NUTRITION PROGRAM
Virtue Recovery Center is aimed at helping individuals recover and heal from their eating disorder with an approach that is inclusive of all types of individuals… and all types of food. We are eliminating food labeling; there are no good or bad foods, healthy or unhealthy, or foods that you can or cannot have. Foods are put on an even playing field, and meal plans are in place to support three words; moderation, balance, and variety. When individuals eliminate food items or deem them to be “off limits,” it either leads to malnutrition or overeating/binging on these food items later on. When a child is grounded and can’t use their electronics for the week, that child will think of their cell phone and video games much more than when they had access to those devices. They may even go as far as sneaking away to utilize these devices in private. The same idea goes for when food is “off limits.” You don’t deserve to be “grounded” from your food choices!
FREE ASSESSMENT
Get immediate treatment help now. Contact us to schedule a free assessment with a licensed clinician. 100% safe & confidential.
Our Relationship With Food
Food is an essential component of life. It is a basic human need and a human right. Food is a focal point in so many memorable situations; eating wedding cake, celebrating a birthday, having family time spent around a thanksgiving meal, making holiday cookies, and catching up with friends at a local restaurant. Someone with an eating disorder may find these situations triggering, leading to missing out on important and memorable life events. It will take time and practice to become more comfortable with these food encounters, but your time at Virtue Recovery Center will help you rewrite your relationship with food.
The dietary department at Virtue Recover Center is committed to individualizing your care. Meal plans are created to best support your recovery success while meeting your nutritional needs. Your meal plan in treatment is NOT a “diet,” as all foods fit onto the meal plan; that includes restaurant meals and desserts. We want to help you normalize foods and ultimately feel a sense of freedom from the toxicity of food rules. The idea is to simplify eating at home and making it realistic to your lifestyle.
While working toward recovery at Virtue, you will be on a meal plan that provides three meals and three snacks daily. This method allows metabolism to begin to strengthen, digestive tract muscles to heal, appetite cues are regained, blood sugar to stabilize, and energy to be maintained throughout the day.
Our Recovery Focus
During your time in treatment, the focus will be off of weight and numbers in general, and the focus will be redirected on reaching your optimal level of health while eliminating eating disorder behaviors. Your overall health is more than a number on a scale.
The team will help establish a positive relationship with intuitive movement without the intention of changing your body or using movement as a weight loss cure. We want to help you connect with your body and perform movements that bring joy to you without excessive and intrusive thoughts while following a balanced meal plan.
“Diet” Culture and Healthy Eating
Diet culture has been a dark cloud over our society, creating body image concerns and inappropriate behaviors around dieting. This twisted culture has determined which bodies to idolize and be proud of. The culture at Virtue Recovery Center is that there is no wrong way to have a body, all bodies are good bodies, bodies should come in all shapes and sizes, and there IS health at every size. Eating disorder behaviors are significantly affecting the medical makeup of your body. It is possible that labs are not normal, kidneys are not working, diabetes has been diagnosed, metabolism seems to be broken, and/or heart rate is slowing down. The Virtue Recovery Center team will help you strengthen and return to a state of wellbeing through the healing process.
Why Virtue Recovery?
- What sets Virtue Recovery Center apart from other eating disorder programs? Our culinary team. We have a team of highly trained chefs who prepare all meals and snacks. Our menus are crafted to cater to various genres and tastes. Our food is flavorful, made with love, and is restaurant quality. Our culinary team will prepare the plate in front of you, and your dietitian will help you understand the portion sizes and why certain foods are served. You will receive weekly education from the dietary team to process some of your eating disorder thoughts while debunking society’s food myths.
- The nutrition program at Virtue Recovery Center is innovative and creative in treating individuals with eating disorders and is ideal for supporting you in your journey to recovery.