Many of us have never fully considered what life in quarantine may look like. I don’t know what day it is as and it doesn’t serve me to count something that has no predetermined end date. But I do know that it’s been over 30 days. One moment we were watching some other part of the world being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the next minute it’s at our doorstep.

Hospitals are not prepared to take care of the influx of sick people. Learning that someone you know or love tested positive. Fearing that your cough is the end of the world. Wondering how you are going to pay bills. The menu of worries to choose from seems justifiably endless, so I’ll stop here.

Personally, I’ve been triggered by most of what I see on my social media timelines. It’s too much. Either too angry, too sad, too optimistic, too perfect, just too much. To maintain my personal peace of mind I’ve limited my internet use which in turn has given more mental space to calmly attend to something that I have long neglected; my blog.

Here’s the truth: In this forced stillness I am not living my best life, I’m not a middle-aged child star, a creative genius, a healer, a teacher, or a student. I simply just am.

For better or for worse that pretty much sums it up. I find myself enjoying things during this pandemic that I would have ranked low on my to do list when I was rushing through the motions of getting my stuff done and zigging and zagging in the streets.

On the flip side, I’m doing less of the things that were part of my regular routine before the world changed. Some good, and some not so good. I’m not judging myself. Trust me, like many folks I can easily go there, but now is not the time.

I’m dealing with the trauma, shock, and relief this pandemic has brought, and I’m owning it. It’s ok. I’m fully present to it. In fact, it would be weird for me to carry on as if all was normal. It’s not. So far, I haven’t wrapped my head around all that has changed since Da’ Rona hit, but I’ll explore this topic in more depth (hopefully) in another post.

The bottom line is this: We are all just doing as best we can to manage an unfathomable situation.

I’m of the opinion, that enduring a pandemic and its implications is akin to grieving.

The 5 Stages of Grief and Loss as noted by the late Elizabeth Kubler Ross are:

Denial and isolation
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

People who are grieving do not necessarily go through the stages in the same order or experience all of them. It’s possible that people who are grieving are often unaware they are grieving. I can relate. Death is a part of life, and life is a part of death, this is a fact. We witness the cycles of life in nature with the seasons every year. But are we really paying attention?

SPRING CLEANING FOR BODY-MIND & SOUL

The Spring equinox, marking the first day of Spring, was on March 20th. I was already on lockdown so it was kind of a blur. But lockdown or not, Spring is the natural time to begin thinking about detoxing, Spring cleaning, and prepping to unleash the dreams planted during the winter months. I was ready to blossom and bloom with the flowers. My dance card was full. In retrospect, maybe a little too full. If we didn’t know before, we all know now: we think we can carefully plan our lives then life shows up. And sometimes shit gets a little too real.

In honor of the seasons, despite the fact I’m unable to fully enjoy nature, I am adapting. I’m using this downtime to plant new seeds that will bloom in due time. For once, I’m in no rush. I’m just taking things day by day. Which truthfully is less anxiety-inducing. Just doing a little of what feels good and causes no harm is good enough for me these days.

I’ve had the time and space to work on detoxing not just foods and cleaning out my personal space, I have also had more time to be more mindful of my thoughts and anything that takes me away from “my happy place.”

Quarantine has a way of making things you already know become even more vibrant and clear. I feel like a little lab rat in a controlled environment.

As I often do, I began to experiment on myself to test out my theories to determine what stays and what needs to be reworked. Sometimes I experiment on my husband too… but shh… he doesn’t always know I’m doing it. This isn’t about ethics...so don’t judge me!

I consume a lot of crap. Not necessarily foodstuff— content and images on social media, YouTube, TV etc. I’ve been doing this for a very long time in hopes of keeping my ear to the street and finger on the pulse. I’m not missing anything. I love a good distraction and quarantine has highlighted this point. But I’ve maxed out.

Now, most of the world is in a state of instability and life feels very unpredictable. Despite the trauma of our current state of affairs, it's still a good time to remember the seasons. Spring. What new things do we want to grow and what do we want to let go?

BOUNDARIES, BABY

Boundaries are key. Personal boundaries. I’ve grown into a bit of a loner since relocating to Barcelona almost 4 years ago. I think it’s the natural part of my adult evolution and how I’ve learned to not succumb to my own boredom by engaging with people just because they happened to be bored at the same time.

