Hello Y’all! The World Cup is here, and so far it has been a blast – that is …for the soccer lovers out here. Anyway, I hope you are doing well in your part of the world, and yes, It’s so good to be back writing again. It’s still the same spinning-plate scenario of juggling multiple tasks within a set time frame, but with less stress, which is nicer. So far, Summer is already here, and the heat in North Texas has been intense, but hey…we’re still better off than the folks in Arizona, so who’s complaining?

As a certified foodie and a lover of different kinds of foods from different ethnicities, I will try something at least once to see if I like it. At the same time, I’m also a fitness lover and have an active lifestyle, so that helps with balancing out the calories…or else Humpty Dumpty would be an understatement of my physical appearance …ha ha! I often get asked what kinds of food I like, and quite frankly, I love the majority of foods on the taste bud spectrum, which range from sweet to salty, umami to sour, to bitter. As a connoisseur of hot and spicy food, I didn’t know that the term spicy was not considered a traditional taste. Per science, it is considered a chemesthetic sensation – a type of somatosensation that detects chemical irritants in the mouth, nose, and throat. When it comes to the term spiciness, this sensation bypasses the taste buds entirely and includes smell, texture, and chemesthetic sensations.

What is Chemesthesis? According to AI, this is a category that includes sensations like cooling (menthol), tingling (carbonation), and pungency (mustard or wasabi).

Have you ever experienced a situation where your taste buds change on a whim – I mean, like you love a certain food or condiment and then you wake up one day and don’t want to see, taste, or smell that item ever again. But after a while, you crave that particular food, and so the cycle continues. For the Mommas out there, this is not pregnancy, certainly not illness, age, nor is it hormones. I have just reached the conclusion that my rebellion has seeped into my taste buds, and I feel strange.

So what do you do if you find yourself with rebellious taste buds:

• Try E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Explore and find out the new flavors your body has accepted to tolerate in the moment. Pretty much like the new flavor of the week.
• Maintain good oral hygiene – need I say more?
• Stay hydrated and ensure you are not nutrition deficient.
• Sometimes, a change in taste buds can be due to medication and your body’s reaction to it. Keeping track of and monitoring your body’s responses is vital.

Folks, I know a lot of people stay in their lanes when it comes to foods, but what fun is there if you aren’t curious to try other dishes, even if just once? And if you have a rebellious taste bud, then exploring all your options is a great idea. Until I come your way again, I hope you stay cool, hydrated, and positive this Summer. I remain,

Periwinkle Starr