How I believe good nutrition helps mental health, wellbeing and addiction recovery

Chef Adam Gray

As the Executive Chef for Harbor London, my role is to create outstanding meal plans for our clients so that their journey in recovery – whether that be from mental health challenges, alcohol addiction, substance abuse or dietary restrictions – can be the most enjoyable it can possibly be.

I have been a chef for over 40 years, working at the highest level around the world. And, for me, the most important thing about creating a meal is that it is enjoyable, tantalises the senses and gives pleasure.

Very simple really.

There is an undeniable link between nutrition and mental health. The term “You are what you eat” is so true. What we eat can significantly influence our brain chemistry and mental state – with deficiencies in nutrients leading to mood swings, brain function and general wellbeing. The human brain directly affects our stomach and intestines, and vice versa. For example, the feelings of anticipation before eating a fantastic meal can facilitate stomach juices to begin flowing, and make you feel happy. The opposite can occur when a troubled sends chemical messages to the brain that causes stress, anxiety and/or a depressive mental state. So, it is essential that we have a balanced, nutritional diet to sustain stability in our mental health.

I work closely from day one with each client and the medical team to ensure that each meal is tailored directly to their needs. This meal plan will gradually change over the course of the treatment period as the client transitions into the next phases of their recovery.

When I create a meal plan for addiction recovery, the meals need to contain nutrient dense whole foods – this ensures that we replenish their body with vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Whole foods – or “clean foods”, as I like to call them – are unprocessed, fresh natural ingredients with minimal natural sugar, ensuring there will be no sharp spikes in blood sugar levels which, in turn, would help reduce mood swings, depression and anxiety.

Some simple examples of this in a meal plan would be lots of mixed fresh berries, green smoothies – containing spinach, kale and unsweetened almond milk – a fresh salad with seeds and nuts, topped with grilled lean harissa chicken or fresh oily fish – like salmon, mackerel or sardines – with herb quinoa and a rapeseed oil (High in Omega 3) based tomato salsa.

Changing the client’s diet to incorporate these clean, well balanced and nutritional meal plans means their blood sugar levels will stabilise and we will effectively minimise the risk of relapse by helping to curb the cravings for addictive substances.

Working closely with Harbor London’s one-patient-at-a-time model means that the nutrition in my meal plans is integrated into the recovery process from day one. While I am not a doctor, it is clear to me that the right foods can have medicinal qualities in mental health and addiction recovery.

Sustainable, long-term healing requires more than therapy and medication; it requires the chef to play a vital role in each client’s nutrition.