Eating healthy can take a person really far in recovery. The is a common belief in addiction recovery that when a person overcomes addiction that indulgence in bad foods is okay. Self restraint is good in recovery in all areas of life, including eating and drinking habits. Poor dietary choices can negatively impact a person’s path to recovery. Healthy eating can really be beneficial so find out how it can be supportive.
Double Whammy
A nutritional dilemma faced by people in recovery from addiction is two-fold. First, the very act of ingesting drugs or alcohol really impairs the body’s functioning. Alcohol can impede nutrient breakdown and assimilation, including nutritional deficiencies and depletion. Stimulants suppress appetite which can lead to an insufficient intake of nutrients and calories. A person consumed by addiction is less likely to eat healthy because some drugs cause a person to eat too much or others too little. At the height of alcohol addiction, nearly 50 percent of daily calorie allowance can come from alcohol itself. This will then be prioritized over any other types of food. Given nutritional challenges, therapy can be helpful for people in recovery. The inclusion of nutritional education for individuals in recovery can increase participant’s success overall in recovery.
Healing Power of Nutrition
Proper nutrition helps people in recovery feel better because nutrients give the body energy, help build, and repair organ tissue. This strengthens the immune system. Vital organs are damaged in addiction so good nutrition really helps create building blocks needed to restore damaged tissues. Nutrition also plays a key role in mood. Research suggests changes in the diet can alter the brain structure both chemically and physiologically that influence behavior. The consumption of certain foods can influence behavior and enhance mood.
Nutritional Guidelines
When it comes to guidelines for people in recovery, elimination of added sugar is high on the list. Incorporation of whole grains into the diet is also necessary. Protein is important to include amino acids in the diet and replace what was lost in addiction. More frequent and evenly distributed mealtimes are important as a practice that a person should never get too hungry lest he or she grab for sugars and bad food. Keeping healthy snacks on hand can be helpful including nuts and low sugar foods.
Cypress Lakes we believe the mind, body, and spirit connect with wellness. We provide a comprehensive wellness treatment including detox to help reset the body. As the mind clears, we help clear the damage done by addiction and teach you how to treat the body better. The body is sacred and we can help you find ways of treating it as such. Call us to find out how to get started: 877-938-1577