Challenging ourselves

I've had IBS for about 5 years now and I think it's starting to become part of my identity. Which means that I was starting to accept that it was part of who I was and probably always would be.

Then the other day, I realised that despite my best efforts at controlling the food I eat, the boxes were just getting smaller and smaller. It's been a journey, but I'm bored now and want to figure out what it's really about.

I realised that (god knows how I missed it up until now) there must be a psychological element to it. And if you know me, I will keep searching now until I get to the bottom of it!

Anyway, the other night lying in bed, this thought arose in my mind in relation to the IBS. That word was suppression.

I got nothing more than this, just suppression. I am kind of used to just getting bits and pieces of information, so was not unduly bothered about this, but took it as a sign of something to explore.

Suppression. Of guilt, someone said, the colon represents guilt. Oh, I said, that's interesting. Maybe I still have some unresolved guilt issues, noting to myself to make some time to look into that a bit more.

Then I went a visited my friend, Ali, who is a wise angel and she said she'd do a tarot reading for me with her lovely Archangel cards. She said did I have a specific question. No I said, then changed my mind and said, well actually, can we look at this IBS and see what the angels have to say about that?

Well, it was one of the clearest readings I've ever had. She said in all the readings she'd done, she'd never got any of those cards.

They said that basically, I needed to spend more time in nature and that the path was all about creativity. That I needed to write more, create more, be more expressive, dance, sing, paint, photograph, cook.

It was a revelation because I see those things as an indulgence, as a luxury, when in fact for me, I feel they might be necessities.

So, I am going to make time to do at least one creative thing every day. Even if it's just dance in the loungeroom to a funky tune.

I will keep you posted on developments.

So, here's to creativity. Because maybe it is medicine for the soul.

The simple things in life are often the best

I've got a recipe for you from my Spanish friend, Maite. She calls it rice soup.

I just love her home style cooking full of flavour and goodness, passed on from her mother. She made this meal today to combat a bad cold and it was so tasty, I came straight home and made it myself. And it was delicious.

Per person:

Fry 1 clove of garlic in a little olive oil
Add in 1/2 an onion, finely chopped. Fry until clear
Add in 1 large or 3 or 4 small tomatoes quartered or halved. Cook until starting to juice.
Add 2 small handfuls of arborio or spanish rice and fry for 3-4 minutes
Add about 500-600ml of boiling water, 3/4 of a chicken stock cube, season with salt and pepper and a dash of tabasco sauce for an added zing. The tabasco in my opinion is the magic ingredient.

Boil for 20 minutes and serve with some grated cheese or stir in one of those kids cheeses (you know the ones that come in the round packet - Dairy Lee I think it is, probably low fat, knowing Maite).

There should be some sauce/soup in there, so if not, you need to add a bit more water next time.

It was so simple and so delicious, I ate the whole lot in one sitting!

I hope you enjoy

Love Beth