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Nutrition Philosophy at SunCloud Health

A HAES oriented, weight inclusive approach to recovery

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Our nutrition team will help you develop a healthy relationship with food – A crucial step in overcoming your eating disorder

If you or someone you care about is struggling with an eating disorder, the experienced team at SunCloud Health is here for you. Recovery takes time – but in our work with hundreds of people just like you, we have developed an integrated approach to recovery that treats the body, mind and spirit.

What makes SunCloud Health unique?
Unlike all other eating disorder treatment centers, we do not believe that daily consumption of ultra-processed foods is necessary for all forms of recovery. This is just one example of how our individualized treatment model is different from other traditional eating disorder programs that prescribe one generic approach for everyone regardless of their unique disease set.

Nutrition therapy is an important part of treating all eating disorders. Whether you are suffering from anorexia, bulimia, chronic binge eating or another form of eating disorder, we are ready to help you change your relationship with food.

HOW CAN YOU TREAT FOOD ADDICTION WHILE ENSURING CONTINUED ALIGNMENT WITH SUCH PRINCIPLES AS BODY ACCEPTANCE AND WEIGHT DIVERSITY, AKA HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE?

Dr. Nicole Avena, PhD, SunCloud’s esteemed guest speaker and professor at Mount Sinai Medical School of Medicine and Princeton University, discusses with Kim Dennis, MD, CEDS, answers the question, how can you treat food addiction while ensuring continued alignment with such principles as body acceptance and weight diversity, Aka health at every size?

Our nutrition experts understand the struggles you’ve faced and the changes you will need to make in order to get your life back on track. They are here to help you:

  • Learn to nourish your body with healthful foods that meet your body’s daily needs
  • Create a positive relationship with food, free from negative or distorted thoughts about yourself and your body
  • Listen to and trust your body’s internal cues for hunger and fullness
  • Build the skills you need to achieve food freedom and peace of mind

Does SunCloud offer a HAES oriented approach to recovery? 

Question: I’m interested in finding safe places to send my patients who have both EDs and SUDs but it’s hard to tell if SunCloud is a safe place to send larger-bodied patients. Does SunCloud offer a HAES oriented, weight inclusive approach to recovery? Is weight loss or management ever a goal of treatment? 

Answer: We (Suncloud Health) are HAES informed and value diversity. This is reflected in our milieu and staff. We take a weight neutral approach for patients in larger bodies. Eating disorder treatment and addiction treatment focus is never on weight loss. We are explicit about that. If someone has comorbid illnesses (actual diseases) like high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol we address those issues as well from a weight neutral.

What we are not, when it comes to food addiction

SunCloud Health is not a food addiction treatment center that treats every client as if they have a food addiction. We provide individualized treatment plans based on the medical diagnosis of the client, be it anorexia, bulimia, or food addiction. Every patient we see has a unique biology, unique genes, and a unique set of co-occurring disorders, even when behavioral symptoms might look alike.

We know that many “eating disorder programs” at substance use facilities inappropriately treat patients with restrictive eating disorders (including anorexia & binge eating disorder) or classic ED, classic BN, BED without food addiction under a food addiction model, and this is harmful to those patients. SunCloud Health does not do that. 

With the leadership of Dr. Kim, SunCloud has the expertise to identify Food Addiction when it exists and treat it accordingly. We also can identify when a diagnosed food addiction might be the eating disorder talking. Every patient is assessed as an individual and a treatment plan is designed according to their unique needs.

We are fully aligned with the health at every size (HAES) model. Food addiction treatment is not about weight loss or diet culture, but restoring sanity and health in physical, emotional, social, spiritual domains, and restoring manageability.

VIDEO: WHY SUNCLOUD HEALTH?

Hear from Kim Dennis, MD, CEDS, on why SunCloud Health can be the right treatment program for you or a loved one.

HOW EATING DISORDERS CHANGE THE WAY WE EAT

VIDEO: LISTEN TO DR. KIM AND DR. AVENA DISCUSS HOW TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY FOOD ADDICTION.

