Healthy Living is the new lifestyle that individuals are seeking with the help of Lifeline Recovery Center. The McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service was able to pilot a new program “Healthy Choices for Your Recovering Body” they are hoping will help residents in Kentucky. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics indicate there were an estimated 107,622 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2021, an increase of nearly 15% from the 93,655 deaths estimated in 2020.

Not only are individuals in recovery they are finding new ways to live a productive life and that may mean not just caring for themselves but family including their own children. With the help of the Senior SNAP-Ed assistant they were able to focus on things that they will encounter daily. The SNAP- Ed assistant was able to teach a series of seven sessions from the Recovery Pilot that focused on diet quality, food resource management & food safety. Within these groups the following results were achieved. 

Diet Quality 

• 72% ate more fruit & vegetables daily
• 63 % drank fewer regular sodas daily 
• 42% were cooking dinner at home more often 

Food Resource Management 

• 83% budgeting money for food purchases more often 
• 79% are planning meals before shopping along with using a written weekly/monthly food spending plan
• 67% compared food prices more often not

Food Safety 

• 83% are not thawing frozen foods at room temperature and using a meat thermometer more often  
• 58% are washing their hands before preparing foods 
• 50% Cleaning items and surfaces that encounter raw meats or seafoods