The FastDay Forum

I'm noticing about part way through a fast-day, when I'm really quite hungry - that my sense of smell seems to be slightly more sensitive. Even the cat's food has begun to smell appetising when I walk past his bowl in the kitchen, and last night I could smell hubby's tooth paste from across the room. I wanted to his eat his face.

Anyone else experienced this or anything like it... or do I need therapy?

Yes I have an exceptional sense of smell anyway, like you on fasting days my sense of smell is even more heightened I suppose to trigger me to eat. When I am not fasting it goes back to my usual (which DH still thinks is unusual)

My sense of smell is usually pretty sensitive (perhaps this is why I'm having a bit of bother), but not quite this bad - I had to chuck out the entire kitchen bin which was only half full, because I could smell an onion root that I'd chucked into it. I'm just glad I can't smell the chocolate chips that are in the cupboard - it'd finish me off completely.

Can't say I have noticed too much on most things. However since I stopped eating sugar, I can smell it from a very long distance and it doesn't smell very nice any more!

No, that hasn't happened to me, but it sounds like a great side-effect!

Wow rawkaren what does sugar smell like now to you, I find that very interesting.

Abbé I am the same, my compost bin gets me. My usual sense of smell is sensitive to dank smells where as no one else has a sensitive a sense of smell around me. I am often considered to be weird about this ahem talent but sure enough I always find the culprit smelly thing. I can and do smell the roses too

We'll it's hard to describe, but a sort of burnt sickly smell. I was passing through the sweetie section of a well known department store in London Piccadilly last week and it unexpectedly took my breath away. I normally like to linger and admire the pretty confections but I wizzed through pronto! It is indeed a good side effect.

Now that I think about it, I think my sense of smell has become more sensitive. I guess we get more sensitive to what we are not or cannot have. For example, since my daughter is allergic to peanuts, we have no peanut/nuts in our house but if we go to a place where other people are eating them I can detect them from far in the room!

Both smell (can smell what The DH is up to way up to the top floor) and taste. I know I had a good nose and a great palate,, but now everything taste - to much!! Too salt, too sweet too.......much of everything. I even made a dough for cinnamon buns (the Swedish way) and through away the first batch since I thought it was way to sweet.
I can't say that I thin this is good, since I'm not sure of how the meals I cook taste, but I have my trusty taster - my 14yr old son John
As for the smell, I have mostly given up perfumes again, they just - smell too much!!

I smell more and I enjoy smells more on fast days. I drink in everyone else's food with my nose while I'm on a fast. It's enjoyable! Sort of like eating without the eating. Something for the senses to do and that I'm thankful for.

[janeg]

Shhhh... Don't tell Ballerina, but other people's toast always smells good an seven better on a fast day. Had th e misfortune of sitting in a van with 20 take out Kentucky fried kitten on a fast day and they smelt really foul! Thought I was going to heave .

Poor little kitties janeg!!!! I'm sure they couldn't help it!!!

Not as such except it can be torture smelling a nice meal cooking on fast day!
Wanted to eat the telly the other day when i caught a glimpse of the Great British Bake Off!
They were baking delicious looking buns..had to turn off before i started licking the screen!
It should be law you're only allowed to watch that programme with a great big wodge of cake next to you! X

We'll it's hard to describe, but a sort of burnt sickly smell. I was passing through the sweetie section of a well known department store in London Piccadilly last week and it unexpectedly took my breath away. I normally like to linger and admire the pretty confections but I wizzed through pronto! It is indeed a good side effect.

I know what you mean Karen,its a very sickly smell,which to me has a grubbiness..
I know that sounds mad but i cant describe it properly..a cloying dirty smell..makes me feel ill when i get a whiff of it

Could it be that an increasing in smell and taste perceptions during fasts is a kind of awakening of our ancient animal instincts when hunters needed to find food and find it fast? I think, it very interesting if it is so.