A client that had just recently spent 28 days in a rehab center arrived at my office with a bottle of Pepsi and a Snicker bar. As she related the food that she ate while at rehab, I realized I had my hands full to do some cognitive repatterning around nutrition. To complicate her treatment plan further, the client is a chef actively working in the food industry.
Traditionally, the minimal guidelines at residential treatment centers were to provide substantial meals and snacks to take the clients minds off drinking. Substituting sugar for alcohol seemed to be working with that viewpoint. Today, more addiction professionals are understanding the connection with food and recovery response.
A National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence survey recently showed that there is a high rate of alcohol dependence and abuse prevalent in the food industry compared to other professions.
Also, a federal research project showed that alcohol used in recipes for cooking DID NOT burn off. The report indicated that, depending on the type of alcohol used and the method of cooking, 5-85% of the alcohol used remained in the food after cooking.
What addiction professionals now know is that proper nutrition as crucial in the recovery process as it is fighting any disease.
My approach to addiction treatment is “if you take something away from a person, you need to replace it with something in order to have a whole person”. If I take someone’s Snicker bar and Pepsi away, what will I replace it with? Maybe allow a Snicker bar once in a while, but also include a hearty breakfast, and some yogurt, or fruit as snacks.
Liz Scott, a chef, a recovering person, and an author, offers some great food preparation recipes for everyday cooking, entertaining, and other celebrations. I strongly suggest checking out her books: “Sober Kitchen: Recipes and Advice for a Lifetime of Sobriety”, “Sober Celebrations: Lively Entertaining Without the Spirits”, and, her newest book “Zero Proof Cocktails: Alcohol-free Beverages for All Occasions.
Bon Appetite
Learn more about me, MAx Fabry, and my private practice at
http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
I am also Founder and President of ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION
http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment