Eating healthy is not just a matter of comfort or desire. It is actually better for you in recovery if you can fill your body with nutritious food because it has been deficient of vital nutrients after so many years trapped in addiction. Oftentimes, people don’t realize in recovery how much their bodies needed good food but they were drinking more calories with alcohol and not eating properly or harming themselves with poor eating habits. To embrace healthy eating means trying new things and discovering new tastes in recovery.
New Routine
The best way to form a habit is to get into a routine. When people are used to one way of doing things for a long time, it is difficult to change their habits. It is critical to consider starting at the bottom and build a strong foundation. Eating healthy is not just something people do once in a while, it is a way of life. It not only helps their bodies but helps their mental health in recovery.
Watch Sugar
Doing drugs and drinking can be toxic for the body, but so is too much sugar. Alcohol in itself can have lots of sugar, so people who are used to alcohol may crave sugary foods. Blood sugar levels also drop in the body and kick up cravings for sugar-laden foods or drinks. Keeping blood sugar levels stable helps people in early recovery. Drug and alcohol abuse activates the pleasure center of the brain, giving the same feeling like a sugar rush. The best way to move past the sugar cravings is to fill the body with healthy fruits and vegetables.
Eat Veggies
Vegetables are packed with nutrients and vitamins essential to overall health and well-being. People with alcoholism often suffer from malnourishment because they have poor eating habits. Excessive drinking of calories also fills them up so they get empty calories that don’t benefit their body. Some of the deficiencies often come from:
- Lack of B vitamins
- Lack of vitamin D
- Lack of minerals
A balanced diet with fresh vegetables has to include leafy greens. It is not necessarily everyone’s favorite but it is all in the preparation. Finding the right greens, adding it into a balanced diet, and including some avocados, nuts, poultry, and lean meat can help people in recovery get the vitamins and minerals they need. To figure out how to get the diet a person wants in recovery takes working with nutritionists and therapists who can help address deficiencies with a treating physician and help them navigate the changes in a healthy way.
Oceanfront is ready to help you navigate rehab with our tools and resources designed to support your healthy recovery. We are located in beautiful Laguna Beach. Call us to find out how we can help you navigate addiction recovery: 888-981-4295
