The Power of Nutrition in Early Recovery

At Seven Arrows Recovery Center in Arizona, embracing nutrition in recovery is a foundational step toward holistic healing for those dealing with substance abuse. Integrating functional medicine and meal planning, this innovative approach emphasizes the role of antioxidants, neuroplasticity, and neurotransmitters in fostering a healthier lifestyle after addiction.

Understanding how eating right can enhance your overall wellness is pivotal in recovery. Seven Arrows offers patient-centered nutritional programs, blending cutting-edge clinical practices with integrative healing methods, to support personal rediscovery and re-establishing sacred stability in one’s life.

The Importance of Nutrition in Recovery

Understanding the critical role of nutrition in recovery is paramount for anyone at the Seven Arrows Recovery Center. Substance abuse significantly impacts your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and maintain proper digestion, leading to malnutrition and a host of health issues. Here’s how focusing on nutrition can transform the recovery process:

1. Rebuilding Physical Health

Substances like alcohol and opioids wreak havoc on your body, from damaging vital organs to disrupting your gastrointestinal system. By incorporating a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins, you can begin to repair the physical damage caused by substance abuse. This includes improving your immune system’s function and enhancing your body’s ability to fight infections.

2. Enhancing Mental Well-being

Proper nutrition boosts neurotransmitter activity, such as dopamine and serotonin, crucial for mood stabilization and cognitive functions. A diet rich in complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and adequate hydration supports brain health and neuroplasticity, helping to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety common in recovery. Our nutritional planning aligns with our overall goal to heal clients’ minds, bodies, and souls – and promote overall well-being. 

3. Establishing Healthy Eating Habits

Transitioning to regular, balanced meals can significantly improve your recovery outcomes and long-term health. This involves setting regular meal times, choosing low-fat and high-nutrient foods, and staying hydrated. These habits help maintain a healthy weight and stabilize blood sugar levels, which can reduce cravings and improve overall emotional and physical health.

4. Customized Nutritional Plans

Recognizing that each individual’s recovery and nutritional needs are unique, Seven Arrows Recovery Center emphasizes personalized meal planning. Whether you are dealing with specific deficiencies or require a diet tailored to conditions like diabetes or hypertension, the nutritional programs are designed to address these needs, promoting a faster and more comprehensive recovery.

5. Education and Ongoing Support

Educating you about the importance of nutrition in recovery forms a core part of the treatment at Seven Arrows. Through counseling and support groups, you learn about the effects of different substances on your body and how to make informed choices about your diet. This education is crucial for long-term recovery, empowering you to take control of your health and wellness.

By focusing on these nutritional strategies, Seven Arrows Recovery Center ensures you receive the holistic support necessary to regain your health and sustain your recovery journey.

Integrating Holistic Healing Practices

At Seven Arrows Recovery Center, the integration of holistic healing practices is designed to treat you as a whole person, not just your addiction symptoms. This approach combines traditional medical treatments with ancient and modern holistic methods, ensuring a comprehensive recovery experience.

Holistic Methods and Their Benefits

  1. Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices help reduce stress and improve mental clarity, aiding in emotional and psychological well-being.
  2. Nutritional Therapy: Aligning with the center’s emphasis on the power of nutrition, this therapy focuses on eating right to support overall wellness and recovery.
  3. Exercise and Recreational Therapy: Physical activities are tailored to enhance physical and mental health, fostering a sense of achievement and physical fitness.
  4. Creative Therapies: Art, music, and writing therapies provide outlets for expression and emotional exploration, which are crucial in recovery.

Key Holistic Therapies Offered

  • Equine Therapy: Working with horses teaches responsibility, builds confidence, and provides therapeutic benefits through a non-verbal connection and care.
  • Yoga and Tai Chi: These practices enhance flexibility, strength, and mental focus while offering spiritual benefits.
  • Acupuncture and Massage Therapy: relieves stress, pain, and detoxification symptoms, promoting physical and mental relaxation.

Customized Care Approach

Each treatment plan at Seven Arrows is tailored to meet your specific needs, ensuring that holistic practices are effectively integrated with traditional medical treatments. This personalized care enhances your ability to achieve a balanced recovery, addressing not only the physical and mental aspects of addiction but also the emotional and spiritual dimensions.

By embracing these holistic healing practices, Seven Arrows Recovery Center helps you embark on a recovery journey that nurtures all facets of your health, leading to sustained wellness and a more fulfilling life post-recovery.

