It is already obvious that alcohol and drug abuse can harm our bodies, and we know that the recovery process can be quite stressful. Typically, when we think of recovering from drug addiction, we tend to focus on the detoxing component. But drug addiction recovery is more complex than simply detoxing. Your nutrition plays a major component in the recovery process as well. Maintaining a nutritious and balanced diet throughout your recovery process helps to stabilize your body and improve the rate at which it rebuilds itself and determines how fast you’re able to get back on your feet.
What happens when you abuse drugs and alcohol?
- Consume inadequate amounts of food
- Eat less nutritious food and an imbalanced diet
- The speed at which your body burns energy increases
- Lose nutrients unnecessarily through emesis and sweating
- Your gut is harmed which reduces your body’s capacity for properly absorbing nutrients
What you eat also influences how your brain actually functions. If your body doesn’t have enough nutrients to produce brain chemicals it can lead to an imbalance and make you feel anxious or irritable. Your diet can also affect your ability to sleep and result in unwanted food cravings and anxiety. It can also lead to paranoia, depression, fatigue, and memory loss.
What to eat while recovering from drug addiction
When in recovery from addiction, you want to focus on balancing out your serotonin levels (the hormone responsible for relaxation in the brain). Eat foods high in complex carbohydrates such as, legumes, tubers, pastas, and whole breads. Also make sure to combine your carbs with proteins, and foods that contain healthy fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty fish is great for your brain health. Focus on eating salmon, mackerel, tuna, etc.
