My Loss
On June 22nd I lost my big brother, Jason Sheppard, and my world changed. I’ve had the opportunity to celebrate his life, and there was so much to celebrate. I spoke about Jason and felt I said everything I wanted to say. Family came from all over bearing much needed embraces and support. Jason’s church family showered us with care and service. His celebration of life was beautiful and everything I could hope for my brother. I think I’ll grieve for the rest of my life because I will always be less without Jason, but I will heal. I am healing.
The Injury
A few days after Jason’s passing and in a fog of grief I took my skateboard to the back driveway. Despite not having the proper protection, footwear, or surface I thought I’d play around for a bit. Jason was a skateboarder all of his life. I think I just wanted to connect with my big brother. After about 10 minutes of fun my board shot out from underneath me. In what felt like slow motion, I recognized what was happening and started working my body to correct the issue. Having your feet come out from underneath you is a common occurrence on the trail. My body knew exactly what to do.
There was just one problem; my left toe got stuck under me because of the loose shoes I was wearing. My full body weight came down on my heal and I saw my ankle bend and bulge out to the left. The bulging flesh was accompanied by a long crunching sound. I was in disbelief that in just a few moments of risky behavior my worst nightmare had come true; a serious injury that would stop me from working and maybe change my body forever.
Since the accident I’ve learned I have a broken ankle and two torn ligaments. That means I’ll be on crutches and in a boot for a quite a while. That means no, sunrise hikes, no bike rides around the lake, no teaching my Total Body Conditioning classes. It’s a tough reality to face but I will heal. I am healing.
Motivated to Heal
Fast forward to nearly a month after Jason’s passing and despite my emotional and physical injuries, I’ve continued making the vast majority of my meals at home. While I’m proud to say I’ve maintained a habit so imperative to my health in a time of grief and injury, I’m not here to boast. I’m here to share my motivation.
Simply put, I’m motivated to heal, physically and emotionally. As a Certified Personal Trainer and outdoor adventurer I know good nutrition is essential to my recovery. Getting the fiber, vitamins, minerals, water, protein, and carbohydrates my body requires will give me the best opportunity to get back to all the physical experiences I love so much.
How Good Nutriton is Helping Me Heal
Protein and fiber will be essential to healing the break in my ankle. I’ll need vitamin C, vitamin D, Zink, Calcium, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, and more fiber to help my ligaments heal. Getting around requires a ton of energy, so I’ll also need lots of dark leafy greens as a healthy source of carbohydrates.
A healthy gut is essential to reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety while improving my cognitive function, so I’ll consume fatty fish, whole grains, and more leafy greens. I can’t wait to see what all these nutrients can do for my healing process. I’m looking forward to blowing my podiatrists mind in my next follow up appointment.
Surprised by what good nutrition can do for us? To learn more, explore my Health Coaching Solutions. First, we’ll paint a picture of your ideal healthy lifestyle. Next, we’ll choose a habit or two that won’t support that lifestyle. From there we’ll examine and challenge thinking patterns that may be the foundation for those habits.
We’ll learn new information to keep us motivated and we’ll build confidence with lots of opportunities for progress and wins. We’ll take an organized approach to changing behavior, making monumental goals into bite-sized successes.