Phone ringing…..
"Yuk! Such a bad taste, you suggested me flax seeds. You didn’t tell me they taste so horrible” one of my clients on the phone was furious.
She tried flax seed for the first time.I forgot to tell her how to use flax seeds if she doesn't like the taste. In the next session with her, I suggested her to roast flax seeds for a few minutes and grind them to powder form. This powder one can add a spoon or two in smoothies, dips (chutney), milk etc. she started doing so and the ‘taste’ problem was resolved.
Although the awareness to eat healthy is the news these days. preparedness to curb taste habits seems missing in many and It is very natural. People often find it difficult to deal with the ‘taste’ aspect of food. ‘taste’ is a habit forming just like a drug. Some people I know say that they can’t imagine life without spicy food whereas there are also many people who risk the spike in their insulin level for sweets. Bitter is usually the most avoided taste, meet opium users and you will change your opinion about the bitter taste, they swallow too much bitterness everyday. Even alcoholics opt for the bitter taste of alcohol over sweet chocolate drinks.
I have seen children making faces during the milk routine whereas once the milk becomes their staple diet, milk turns into their top priority, taste of milk gets stamped as the best taste. later when time arrives to consume only solid foods ‘taste’ becomes the problem.It is quite possible to tame taste buds.
Recently a lady approached me on facebook. her one year old was finding it difficult to quit breastfeeding. Mother was worried that her child was not liking the solid foods at all. I told her to apply a bitter solution i.e bitter gourd paste on the nipple for a few days to surprise the child. After three incidents of bitter tastes while breastfeeding, we asked the mother to introduce smoothies and also suggested that she should speak with the child while feeding.
Just within a month this toddler was fully breastfeed free and started enjoying solid foods. His mother was so happy to see this transformation. It was first occasion when I designed meal plan for a baby, so I felt rewarded with the results. This incident will give you an idea how the habit is broken and a new habit can be introduced when we are dealing with ‘taste’ problems while choosing an healthy alternative. Taste is very much habitual for all ages.
Another example is that of my father, he always ate spicy food his whole life and when he was asked to stop after his angioplasty surgery, he was finding it horrible. I introduced oatmeal for breakfast, he ate only a few spoons the first two days but just in a few weeks, he got used to eating it. Now he is the first guy in our home to raise hands for oatmeal, he never misses it a single day, his day starts with the oatmeal.
Thus one can tame taste buds very easily within a few weeks. Having said all that, I always try to share recipes that combine health and taste. Taste is something very individualistic as well, what one person loves, others might hate when it comes to the taste of the food. While designing meal plans, we often take into consideration following aspects along with the health goal of an Individual :
Age
Gender
Medical history
Taste preferences
Eating patterns (number of meals & potions)
Calorie intake & nutrients
Medicines & food Supplements
Exercise routine
Work life
General Lifestyle and habits.
Every meal plan is carefully designed to suit an individual in the best way, such meal plan is initiated only after the prior approval of family physician. Lock down is the best time one can utilize to nurture health, food being the most important factor determining your overall wellness. If you are looking for a customized meal plan, I am a certified health & nutrition coach, feel free to contact me
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