Why your cold is your worst enemy during Thanksgiving

Getting sick anytime of the year sucks, but getting sick now (as in, a few days before or on Thanksgiving) can totally affect your stretchy-pants game this Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we’re at that time of year when colds run rampant, and  the timing couldn’t be worse! It’s the most food-focused time of the year, and that begs the question…Could our runny and stuffy noses affect Thanksgiving dinner? Well, sniffly ones, let us explain.

When you get struck down with a cold, your olfactory senses are blocked off by mucus and other gross things as your nose gets stuffed up. That means your sense of smell is compromised, as is your sense of taste.

Have you ever wondered why, though?

In this short video posted by Time magazine, materials scientist Ainissa Ramirez goes into detail on how our noses help us taste flavors. Our tongue can only identify 6 general tastes: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, fat, and umami (savory). It’s actually our noses that differentiate between those categories and help us experience flavors in a full, rich way, as they can distinguish up to 1,200 different flavors.

Obviously, there’s no bigger bummer than something that dulls our sense of taste on a highly food-focused holiday. If you ARE feeling a cold coming on, no worries —there are always leftovers and the December holidays ahead of us!

And if you want to hurry your flu along, there are plenty of remedies. Staying hydrated and well-rested is key, but some say that making a hot beverage with some ginger is super effective (it can soothe a sore throat), as well as chopping up some extra garlic in your dinner (garlic is a potent antioxidant and has antiviral properties, according to  The Chalkboard Mag).

(Image via iStock)