Fibromyalgia and pain: 'How cooking gave me my family back' - BBC article

Most of this looks quite good, although it covers some psychological stuff including 'mindfulness' later:

Fibromyalgia and pain: 'How cooking gave me my family back' - BBC News

When you flick through a recipe book there are often brightly coloured photos of food, with texture and zing bursting off the pages. The pictures are designed to make you think "I want to eat that", but what if those photos do the exact opposite? That was the challenge Ian Taverner faced when he was diagnosed with a chronic illness.

When Ian turned to his cookbooks while managing fibromyalgia, he found the timings unachievable and the expectation of the photos overwhelming.

Living with chronic pain and fatigue meant even getting into the kitchen was a challenge, let alone perfecting culinary techniques, and he found there were almost no resources which helped with this.

More at link.

 

ACT therapy, fine. Inspirational story, the fairy tales we adults need, apparently.

But some 'adequate' pain relief meds are essential. You can't mentally 'shift' that pain.

Yup, speaking as a singleton w/moderate-severe fibro, someone else has to haul in the groceries (no lifting more than 5lbs).

Simplifying the menu, relying on prepared foods as a base, setting up and prep well ahead of meal time. Yup. Trying to keep the dishes used to a minimum. Refrigerating dirty dishes (for leftovers eaten the same day).

I like eating good food and I like cooking but I don't have the energy to cook what I'd like to; I don't have the family helpers. Maybe my next cat (?) will be exceptional in the kitchen.

 

My last cat used to climb on top of the fridge freezer, look down on me, and give directions/comments whilst I was attempting to cook.

We never did overcome the language barrier tho, it was easier just to block her access so she couldn't climb up and I therefore didn't have to put up with her supervision and suggestions.

 

Thread alteration, sorry. But related to food.

I was reading a book about crows just now, and got paged. Got out my frozen scrambled eggs bits and went downstairs and fed two hungry crows. I love watching them fly off with a huge yellow chunk in their beaks.