Posted by Mandy Donnison
on
10 Oct 2024
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Call Us: 0330 111 2015
Call Us: 0330 111 2015
What’s included?
This year’s World Food Day, celebrated on 16 October, centred around the theme that consuming the right type of food will result in a better life and future.
No more is this self-evident than when someone is in recovery for addiction, particularly if that person has a history of substance abuse.
Just as someone will need to build or rebuild healthier habits during their treatment and addiction recovery journey, the same goes for building healthy eating habits.
A history of addiction can take a heavy toll on the human body, which cannot be fixed overnight. This could include negative impacts on your metabolism and organ function. But our bodies are resilient and, with the ‘right’ food and consistent, healthier eating habits practised, it is possible to boost your recovery.
At Delamere, we place a high importance on ensuring our guests get the ‘right’ food which is where I come in.
Before guests come to Delamere, the first thing that probably comes to mind are the nurses, therapists and mentors that they’ll meet during their stay, the type of treatments they will receive, or even what the grounds are like where they will be calling home for 28 days.
What I can say with some certainty is that their diet is probably not high-up on this list.
And how many do you think will expect that the Chefs could become a safe space to chat and unwind?
Delamere is unlike any of the Chef roles I’ve held previously. The change of pace that you experience as you enter the building, the sense of calm, impacts every area of the grounds. This includes the kitchen.
Seeing how we can make a positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of our guests, who are currently in a challenging chapter of their life and on their road to long-term recovery.
As our guests arrive and begin their journey towards long-term recovery from addiction, it’s our responsibility to support them in this endeavour.
This is not limited to mental support. It often starts with a detox, and what we subsequently cook for them on a daily basis has a direct impact on the success of this journey.
Having three healthy, balanced meals a day is a step in the right direction to provide the body with the fuel it needs to repair.
For many, during their addiction, food and nutrition gets left behind. Repairing this relationship with food is nearly as important as providing the meals.
Lots of thought goes into what we make at certain times of the day. We try to do our baking just before dinnertime, between 4pm and 5pm.
As guests come out of their afternoon group they’ll smell freshly baked bread or muffins – and it jogs their memory.
Creating a safe space in the kitchen helps to add more routine to their days. If they know straight after a challenging group session they’ll be met with the comfort of warm freshly baked treats, it can make it a bit easier.
We aim to provide guests with as many options as possible to give them back some control.
All meal options are listed on screens two hours before we sit to eat, meaning guests can let us know if there’s anything they don’t like or if there’s any special requirements.
If a guest wakes up and fancies a hot breakfast, or a light option, or a cold bite, we can accommodate them.
We switch up the menu seasonally so that it mirrors what restaurants will be doing, and keeps guests eating what will taste the best.
At Delamere, we encourage guests to take part in yoga, walks and to use our on-site gym. In the kitchen we make sure to prepare food that can fuel them to support this.
Many guests enjoy chatting with the chefs. We never tell guests what they should eat, or how, we’re just a neutral space that offers food and a willingness to listen.
Delamere is the UK’s first purpose-built rehabilitation clinic. This means every space we have created has been specifically designed to support guests feel safe, comfortable, and has been inspired by a trauma informed approach.
This environment sets the scene for guests to heal and thrive in recovery.
The role of the kitchen and dining spaces in this process is invaluable, as we focus on all aspects of our guests’ health, mental and physical, fueling them to life beyond addiction.
Home cooked, nutritious meals will help Delamere feel like home.
We will continue to explore new and better ways to improve and tailor meals to our guests’ needs, giving them the best chance of healthy and long-term recovery.
Mandy manages our admin, HR and finance functions here at Delamere. Find out more about Mandy on our team page.
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