Better nutrition can really make your life much easier. It’s the fuel your mind and body need to function at optimal levels. When studying the direct effects of a whole foods diet and addiction recovery, dieticians point to specific benefits, such as:
- Helping people heal from alcohol or substance use disorder
- Alleviating cravings for substances
- Easing the symptoms of co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, depression, and stress
- Managing other mental and physical health conditions, especially those related to substance abuse
- Promoting essential self-care and a more healthy lifestyle
These advantages are some of the primary reasons why medical nutrition therapy—as it’s often referred to in the addiction science community—is a critical component of a quality treatment program. And maybe you noticed this while in rehab—fresh meals made onsite, catering to a variety of tastes. The changes were probably subtle at first, but over time, your entire being was fortified by whole foods containing essential vitamins and minerals.
Eating healthfully is one of the primary methods to prevent relapse—and a key area of your life completely within your control. Here are some easy adaptations you can do right now.
Cook More at Home
Going out to eat is convenient and often fun and culturally enriching, but no matter how many restaurants post nutritional information, it’s not the same as sourcing ingredients yourself. Being head chef ensures you can plan for:
- Five–to–seven servings of vegetables each day—especially leafy greens
- Lean meats and responsibly-fished seafood
- Fresh seasonal fruit
- Good-for-you fats, such as avocados and olive oil
- Complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, and even sweet potatoes (without marshmallows, of course)
- A more alkaline, rather than acidic, body profile.
If you once ate a lot of processed or fast food, your whole foods grocery bill might seem a bit high. But in the long run, choosing healthier homemade options are better for your budget.
While not everyone enjoys cooking or cleanup, or spends hours watching shows such as Alton Brown or This is Atlanta Cooking, there are ways to make meals quick and easy:
- Prep a few easy-to-freeze dinners so you can reduce your kitchen time to a couple of days a week.
- Host a weekly potluck gathering so each participant cooks one dish but takes home many other options.
- Streamline processes by mastering a few signature dishes that allow you to create a two-week rotational meal plan. Here’s an example of what it might look like.
Kick the Sugar Habit
Advertising for many fad diets talks about eliminating numerous things—fats, carbs, meat, fruit, you name it. While there is actual merit for having moderate variety in your diet, most medical experts agree that one substance needs to be avoided as much as possible: sugar.
The USDA recommends no more than 12 teaspoons—or 47 grams—of free sugar daily. This includes natural sweeteners such as honey, but also those found in food products. As you sprinkle a little into your coffee or tea, you might initially think you’d never cross that line. But consider this: a single can of soda can have as much as 26 grams of sugar.
What’s even more surprising is that many shelf-stable products have excessive amounts of sugar. For example, Eat This, Not That! offers this list of seemingly healthy packaged foods that often have 20–50 grams of sugar per serving:
- Frozen meals
- Flavored yogurt
- Fruit juice and dried fruit
- Cereal, granola, packaged oatmeal, and granola bars
- Jarred spaghetti sauce
- BBQ sauce
- Salad dressing
- Flavored coffee, bottled waters, and tea
- Canned soup
- Baked beans
Read the labels, as there are more than 30 names for various types of sugar, not just “sugar” or “high fructose corn syrup.” Look for the “ose” suffix, and you’ll find more.
So never mind occasional sweet treats such as candy bars, a piece of cake, or ice cream. WebMD reports that the sneaky sugar-filled products like those above pose a real threat to maintaining healthy weight. They also increase inflammation and arthritis; complicate liver, kidney, and pancreas function; and damage the heart muscle and arteries.
Another major problem for people in recovery is how sugar affects the brain. It alters the brain’s reward center just as alcohol and drugs do, releasing dopamine, one of the “feel good” chemicals. Over a period of high sugar intake, medical researchers indicate the brain starts to produce less dopamine than before, requiring a person to eat more sugar to have the same effect. This leads to compulsive behavior, cravings, binging, and withdrawal symptoms—just like drugs or alcohol addiction. In fact, the impact of excessive sugar has been compared to that of cocaine.
Sugar is also a mood destabilizer, so if you’re learning more effective ways to manage co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions, you’ll feel much better eliminating sugary products.
Drink More Water
As humans, we are 60 percent water. Our blood is 90 percent water. If you’ve ever worked outside on a hot Georgia day and felt foggy-headed, lethargic, and stiff, it was because you were dehydrated.
But you don’t have to suffer from the heat or over-excursion to need water. Medical News Today cites reports that women should have about nine cups of water daily, and men 12.5. The average person only drinks one–to–three cups a day. Fortunately, the recommended requirement can be met with “fresh fruits and vegetables and all non-alcoholic fluids.” It’s also important to drink water as the fluid and avoid drinks high in caffeine and calories.
Water provides relief from body aches, reduces brain fog, improves circulation and digestion, makes breathing easier, and has many other health benefits.
Additional Resources From Twin Lakes
Your continuum of care plan for sobriety should include various suggestions for how to eat for wellness—and for life. Review other articles in our blog to learn more about staying healthy in recovery.
To learn more about our detox and treatment programs at Twin Lakes, please use the convenient contact form.
