1 out of every 7 Americans will face substance abuse issues in their lives, yet only 10% will seek and receive treatment.
You or a loved one may be struggling with drug abuse, but may have realized it’s an issue and is trying to turn your life around for the better. One such way to do so is to give your body the nutrients and sustenance it needs to not only make the journey to sobriety easier but also to make your body stronger and healthier.
If you’re interested in learning about nutrition for recovering addicts, then keep reading. We’ll tell you seven benefits of having a proper diet while you’re on the road to recovery.
1. It Gives You a Structured Routine
While you’re recovering, you may feel lost, especially if you’ve been dealing with your addiction for a very long time; so much so, it’s become part of your identity. The road to sobriety means changing who you are, who your social circles consist of, and what your habits are.
Altogether reconsidering your diet can give you a structured routine to follow, which will help you feel less lost while in recovery.
Also, you may have previously spent the majority of your time chasing your next high. Now that you’re sober, you might not know what to do with your spare time, which can cause you to relapse.
Eating a balanced diet can give you a sense of purpose. When you’re bored, you can look up new recipes or do some more research about the best nutrition possible.
2. It Gives You More Energy
For the majority of addicts, if not all, they rarely eat nutritious foods. Not only that, but they usually don’t have 3 square meals a day, either.
Combine the lack of healthy meals with the side effects of illicit drugs and addicts never feel too great.
But you don’t have to keep feeling like that when you’re on your journey to sobriety. If you do some research and/or work with a nutritionist, you can put together some tasty and wholesome meals that’ll keep you energized throughout the whole day.
3. It Improves Your Mood
Because your body’s repairing itself and you’re getting the nutrients and energy you need to survive, you’ll find your mood improving. You won’t be as short-tempered, not will you be irritated at every little thing.
This gives you the strength to tackle anything that comes your way, even if it’s the worst event that you’ve encountered.
Typically, such a catastrophe would trigger an addict to relapse since it was their way of coping with stressful situations. But when you have a brighter and healthier frame of mind, the chances of relapse will go down.
4. It Helps Your Relationships
Eating a healthful diet allows you to manage your relationships better, whether it’s with a spouse or family. They’re your support system, so they deserve to be treated well in return.
When you have healthy habits regarding food, that’ll carry over to other parts of your life. With a nutritious diet, you’re learning to make conscious decisions that’ll have a positive long-term impact.
As a result, you’ll be able to see that your loved ones have been making positive long-term actions for your benefit, and you’ll have a much healthier and happier relationship with them.
5. It Rebuilds Your Immune System
It’s quite evident that drug addiction is very harmful to your body. One of the most significant effects it has is on your immune system; you may have noticed yourself getting sick more often while in the throes of your addiction.
Many nutritious foods have antioxidants, which get rid of free radicals in your body. Free radicals are continually being produced, so it’s essential to keep your antioxidant levels up to keep yourself healthy.
When your body doesn’t get enough antioxidants (such as when you have an active addiction), this can cause you to feel ill and have a higher chance of ailments.
By eating a healthier diet while you’re in recovery, you’ll rebuild your immune system and fend off illnesses much more comfortable.
6. It Helps With Dental and Skin Problems
As we said before, before recovery, you may have a weak immune system. Not only does this cause you to become sick often, but it also affects the looks and appearances of your teeth, gums, and skin.
When you reintroduce minerals and vitamins to your diet, your body gets the tools it needs to repair itself from the inside. As a result, both your dental and skin issues will decrease or even completely go away. Instead of having a sallow appearance, your skin will have a subtle healthy glow.
7. It Can Help Calm You
This fact may seem contradictory to point #2; how can a proper diet energize and calm at the same time?
However, you shouldn’t mistakenly think energy is synonymous with chaos. You can be calm and feel energized at the same time, after all.
Some whole foods can raise your levels of GABA, which is a neurotransmitter responsible for keeping you calm and relaxed. So if you eat these foods (such as cherry tomatoes, shrimp, and kefir), you won’t have to feel as restless and anxious during your recovery phase of addiction.
Proper Nutrition for Recovering Addicts Is Key for Sobriety
As you can see, adequate nutrition for recovering addicts plays a vital role in sobriety. The two are closely linked; you can’t have one without the other.
Because of this, recovering addicts must eat a healthy diet and keep up with it. With the structure and wholesome benefits that come with it, a good diet can make your path to long-term sobriety better and easier.
If you or a loved one needs help with addiction, then please get in touch with us. We have some excellent treatment facilities available in San Juan Capistrano.
