Sense of smell changes

LauraC

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  1. Vegan newbie
Hi folks

I am, what I call, in my Freshman year of Veganism. I am 45 now and have always been a meat eater and loved to cook rich and elaborate meat based meals - I LOVED meat - anyway

I find now the smell of meat - especially processed pork absolutely revolting - literally like poop - and Cheese to
the smell and texture (I still cook for my family) absolutely revolting - touching raw chicken make my skin crawl

But I have only been Vegan for 3 months - is it in my head - or is this long enough for my senses to be completely turned off by the smell of animal based food?
 
Not all in your head. The same happens to most vegans. I particularly hate BBQ season - it makes me gag.
 
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Thanks - I like to think that I am not being precious about it - but my husband was cooking sausages the other day and I had to leave the kitchen - the smell was revolting
 
Cheese is the worst smell for me too, especially cooked! I am also revolted by the smell of meat. I can't smell it without thinking about what went into destroying that animal for it.

I am your age too, 44. I went vegan at 38. I have had very few cravings. At two years in I had a strange and sudden craving for eggs, but it didn't last long at all. I believe it was because I was in a stressful period in my life and not eating enough/restricting food intake too much. Chickpea salad sandwiches, chickpea flour omelets, and scrambled tofu took care of those cravings. Funny thing is, I have always thought eggs were gross in texture and sight. I never craved meat from day one on. But I wasn't a meat lover before. I think it is amazing that you have taken such a tremendous step and made such a lifestyle change! You are awesome!
 
Hi,
I feel the same, the smell of meat makes me feel so sick. It saddens me that people are so uneducated to eat meat, I believe that if they knew exactly how their burger eventually got onto the plate they would not eat it. I have not eaten meat since I was 16, I am now 50. Stick to it and well done!
 
Wow - there must be something wrong with me. I still enjoy the smell of cooked meat because it brings back happy family memories, I guess. I just don't eat it!
 
I used to have physical (not mental or emotional) reactions to the smell of meat even as a vegan my first few years. I would salivate and my tummy would churn, but mentally I had no desire to eat meat, dairy, or eggs. Over time my physical body has changed with years of eating only plant based. So that now I no longer get those physical reactions to the smell of meat. I really do find it nauseating and repulsive. Same with cooked eggs or cheese. The other day at work someone in a cubicle near mine was eating what I presume to be chicken, and I literally gagged for the next hour. I think there is a real physical change that takes place in the body without animal products over time. I've heard the gut flora changes a lot as a vegan over time.
 
Night out with the girls last night at a pot luck. Brought vegan wraps that nobody ate. Instead they "enjoyed" honey baked ham and a bunch of casserole type sides. When I asked what was in one of the recipes, I almost got sick because it was all processed - freezer potatoes, cheese, canned soups, canned toppings. All I could think of was the toxic chemicals everyone consumed.... well - and the poor pig!!
 
It’s kind of the reverse that’s happened to me - whenever I go through the produce section at a shop, it smells amazing. Before I went vegan, I used to think fruit and vegetables stank!
My vegetarian friend said she can’t bring herself to go near any meat sections or butchers shops though, it makes her gag and retch.
 
I receive smells differently after listening to a podcast by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau a few years ago. She broke down smells and cravings down into: salt, fat & sweet. Once I was aware of that I translated the smell of animal based foods cooking into one or more of these catagories. Cheese was fat/salt. Meat was fat. Eggs usually reek of the fat they are cooked in etc etc. It showed us that we do not crave meat in the fashion some people say they do and it is almost always the want of salt, fat and/or sugar and they way they taste on the tongue and act on the brain - all of which we can get without hurting animals. Winner! :blush:
 
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It’s kind of the reverse that’s happened to me - whenever I go through the produce section at a shop, it smells amazing. Before I went vegan, I used to think fruit and vegetables stank!
My vegetarian friend said she can’t bring herself to go near any meat sections or butchers shops though, it makes her gag and retch.

I TOTALLY agree! Same for me in the produce section... I can hardly wait to get home and start eating. And I really HATE the smell of raw meat/poultry/fish.
 
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