Listen as Dr. Kim (MD, CEDS Chief Medical Officer, CEO and Co-founder, SunCloud Health) and Dr. Nicole Avena (Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and a Visiting Professor of Health Psychology at Princeton University) discuss how to properly identify food addiction.

As someone who has focused on food for a long time, you may know a great deal about nutrition. But as your eating disorder took hold of your life, you may have used this knowledge in ways that weren’t healthy for you. For example, you may have:

  • Eliminated many specific foods from your diet
  • Cut out entire categories of food that your body actually needs
  • Obsessively counted calories, studied nutrition labels and measured out portions
  • Labeled certain foods as good or bad – or relied on safe foods vs. fear foods
  • Had difficulty eating when other people are present
  • Struggled with decisions about food – for example, when ordering in a restaurant

The nutrition staff at SunCloud Health will help you address these issues as we empower you with the skills and perspectives you need to rebuild your life and health.

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

Help is one click or call away.
(866) 729-1012 Or click here to send a secure message.

REBUILDING THE BODY AS YOU HEAL FROM AN EATING DISORDER

Eating disorders can cause significant health challenges. When your body doesn’t get enough of the right foods each day, you may suffer from:

  • Extreme fatigue
  • Difficulty thinking clearly and remembering things
  • Inability to fight off illness
  • Skipped menstrual periods (amenorrhea)
  • Weakened bones (osteoporosis)
  • Loss of muscle tissue
  • Damage to the heart
  • Depression and thoughts of suicide

These issues point to the fact that recovery is more than simply reaching a healthy weight. Your body and mind will need special care to overcome the health problems that may have developed along the way. We are here to help you get started.

CLICK TO SEE WHAT KIND OF FOOD IS SERVED AT SUNCLOUD HEALTH RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER

Granola-and-smoothie-3
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Eggs-with-sausage-and-fruit-2
Chilli-and-Salad-2
Chicken-with-mashed-potatoes-and-veggies-2
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Chicken-shish-kabob-1
Samon-and-veggies-2
Salad-and-breads
Noodle-with-chicaken-stir-fry-1
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Learn More about our Residential Level of Care

VIDEO: WHAT IS THE SUNCLOUD HEALTH APPROACH TO TREATING EATING DISORDERS?

Krista DeCeault, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, discusses the personalized approach at the core of SunCloud Health’s nutritional health philosophy.

VIDEO: WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN PEOPLE ASK, IS SUNCLOUD HEALTH A 12-STEP PROGRAM?

Kim Dennis, MD, CEDS, Medical Director, CEO and Co-Founder, answers the question, is SunCloud Health a 12-step program?

LEARNING TO NOURISH YOUR BODY

Many people who suffer from eating disorders have no idea what a healthful meal looks like. They have ignored their body’s signals for so long that they may not know how to tune in to these inner messages and take care of their needs.

At SunCloud Health, we believe that every person can achieve food freedom. This means embracing your power to choose the foods you eat and the way you think about nourishing your body.

As an integral part of your care team, SunCloud Health dietitians help you learn more about your body’s nutritional needs. We offer guidance and support as you begin your journey of recovery – and we stay with you as you progress toward wellness.

Our nutrition counseling will help you change the way you think about food. You will have the chance to embrace new knowledge and become more flexible in the foods you choose. Including a variety of healthful foods that deliver the nutrients your body needs is a crucial goal.

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

Help is one click or call away.
(866) 729-1012 Or click here to send a secure message.

BUILDING NEW SKILLS: PLANNING, SHOPPING, COOKING

At first, you may find it difficult to create a new pattern for eating. That’s not surprising, since you have been surrounded by fears and negative beliefs around food for a long time. Our nutritionists will develop a meal plan for your unique needs.

Supported meals and snacks will take the guesswork out of creating meals for yourself as you get started. You will also go on group outings to give you practice eating with others and choosing food from restaurant menus.

Choosing and cooking food are important areas of learning, too. Working with our nutritionists, you will learn how to shop for groceries and prepare flavorful foods that you enjoy. Our cooking groups offer you the chance to learn alongside others who are also reshaping their relationship with food.

