Nutrition During Recovery

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Nutrition During Recovery

• Lindsey Richardson

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Nutrition for the Addict

• An addict will spend most of the day doing,
  searching and/or being under the influence of
  drugs and/or alcoholso how important is
  nutrition in their daily life?
• According to Homefamily.net Heavy drinkers can
  consume 50 or more of their calories from
  alcohol. Alcohol contains "empty calories"
  because it does not have the nutrients needed for
  health.

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Inside the Addicts Body

• Heavy drinkers entering treatment have digestive,
  circulation and internal problems, and a poor
  appetite due to the damage to their body tissues.
• Drug addicts are an average of 20-30 pounds under
  weight when the enter treatment, have poor skin,
  thin hair, little circulation in their body,
  sunken eyes and protruding bones due to the
  damage drugs have done to their body.

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Nutrition and Recovery

• How important is nutrition during recovery?
• Good nutrition while in recovery can both correct
  the effect of poor eating habits and repair and
  rebuild tissues is needed during recovery.
  (homefamily.net)
• Good nutrition during recovery can also continue
  after treatment is done, making it a life style
  change.

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Nutrition and Recovery

• Proper nutrition is critical to physical and
  emotional health during recovery
• Relapse to using the drug of choice is also more
  likely when blood sugar fluctuates due to the
  irregular intake of food, which is why regular
  meals are so important.
• Addicts and alcoholics often forget what it's
  like to be hungry and instead interpret this
  feeling as a drug craving, so they should be
  encouraged to consider the possibility that they
  may be hungry when cravings become strong.

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Canadas Food Guide to Healthy Eating
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Canadas Food Guide to Healthy Eating

• According to Canadas food guide the normal
  adult person should consume in one day
• 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables
• 6-8 grain products (with
• a focus on whole grains)
• 2-4 dairy products
• And 2-3 meat and
• Alternatives
• 8-12 glasses of water

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Nutrition on a Budget

• Private treatment centers usually have a wide
  array of healthy foods, prepared by red seal
  chefs, because the clients pay thousands of
  dollars for treatment.
• Publicly funding facilities do not have the same
  luxuries. Most facilities are funded through
  government agencies, local business, fund raising
  and tax relief programs. There are no red seal
  chefs, and not a lot of money in the budget for
  food (food sometimes being donated by the food
  bank like at SAMs).

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Sample Menus Food For Thought!

• Private Facility (New Seasons Treatment Center in
  California)
• Breakfast

• Public Facility (Southern Alcare Manor in
  Lethbridge)
• Breakfast
• 2 milk, coffee and tea, low sugar cereal, toast,
  peanut butter and jam, and apples or oranges
• Eggs, bacon, sausages, French toast and/or
  pancakes are offered on weekends

Fresh-squeezed Orange Juice, Oatmeal Bran,
locally-grown Seasonal Fruit, Yogurt, Eggs,
assorted Whole-grain Breads and Bagels, Sweet
Butter assorted Nut Butters, Jams, Milk, and
Soy Milk.
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Sample Menus

• Private Facility
• Lunch
• Salad of Various Baby Lettuces and Micro Greens,
  Diced Garden Tomatoes finished in a Pomegranate
  Vinaigrette. Broiled Breast of Chicken with a
  Grain Mustard and Herb Sauce. Steamed Lemony
  Asparagus, Toasted Brown Rice. Iced Rooibos Tea
  w/ lemon.

• Public Facility
• Lunch
• Sandwiches with processed meat, soup (either
  homemade or from a can), cake, pie or cookies,
  and fruit salad, as well as coffee, tea, and 2
  milk.

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Sample Menus

• Private Facility
• Dinner

• Private Facility
• Dinner
• Deep fried chicken strips, gravy, boiled
  potatoes, frozen vegetables, salad (with ranch,
  Italian, or 1000 island), left over cake, pie or
  cookies, fruit salad, coffee, tea or 2 milk.

Roasted Vegetable Soup w/ Parmesan Croutons
Broiled Salmon w/ Basil Pesto, Ratatouille Rosti
PotatoesCaramelized Plum Crostata w/ Creme
FraicheIced Decaffeinated Green Tea
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My Questions to YOU

• If we know that nutrition is a very important
  part of life, and there is even guide lines for
  healthy eating, then why is nutrition being over
  looked at public facilities?
• What can we do to change the importance of
  nutrition at public facilities?
• Where can the extra money come from?
• We know that private facilities have a higher
  success rate than public, so how much of an
  impact does nutrition play in sobriety?