Patient-Centered Nutritional Programs

At Seven Arrows Recovery, the focus on nutrition is personalized, recognizing that each resident has unique dietary needs. Our approach ensures that clients’ nutritional education and implementation are aligned with their personal needs and preferences and will encompass the following:

Tailored Dietary Programs

  1. Customized Nutritional Planning: Each resident receives a dietary program designed to meet their specific health requirements, ensuring a balanced intake of nutrients essential for recovery.
  2. Specialized Diets: Options include heart-healthy diets low in sodium and cholesterol and diabetic-friendly meals that help regulate blood sugar levels.

Accommodating Dietary Restrictions

  1. Texture-Modified Foods: Seven Arrows offers soft diets, pureed food options, and easy-to-chew meals for residents with dental issues or dysphagia.
  2. Hydration Focus: Seven Arrows educates and incorporates the importance of hydration for overall health. 

Social and Supportive Dining Experience

  1. Communal Dining Areas: Our dining environment is designed to be inviting and comfortable, encouraging social interactions that benefit mental health.
  2. Nutritional Assessments and Family Involvement: Regular assessments ensure that the dietary needs are met, with active involvement from residents and their families to guarantee satisfaction and adherence to nutritional recommendations.

By integrating these practices, Seven Arrows Recovery addresses physical, and nutritional needs and fosters a supportive community environment, enhancing residents’ overall wellness and recovery experience.

Success Stories

Kevin E. from Pine Lake, GA, shares his transformative journey at Seven Arrows Recovery Center, emphasizing the center’s pivotal role in his recovery. He recalls the challenging start of his year and how stepping onto the serene 160-acre grounds of the center in the Sonoran Desert marked the beginning of a significant change. The environment, coupled with the supportive staff, left a lasting impact on him, making Seven Arrows a particular part of his heart and recovery journey.

The center’s reach extends across various locations, including Phoenix, Sedona, and Tucson, making it accessible to a wide range of individuals seeking help. Seven Arrows works with most major insurance providers, ensuring that finances are not a barrier between helping individuals with addiction and mental health needs. For those considering joining the Seven Arrows, admissions details are readily available, with contact through phone at (866) 986-2550 or an online form on their website, facilitating a smooth start to their recovery path.

Nutritional Healing at Seven Arrows Recovery

By integrating tailored dietary plans, individuals combating substance abuse rebuild physical health, enhance mental well-being, and establish healthy eating habits. This focus on nutrition as a foundational step toward holistic healing supports physical reconstruction and emotional wellness, offering a clear pathway to recovery. Our center’s specialized programs and supportive success stories underscore the significant impact of proper nutrition on overall health. With personalized meal planning and ongoing support, Seven Arrows ensures individuals have the resources for sustained well-being beyond their time at the center. This commitment to holistic healing, including nutritional therapy, offers hope for balanced and lasting recovery, highlighting the crucial role of nutrition in the journey toward health and wellness.

Laura Harder, LAC, M.A.

About the Author:
Laura Bailey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Temple University in Philadelphia, and a Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling from Southwestern College in Santa Fe. Laura has worked in community mental health and residential settings throughout New Mexico and Arizona since 2013. Laura has a passion for treating addiction, trauma, and co-occurring disorders.

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Clinical Director

Lindsay Rothschild LCSW, CCTP, SAP

Lindsay Rothschild is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Substance Abuse Professional with a passion for assisting others in activating their own inner healing intelligence. She completed her Master’s Degree in Social Work at Arizona State University in 2011 and went on to study various ancient wisdom traditions for healing. Her training as a Clinical Trauma Professional and over a decade of experience working with trauma survivors has afforded her a rich understanding of the powerful impact of trauma on the mind, body and soul.

Lindsay studied holistic nutrition and trauma informed yoga at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. Lindsay is certified in the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method™ and is also a registered yoga teacher. She most recently completed training in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Lindsay partners with the Arizona Trauma Institute to facilitate trainings for mental health professionals and educators in the community in an effort to promote awareness around Trauma Informed Care. Lindsay is also the owner of Roots to Rise, PLLC where she provides somatic psychotherapy, EMDR therapy, supervision, trauma informed yoga, and substance abuse professional services. Lindsay describes herself as having a wild and free spirit, an open heart and a belief that all humans have the capacity for transformation and growth.

Medical Director

Dr. Tracey Oppenheim MD

Dr. Oppenheim was born and raised in Michigan. She completed her medical school education, general and child and adolescent psychiatry training at the University of Michigan. Go Blue! She is passionate about the mind body spiritual connection and has completed additional training in integrative psychiatry. Dr. Oppenheim believes in each individual’s ability to heal through discovering their inner healing intelligence.