Nutritional Guidance
The hardest thing about recovering from an eating disorder is that you have to face your fears around food and eating head on. This involves learning to understand the importance of nourishing your body appropriately and learning to separate emotions from food. We understand that learning to eat well again and putting this into everyday life is a challenge and a process that takes time to adjust to. However, we also know that practical support in the form of nutritional advice and personal meal plans is a fundamental part of the recovery process and we know the success of this approach.
As part of our support membership, EDA’s nutritional advisor (a registered dietitian and sports nutritionist) provides advice and a personal meal plan that is tailored to your nutritional requirements.*
The EDA office will send you a blank food diary sheet via email or post, which records your eating and exercise over a week-long period. Please note you're not required to provide your name or any personal details on the form.
Once we have received your completed forms, we will then send this information to our Nutritional Advisor, who will then create you a personalised meal plan
We will send this information to you, via email or post within a week and then arrange a time for either one of the EDA team or your befriender to call you to discuss the plan.
Click here to download the details of EDA's Support Membership
*Please note if you're already seeing a dietitian through the NHS, EDA's nutritional support is not appropriate due to the risk of conflicting information and advice.
Anorexia Nervosa
It is well documented that a loss of just 10% below a given healthy weight for an individual will alter thought processes around food and body image. The lower the weight drops, the harder it becomes for the individual to be rational about recovery and food. We therefore understand the extreme challenge that accompanies weight restoration and the importance of building trust and providing encouragement and hope during this process. Many of our staff members have been personally affected by an eating disorder and realise that the process of increasing nutritional intake is very frightening to begin with, especially when a person’s diet has become extremely restrictive. The first nutritional plan that our advisor will create for you will be based on where you are in terms of BMI and current intake, making sure progress is made slowly with small increases in food variety and amount.
Bulimia Nervosa
If you are struggling with bulimia, it can feel as if you are trapped in a never-ending cycle of bingeing and self-induced vomiting with no relief from the feelings of shame, self-loathing and isolation that often overwhelm. Please know that EDA is here to support you and we know that nutritional input, along with emotional support can help to reduce episodes of bingeing and purging and guide someone towards recovery.
Our nutritional advisor can provide advice and a personal eating plan that helps address specific eating patterns, for example, including three nutritionally balanced meals that incorporate slow-release foods to help reduce food restriction which can make a person vulnerable to binging behaviour.
Binge Eating Disorder
If you are struggling to overcome bingeing behaviour and feel compelled to eat by the emotions you’re experiencing, our nutritional advisor can create a plan that will help address these difficulties. The personal advice will help control fluctuations in sugar levels, incorporate smaller and nutritionally balanced meals and provide suggestions for increasing levels of activity.