The GAPS book asks you to notice the smell of a food before eating it. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride treats smell as one of the signals involved in appetite and food choice. Her discussion also connects repeated household fragrance exposure with a dulled ability to notice food aromas.[1]
Smell Before the First Bite
The author begins with wild animals smelling food. In her account, smell provides information about freshness, contamination and whether a food appeals to the body’s present needs. She asks the reader to notice an appealing or repulsive reaction rather than eating solely because a food has a healthy reputation.[1]
For an ordinary meal, the useful observation is concrete: notice the aroma of food that has been prepared and handled properly, and whether it appeals. Smell is an appetite observation here. Food safety also depends on handling and preparation; the question below explains why a normal smell cannot confirm that pathogens are absent.[2]
The Household Products Named in the Book
Dr. Natasha names synthetic perfumes in laundry detergents, domestic cleaning products, air fresheners and personal perfumes. Her explanation describes scent molecules occupying olfactory receptors, with constant exposure making the same fragrance less noticeable. She uses heavy perfume and scented laundry as examples of people becoming unaware of an odor around them.[1]
The book connects that continuing fragrance exposure with difficulty smelling food. This is the author’s explanation for the household changes she recommends. It gives you specific product groups to review, rather than a way to diagnose the cause of a changed sense of smell.
The Changes the Author Recommends
Her advice is to remove perfumed chemicals from the environment, replace laundry detergent with a non-scented natural option, and stop using perfumes, scented personal-care products and air fresheners. She describes the receptors clearing and smell returning over a few weeks after those changes.[1]
A household review can begin with the products you already own. List the scented laundry products, cleaners, personal-care products and air fresheners. Then decide which needs replacing first. My account of our low-tox home changes keeps the practical changes and our family’s experience together.
Why This Belongs With Appetite
Smell is one of four food signals in this part of the book: desire, smell, taste and satisfaction. The author describes the aroma of a wanted food as part of the pleasure of eating it. Her household-fragrance discussion sits within that larger explanation of listening to natural-food preferences.[3]
During our 2026 eczema flare, I changed our laundry detergent, dropped fabric softener and rewashed clothes and sheets. Laundry was a practical place for me to begin because it affected the clothes and bedding we used every day. The few-week smell-restoration account above comes from Dr. Natasha’s book.
A Question About Food Safety
Does a Normal Smell Mean Food Is Safe?
No. Food can look and smell fresh while containing harmful pathogens. The FDA distinguishes those organisms from the bacteria that produce obvious spoilage. It also advises against tasting strange-looking or strange-smelling food to test it. Enjoying an aroma and checking food safety are different jobs.[2]
Your Next Step
Choose one household product group to review, then notice food aromas at your next properly prepared meal. My Low-Tox Home Swap Guide is listed in the WFLI Shop. The household exposure guide covers cleaning, laundry and home air, while the taste guide continues the food-senses discussion.
References
- Campbell-McBride, N. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), “The Sense of Smell,” food choice, scented products and the author’s restoration account.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Science and Our Food Supply: Food Safety A to Z Reference Guide, printed pages 17 and 27 (PDF pages 19 and 29), food-safety myths and mold precautions.
- Campbell-McBride, N. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), food senses and “The Sense of Satisfaction After Eating.”
Leave a comment