Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by obsession with weight control, distorted body image and self-starvation. Though anorexia centers around food and weight, symptoms typically stem from deep emotional issues, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Since anorexia is a serious, emotionally devastating, progressive illness with a relatively high mortality rate, seeking prompt, effective treatment is vital. Along with psychotherapy and medical treatment, a healthy diet is an important aspect of your recovery.
Function
Your diet during treatment and recovery from anorexia should help you reach and maintain a healthy body weight by supplying sufficient amounts of calories, and promote nutritional wellness by incorporating a variety of healthy foods. Your diet should also help you establish healthy eating habits, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. If you are partaking in out-patient treatment or have completed treatment, a meal or nutrition plan provided by your dietitian or treatment center, can help you develop a healthy routine. If your symptoms are severe or you refuse or feel unable to eat properly, you may require hospitalization and "re-feeding" -- a process in which nutrients and glucose are channeled into your body intravenously -- until your doctor deems you physically stable and capable of caring for yourself at home.
Guidelines
Your specific dietary guidelines may vary, based upon your current weight, health status and preferences. An appropriate anorexia recovery diet, according to the author of "100 Questions & Answers about Anorexia Nervosa," Sari Fine Shepphird, includes foods from all vital food groups, including fruits, vegetables, grains, protein-rich foods and healthy fats and allows for flexibility, or "wiggle room." Your dietitian or therapist may recommend incorporating modest amounts of "treat" foods, such as sweets, as a way to normalize your attitudes and behaviors surrounding food. Sheppird recommends steering clear of "diet foods," such as low-calorie prepared entrees, "low-carb" bars and weight loss shakes, which promote the notion of weight loss, and opting instead for "real" foods. Eating at regular time intervals typically involves three meals and snacks, as needed, or five or six balanced snacks, or "mini-meals," each day.
Optimum Foods
Your diet should contain a variety of healthy foods, particularly if you've suffered nutrient deficiencies as a result of anorexia. Shepphird recommends a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, such as berries, citrus fruits, bananas, cantaloupe, leafy greens, broccoli and winter squash, for improved immune system function. Fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods, such as whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice and oatmeal, provide rich amounts of fiber, which can help to prevent or alleviate constipation -- a common complication of anorexia. Incorporate fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, halibut or sardines, into your diet to reap benefits of omega-3 fatty acids -- healthy fats that promote brain function and help reduce inflammation. Other healthy fat sources include nuts, seeds, olive oil, canola oil and avocados. Consume lean protein-rich foods, such as low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry, legumes, fish and lean meats, for physical strength and enhanced tissue repair.
Challenges/Solutions
Eating healthfully can pose numerous challenges during and following your battle with anorexia. In an interview with "Eating Disorders Recovery Today" in the winter of 2002, endocrinologist and eating disorder specialist Dr. C. Wayne Callaway described emotional factors and acceptance of a healthier weight as common challenges for anorexic patients. Your self-preception is likely skewed and you may grieve a sense of control over your weight and eating habits. Eating healthfully, however, and attaining necessary psychological and medical treatment, are more authentic, beneficial self-control techniques. You may also gain excessive water weight in the initial stages of recovery, according to Callaway. Understanding that such bloating is temporary and a natural part of your body's healing process, and discussing frustrations with your therapist can help you cope. Callaway also recommends staying in contact with your treatment team long-term to help prevent relapses.
References
- University of Michigan Health System: Anorexia Nervosa
- "100 Questions and Answers About Anorexia Nervosa"; Sari Fine Shepphird; 2009
- "Eating Disorders Recovery Today"; An Interview with C. Wayne Callaway, MD; Winter 2002
Member Comments