Taos News

Reprogramming ourselves

A WAY THROUGH Michelle Terrill-Heath

Every time we adapt to something new or accept changes into our lives, we are reprogramming ourselves. This happens throughout life and we have all had to do it.

Sometimes it is smooth, as when falling in love. All sorts of newness comes into our lives in the form of another person and all their habits. Sometimes it’s harder, like when a grown child leaves home and there are mixed feelings of loss and happiness.

Life is change and in most cases successful adaption includes some reprogramming of ourselves.

After Andy’s brain surgery he had many appointments with his neurologist who was trying to find the exact settings for his brain electrodes, that would give him the most symptom relief with the least bad effects. His programming needs to be checked a couple times a year.

My friend called me to suggest a date to go bike riding. I responded by saying, “I can’t go on that day because I take Andy in for reprogramming.” She replied, “Oh man, I wish I could take my husband somewhere for reprogramming.”

We laughed at the joke, but this is a good model to follow when facing and living with the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as brain electrodes use up Andy’s available energy, the fact of living in a health pandemic uses up our energy. We’ve talked about how more sleep is needed. What else can we do to help ourselves adapt and thrive during COVID-19?

I bake cookies. Chocolate chip cookies to be specific. I love to eat a couple as a meal and Andy likes to chop them up and pour a fruit smoothie over them as a yummy treat. Usually this practice is fine,

but during COVID-19 times, we need every bit of nutritious food we can muster and cookies are not optimal. After eating so much cookie dough that I felt overfull and pretty bad, I decided to attempt to shift to some healthier cooking.

I explored making Kitchari. This is the Indian version of perfect food. It includes yellow mung lentils, basmati rice, specific herbs and spices cooked in ghee and mixed with easily digested vegetables. This dish is a delicious meal that strengthens all our body processes, including our brains.

I still bake cookies (I can’t help that) but including more nutritious choices for my cooking therapy during COVID-19 helps me to thrive during uncertain times that change every day.

What nutritional secrets do you have?

Michelle is a longtime Taos resident and can be reached at michelleterrillheath@gmail.com and more information can be found at michelleterrillheath. com.

HEALTH

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2021-05-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://taosnews.pressreader.com/article/281818581715065

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