Knock some "sense" into me
Please...
I never really reflected on what it would be like to not have one of your senses. For those of us who have all five senses we should consider ourselves fortunate. Each day we awake to see the sun and sky, feel the warmth of a loved ones hand as we embrace, hear the laughter of our children, the barking of the dogs in the neighborhood, or the wind blowing, smelling the coffee first thing in the morning, the baking bread in the oven and the sauteing of onions and garlic in anticipation of the dinner we will taste in mere moments. We learn about senses when we are little and if you have all of them: touch, taste, sight, hearing and smell; you take it for granted that you will always have them.
Over the last week I have been without the sense of smell and my taste was also off due to coming down with Covid. After almost 4 years of skirting the virus, I had almost every symptom that was listed back in spring of 2020. It was my loss of smell, as my daughter was cooking, that tipped her off that I may have Covid. I had completely forgotten and since I hadn’t had Covid I think I made the wild assumption that I would not be getting it any time soon. Sure enough, I took a test that evening and the second line needed only a minute to show on the test.
In the thick of it
When I was in bed very ill with Covid it seemed secondary that I could not smell and taste, who cares, I had no desire to eat. It may have even been a blessing, who knows what the room smelled like to a healthy person with the windows closed. However, once our prognosis improved and we came out of the bedroom into the world again this was when my sense of smell would’ve been welcomed back into my repertoire of senses.
My husband also fell to the virus that same evening. Fortunately my daughter was home and taking wonderful care of us. We had all been together and we knew it was only a matter of days until she would have symptoms as well. They both kept their sense of smell and taste.
Quick side note: To all of the friends and relatives out there who help their siblings, parents, aunts, uncles and friends and neighbors who come down with Covid, you are so loved more than you know for just showing up. Making decisions we cannot because our minds don’t work at the moment and dropping off the food you know we need to be back to health. Thank you.
Back in the kitchen
A day or two after the lovely food delivery from my sister and brother-in-law I felt the urge to cook. I had ingredients because I felt well enough to schedule a market delivery. I had energy, and the will, and therefore I embarked on a cooking extravaganza. Mushrooms in the back burner in a cast iron pan roasting. In another pan I sauteed onion, shallots, garlic, carrots, and celery. I added fresh ginger, turmeric and homemade veggie stock. In the rice cooker I prepared basmati rice and added about a cup to the veggies. Once the mushrooms were nicely browned I added those and thinly sliced spinach, and then red cabbage for crunch. I couldn’t wait to eat with some of my yummy beans in their broth. I had a small but delicious bowl of healthy homemade breakfast. I couldn’t wait to share it with Mike and Katherine
Mike came in and took a look at the pan on the stove and couldn’t wait to take a bite. I asked him to let me know if it needed something. He said, yum, ginger. And then, he said it may need a little salt but it is very good. I felt like I nailed it even though I had no sense of smell. I was feeling pretty happy about my foray into the kitchen. When Katherine awoke I told her I had made breakfast. She was not feeling well so she was happy not to be in charge. She came downstairs and took a taste and her whole face dropped. She looked at me, smiled, and asked me what I had added for spices. I told her turmeric and ginger. Apparently I was heavy handed on the turmeric. My hand HAD slipped when I was cooking and adding the turmeric but I tasted it immediately when I had slipped and nothing tasted out of order to me because I could NOT taste. So I kept on going instead of fixing anything. Moral of the story if you can’t smell or taste, then follow a recipe, don’t try to create your own. You won’t know if something is off. I kept the dish in the fridge and I actually tried it again this morning and I still think it tastes great. Good thing. I will be eating it for a few days!
Recommended Recipe
Leek, mushroom, and wild rice soup with kidney beans and kale
Fortunately, Katherine felt well enough to make me a yummy soup for dinner yesterday (same day as the turmeric time bomb above). I gobbled it up and so did she so I know it was delicious. The tryptophan in the wild rice and the magnesium in the kidney beans both helped with my sleep. A necessary pillar of getting healthy when you have covid but also important for every night of your life.
She has a whole host of recipes that help with balancing your hormones and blood sugar while tasting delicious on her website. Many, many recipes include beans. She was happy to share her recipe with you below:
Ingredients
1 oz dried mushrooms–turkey tale, porcini, or shiitake and soak in room temp water for 30 minutes while you are gathering and prepping the rest of the ingredients
1 T Olive oil
1 T of cumin seed
1 tsp of powdered ginger
Pinch of chili powder or cayenne–you choose
One big or two smaller leeks finely chopped (white and light green parts only)
Kale leaves, (3 big leaves) remove stem and finely chop stem and leaves into strips - keep separated
1 celery stalk finely chopped
6 cups of veggie stock
1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans or 1, 15 oz can rinsed
1/2 cup wild rice
Directions
Add the olive oil to the pot or Dutch oven and spices (cumin seed, ginger powder and chili powder or cayenne) let them bloom for a minute over medium heat.
Add the chopped leeks, celery and kale stems with a big pinch of salt and cook it down until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
Add the rice, stir and let it toast for a minute
Add the 6 cups of stock and mushrooms (chopped-save the delicious mushroom water for another time or use some of it in place of the stock if you want the additional mushroom flavor, stir and cover
Cook for 25 minutes
Add the kidney beans and cook another 10 minutes until all of the aromas are incorporated
Toast some sourdough bread and serve with the bowls of soup. Serves 6.
Remember, start with beans!
Contact
If you have any questions on loosing your senses, cooking without the sense of smell or taste, or integrating beans consistently for gut health now and into the near future, please email me at Denisemancieri1@gmail.com. Feel free to comment below if there are topics you would like to see.
Please share this newsletter with others if you find it may assist them in adding beans to their diet. Or click the heart, below left, so I know you were here. Thank you!
Note: I am not a doctor. I am a teacher and an educator with an earned doctorate in educational leadership. I enjoy research and I can distill large amounts of information into easily understood and digestible pieces allowing people to understand what is happening to their body and possible steps to reverse it with food as medicine. I have healed my own GI issues through choices with food. I followed Karen Hurd’s bean protocol diet, I meditated and still do and I healed. I feel compelled to be in service and educate others as the more people eating beans, alongside a healthy diet and sharing their stories the more people will live a healthier existence. Joy, peace and freedom abound. Please see your doctor and discuss nutritional options before you change any course of action with your health.