFitnessPal method (built in deficit based on your numbers, especially plus purposeful exercise) is designed to steadily lose fat and preserving as much muscle as possible. You see, there is a (science proven) limit to how much fat a body can convert into usable energy during any period of time. If you go over that limit, it turns to muscle for fuel instead. You will always get a little bit of muscle tissue loss when eating at a deficit, but if you undereat and up the cardio (or even strength training!) like I see a lot of people on here do, you are forcing your body to canibalize its muscle tissue on top of the max level of fat it can burn. Not to mention that meeting your macro and micro nutrient goals with this method is virtually impossible, creating massive hormone imbalances (leptine, for example) and vitamins and mineral deficits.

    The long term effects of crash dieting and deprivation dieting (which is basically what happens when you become one of the people who net in the low hundreds to negatives day after day for an extended period of time) can be really severe. Basically, you are systematically starving yourself, after all. The results tend to be this (one example, hypothetical you):

    - your body burns fat, then muscle tissue to sustain itself. You become weaker and sore. You also start having cravings because your brain is sending out warning signs: 'I am starving! Feed me!'. So, you either binge and up your overall net a little, or you persevere and pat yourself on the back for a job well done! You wanted lots of fatty food, but you fed it a celery stick instead. Sadly, your whole timeline congratulates you on your willpower. You start to wonder, though, why your willpower is not being rewarded! The scale doesn't budge! You fail to realize it's because of water weight due to too much exercise and the body's inability to recover due to a lack of nurishment. The solution is often to eat even less and work out even more to get the scale to move.

    - the body is further unable to sustain. It changed the body's chemistry to preserve all it can--after all, it needs to protect vital organs from becoming affected and keep you going so you can hunt and gather for food! At this stage, the body becomes its own worst enemy: it no longer tells you you are starving so you can make a last ditch effort to get food. You think you are fine on 1000 calories a day, burning 1200, because your body shows no signs of hunger anymore, but basically, the little neutrients you are providing your body with get sucked towards your vital organs, leaving nothing for the rest. You become more tired, and cranky, and your muscles no longer recover from all the stress you put them through working out. As a result, they break down even faster and hold on to even more water to prevent that breakdown from affecting your ability to throw a spear at a prey animal (hey, I can't help it your body still thinks we are living in caves!). The scale drops oh so slowly--if at all--but meanwhile you do see you are slimming down! Your measurements are less! MyFitnessPal celebrates! 'Hurray! The weight must come off in a 'woosh' soon now! Keep doing what you are doing!'. Note that (thankfully) many people drop out at this stage. The psychological burden becomes too great, they feel *kitten*, and life isn't fun anymore. They stop dieting, start binging, and gain even more weight. The jojo'ing has begun.

    - you keep doing what you were doing. We are a few months in now. You develop headaches, fatigue, and you start finding more and more hair on your pillow in the morning. In fact, you start finding hair everywhere. You also get hungry again, not in a way that makes you binge but a sort of steady nagging: a gentle reminder that time is running out. Fail to meet it (MyFitnessPal people pat your back when you tell them you went to bed early instead of having more food) and slowly, your body gives up its protective hold on more systems. You can survive without full function to certain organs, so your body throws them to the wolves: nutrients go towards your brain, heart, and lungs. Pretty much all other organs start running at half capacity. You hold on to more toxins, which start chipping away at your system, and your ability to process food (get nutrients out of them) suffers greatly, so you are truly starving now. This is the point where the weight starts coming off, and pretty quickly, too, usually. A big whoosh! (MyFitnessPal people cheer in the distance). What you are really seeing is your body giving up on protecting muscle tissue completely: the water weight falls away, showing you that you actually did lose a lot of fat and muscle tissue. More cheering! It must be working! Keep at it! Work harder! Eat less!

    - now you are in serious *kitten*! Your organs are not keeping up, your muscles are breaking down, and the body has to start looking elsewhere for fuel: your organs and the more vital muscles, including your heart. At this point, your nails will become brittle and start falling out. Your hair falls out. Your period stops. You experience bouts of nausea and muscle weakness. You might find yourself pulling into a run and suddenly blacking out. You still function, but on the inside you are shutting down.

