Nutrition and Recovery

The benefits of good nutrition are countless. Eating well 

helps us manage our weight, can lead to a more active lifestyle, helps us stay mentally alert, decreases depression and staves off many, many diseases like diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease & stroke, and high blood pressure to name just a few. There are many compelling reasons from a health standpoint to make healthy eating a big part of your lifestyle.

What we choose to eat and drink, however, represents something very important in our holistic approach to wellness. First and foremost, making healthful choices demonstrates "self-care," something that could be very new for those of you in recovery. What you eat and drink changes the way you feel and as you embark on your new, sober life you will become more sensitive to the effects of food and drink. However, know that healthful eating is a lifelong pursuit and one that is easy to begin by taking small, incremental steps.

There are thousands upon thousands of resources for healthy recipes both in the library and online. The easiest approach is to choose more natural, unprocessed foods than highly processed foods and then prepare them in a way that fits your lifestyle. Many great, nutritious snacks and meals can be prepared in under 20 minutes and many in under ten so rest assured, the time commitment is manageable. You can also make healthy eating fun by getting other family members involved and by going to farmer's markets if they're available in your area.

Nutrition is a great area to practice "mindfulness" or a waking sort of meditation. Take a moment to center when you're choosing produce for instance. Notice the colors and shapes of the choices and see if any one is more appealing than another. It is often those items that really "pop out" that our body is actually craving! Also, take a moment to really appreciate the efforts of the many people who make that produce available to you. Someone, somewhere farmed that selection you just made while others packed it, shipped it, and stocked it. The wide range of choices available to us every day is a testament to human ingenuity and industriousness. Just taking a little time to appreciate the food and the efforts that went into making it available can completely transform your relationship to food.

For your convenience, you'll find some simple recipes here and links to websites that can help you put together quick and nutritious snacks and meals.

Snacks:

Apple Slices & Almond Butter - Simply keep a jar of almond butter or peanut butter in the house and serve up with some fresh, crisp organic apple slices.

Ezekial Bread & Almond Butter with Banana - Ezekial bread can be found in health food stores like Whole Foods. It is a sprouted grain bread that is very nutritious and can be used for sandwiches, toast, etc. For a quick, healthy snack, add almond butter and banana or toast it and spread avocado on it seasoning with sea salt & pepper.

Lunch or Dinner

Shrimp & Salad - Here's a quick and nutritious recipe that can be made in under 10 minutes. Keep a bag of raw shrimp in the freezer and a bag of mixed salad in the fridge. When you get home, pull out a dozen or so shrimp and place in a bowl of cold water to thaw. Place the mixed salad on a plate. Once thawed, cook shrimp in Organic Coconut Oil and then add the shrimp and the juice it's cooked in, to the salad. For added crunch, add almond slices or walnuts. For variety, you can add cranberries or the fruit of your choice. Enjoy!