Covid benies
the leftover edition
I am surprisingly thankful of the COVID odyssey for rather odd reasons these days. It completely revolutionised my eating.
I simply do not eat as much as I could or did five years ago, much less for most of my life. I stop when I am satisfied rather than worrying about the children in Korea (yes, I grew up hearing that) or to satisfy someone as I did for so long.
Such an obvious concept but revolutionary and essential for me as my body rejects certain actions. Eating less, I feel so much better.
It’s wonderful. It’s liberating, truly freeing. It helps me sleep infinitely better.
I rarely consider a second portion because it no longer works for me. I suppose it might in future but somehow I doubt it.
Why has this happened? I have no idea but a couple of thoughts come to mind. As we endured the lockdown months, we struggled to think about topics beyond when the pandemic would end. I found myself asking why my stomach hurt so much early in the months. Yes, I was experiencing the same angst as all of you but recognized my pain was physical.
Was I eating something I didn’t realise disagreed with me? Uh, no. I was eating pretty much the same strict vegetarian diet I began in 1996.
Except I wasn’t. I had incorporated richer foods in my diet beyond an occasional treat to a staple without realising it. That was not helping my tummy feel all that great but excising those only helped things a bit.
What if I tried eating less I wondered several months later? Would my abdomen hurt less? I actually pondered that cause and effect because I had time and fewer pressures of other things to dwell upon.
Sure enough. I definitely felt better by eating less. Eating less means I don’t automatically reach for a second portion because either it tastes so good. I prepare what we want or I order a helping of s vegetables instead of a main course when we go out. One portion of whatever I am eating usually satisfies both the mouth and the tummy.
People had told this was true me for years but food had become a crutch. And with our abundance in this country, Americans have fraught relationship with food, I believe(perhaps I am merely projecting). Some people do dope, others booze. I did food for stress and in quantities too big for my body to use. Afterall, it’s glorious by its taste much of the time but food is at its heart merely fuel.
Damn covid for many things it brought us: the holes in our memories (Oh, did that happen before or after Covid?), the lives lost, the months away from our loved ones, the anxiety, the national alienation, the distrust of authority, and the list we all know so well. But it gave me time to reconsider my own actions and associated consequences in a beneficial manner.
I still occasionally eat more than my body expects—and get an immediate reminder from that same body. We definitely still go out but plan our dining with a mind towards the possibility—not a requirement—of a second or, occasionally, a third meal from whatever appears on the table, at home or in a restaurant, rather than automatically cleaning our plates. We savour those second meals because often the seasoning after a day is far better than at the initial seating. This is all one of the few upsides to a horrible experience but it’s part of the deal. Unintended beneficial consequences definitely appear throughout our lives when we bother to appreciate them.
What were the unexpected positives you garnered from the COVID era? I am keen to hear them. Thank you for reading the column today. I appreciate each of you daily, especially the subscribers.
We had rain yet again this Saturday so today’s picture is a reprise from the first COVID summer. Remember, our clocks change tonight assuring us the beauty of spring is nearly here.
Be well and be safe. FIN