I used to operate that way. It’s hard to imagine now, but it’s true. If I wasn’t busy or tired, I was up for just about any new experience. You only live once was my motto and I didn’t want to miss out on anything.

Don’t get me wrong, I still grapple with FOMO, but not to the point of actually making decisions out of boredom.

Up until now, I’ve been so busy trying to figure out which parts of my American life to maintain and which parts I wanted to develop, reinvent, or discard here in Spain, I haven’t time for idle in-person interactions.

Thirty plus days into quarantine my tolerance for others’ bullshit is pretty much nonexistent. My little bubble is safe. We aren’t arguing or fighting in this household. We aren’t making each other doubt ourselves, feel insecure, or competing with one another. We aren’t unloading or trying to one-up each other. I’m not trying to brag, but it’s a peaceful home.

Now I’m so clear on what peace and ease feels like at home, I have no bandwidth for anything that permeates my safe little bubble. I understand this is a privilege and it is one that I am grateful for having. Like many people, I’ve also lived through toxic and volatile relationships and unhealthy living situations, and I have grown from them all. This is why boundaries are important. We do get to choose more often than we realize what stays and what goes.

I’ve set boundaries with friends and frenemies. There are basically three groups:

1) The people that know it. I have been very explicit and (hopefully) loving when stating my reasons for taking my emotional distance.

2) The people that I have not had “the talk” with but probably feel it.

3) The people that have no idea. Some of you may be wondering where you fall on this scale. Don’t overthink it. I reserve the right to change my mind at the drop of a dime.

During this time of crisis, I’m giving my peace of mind the spotlight and attention that it has always deserved. Letting stuff go feels good.

Intuitive Nutrition - Celery

But what does this have to do with nutrition? Well, Everything! I’ve been doing a thing recently… I’ve been eating celery aka Apium graveolens. I’m not a big celery person. To be honest, when I would purchase it in the past, I would secretly resent the damn vegetable for taking up so much room in the fridge.

But since I have considerably more time on my hands, I started to wonder why I am suddenly drawn to celery and loving it? (And no: It’s not because it’s trending on social media.) I actually wasn’t aware it was a trend, until a friend pointed it out to me when I was talking about my comeback to the blogosphere. (Well, I never really started but, I digress.)

Clip of disheveled me making fresh celery, carrot, lime and ginger, juice during quarantine in March 2020.

I’ve been juicing it, I’ve been chopping it up and adding it to stir-fries and salads. I’ve been smearing almond butter on it. I’m not really a recipe follower when it comes to food prep I just use what’s available and follow my gut. All parts of this veggie can be consumed. From the rooter to the tooter! (I’ve been sticking to the leaves and stems these days.)

Above all, I HAVE NOT BEEN WASTING IT. It has not been dying in my refrigerator. Yes, I’m bragging.

Celery is a member of the Umbelliferae family, along with carrots, parsley, and fennel. It is native to the Mediterranean, and its seeds were traditionally used as a medicine for their diuretic effect. It is one of many important anti-inflammatory herbs. The seeds are commonly used in herbal medicine today to treat arthritis, and gout. Celery seeds are specifically indicated to treat rheumatoid arthritis associated with depression.

More Key Benefits of the Seeds:

Lowers lipids and decreases plasma cholesterol.
Urinary Antiseptic: diuretic effects help treat urinary tract infections in combination with antibacterial herbs.
Chemoprotective agent: protects tissues from side effect of anti-cancer drugs.
Digestive Aid.
Emmenagogue: stimulates menstruation.

Nutritional Breakdown:

Celery contains chloride, primarily as sodium chloride, which is needed for the kidneys to maintains the body’s acid-alkaline balance. Chloride also aids the liver in excreting wastes. Celery is rich in sodium and potassium. Fortunately, due to the high amount of potassium, the sodium content does not aggravate people that are sensitive to salt. This makes celery a welcomed salt substitute. This green treat also contains:

Calcium
Vitamin B2
Folic Acid
Vitamin A
Vitamin C

Fun Facts: The crunch factor, low gylcemic index, and low-calorie count (10 kcal / stalk) of celery make it a great go-to for weight loss. Celery juice is a natural way to replenish electrolytes after workouts and can replace store-bought sports drinks that are often laced with weird stuff you can’t pronounce. Did you know that celery is also a mild aphrodisiac and is soothing to the nervous system? It’s one of the few vegetables that gains antioxidant potency through cooking (along with carrots). Lastly, it’s believed to increase mental acuity, creativity, and intuition. Abracadabra. Exactly what I have been craving during quarantine!

