Chili-Lime Cauliflower Tacos
Ordinarily, I would insert a cute anecdote here about the first time I tried tacos & something funny that happened.
But, I legit can’t remember.
I grew up in Germany until I was 11, and back then, there wasn’t so much globalization with food as there is nowadays. Mexican food, sweet potatoes, and avocados are things I was completely unfamiliar with when I moved to the U.S.
And my first year here was rough.
Not only was I adjusting to a fascination with Mexican food that was completely new to me, but I was also adjusting to a new culture, new school, new kids, and a completely new way of living.
My home life wasn’t great because of pressures on my parents that I was frankly too young to understand, and at school I was relentlessly bullied for being Middle Eastern, looking different, having a weird name, and excess body hair. The only “positive” attention I got was the relentless male gaze because I developed very young, and that also had me highly uncomfortable.
In conclusion: I don’t remember my first time trying tacos because it happened during a year where I’ve repressed most of my memories.
Why We Repress
We block out or repress memories, particularly traumatic ones, as a defense mechanism that protects us from psychological harm. This process, often referred to as "repression," occurs when the mind unconsciously pushes painful or distressing memories out of conscious awareness. There are several scientific and psychological reasons behind why we do this:
1. Psychological Protection:
One of the primary reasons for repressing traumatic memories is to protect you from overwhelming emotions or distress. Traumatic experiences can evoke intense fear, shame, guilt, or sadness, which can be too difficult to process at the time of the event. By pushing these memories out of conscious awareness, your mind attempts to safeguard your mental well-being. This allows you to function in daily life without being constantly reminded of the trauma.
2. Cognitive Overload:
During highly stressful or traumatic situations, your brain may experience a kind of "overload." The brain's prefrontal cortex, responsible for rational thinking and memory retrieval, might be overwhelmed by the emotional impact of the trauma. The amygdala, which processes fear and emotional responses, may take over and prevent the formation of clear, accessible memories. This contributes to memory fragmentation, where pieces of the traumatic event become inaccessible or suppressed.
3. Survival Mechanism:
From an evolutionary standpoint, repression serves as a survival mechanism. When faced with a life-threatening situation, your brain focuses on immediate survival rather than long-term memory formation. The release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline shifts your brain into "fight or flight" mode, dampening the activity in areas like the hippocampus, which is involved in creating and storing new memories. In some cases, this can lead to partial or complete memory loss of the traumatic event.
4. Avoidance of Pain:
Memories of trauma can cause physical and emotional pain, often triggering post-traumatic stress responses. The mind may repress memories as a way of avoiding the re-experiencing of this pain. In certain conditions like PTSD, where traumatic memories are intrusive and overwhelming, the brain tries to minimize exposure to those painful memories by keeping them suppressed.
5. Dissociation:
During traumatic events, some people experience dissociation, where they feel detached from the situation as if they are not fully present. This disconnection from reality during trauma can lead to memory gaps. Dissociation is a coping mechanism that helps you distance yourself from the emotional intensity of the experience, but it also impairs the brain's ability to fully encode and later recall the event.
6. Developmental Factors:
Traumatic experiences that occur in early childhood are more likely to be repressed, partly because a child's brain is still developing. The hippocampus, which consolidates memories, is not fully formed, and emotional regulation systems are immature. This makes it difficult for children to process and integrate trauma into their conscious memory. Instead, the brain may bury these memories to prevent future emotional distress.
7. Shame and Social Stigma:
Certain traumatic experiences, such as abuse or violence, may evoke feelings of shame or guilt. In these cases, memories can be repressed because acknowledging them would create internal conflict or clash with one’s self-concept. Social or cultural stigma around trauma can reinforce the need to suppress memories, as openly addressing the trauma may seem too difficult or damaging to one's identity.
8. Neurological Changes:
Research has shown that trauma can lead to changes in brain structure and function, particularly in regions associated with memory processing, like the hippocampus and amygdala. Chronic stress from trauma can reduce the size of the hippocampus, impairing its ability to store memories, while increasing amygdala activity can heighten emotional responses, making it harder for clear memories to form.
In summary, the repression of traumatic memories serves as a protective function. It helps you avoid emotional overwhelm, cognitive overload, and further psychological distress. While this defense mechanism can provide short-term relief, it can also complicate long-term healing, as unresolved traumas can surface later in life, often requiring therapeutic intervention to process and integrate those experiences into conscious awareness.
Your Nervous System
Regulating your nervous system can help you access painful or shameful memories that you had previously blocked out by creating a sense of safety and calm that allows your brain to process these memories without overwhelming you. When your nervous system is dysregulated—meaning you're stuck in a state of fight, flight, or freeze—your brain is focused on survival, not on healing. In this state, it can be difficult to access repressed memories because your mind is trying to protect you from the emotional pain. However, when you regulate your nervous system, you move out of survival mode and into a state where you're better able to reflect, process emotions, and integrate those memories into your conscious awareness. Here’s how this process works in detail:
1. Activation of the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS):
When you regulate your nervous system, you shift from the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) to the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the "rest and digest" system. The parasympathetic nervous system helps calm your body and mind, slowing your heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the production of stress hormones like cortisol. In this calmer state, your brain is less likely to be hijacked by fear, anxiety, or overwhelm, and you can better access and process difficult memories.
The PNS creates a sense of safety, which is crucial for addressing repressed memories. Trauma and shame are often stored in the body as a result of feeling unsafe, so creating the opposite state (safety and relaxation) is key to unlocking these memories.
2. Reduction of Emotional Overload:
Regulating your nervous system helps prevent emotional overwhelm, which is a major reason memories are blocked in the first place. When the nervous system is balanced, your brain is more capable of processing emotions at a manageable pace, without the risk of being flooded by distressing feelings. By being in a calmer state, you allow yourself to sit with difficult emotions and explore memories without being overwhelmed by them, which is a critical part of working through trauma.
3. Restoring Prefrontal Cortex Functioning:
When you're in a state of stress or trauma response, the brain's prefrontal cortex—responsible for reasoning, decision-making, and memory retrieval—becomes less active, while the amygdala (which controls fear and emotional responses) takes over. Regulating your nervous system restores the functioning of the prefrontal cortex, allowing you to think more clearly and reflect on your experiences in a safe and rational way. This is crucial for accessing memories, especially those that were repressed to avoid emotional pain.
When the prefrontal cortex is re-engaged, you can approach painful memories with more perspective and objectivity, rather than feeling like you're reliving the trauma.
4. Enhancing Emotional Resilience:
Through nervous system regulation techniques like breathwork, mindfulness, or meditation, you develop greater emotional resilience, which helps you tolerate discomfort when confronting painful memories. This resilience allows you to stay present with difficult emotions rather than shutting down or dissociating when memories resurface.
A regulated nervous system gives you the strength to explore shame or trauma without collapsing under the emotional weight of those experiences. This helps you process the memories more effectively and move toward healing.
5. Releasing Stored Trauma in the Body:
Trauma and repressed memories are often stored in the body as physical tension or discomfort. Techniques like breathwork, yoga, or somatic therapies that regulate the nervous system can help release these physical blockages, making it easier to access and process repressed memories. When the body is relaxed, and the physical tension caused by trauma is released, it opens up pathways for emotional and mental healing.
As you relax your muscles and reduce physical stress, your mind becomes more open to revisiting past experiences, making it easier to bring painful memories into conscious awareness.
6. Creating a Safe Space for Memory Retrieval:
One of the key principles of trauma therapy is that memories need to be processed in a safe, controlled environment. Regulating your nervous system creates this sense of safety, whether you're in therapy or using self-regulation techniques. In a calm, regulated state, your brain feels less threatened by the prospect of revisiting trauma, which makes it more willing to bring those memories to the surface for processing.
