Food and Recovery

Food and Recovery

What drives someone to seek a healthier life after finding stability in recovery? This candid chat on Recovery Talks brings together executive director Jim Haney and Montana’s Peer Network board member Heidi Wattenbach to talk about something surprisingly powerful: food. Rather than focusing on substances alone, the conversation keeps circling back to everyday choices – crisps, sodas, fast food, and even “science food” like Doritos and gas-station nachos.

Heidi jokes about reading labels that say things like “mechanical meat”, while Jim wonders what all these fillers, dyes and coatings are doing to bodies and brains over time. They compare homegrown tomatoes with supermarket ones, and question how ultra-processed food might be affecting mood, clarity and long‑term mental health. You’ll hear how both of them link their diet directly to their recovery.

Heidi talks about being hospitalised after trying a strict keto diet, saying ketosis pushed her into psychosis and back onto heavy medication. She now leans on regular meals, a “lean and green” dinner, running and good sleep as her real medicines. Jim shares his experiments with almond and coconut milk, chia seed puddings, cutting back on sugary drinks, and the simple trick of not bringing junk food into the house in the first place.

Jim suggests that food, water, sleep and activity are central to staying well, yet rarely addressed because, as he puts it, systems “haven’t figured out how to make money on it.” Both agree that once someone is stable, it’s time to look at habits and take ownership: “You have to take responsibility for your own recovery.” If you’re in recovery and wondering why you still feel foggy, tired or stuck, this conversation might have you eyeing your next meal a little differently.

They also challenge mainstream mental health care for downplaying lifestyle changes. What small change could you try for the next two weeks just to see how you feel?