Need I say more? Now do you see why celery is my new quarantine bae?

Dis-ease states: Celery helps to combat diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cancer, impotence, rheumatism, migraines, skin diseases, depression, and a host of other conditions.

Phytochemical Spotlight:
Celery contains coumarin which helps prevent cancer and enhance the activity of some white blood cells. Coumarin compounds tone the vascular system and also lowers blood pressure. I’m here for all of it! Especially when I’m a little stressed out!

Caution: Contact with celery stems may cause photosensitivity reactions. For some, celery seeds may cause food allergy, itching and contact dermatitis. Don’t panic. It is generally safe when consumed in amounts.

Pregnancy: Celery is safe during pregnancy when consumed in dietary amounts.

How to Pick, Choose, and Store:
Celery should be light green, fresh-looking, and crisp—the ribs should be hard and firm. Limp and lazy looking celery should be avoided. Who wants to take something like that home anyway? Discard parts of the plant that look damaged or has any signs of discoloration.

Duh… but I’m sure someone needed to hear this.

Store celery stalks or roots, in a sealed container or wrap them in a damp cloth and store them in the refrigerator. If storing cut or peeled stalks make sure it is dry and free from water residue, as this can drain some of its nutrients. DO NOT FREEZE as it will cause wilting unless you plan to use it in future cooked recipes.

EAT THE LEAVES: They contain the most vitamin C, calcium, and potassium! Pow Pow!!!

Since celery is among the foods on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found, I recommend choosing celery that has been organically grown. Clean by adding mixture of 1 teaspoon of baking to every two cups of water and a few dashes of vinegar. Let it soak for 15 minutes. Scrub and rinse with cold water before eating. Voila!

So even though I said earlier I wasn’t as connected to nature as I would like to be, that’s only partially true. I was drawn to celery. It was not an intellectual decision. I knew I wanted to rid myself of all of the aforementioned things that do not serve. Admittedly, I have been quite generous with the types of food I’ve been consuming during quarantine, but celery was damn near flirting and winking at me in the grocery store. I was having salt cravings when I typically crave sweets. This is how my love affair with celery began.

Without being too preachy, I would like to challenge everyone to tap into this present moment and explore new things about yourself and how you dance through the world and the real stuff that bubbles to the surface.

Pay attention to the things that you are drawn to these days. Pay even more attention to the things that suddenly repulse you. If there was ever a time to dig a little deeper with ease and patience towards oneself it is now.

It is my hope that we can be reminded by this pandemic that we all are one and we are all connected to Mother Earth and one another. Let’s seize this crisis as an opportunity to get back to the basics. We already know what’s good for us nutritionally, emotionally, spiritually and otherwise. Just listen and pay attention.

My prayers go out to all the people impacted by the virus and to everyone bravely risking their lives at work during this crisis. I would love to hear what healthy foods you have unexpectedly been drawn to during quarantine.

Be Well.

-Xoxo Momo

References

Braun, L., Cohen, M. (2015) Herbs and Natural Supplements, An Evidence - Based Guide, 4th Edition, Volume 2. [Kindle Edition]. Elsevier. Retrieved from Amazon.com.
Cunningham, Scott. (1985). Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Cunningham's Encyclopedia Series) [Kindle Edition]. Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD. Retrieved from Amazon.com.
Haas, Elson M. (2006). Staying Healthy with Nutrition [Kindle Edition]. Celestial Arts. Retrieved from Amazon.com.
Hoffman, David, Medical Herbalism The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine [Kindle Edition]. Healing Arts Press. Retrieved from Amazon.com.
Kohlstadt, Ingrid. Advancing Medicine with Food and Nutrients [Kindle Edition]. CRC Press. Retrieved from Amazon.com.