A balanced and healthy diet can mean that you are less likely to develop severe health conditions. It keeps you looking and feeling great, boosts your mental health and improves your mood.

But, did you know that eating well can also stimulate your senses? Below is a look at some of the ways that what you eat could improve your senses. 

Your diet is one of the most important elements of a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet doesn’t mean restricting what you eat or cutting entire food groups. Nor does it mean that you can’t enjoy all of those tasty treats that you love. A healthy diet is about balance.

Benefit Your Senses by Maintaining a Healthy Diet

Enjoying a healthy diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, protein and complex carbs, means that you can enjoy treats in moderation without damaging your health or risking dramatic weight gain. 

Touch

To maintain a healthy sense of touch, you must look after your skin. Both foods that are high in healthy fats and Vitamin A can promote good skin health, keeping it soft and helping to maintain a good sense of touch as you get older. Some foods to enjoy include fatty fish, which also contains vitamin E, an essential antioxidant for skin health, avocado, walnuts, seeds, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, broccoli and tomatoes. 

Another way to improve your sense of touch while eating is to use it. Don’t just think about how food tastes, spend time exploring the different textures in your mouth. Eat mindfully, taking the time to notice textures and changes as you enjoy a meal. 

Sight

Vitamin A can aid your site as well as your sense of touch. But, the best thing that you can consume for your eye health is water. Your eyes are 78% water, and they require extra lubrication to work comfortably. Drink lots of water, stay hydrated, and your eye health will be improved.

Our family drinks a lot of water, not nearly as much as we should (I'm sinking back into my soda addiction), but we love having our water dispenser. It's easy to use, we can get hot or cold water from it and since we have filtered water in our home, instead of going and switching out the 5 gallon jugs, we just fill up gallon bottles and fill the one jug we have.

Taste

The best way to improve your sense of taste through your diet is to give it a workout, again by eating mindfully. Enjoy different flavors. Try new things. Spend time trying to pick out different flavors in a meal and take your time when eating.

If something doesn't taste right to you now, you can try it again in about 6 months or even a couple years, since taste buds are constantly changing. What may taste off today, may be your favorite a few years down the road.

I remember growing up, I disliked kapusta (aka sauerkraut). It just tasted gross to me. During Christmas Eve dinner, it is a Slovak tradition to have kapusta & dough balls (also called Bobalky) as a good luck for the upcoming year. I fought my parents every year on eating just a tiny little bit. When I was pregnant with my first son, I ate a couple bowls of the stuff.

That's when I realized that taste buds did change over the years and I started trying things at least 3 times over the course of a few years. There are some things that I just can't stomach, but I've tried them several times anyway.

Smell

Hyposmia is a reduced ability to detect smells and doors. It has many causes, one of which is a zinc deficiency. Making sure you get zinc in your diet could prevent this condition and boost your sense of smell. Foods high in zinc include lentils, oysters, pecans, and sunflower seeds. 

Taking the time to savor the aroma of your food and drinks can also be effective. Improving your sense of smell and your sensitivity to different scents. 

Hearing

The best way to take care of your hearing is to investing in hearing protection if you are often in noisy environments. But, your diet can also play a big part. 

Antioxidants, folic acid, omega three fatty acids can all contribute to healthy hearing. People with a diet rich in antioxidants often have a better sense of hearing and reduced hearing loss in later life. Enjoy foods like spinach, liver, beans, apples, broccoli and eggs.