Nutrition in recovery is often over looked. The reasons why make sense. Here you have a person uprooting all behavioral and coping patterns they’ve ever used to survive for “X” amount of years and suddenly asking them to also adjust, minimize or omit the basic comfort of ice cream, chocolate cake, or coffee and nicotine. It can be too much for some. The silver lining with this is that eating well to support your bodies healing process doesn’t have to feel like a second cross to bear. It actually really shouldn’t, it should complement and support it. The way to do this is to make foods that support the bodies needs but that also meet the “comfort food” list.

Nutrition is Essential In Recovery

Here’s how it breaks down. During active addiction the body becomes depleted of specific building blocks (amino acids) like tryptophan and tyrosine. The neurotransmitters that these amino acids support is dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. By increasing the intake of nuts, yogurt, legumes, turkey, cheese, and leafy vegetables you are meeting all these requirements. And the great news is that a hearty, comforting bowl of black bean chili hits this out of the park. You add a piece of corn bread and a slice of watermelon and you’ve moved it into that “I’m satisfied” zone.  It really depends on how much fun you have with it and asking yourself what can I create as opposed to “look at what I can’t”. Nutrition in recovery is a shift of perception. Recovery is hard enough so make choices that feel good and enjoy every bite of it.

"After thirty-six years in recovery and twenty years in addiction treatment, I am now solely focused on providing personal, 1-on-1 recovery management services to those in need. When I most needed it someone reached out and took my hand and help save my life. Ever since I have dedicated myself to returning that kindness. When I was in dire straits many years ago with an addiction to drugs and alcohol, all I wanted to do was STOP! With the support of skilled clinicians and generous men and women in the recovery community I was not only able to stop, but discovered that I was becoming a better man, a better husband, better father, better colleague, better neighbor, and a better human being. I also found that the key to my happiness is found in service to others. I have dedicated my life to this task and have been gifted with the opportunity to direct others to the discovery of that better life."

- Stuart Birnbaum, Founder