    From here on out, it all depends on if you start eating again and stop exercising or not. If you don't, you can end up killing yourself. If you do, it is a long road to recovery, sometimes lasting years and it sometimes includes permanent damage to the function of certain organs, especially the liver and kidneys. Worst of all, this entire crash diet hasn't taught you how to sustain weight loss, so as soon as you crash and burn, the weight flies back on! And trust me, it takes a fraction of the time it took to lose it to gain it back.

    I am not saying this to frighten you (well, I am a little), but as a nurse, you should be aware of the ramifications of crash dieting. Those of us that do realize the effects therefor recommend you lose weight slowly, at a sustainable rate that gives you the best ratio of fat loss vs. muscle loss. Stick to your MyFitnessPal calculated net, take the time, eat back your true exercise calories (which is probably 50 to 75 percent of your machine or database given calories), and learn how to eat (and what to eat) for weight loss you can maintain for years to come. It might not go as fast, but you will be able to see it on the scale, and best of all, it will be safe. That is my very long winded answer to 'why' you should eat back exercise calories.

  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
    Natso29 wrote: »
    Funny I was just thinking the same thing today! Every time I really amp up my healthy eating and get really strict with clean eating I notice that i digest healthy foods better and come to look forward to and enjoy them! When I start eating more junk food (pizza and deep fried anything are my weaknesses) I find eating healthy foods becomes so unappealing and taste so blah and unsatisfying.

    YES! ^^
  • SignpostPsycho
    SignpostPsycho Posts: 40 Member
    Since altering my diet a bit, there have been some cool change. The sweet foods are sweeter. I had a fresh bunch of grapes the other day and just about went to heaven. In comparison, a bite of my husband's lucky charms wasn't disgusting so much as ...overwhelming? Too much sugar, and the sticky artificial kind too. Salty foods didn't change much cause who doesn't love salt on their veggies, but savory stuff is more appreciated as well. Adding a little bit of butter or olive oil to some roasted peppers is an amazing taste sensation now, whereas before, it was just "pretty good".
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Not for me, no. I still enjoy fast food despite going months at a time without it and I still enjoy home cooked foods even after re-introducing fast food every once in awhile. I have, however, become more aware of my real likes and dislikes. Every calorie is important and I try to make every single one count. I feel like I'm wasting my calories when I spend them on something that, in the past, I used more like a munching exercise than for the actual taste. My palate hasn't changed, but I'm psychologically happier when I don't waste my calories on "meh" foods and I tend to be more picky, gravitating towards foods that offer me a good eating experience for the calories.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Not one bit.
  • jesspen91
    jesspen91 Posts: 1,383 Member
    I had a tub of soup a few days ago. Something I would have considered a 'healthy' lunch until recently and I couldn't finish it because it was so salty! My homemade soups are higher in calories but more filling and far less salty.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    jesspen91 wrote: »
    I had a tub of soup a few days ago. Something I would have considered a 'healthy' lunch until recently and I couldn't finish it because it was so salty! My homemade soups are higher in calories but more filling and far less salty.

    Ok that's true - lots of foods are way too salty for me now (soup, fast food).
  • Cold_Steel
    Cold_Steel Posts: 897 Member
    A lot of fascinating responses.

    Thank you.

    It was about what I expected several from both perspectives. Perhaps there are more correlations to how we are choosing to use MFP and our relationship with our food.

    I have not completely cut out "junk" food as I frequently go to trail mix, chocolate chip granola bars etc for snacks but in comparison to just a few weeks ago where I would scarf down a 1lb bag of red vines in one sitting I can measure a noticeable difference in my sense of taste. A granola bar is enough for me to get my sweet tooth out of the way versus before it would be a snickers bar.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    My palate has changed considerably. Years ago I found greek yoghurt and blueberries to be sour. Didn't like them at all. Now i find them to be quite sweet and a biscuit is sickly sweet. Can't believe I will now sit down with a bowl of porridge with nothing more than milk, greek yoghurt and blueberries and actually enjoy it.
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