Passages Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center Announces Appointment of Celebrity Nutritionist Christine Avanti & Introduces Exclusive Recipes for Recovery™ Menu

MALIBU, Calif., Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Passages, a world-renowned, state-of-the-art one-on-one holistic treatment center, today announced the appointment of top-selling author and celebrity nutritionist Christine Avanti as the new Nutrition Director and Executive Chef of Spa Cuisine.  In accord with the mind-body-spirit treatment approach of Passages to help clients recover from life-threatening addictions and achieve total body healing, Christine Avanti has developed a signature menu of Recipes for Recovery™ to jump-start the recovery process and achieve a healthy weight while combating the depression which hits a record high for many during the stressful holiday season.

"Passages is proud to have Christine on our staff of leading addiction and treatment professionals," said Pax Prentiss, Co-Founder of Passages. "You cannot heal without proper nutrition.  Eating right is a cornerstone of our holistic treatment approach at Passages where we focus on helping individuals achieve overall health and wellness, rather than the typical rehab approach of focusing only on their so-called 'disease' and labeling them."

As a classically trained chef and the author of the popular book, Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salads (Rodale 2010), Christine Avanti developed the Recipes for Recovery™ in her new role at Passages where she will be introducing the new menu to provide vital nourishment to patients who arrive at the facility often severely malnourished due to drug and alcohol addiction.  She created the recipes to offer maximum nutritional value and to promote healing.  In her own nutritional practice, Christine has witnessed people achieve dramatic differences raising their energy level and decreasing their stress in just 2-3 days on her customized diet programs. Each meal on the Passages Recipes for Recovery™ menu will include a balance of organic proteins and fresh whole natural carbohydrates.   The equalized nutrients in the meals lead to balanced blood sugar levels which free people from debilitating symptoms of hypoglycemia: lethargy, headaches, sugar and caffeine cravings, mood swings, anxiety, and depression.  

"The secret to the success of the Recipes for Recovery is that they stabilize blood sugar," explains Christine Avanti.  "When blood sugar dips, we all become anxious, irritable and moody.  The holidays are often a stressful time already.  Add to that the fact that we over-eat and drink more than we should.  This elevates our stress and without the proper nutrition, we can end up sidelined by depression, low energy, headaches and anxiety.  The Recipes for Recovery offer a real solution:  Real food and real tips that arm you to handle everything and keep your body and mind healthy and strong."  

Recipes for Recovery™ - Sample Menu at Passages Malibu:

7:00 AM Breakfast: Pomegranate blueberry whey protein shake

238 Calories, 22 g protein, 34 g crab, 10 g fat, 7 g fiber

Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants called anthocyanidins that bind to toxins and help flush them out of the body.  Whey and pomegranate enhance production of a powerful detoxifying compound called glutathione.  

11:00 PM  Lunch: Grilled salmon on a bed of grilled bok choy with cilantro lime brown rice

419 Calories, 30 g protein, 51g carb, 10 g fat, 6 g fiber

The protein and omega-3s in salmon help reduce stress and anxiety.  The combination of a protein like salmon with brown rice is needed to help stabilize blood sugar which helps boost metabolism.  

3:00 PM  Snack:  Raspberry walnut Greek yogurt parfait

298 Calories, 27 g protein, 43 carb, 5 g fat, 2 g fiber

The protein from the Greek yogurt combined with the carbs from the honey and raspberries is a great way to stay on track with eating healthy as opposed to grabbing a candy bar as an afternoon snack.

7:00 PM Dinner: Mediterranean kabobs with red onion, fresh mint and organic free range chicken served with artichoke sun-dried tomato whole wheat couscous and arugula fig salad.

411 Calories, 32 g protein, 36 carb, 17 g fat, 4 g fiber

Arugula and artichoke help detox the liver, while the kabobs are full of flavor.  Use Celtic sea salt to season because it has nearly 80 vital nutrients.  Avoid traditional table salt which has been treated with chemicals; the refining process removes and destroys many natural minerals and nutrients.  

About Passages

Passages Malibu was founded in 2000 by father and son team Chris and Pax Prentiss as a result of a father's unconditional love and ongoing concern for son Pax and his downward life spiral of addictions.  Pax's personal journey in overcoming heroin and cocaine addiction was the foundation for Passages to pioneer the approach which has now become the new standard for the treatment of alcohol and drug dependency.  Rather than simply following the basic one-size-fits all 12 step rehab model in which clients attend group meetings and receive little individual counseling, Passages provides 60-65 hours/month of concentrated one-on-one therapy to every client.  These personalized sessions focus on determining the underlying causes of dependency on drugs and alcohol.  At Passages, a consulting physician and skilled team of licensed therapists customize a treatment program for each individual in a naturally serene and beautiful setting.   In 2010, a new Passages wellness center was established in Ventura, California.

To learn more about Passages Malibu please fan/follow us online on Twitter at http://twitter.com/passagesrehab, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/passagesmaliburehab and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/passages

SOURCE Passages