Life

Imagine the following scene: You’re softly swinging in a hammock, on a white sandy beach in Mozambique, sipping a banana-mango smoothie, listening to the waves crash against the shore. A cool ocean breeze caresses your face. The scent of orchids fills the air. Your cocoa-butter-scented guy softly runs his fingers through your hair…Pretty tempting, isn’t it? Okay, now press rewind and try to imagine the same scene without your senses working full throttle – your ears plugged up, your taste buds on strike and your sense of touch as finely tuned as the old guitar in your parents’ store room. Not so mind-blowing this time, is it?

The problem is, most of us take our senses for granted – and that’s not such a smart thing to do, because life’s a lot less interesting when they’re not operating at peak capacity. But thanks to blaring iPods, long stretches in front of our computers and even the occasional nasty sunburn, you may be slowly and imperceptibly chipping away at your five functions.

So we’ve come up with these easy ways to sharpen your senses to Ginsu-knife perfection. Because that beach hammock is empty, girl. And just waiting for you.

Smell And Taste

Even the ripest, juiciest pear will taste like cardboard if your nose is as stuffed as a sports bar during a rugby game. That’s because your 10 000 taste buds pick up only four basic flavours: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Your body relies on your sense of smell to fill in the rest. Unfortunately, cigarette smoke can deaden both your taste buds and your nose’s scent receptors, so you can be susceptible to long-term damage if you puff. Our advice: toss the smokes and try these taste-and-smell tips.

Keep Your Nose Clean
You know that a head cold can temporarily play havoc with your sense of smell. But did you also know that the more colds you get, the more you risk hurting your sniffer for good? “If the receptor cells inside your nose become damaged by cold viruses, it can cause permanent injury,” says Steer. So cold prevention is key. Steer offers the usual precautions for healthy living: eat right, exercise regularly and dose up on Vitamin C.

Banish the Bleach
Germophobes, beware: noxious fumes from sprays and scouring products can kill your sense of smell along with all that nasty bacteria. Instead, scrub down your mirrors, tiles and windows with a solution of vinegar and warm water or a green cleaning product like Enchantrix’s, Clean It All concentrate (R39 for 500ml, www.enchantrix.co.za).

Become a Pothead
Studies have shown that nasal irrigation helps improve both smell and taste by getting rid of scent-blocking debris inside your nose. “Nasal douching is what I call ‘grandma’s treatment’ – it’s important, realistic and cost-effective,” says Steer. How to do it: dissolve a quarter of a teaspoon of salt in 250ml of warm water. Press your ear to your shoulder and, using a neti pot (health shops like Wellness Warehouse sell them for about R200 each), pour the solution into your nostril until it streams out behind your nose into your throat. Sniffing the salt water is even better. This will help wash irritants off your smell receptors.

Give it a Whiff
“Ever wonder how a wine connoisseur can distinguish subtle scents that the average person can’t?” asks Steer. No, it’s not just a golden nose – it’s also training oneself to pick apart smells and tastes. At the perfume counter, try to pinpoint the individual notes in a fragrance. Or sample a new dish at your favourite restaurant and name the flavour nuances you detect in each bite.

Last updated: Thu, 2010-02-18 12:04

By EmmaVP on 2010-09-09 21:47

I spend all my working time on the computer, and then in the evening, answering emails and the odd skype call. Thanks for reminding me to take a break and look after my vision.
My best tip for sharpen your senses are to go out for a walk in the nature make sure you can take in all the smells, gras, flowers fruit, listen to the birds and the the beautiful world we live in. Not only have you revved up your senses, but you have relaxed and lowered your stress level.
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