Field Notes #6: Emotions as messengers, quick-easy-healthy shakshuka, Dr. Paul Farmer on cynicism

Hello! Welcome to Field Notes #6— collections from recent travels on this Odyssey of the Body, sharing favorite glimpses of life wisdom, nourishing recipes, movement, art and exercises, and other tips. If you have a Field Note to share, please send it to brianne@odysseyofthebody.com.

1} Shakshuka, dinner savior

Many years ago, I had an unforgettable meal at a Middle Eastern cafe in Budapest, Hungary, over Thanksgiving break. Perhaps this was an unlikely spot to first encounter the North African dish of shakshuka — or perhaps not, for this dish seems to be beloved around the world.

And wow. From that first bite of eggs cooked in tomato sauce, I couldn’t get over how tasty it was. Savory, spicy, addictive.

Not long after, I located a recipe for shakshuka on my favorite food blog, Smitten Kitchen, and was delighted to discover that it was easy and quick.

I’ve been making shakshuka ever since, at least once a month. It’s a reliable, healthy meal I can make in under 30 minutes with what is already in the kitchen, a minor miracle on a weekday: a can of tomatoes, eggs, paprika, cumin, garlic, olive oil, an onion. I usually serve it with rice, which is easy on my tummy. Pitas work well, too — or even better, Trader Joe’s Garlic Naan.

Because, let’s be honest, if we don’t have a handful of go-to recipes to lean into when the clock is ticking and appetites are growing, we end up turning to frozen dinners or fast food. I used to be able to eat that way. But I can’t any longer. My GI system protests. It is grumpy for days after McDonald’s.

Shakshuka is one of my dependable recipes, a salve in a hectic day, a bridge of healthful eating until the next dinner puzzle tomorrow.

Do you have such go-to dinner recipes, too? Would you be so kind as to share one?

A few notes: The variations on shakshuka are endless. Smitten Kitchen adds feta, which I like very much. I’ve tried adding a can of tuna (pretty yummy, and heartier). When I happen to have cilantro or sausage, I add them. I rarely have jalapeño peppers on hand, so I often swap in mild Aleppo pepper or a tiny bit of chili flakes. (I go for the low heat level; you may want something much more intense; the recipe flexes nicely this way.)

Also, leftovers for breakfast are phenomenal.

View the shakshuka recipe (and its 800 comments) on Smitten Kitchen.

2} Dr. Paul Farmer, humanitarian, public health legend, on cynicism

“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.” — Dr. Paul Farmer

Dr. Farmer was a physician, public health leader, anthropologist, and founder of Partners in Health, who became world-renowned for caring for the very poorest people in the globe, in Haiti, Rwanda, and many other countries. He died Monday at age 62. He inspired countless people to pursue careers in healthcare. He’s simply a legend.

James Martin, SJ @JamesMartinSJ

"The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world." RIP Paul Farmer

John Green @johngreen

Here is what I want you to know about Paul Farmer: He simply did not accept the idea that inequality of health-care access is natural or inevitable.

washingtonpost.comOpinion | How Paul Farmer helped save the lives of millions of peopleThe co-founder of Partners in Health, who died on Monday at age 62, simply did not accept the idea that inequality of health-care access is natural or inevitable.

Here is the announcement from the organization he founded, Partners in Health, and an obituary (this should be a gift link, over the pay wall) from The New York Times, which describes his remarkable life.

One quote by Dr. Farmer in the NYT article stayed with me. It reminded me again of the force of hope, the human necessity of seeing the possibilities, of spotting the cracks of light rather than the overwhelming dark. We need such hope to make our way through troubles, and Dr. Farmer saw and cared for more people in dire situations, desperately ill, than any of us will ever see or perhaps fathom in our lifetimes. And yet he said:

“I’m not cynical at all. Cynicism is a dead end.”

3} Emotions are really messengers

The previous Odyssey of the Body newsletter, “How to complete the stress cycle,” focused on the need to DO something to end the stress reaction in your body, to go through the “tunnel of emotion” to reach the end. In the book Burnout, Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski list seven ways to finish the stress cycle, including physical activity (the most efficient way to end a stress cycle), connection, creative expression, and crying.

That post garnered an insightful comment from Dr. Kernan Manion, who writes the newsletter Physician Interrupted, exploring the challenges of physicianhood in a tumultuous healthcare world. It was incredibly interesting, and I thought you might want to ponder it, too:

Dr. Manion wrote:

“I believe that a key concept behind the importance of emotional intelligence, ‘EQ,’ is not just that it's important to be aware of emotions in our lives. It's that emotions are really messengers. They themselves are intelligence packets trying to tell us something. My anger is about something. My anxiety is about something.

I think it's helpful to imagine a nagging emotion as if it were a child pulling at your apron while you're trying to cook a serious meal. It demands ‘I want your attention NOW.’ Ignoring the intrusion seldom doesn’t get you anywhere. It's often helpful to give the attention-demanding intruder some air time.

So too with emotions. Imagine inviting each (mostly 'negative') emotional intruder to speak. ‘What are you trying to tell me?’ In the case of anger, it's usually about unfairness of some sort. For anxiety, it's a feared outcome; sadness, loss; shame, failing; pain, ‘trapped-ness.’

I believe that emotions are simply trying to tell us something, perhaps something they already told us and felt we ignored. Once an emotion intruder / messenger has done its work, that messenger has faithfully delivered its message, it can be discharged and return to the marrow of emotions to be shaped into a new message.

You can discharge each emotion messenger in the diverse ways you listed, and you can also invite them in for tea and a chat. ‘So, what news do you have for me today?’

I leave you with that question to ponder, the next time an emotion visits you.

I hope you have a restful weekend ahead, and I’ll see you next on Sunday. If you feel so inspired to connect with your fellow readers, you can leave a comment on a post and see what others are saying, too. (Roam around past issues.)

To our journeys and better health ahead,

Brianne