Nutrition Services
Many individuals struggle with proper nutrition. Finding the balance among healthy options, time constraints, accessibility, and, quite honestly, desire can be challenging. When you through into the mix a substance use disorder or mental health issue, the challenge becomes even greater. This is why Integrative Life Center offers a nutrition therapy program to all of its clients. In this program, clients can not only learn how to improve their diet but develop positive habits to continue to do so in recovery.
Our Philosophy
At Integrative Life Center we believe that people deserve respectful, holistic care grounded in science and healing practices that address the complex psychological, emotional, nutritional, and biochemical components of eating disorders, other mental health disorders, addictions, and trauma. Thus, we designed our nutrition therapy program to address these concerns. Our approach to nutrition includes the belief that physical nourishment must be integrated into one’s community and daily activities. One of the most common ways individuals come together with others is through food.
Cooking, sharing, and exploring new cuisine can not only bring people together but bridge gaps in understand while building community. Whether we know it or not, we place quite a bit of emotion and meaning into the foods we eat and enjoy. Likewise, we vent a lot of your frustrations and anxieties out through diet or neglect of healthy eating. Thus, a nutrition therapy program can be quite useful in balancing oneself. Finally, we affirm that all foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle and that all bodies can be healthy and deserve to pursue health, regardless of weight, shape, or size. These beliefs form the foundation from which we offer nutrition services at ILC.
Our Nutrition Therapy Program
We believe that nutrition is a key factor in maintaining mental health. Nutrition services are available to all ILC clients in the form of individual nutrition therapy sessions and educational groups with a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. For our clients with a primary eating disorder diagnosis, those sessions will be included as part of the treatment plan. Clients with other primary concerns, such as substance abuse or mental health disorders, will have access to individual nutrition therapy as an ancillary service. Regardless of what food or nutrition-related issues a person has, we tailor our high-quality care to their specific needs.
Besides individual nutrition therapy, clients at our Morning Star residence actively plan, prepare, and participate in community meals and shopping. Resident advisors and the dietitian are available to support clients. Especially those who may need help learning basic cooking or budgeting skills. Staff will facilitate weekly meal planning and grocery shopping outings. Clients will also have meal support from resident advisors, the dietitian, and/or a therapist for three meals a day. These experiences will prepare clients to confidently move to our Music Row facility. Once there, they will be responsible for planning and preparing meals with less intensive structure and support.
