A recent article found at www.time.com focused on the value of changing your mind. The article included the following passage: "So it comes as no surprise that changing one’s mind is an art form in and of itself—a practice of endurance and flexibility. It resembles marathoning or playing an instrument: something that gets better the more you do it, with an element of muscle memory. It necessitates exposure to new information and ideas, goodness of fit in terms of the timing and delivery of that information, and one’s own predisposition to cognitive adaptability. It is a process of privilege. One must have access to information that can change one’s mind, one must have the temperament and time to absorb it." While the article references weighty matters I thought I could use just a bit of the article to talk about being open to change in everyday life.
When I was a young girl, the one food I hated more than all others was celery. I could not tolerate even a sliver of it. If I accidentally ate some I would immediately gag. I was particularly repulsed at the very thought of it being in potato salad. When I became an adult, I continued to refrain from eating all foods which contained celery.
In contrast, I have loved shrimp all my life. When I was pregnant it was the food that I craved constantly. Times were tight back then and my husband would make sure I had shrimp when I wanted it even though our food budget was very limited. About five years ago I developed an intolerance to shrimp. After eating shrimp, I would get a headache and become nauseous. No more shrimp for me!
What is odd is that just as my body rejected the shrimp my tastebuds seem to have changed as I change. Foods that I once hated, I now enjoy. That certainly is the case with celery. As I got older, I learned about the many health benefits of celery.
“Celery is a marshland plant that comes from the same family as carrots and parsley. It has long, firm, pale green fibrous stalks and grows in bunches of approximately eight to 10. The stalks taper into leaves at the top. Although most people discard the leaves, they are also edible. Celery has a mild, earthy, slightly peppery taste.
Benefits of celery may include: support heart health, support digestive function, suppress inflammation, improve memory, help manage blood sugar and help weight management.” (Information found at: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-celery.)
After becoming convinced of the health benefits I decided to give celery another try. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was not disgusting as I remembered. It was light and tasty. I have incorporated celery into my diet and enjoy it frequently throughout my week. I often enjoy it raw. I sometimes eat it with raisins and almond butter, with guacamole or with a bit of ranch dressing. Yum! I’m so glad I changed my mind and gave it another try.
Lou