What's Your Favorite Food?

I can't believe that summer session is only two days from being completed. It seems like we just started talking about working with geriatrics yesterday. I know I've learned so much this summer even with such little time to do so. It's been hectic with everything going on, but I wouldn't really want it any other way. One of the biggest things I learned is that no matter how much you plan and attempt to think of everything, it always changes. Not one day went by as I "had planned." But as far as learning for test, reading our text book, doing field work at a skilled nursing home, and even while interviewing a few folks, one change that comes with "normal aging" that I think was the biggest surprise was the loss of ones senses, in particular, taste.
I've always known that as we age our body slowly breaks down and some things that worked one day wouldn't work the next. I knew hearing would lead to hearing aids and we would one day need glasses to read a book, or these days, watch our favorite shows. But I never really stopped to think about losing the ability to taste our favorite meal. That's always been a classic question one asks to get to know someone, "what is your favorite food, or meal?" And often some of our fondest memories are situated around events that involve food, such as Thanksgiving. For birthdays, special events, and holidays something is usually cooked up for a particular reason. I know one of the things that I miss most about my grandmother was her mashed potatoes, mhmmm, I've never had any quite like hers since she lost the ability to cook.
But one day, if someone were to tell me I might never like the taste of mashed potatoes again, I'd probably laugh at them as if they told had just told a joke. And if my favorite food was something like fried chicken to go with those potatoes, and someone told me I couldn't eat those at all anymore, I'm pretty sure I'd toss something across the room. What's the point of aging if we can't even enjoy what we like anymore? I can see how one might not be able to indulge in solid foods for their entire life, but the fact that our taste buds change?!  But, then again, when I think about myself now, my taste buds have already been changing. I know enjoy broccoli and salads, I'll choose an apple over a candy bar, and "chicken fingers" at fast food restaurants don't tempt me anymore. So, if my change tastes can change to this point, what's to keep them from changing again.
Also, not only could this affect how we enjoy food, but it could cause us serious problems. If I were to bite into an apple and it tastes bad, I would know the immediately spit it out. But as our tastes changes, we lose the ability to know if items are rotten (spoiled). Imagine enjoying your favorite cereal with lumpy milk! If we no longer want to eat our favorite foods, why on earth would we want to eat what we really don't want to. If salads were already difficult to eat, why bother when they taste even worse. The decline in our taste senses can even lead to malnutrition and health problems (health issues).

With all of the changes the body will go through as we age day-by-day, this is the most surprising to me. I still can't imagine a day I won't enjoy my favorite meals, even though I have seen it happen to those around me. Until then, I'll keep trying new foods and as many mashed potatoes as I can until I might one day either find the ones that taste like my grandmothers or I just don't want them anymore.