Recipes for recovery

Trying to bounce back from an eating disorder is difficult. Not only is it about what you are eating and how much, but also your relationship with food. The path to recovery is about so much more than simply the consumption, but everything associated with it. As well as being energy and fuel for our bodies, food plays an important role in the social and emotional aspects of our lives. It is meant to be an enjoyable part of living, but for those with eating disorders, grocery shopping, planning meals, cooking and eating with others all present tough challenges. A huge part of recovery is learning how to love food again, and to care for yourself with nutritious meals. Recipes For Recovery is a cookbook in progress, aimed to help support people fighting eating disorders.

For these people, the challenges around food are complex. They may be frightened of weight gain, can often be food obsessed, they might fear it, they might want to avoid it, and they often have very specific rules and routines or are simply incredibly anxious. Learning, or relearning, to cook is an important part of recovery as it means conquering those obstacles.

Therapists, professionals and those in recovery know that reconnecting with food is a step on the path to a normal relationship with eating. Often what is needed is guidance and permission, and Recipes For Recovery will offer that support – not only for sufferers but also for carers or loved ones, who may want to offer advice without seeming pushy.

There’ll be a whole mix of recipes for different meal times, tastes and budgets, but all of them are balanced. The book will communicate the message across that everything in moderation is OK, positive and necessary in a healthy and balanced diet, and that meals are an important and enjoyable part of a happy life.

Many people with eating disorders might have a limited repertoire of meals or food that they feel ‘safe’ eating, and the aim of the book is to widen the options available, giving suggestions in a simple and safe format.

The meals included are balanced and include all the food groups – carbohydrates, proteins and fats, with plenty of vegetables – to ensure that the nutritional and physical aspects of recovery are addressed. Chilli, paella, salmon pasta and fish pie are all included. Many of the recipes serve one, which is important as often people with eating disorders fear that it is not worth cooking for only themselves. But they are worth it – health is worth it – and these recipes can help to foster a long-term lifestyle change.

There will also be nutritional advice and handy tips for visiting the supermarket and going food shopping, which can be traumatic, plus guidance on planning meals and menus for the week, with enough flexibility for social occasions and spontaneity.

The money raised from sales of the recipe book will go towards Beat, the UK’s national eating disorder charity. Beat provides helplines, online support and a network of UK-wide self-help groups to help adults and young people in the UK beat their eating disorders. The charity campaigns, raises awareness, organises events and offers support to change the way everyone thinks and talks about eating disorders, and improves the way services and treatment are provided, helping anyone believe that their eating disorder can be beaten. There’s an estimated 1.6 million people suffering from eating disorders in the UK, although the complexity of the illness makes it difficult to spot, and the reality is likely to be many more. Around 40 per cent of people make a full recovery, and Beat is one of many resources that can help recovery be a reality.

If you want to submit a recipe, please get in touch via recipesforrecovery@gmail.com. Recipes For Recovery will be a collection of meals with heart – things to cook that have emotional resonance. I am asking people to share simple, tasty recipes that matter to them. For example, something your grandmother used to make, a dish that reminds you of a holiday, or your default choice for a lazy Sunday evening. Food is important, essential even, but can also be an enjoyable part of a happy life.

Let’s spread that message.

Francesca’s blog: andsoshethinks.co.uk

Tweet her at: twitter.com/andsoshethinks

Follow Recipes For Recovery’s progress: recipesforrecovery.flavors.me, twitter.com/hashtag/recipesforrecovery