Eating right is certainly an important part of treatment process. Cleansing the body with a detox diet, focusing on health and removing internal toxins can do wonders for people who are curbing a serious addiction. And over in New England, Boston Medical Center is taking that concept one step further with recovery cooking classes designed to help those overcoming drug and alcohol abuse.
Titled “Cooking for Recovery,” the special regimen has been getting national attention thanks to a major story by ABC News. One of their writers went so far as to interview the class’s executive director, learning about how this simple concept has turned into a major success story.
“Good health care is about more than just direct clinical services,” Cooking for Recovery rep Michael Botticelli told the outlet. “Recovery is not just about stopping the use of alcohol and drugs, it’s about how do we return people to a sense of wellness and a sense of well-being.”
Botticelli also let cameras into one of the sessions, which featured former recovery patient Felicha Young breaking out gourmet utensils. The in-class demonstration included homemade chicken and pasta recipes, utilizing fresh ingredients and delicate preparations.
Posing side-by-side with professional chef Tracey Burg, Felicha took charge of the entire meal; cutting vegetables, adding spices and getting elements ready for the oven. Burg served as an advisor and advocate, helping Young focus her energies on creating a masterful meal. She also gave healthy suggestions on ways to enhance the food, bringing along brown rice, whole grains and a take home cookbook.
“A lot of people who are getting over alcoholism or drug addiction, their gut is a wreck because all their healthy bacteria has been destroyed,” Burg went on to tell ABC. “But eating fiber is actually feeding the healthy bacteria in the gut … and it helps to bring back that healthy microbiome. So nutrition plays many roles in the healing process.”
So far, Boston Medical Center has seen some very positive results from the program. Treatment regimens like this offer benefits in multiple ways. For starters, they teach patients to switch over to healthier, more well-balanced diets. They also create an outlet and a distraction for people who constantly used. Now, they can focus their energies on creative meal preparations and gain satisfaction from a job well done.
We, for one, are big advocates of eating right during recovery. If you visit our online Staff Page, you’ll see we have a private chef and dieticians on our team who are dedicated towards providing a premium mind/body experience.