This safety allows you to approach the memories from a place of strength rather than vulnerability, giving you the chance to work through them effectively.
7. Building Mind-Body Connection:
A regulated nervous system improves the connection between your mind and body. This is important because trauma is often experienced somatically (in the body), and repressed memories can manifest as physical symptoms like tension, pain, or discomfort. By regulating your nervous system, you become more attuned to your body's signals and more able to interpret them, which can lead to the uncovering of repressed memories associated with those physical sensations.
In this state, you are better equipped to understand how your body is holding onto trauma, and this awareness helps bring repressed memories to light.
The Nutrition Connection
Eating a diet rich in fiber and brain-supporting vegetables can help regulate your nervous system through a combination of gut-brain axis interactions, nutrient provision, and anti-inflammatory effects. The nervous system, particularly the autonomic nervous system (which includes the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems), is closely connected to the gut and brain via the gut-brain axis. When you nourish your gut with fiber and brain-supporting nutrients, you positively influence the balance of neurotransmitters, reduce systemic inflammation, and promote a calm, well-regulated nervous system.
I’m not saying these tacos will magically improve all of your problems, but I am saying that the nutrients in these tacos lay the foundation for improving your gut health & regulating your nervous system, which then makes it easier to do the inner, deeper, work.
This Dish
chili lime cauliflower tacos with avo, jalapeno, cilantro, radishes, lime, raw pickled red onions, creamy cilantro lime sauce
The Benefits
good for regulating your nervous system & improving your gut health. specifically:
Cauliflower, radishes, and onions are all high in dietary fiber, which is crucial for your gut health and digestive regularity.
Insoluble fiber helps add bulk to your stool, which keeps things moving through your intestines and prevents constipation.
On the other hand, the soluble fiber in these vegetables feeds beneficial bacteria in your gut, promoting a balanced microbiome. Healthy gut bacteria ferment this fiber into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which support the health of your gut lining, help reduce inflammation, and improve overall digestion.
SCFAs also stimulate the production of GLP-1, a hormone that helps regulate bowel movements and can reduce bloating. The prebiotic fibers in onions and garlic, particularly fructooligosaccharides, fuel beneficial bacteria, enhancing the gut microbiota and promoting smoother digestion.
Cashews and avocado are rich in healthy fats, particularly monounsaturated fats, which are vital for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) that help maintain the integrity of your gut lining. These fats also regulate inflammation and support nervous system function. Omega-9s, found in both cashews and avocado, help improve brain function, and their anti-inflammatory properties soothe the digestive system.
The nervous system benefits from the steady energy that these fats provide, preventing blood sugar spikes that can lead to stress or irritability. This balanced energy flow helps your body stay in a parasympathetic ("rest and digest") state, reducing nervous system overstimulation that can worsen gut issues like bloating and constipation.
The miso and fermented jalapenos bring live cultures (probiotics) into the mix, which directly enhance gut health by introducing beneficial bacteria. These probiotics improve the balance of gut flora, reduce gas, and minimize bloating. They can also help to repair any dysbiosis (imbalance in gut bacteria) by crowding out harmful microbes that may contribute to inflammation and digestive discomfort.
When combined with prebiotic fibers from the garlic, onions, and cauliflower, the probiotics in miso and fermented jalapenos create a powerful symbiotic relationship that enhances the diversity and resilience of your microbiome, leading to better digestion and less bloating.
Cauliflower is rich in choline, a key precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is involved in memory, mood, and cognitive performance. Adequate choline intake supports brain function, helping you stay sharp and focused. Research shows that acetylcholine plays a critical role in learning and memory processes, which means that consuming choline-rich foods like cauliflower can improve mental clarity and support long-term cognitive health.
choline is essential for proper nervous system functioning. Acetylcholine is also involved in regulating muscle contractions, so choline helps facilitate communication between your brain and muscles. This is critical for maintaining motor control and coordination.