GROUPS FOR LEARNING ABOUT NUTRITION AND BODY IMAGE

Taking part in SunCloud Health’s Nutrition Group will help clear away any misunderstandings about your body’s needs. Fearful, inaccurate thoughts will be healed as you learn about nutrition and engage in cognitive behavioral therapy exercises. We will give you a safe place to explore your thoughts, feelings and emotions about food, weight and your health.

Our Body Image Group is another key element in your recovery plan. This is a safe space to talk about how you see your body and how you feel about yourself as a person. In this caring, supportive setting, you will begin to understand where your negative beliefs about your body began. Gradually, your negative thoughts will be replaced with a strong, healthful, accurate image of your body and a sense of confidence in who you are.

REACH OUT NOW

Help is one click or call away.
(866) 729-1012 Or click here to send a secure message.

VIDEO: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GROUP THERAPY AT SUNCLOUD HEALTH?

Krista DeCeault, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, discusses why group therapy plays a key role in SunCloud Health’s integrated treatment model.

WHEN EATING DISORDERS ARE JUST PART OF THE PICTURE

At SunCloud Health, we treat you and your family as people who come forward in courage, seeking freedom from the pain of an eating disorder. We know that there is an underlying cause – and unless the cause is understood and treated, you will not be able to move forward and rebuild your life.

VIDEO: WE DO NOT IGNORE THE CO-OCCURRING AT SUNCLOUD HEALTH

Dr. Kim Dennis, MD, CEDS, explains how SunCloud Health treats co-occurring disorders.

Often, eating disorders are combined with other self-destructive behaviors. People facing this difficulty are often described as having a dual diagnosis or co-occurring conditions. The good news is that at SunCloud Health, we have extensive experience in treating people who are dealing with more than one issue at a time. We know how to target the source of the pain with love and compassion, using our expertise to create a personal program that will support you every step of the way.

Begin right now by getting in touch with us.

FIND COMPASSIONATE CARE

For yourself or someone you know
(866) 729-1012 Or click here to send a secure message.

VIDEO: IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND EATING DISORDERS?

Krista DeCeault, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, discusses the link between substance use and eating disorders and how SunCloud Health’s integrated, collaborative care helps treat co-occurring issues.

LIFE AFTER EATING DISORDER TREATMENT?

As an outpatient and residential treatment center, SunCloud Health is in an ideal position to support you for as long as you agree our services are useful to you. With multiple levels of outpatient care, you may decide to stay connected through one of our aftercare outpatient groups – or you may want to continue seeing one of our individual therapists.  We are here to provide continuous, caring support for your recovery journey.

Though we understand fully that you don’t want to spend your life in treatment, we also know from experience that a lifetime commitment to wellness is the foundation of your well-being over the long term. We will work with you to maintain a healthy outlook, which means achieving balance, honesty, and health — physical, emotional and spiritual. Our goal is to create a care plan that you can take with you forever, wherever you may go.

VIDEO: DR. KIM, RECOVERY IS NOT ABOUT STOPPING THINGS BUT RATHER IT’S ABOUT EXPANDING YOUR LIFE AND YOUR HEALTH.

Dr. Kim, MD, CEDS Chief Medical Officer, CEO and Co-founder, SunCloud Health explains, recovery is not about stopping things but rather it’s about expanding your life and your health.

VIDEO: IS THERE HOPE FOR MY RECOVERY?

Dr. Marcia Nickow, Psy.D., CADC, CGP shares her thoughts on hope for recovery at SunCloud Health.

Treatment at SCH is really different.  I have been to several so I know… Most treatment centers are focused on normalizing eating behaviors, weight restoration (or loss) and that is pretty much it.  At SunCloud  this stuff all matters but treatment is much deeper and so much more!  I have been encouraged to look at what drive me to the disordered eating behaviors in the first place.  I have looked at early childhood trauma, I have looked at dysfunctional and unhealthy relationships in my family, I have learned skills to help me respond differently to my thoughts and feelings and most importantly I have learned that I am not alone in my journey.  Dr. Kim and her team genuinely care.  This place is special. Thank you! I suggest seeking treatment at SunCloud!!!!

~ SCH patient

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