By Madeline
Nutrition and Recovery from Substance Use Disorder are incredibly intertwined. I’ve spent my summer internship here at Huther Doyle developing the Healthy Eating and Learning Program (HEAL). We’ve expanded what was a single-session cooking class last summer into a 4-week program on everything from meal planning to effective shopping. The series ends with a cooking class from a guest chef, and I’m hopeful that participants will leave with all the skills they need to feed themselves and their families healthy, simple meals on a budget. Our first group is halfway through the program, and it’s been a wonderful experience helping them engage with food.
Too often, people suffering from addiction eat whatever can be thrown in the microwave or bought from a convenience store, and this leads to serious nutritional deficiencies that make recovery feel much harder than it has to. Restoring nutritional balance for people in recovery is an important tool for success, but this can be difficult when the bad eating habits from using, persist into the recovery process. Luckily, healthy eating does not have to be expensive or hard, which is why I believe the HEAL program is so important. It may only be a matter of showing people how simple it can be to incorporate more nutrient-dense food like fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains into their routine. All Phase II Huther Doyle clients are eligible for HEAL!
Madeline is a student at the University of Rochester, majoring in Public Health. She is currently serving in the Urban Fellowship Program with Huther Doyle.
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