Choline helps transport fats out of the liver, preventing fat accumulation that can lead to conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Without enough choline, fats can build up in the liver, leading to inflammation and potential liver damage. By supporting fat metabolism, choline from cauliflower contributes to liver detoxification and overall liver health.
While choline’s primary functions are often associated with the brain and liver, it also impacts gut health. Choline is involved in the production of phosphatidylcholine, a component of the mucus layer that protects the gut lining. A healthy mucus layer is crucial for gut barrier integrity, helping prevent "leaky gut" and maintaining a healthy balance of gut bacteria. This protective effect can reduce inflammation, bloating, and gut discomfort.
Vitamin C (from lime and cilantro) is essential for collagen production, which helps maintain the gut lining and can prevent "leaky gut" symptoms. It also acts as an antioxidant, reducing oxidative stress in the gut and nervous system, contributing to a calm, balanced state.
B-vitamins (from garlic, onions, and cashews) are necessary for energy production and nervous system function. They help convert food into energy efficiently and support neurotransmitter production, improving mood and reducing anxiety.
Magnesium (from cashews and avocado) plays a key role in relaxing the muscles of the digestive tract, which can relieve constipation and reduce bloating. It's also crucial for nervous system regulation, as it helps calm the body and reduce stress levels, which can exacerbate digestive issues.
Garlic, onions, and jalapenos are rich in sulfur compounds and capsaicin, which have anti-inflammatory effects that soothe the gut. Capsaicin, the compound responsible for the heat in jalapenos, stimulates digestive enzyme production and bile flow, helping you digest fats more efficiently and preventing bloating. The combination of lime and cilantro also adds to this anti-inflammatory effect, aiding in the digestion of fats and reducing overall digestive discomfort.
The enzymes present in these ingredients help break down food more effectively, making digestion smoother and quicker, which helps relieve constipation and minimize gas buildup.
Together, these ingredients create a powerful synergy. The fiber works with the probiotics to create a healthy, well-functioning gut, while the fats ensure that your nervous system stays balanced. The combination of anti-inflammatory compounds, vitamins, and minerals reduces bloating and inflammation, helping your body handle stress more efficiently. The enzymes and fibers work together to keep your digestion smooth and regular, alleviating constipation and encouraging overall gut health.
The Recipe
Ingredients:
tacos (see links section for more)
cilantro lime sauce
1 head of cauliflower
avocado oil spray
tajin chili lime salt
quick pickled red onion
1 avocado
1 cup cilantro
1 lime
2-4 radishes
1 fresh jalapeno
optional: 1 can pinto beans
Quick Pickled Red Onion Ingredients:
1 red onion
enough apple cider vinegar to cover
a small jar
Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup cashews
1 cup water
1 whole lime, peeled
2 tbsp chickpea or white miso
2 cups cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
1/3 cup Small Town Cultures fermented jalapeño (can sub pickled jalapeño or 1 seeded fresh jalapeno)
Instructions:
Use a mandolin, or VERY finely hand slice red onions
Cover in ACV and let them sit ideally overnight
Soak cashews overnight, or for 10 minutes in hot water
Preheat oven to 425F (I like to do convection roast, I find it cooks quicker & more crispy)
Break cauliflower into florets, toss with Tajin chili lime salt & avocado oil
Roast cauliflower until slightly charred...roughly 25 minutes for me
Rinse & strain cashews and blend all the sauce ingredients together until super smooth
Chop all the other veggies up
Heat up tortillas
To assemble:
smear sauce on tortillas
add cauliflower
add radishes, jalapeno, avocado, pickled red onions, cilantro
I like to drizzle a little lime
Eat!
Links
Vista Hermosa is a good clean brand of corn tacos. That’s what I use, BUT, personally, I don't like corn tacos, just flavor-wise, so I will usually use butterhead lettuce. I love flour tortillas, but I avoid them bc it’s such refined flour, and all the “healthier” varieties just don’t taste good to me personally. Siete Foods makes good, healthier, tortillas
the fermented jalapeños I used are by Small Town Cultures
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