Is Fast Food Corrupting Your Palate?

I am a huge basketball fan. I’m lucky enough to get to go to some games at the Staple Center in Los Angeles a couple of times a year and I usually sit up in the nosebleed section and watch Laker magic happen on the court way down below. Well, recently I was gifted 2 seats in the section closest to the game floor – it was amazing to sit there and see the action up close. The next time I went up to my "high in the sky" standard seats, I have to confess it was just a bit less enjoyable –actually a lot less enjoyable. My comparison view compared to those seats down below close to the court, kind of ruined the fun a bit.

So now let’s draw a parallel to fast food. If you drink sugary sodas every day, water is probably not going to be all that appealing. If you eat fried chicken and cheese burgers and French fries and pastries everyday, then fruits and vegetables and grilled chicken is never going to measure up. What can happen over time (and these days from early childhood) is that your taste buds become familiar with salty, sugary, high fat tastes and your brain becomes accustomed to a sense of pleasure derived from these fast food ingredients. Produce and other natural simple tastes will often pale in comparison. That’s why experts in the nutrition say, "Your palate has been corrupted." So how do I convince you to replace some of those wonderful tasting, highly processed or fast food treats for healthier fare?

Tuesday: Switch outs