Why Prioritizing Nutrition and Healthy Eating for Trauma Survivors is Important

A mix of prioritizing nutrition and exercise can aid in the healing process for trauma survivors dealing with PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder.

In this article, we will discover the 3 benefits of prioritizing nutrition for trauma survivors. It is a fact that 1 in 4 trauma survivors living with PTSD binge eat, which leads to weight gain and depression, which is why eating healthy foods needs to be a priority.

I have been on the healthy eating train for a lot longer than I’ve had a regular exercise routine. I was so invested in nutrition that I lost thirty pounds without making exercise a priority. I worked at a Seventh Day Adventist health food store that promoted healthier eating habits, and this helped me to stay on track. I had just left an abusive relationship that I was in for over six years, and needed something positive to focus on. Focusing on my health would not only aid in my healing process, but also lead to a healthier mind and body.

Implementing good nutrition in your lifestyle can have many benefits, including reduced inflammation, reduced mood swings, and increased energy levels.

Everyone has heard this line before: “You are what you eat,” and this is completely true. Make sure you are putting nutritious foods in your body that will fuel you and not cause more feelings of sluggishness and depression.

It all starts with changing your habits, like implementing food swaps and slowly switching some of the non-nutritious foods and drinks out of your diet for healthier options. You can start by doing something as simple as drinking water, tea, and coffee, and cut out sodas, which are high in sugar and low in nutritional value. This seems too simple to even make a difference, but this is a small step to a better you.

Look at this process as a marathon, not a race! If you make too many changes in your diet in a short amount of time, it will become harder to keep following these changes, and you will end up failing and reverting back to your old habits. Also, make sure you are not hard on yourself when you do have that piece of cake every once in a while. Remember, prioritizing nutrition and eating healthier is a lifestyle change, and something you can alter and adapt depending on special occasions that come along in your life.

The Benefits of Making Nutrition a Priority

After experiencing any form of trauma, it’s important to find an outlet and a way to help release negative energy and tension. When you start making nutrition a priority and purchase healthier foods, you are more likely to cook your meals. Cooking healthy meals can become a positive outlet and serve as a form of relaxation. It can become a hobby, and in the same instance, help you save money. Healthy, whole foods are cheaper to purchase than fast food and precooked microwave meals.

One way to make sure you are successful at continuously eating healthy throughout the week is to meal prep. You can pick one day each week to cook all your meals (I meal prep my lunches since I’m at work during the afternoon) and have them ready in your fridge to grab and go! Cooking and prepping your meals can save you time, money, and your diet because you’re less likely to fall off track.

Join a Fitness Group to Help You in the Process of Becoming a Better You

Having been in the fitness/nutrition community for years now, I am proof that being part of a group of like-minded individuals can change your outlook in life. It can help you to focus less on trauma and past experiences, and focus instead on positive hobbies and passions.

As mentioned earlier, if you start cooking, it can become not only a form of therapy, it can also become a true hobby and passion. You can start taking cooking classes or join cooking forums to meet other people with the same passion. This will help get your mind off negative emotions and make you feel like you are a part of something positive. Everyone needs a purpose and fuel in their tank to keep moving forward in life. Finding a group of people you can share this purpose with can help transform you into the person you once were before trauma.

Take it Slow but Steady

It’s best to start slowly but anyone can start to implement new, healthy eating habits to see an improvement in overall well-being. Trauma survivors need to be proactive in making small, incremental changes in their nutrition that fit their personal lifestyles to reap these benefits. In this blog, I mentioned some of the ways nutrition can change lives and help survivors overcome symptoms of trauma. Improving your overall mental health can be achieved by eating a healthier diet, following a regular exercise program and never forgetting to do things that make you happy!

Lavette Warren, Non-Profit Management Intern. For more blog posts from me visit: www.solelysade.com
Article Edited by Marquetta Smith, MSSW, Executive Director of Safe Harbor International Ministries

References:
Brody, Barbara (n.d.). The Link Between Trauma and Binge Eating. Retrieved on July 14, 2019 from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder/features/ptsd-binge-eating#1