Reframe Your Pain
Get out of your head and into your body.
When it comes to pain, why are we against acknowledging it? We do anything to have eyes off of us, to keep going. The pain is there, physically. We can feel it but we don’t acknowledge it. We’re busy, we have things to do and people are counting on us. I know, I worked like this and have written about it until I was physically unable to work.
It seems to be part of our culture in the United States. To work until you are burnt, even past that time. Wear it like a badge of honor. The result of years and years of this behavior arrived during Covid in the great resignation and the quiet quitting on its heels. Many employees are back from remote working locations, hopefully the competition for who can stay the longest each day or take the least vacation time will not return. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans receive an average of 11 days paid vacation each year. And according to Forbes over half (52%) of employees report working while on PTO (paid time off). That means instead of recharging and enjoying something else, some employees are jumping on a meeting or checking email. I am not pointing the finger, I did this, too. Why?
If we were to put the spotlight on you, are you waking with a nagging pain in your back? Has something not been right for a couple of weeks, or months? Have you favored your ankle or knee and now your opposite hip hurts? Maybe thinking of calling the doctor, but that is a fleeting thought and next thing you know you are two weeks further with no answers. That pain is there for a reason. When you finally end up at the doctors or worse, out of work and in bed, the only thing that makes everyone comfortable, you, your employer, and your colleagues is to get yourself back to work. Instead of getting to what is really happening with our bodies we often take a pill, get a shot, or a script to get back to work, back to equilibrium. Let's reframe our pain.
Rather than go, go, go, let's pause for half a second, we are worth half a second. This is where the magic happens. If we consider what our body is telling us. Acknowledge the discomfort. Get curious. Notice what is physically ailing us. Will we then have to do something? Yes, we will. Imagine a friend is asking for help and treat yourself like you would your friend. Where is the signal coming from our body that something needs attention? It may be as easy as drinking more water to get rid of a maddening headache, or a reminder to take a break or adjust our posture. But it could be serious. Think of all of the people you know or a friend of a friend who went for a check up for one thing and the doctor found something else and caught it in time. Yikes, let’s be thankful we are doing something about it.
Reframing physical pain in this way transforms it from an enemy to a guide. It becomes a conversation between you and your body, a way to know your limits or understand areas you need to strengthen. Take steps to listen to your body, to let it be your trusted ally on your path to awareness and wellness. By doing so you acknowledge you are worth it. Stand in that worth, embrace yourself and your body as a valuable teacher. Your future self and a healthy body will thank you.
If you have started eating beans back in July when I commenced writing and your stomach was not in pain then the following recipe will be a delicious distraction. If you are in the middle of healing your gut with beans this recipe as written should be saved for a later date due to the dairy. Don’t forget you need 90 days for a full endocrine mitosis. You certainly can play around without the dairy. Let me know if it comes out well. Cheers!
Recommended Recipe
Fritata with peppers, mushrooms, and beans
A really good ratio for any frittata is to add 2 cups of something to 8 eggs. I usually do 1 cup of roasted veggies and 1 cup of leftover baked potato, sweet potato, pasta or beans. A cheese or 2 that adds up to 1 cup or just over, liquid (nondairy or dairy depending on your choices) and fresh herbs, s & p. In this frittata, I would suggest a pinto or black bean. Both have 15 grams of protein and about the same fiber, 15.3 g and 15 g respectively.
This particular recipe is the G.O.A.T. of all frittatas. It comes from Cucina Simpatico by Johanne Kileen and George Germon of Alforno Restaurant in Providence, RI, and they credit Vinny. Of course I have made it my own, so if you are familiar and see how much I have changed it don’t be mad. Feel free to riff off of my recipe, as well, and do what you like best. This is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner and cut into small squares. It has been at every Christmas eve dinner on the antipasto plate since we started hosting. The colors lend themselves to a holiday cheer and the wow factor in such a small bite will have people asking, What is in this?…ahhh, so simple yet so satisfying. In the summer I serve a late August tomato salad with a hint of red onion, scallions, basil, garlic and olive oil. I just made it last week and we still have tomatoes. I leave the salad to soak in its own juiciness until ready to have our meal. No tomatoes, no problem, a simple green salad with lemon, garlic and olive oil. Add shaved parmesan over the top. Enjoy.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Ingredients
8 eggs
1 cup roasted red, orange or yellow peppers
1 cup of leftover beans, you decide. I had bayo gordo beans from Rancho Gordo. Looks like a pinto but acts like a cranberry or runner. (soft and luscious inside/firmer outside) Black beans from a can would be equally nutritious.
½ cup roasted mushrooms-Not necessary, but I had them in the fridge
¾ cup parmesan reggiano
¼ cup other cheese–softer. I used grated Irish cheddar. Sometimes I use goat or feta.
¾ cup of milk of your choice (I used part Oat and part heavy cream)
1 Tbsp chopped sage or other fresh herb of your choice
1-2 Tbsp of chopped scallions if you have them
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp cracked black pepper (~20 turns on your peppermill)
4 Tbsp olive oil for the pan
Add the 8 cracked eggs to a large bowl and whisk. Add the remaining ingredients one at a time except the olive oil and stir all of it until just combined.
Place a heavy 10” oven safe skillet or cast iron pan on the burner. Heat up the olive oil for a couple of minutes until hot but not burning.
Pour the egg from the bowl into the heated skillet and you will hear the glorious bubbling sound that lets you know you heated it up perfectly.
Place the skillet into the center rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes. check it at 20, if it is jiggling in the middle keep it in for another 5 minutes and pull it. It will continue to settle once sitting on the stovetop.
Let it rest for 10 minutes and cool a bit before you cut.
Serves 10-12 as part of an antipasto plate, 8 for brunch and 6 for lunch or dinner main with salad. Enjoy.
Contact
If you have any additional questions on reframing pain, incorporating beans into your frittata or other meals please email me at Denisemancieri1@gmail.com. Feel free to comment below if there are topics you would like to see.
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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 take large amounts of information and parse it out into easily understood and digestible steps so people 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.