Over 35? You remember.

I've heard smell is our most powerful sense. Through our noses, we can be taken back to a memorable time and place. The beach. The cologne from a bygone sweetheart. The smell of a summer carnival. Our first whiff of real chocolate. We've all had the experience of a scent from our past coming back to surprise us. Hopefully, most of those experiences are positive for you.

I contend our sense of taste can be just as powerful (presuming we give our body and our senses a chance to recover and restore after years of processed food poisoning).

I had two taste experiences lately that transported me directly back to my Grandparents dairy farm. The first was grass-fed, organic and minimally processed milk. It was as close as I've gotten to the taste of real milk in decades. I'm on the search for true raw milk though haven't identified a source (astoundingly, it is illegal to sell or buy raw milk in most states). Someone from South Mountain Creamery was sharing milk samples at the local MOM and I overheard him talking to another customer who asked about the cows. He replied, "Our cows are very happy!" I loved his answer so much I tried his milk. And, if taste is any indication, they are some happy cows. I exclaimed, "Wow, this is what milk used to taste like." And, it did. I bought some of this luscious milk in a glass bottle and actually enjoy milk again.

The second experience was at Elevation Burger who makes burgers from 100% grass-feed, 100% certified-organic, 100% free-range, 100% ground on-the-premises beef. While I ordered a burger with lettuce, tomato and ketchup, I actually ate most of the beef patty all by itself. I could picture my Grandma in the kitchen frying up the patties in her cast iron skillet. Elevation Burger makes a very, very tasty burger. They aren't everywhere (yet) but find one and give it a try (plus the people who work there were very, very nice).

My theory? If you are 35 years or older your body and taste buds can remember what food really tastes like. Far too much of our food today tastes nothing like nature actually designed it to taste. Tragic, isn't it? If you've organically grown your own tomato plants and enjoyed a warm-from-the-sun tomato directly from your vine, you might have a hint.

If you were born after 1976, I fear the influx of food processing and artificial ingredients have probably masked your ability to really taste. For those born after 1985, I suspect you have probably never actually tasted real food. Beyond tragic to a crime.

Fight back and reclaim your taste buds. If you are 35 or older, gather some younger people and go out in search of true, old-fashioned food. When you find it, you'll know. You'll taste it right away. And, when you do the younger people around you will have a glimpse (from the look on your face) of what is possible in a world of true, natural, unadulterated food. Awaken your body, make your taste buds happy and bring back the way food used to be. Only our lives depend upon it.