Trauma Pasta: Finding Safe Foods

“Trauma Pasta,” as we have so lovingly named it, was a safe food for me during the early days after discovery.

In Taking Care of Your Basic Needs, we learned that our autonomic nervous system is very reactive during times of stress/trauma. While our body is in survival mode, our nervous system redirects most of your body’s energy to the systems in charge of keeping us alive. Remember, the reality of betrayal trauma is that your nervous system interprets this as a threat to your life. Our relational connections are paramount to our survival.

Sadly, this redirect can have a direct impact on your digestive system, especially with long term exposure to trauma. Living in this space before and after discovery is traumatic to your system. The “gut feeling” or unease you felt before discovering your partners betrayal, that was your nervous system telling you something in your environment was/is unsafe. I’ll have a post about learning to listen to your gut feelings later, for now I want you to be able to feed your gut.

Today we’re covering one basic of self-care, food. Studies show the importance of nutrition and mental health.  I would encourage you to find foods that are a safe texture and flavor but also provide nutritional value. If you are having a hard time finding safe foods, experiment with different things until you find something that works for you. I am a vegetarian, so finding a safe nutritious food was hard. My experiment led me to the discovery of protein pasta. What will you discover during your experimentation with safe foods?

Try my Trauma Pasta recipe. It's super simple and very tasty. Mix cooked pasta with fresh herbs, or Italian seasoning, add a little EVOO, throw in some ground pistachios, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy. Add grilled chicken if you like that sort of thing. 🙂