my healing protocol

 

In case you haven't seen my latest post, I recently had skin cancer surgery, and ended up popping a few stitches.  Now I have a hole on the top of my head that is healing very slowly.  It's been over a month now, and I'm still a long way from being healed.  My next stop is a wound care clinic, and then I'm on to a plastic surgeon.  

Looking in the mirror in the mornings and trying to do something with my hair while hiding the mess under a headband is the hardest, and honestly, for a few weeks there, I had a really tough time dealing with it.  

I'm tired of playing the victim role, though.  I know what I need to do to heal myself, and the answer doesn't lie at the bottom of a box of cookies.  Not that I had gone overboard with the junk food, but I did let things slip a little.  

In my nutrition coaching business I give my clients a meal plan to follow each week, and those that do see the greatest results.  So...why was I so resistant to following a meal plan for myself?  I don't know.  Maybe I have a little rebel streak in me.  :)

Anyway, this week instead of throwing in the towel, I wrung it out and wrote myself a meal plan.  I made a list of the most healing foods and supplements that I like to eat, prioritized my protein, and made sure I was getting a variety of different nutrients.  I plugged them into my favorite app and checked them off as I ate each meal. 

The funny thing is that you don't find many carbs or processed foods on this plan.  It turns out that bread, pasta, and rice really aren't that nutritious, and if I add those to my plan, it means that I don't have room in my diet for all the nutrient-packed foods like leafy greens, salmon, eggs, and berries.

As far as fats and oils go, it turns out that avocado, coconut, and olive oils have benefits both topically and internally, so I'm smearing them on my head as well as cooking my food in them. ;)  

When I'm tempted to veer off plan, I call on the voice in my head that whispers "healing protocol, healing protocol..." and it reminds me of my why.

And guess what?  No. I'm not totally healed, but the pain I was feeling last week is almost gone, the wound is definitely getting smaller, my mental fog has lifted, my gut feels better, and I even lost a few pounds--bonus!

What am I eating, you ask?  Here's the basic list, but every day is slightly different:

• eggs--including yolks--that's where all the vitamins are!

• salmon--mostly canned--it's so easy!

• beef--I make extra beef and chicken at dinner so I have it for lunch salads

• chicken

• tuna--usually mixed with avocado :)

• avocado

• coconut milk and oil

• lots of leafy greens

• nuts and seeds

• blueberries and raspberries

• Greek yogurt

• collagen powder, biotin, vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin D3 with K

Other things I'm doing to help in my healing process are drinking lots of water, trying to get my eight hours of sleep a night (with a few naps thrown in!), going to yoga every week, and exercising each day without going too hard.  I'd love to tell you that I'm meditating every day too, but that's still a work in progress!

If you're looking for your own meal plans, I've got you! I’m a certified nutritionist who will create a simple, customized meal plan for you and coach you through how to implement it into your busy life.  We also talk about all the things that make it hard, and help you make it the anchor that keeps you healthy, energized, and sane through the whirlwind of your everyday life.

I'd love to talk to you about the program, so please book a free call with me by clicking the Calendly button. I look forward to telling you more about it!

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