How a Healthy Diet Can Help With Addiction Recovery

Prolonged drug use can exact a toll on almost every part of the body. It puts abusers at increased risk of developing serious health problems, including stroke, cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and other health conditions, which can greatly affect their quality of life. As such, establishing a healthy diet can help not only to reverse whatever damage the drugs have done to the body but also to help the body itself recover and heal faster.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, some 35 million people in the world suffer from drug use disorders and are in need of treatment services.
Recovering from this type of addiction is a gradual process. Experts press on the importance of maintaining a healthy diet in helping drug abusers rebuild themselves and achieve their sobriety goals.

How Drugs Affect Diet

Drugs and alcohol can compromise nutrition, affect dietary habits, and inflict tremendous damage on a user’s body. It can lead users to make poor diet choices and fall into the bad habit of irregular or sporadic eating. Drug and alcohol addiction also disrupts the normal function of crucial systems and injures vital organs.

In most cases, someone addicted or dependent on drugs or alcohol will experience health problems related to his/her substance of choice. The impact that each drug has on one’s health varies from the other.

1. Marijuana

Unique to the effects of other substances, marijuana use can actually improve appetite, which often leads to weight gain. Marijuana users are found to have a higher intake of calories, sugar, and fat.

Early data from the third National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III) reported that people who are dependent on marijuana and its other forms drank more sugary drinks and salty snacks. They also scored higher in the measure of obesity, having a lower body mass index due to their higher calorie intake.

2. Stimulants

Stimulants, such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and prescription drugs for patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder can reduce appetite.

A study explored the potential benefit of stimulant medication in suppressing appetite, suggesting efficacy in treating obesity. However, misuse of stimulants consequently leads to poor nutrition and weight loss.

During episodes of stimulant use, addicts can go on days without eating or hydrating. Long-term stimulant abuse can lead to severe weight loss, making it difficult for users to gain back their normal healthy weight.

3. Opioids

Opioids, including oxycodone, heroin, morphine, codeine, and synthetic opiates, can damage the gastrointestinal system and negatively affect the digestive process. This is why opioid users who abruptly quit commonly show symptoms of chronic constipation and nausea.

Due to slowed gastrointestinal activity, users experience imbalances of electrolytes, such as chloride, sodium, and potassium. They also have reduced appetite leading to nutrient deficiency.

4. Alcohols

The substance considered to cause greater nutritional harm to the body is alcohol. According to a 2017 study, one of the effects of heavy alcohol consumption is poor intestinal absorption. This means certain nutrients like zinc and magnesium can’t easily be absorbed by the body leading to nutritional deficiency.

Common deficiencies from alcohol drinking are of the B1 and B6 vitamins and folic acids. These nutrients are important in strengthening the nervous system and preventing neurological disorders, such as amnesia and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a condition caused by the lack of vitamin B1 in the body.

Dependence on alcohol is detrimental for the liver and pancreas, which are organs responsible for regulating toxins and sugar content in the blood. Complications to these organs result in health problems such as:

• Severe malnutrition
• Hypertension
• Severe renal diseases or cirrhosis of the liver
• Epileptic symptoms
• Diabetes
• Shortened life expectancy

How Diet Can Help With Addiction Recovery

Maintaining a healthy diet during your addiction recovery can help:

• Heal the body by correcting chemical imbalances
• Alleviate stress and stabilize the mood
• Increase overall energy
• Relieve symptoms of anxiety or depression
• Reduce cravings for substance use
• Improve mental clarity
• Manage digestive problems

Nutritional Planning for Recovery

While the decision to receive treatment and pursue the road to recovery can be overwhelming, it is the surest and best choice to achieve complete sobriety.

Recovery centers allow addicts to be in an environment away from the distractions and the temptations of their previous lifestyle. In this type of caring and supporting atmosphere, addiction recovery helps them make positive changes and establish long-term abstinence.

So how do diet and nutrition help with addiction recovery?

Treatment programs in a recovery center often include a healthy diet and nutritional education.

An individualized nutrition plan is commonly prepared based on a patient’s health status. Knowing how long patients have abused drugs and how potent the substance they used is, helps in determining nutritional gaps. This data will be used to identify what type of dietary habits will be effective in improving their health.

Nutritional strategies used for addiction recovery include:

1. Consistent Mealtime Routine

Building and sticking to a regular mealtime routine plays a vital role in encouraging self-care during recovery. It is also the best way to replenish the lost nutrients from substance abuse.

Creating a new healthy lifestyle during addiction recovery is one positive step to remind addicts that conscious and consistent efforts are needed to attain sobriety. This is why one of the goals of recovery centers and counselors is to ensure that drug dependents maintain their healthy diet even while at home.

2. Nutritious Meal Guidelines

For addiction recovery help to be effective, a nutritional plan is created in order to provide clear guidelines on the type of foods that should be included in the diet. Keeping a healthy diet balances the levels of serotonin in the body, calms the brain, and prevents addicts from reverting back to substance use. This involves a carbohydrate-rich diet involving starchy foods such as pasta, bread, beans, lentils, pears, carrots, and potatoes.

Other diets that help with addiction recovery also include:

• Two to three cups of calcium-rich foods like dairy products, tofu, and kale daily
• Two to four ounces of moderate protein in meat or fish twice a day
• Regular inclusion of good oils such as canola, olive, flaxseed, and fish oil in every meal

3. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

An important component of long-term recovery is medication, specifically vitamins and mineral intake. Recommended treatment medications can help with addiction recovery by reducing the impact of depression, anxiety, and substance cravings. Moreover, getting sufficient traces of minerals contributes to:

• prevention of tooth decay
• regulation of oxygen levels in the body
• strengthening of the immune system
• regulation of blood pressure
• control of blood clotting

Some of the medications included in the nutritional plan include:

• Calcium to promote bone strength and reverse the effect of anti-anxiety medications
• Magnesium to reduce cramping, bone aches, and muscle pain from withdrawal
• Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins to promote the proper function of the nervous system and facilitate metabolism

4. Hydration

Drug dependents are more prone to drinking sodas or sports drinks. As part of addiction recovery help, recovering addicts are reminded to skip drinking unhealthy beverages and to stay well-hydrated in order to help heal and replenish the body with the right fluids.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends drinking 11.5 cups of water for women and 15.5 cups for men. Water intake plays an essential role in facilitating the normal functions of the body systems.

An important component in addiction recovery help is proper hydration to improve brain function, flush out toxins and unwanted chemicals in the body, and increase nutrient absorption.

Nutrition Planning After Leaving Recovery Centers

Maintaining a healthy diet after leaving a recovery center is an essential aspect of the recovery process. Many people at an early stage of recovery can find it hard to make drastic changes in their behavior. Without proper supervision, it is easier for them to relapse back to eating unhealthy, processed food.

A good recovery program addresses patients’ struggles before, during, and even after their session. Before leaving the programs, people in recovery may be given educational tools to help them maintain their nutritional plan.

Their nutritional therapy may also involve teaching skills and helping them maintain a self-care routine that may help them remain clean and sober even after their program. While nutrition is often met with scorn and skepticism, it still plays an important role in preventing relapse and improving self-esteem.

We Are With You

Achieve complete recovery with an effective nutritional therapy program by Haven House Recovery Center.

Nutrition should not be seen as a punishment. At Haven House Recovery Center, our program for addiction recovery in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, involves a comprehensive plan that tackles not only mental health issues but also physical and nutritional issues to help you achieve sobriety.

We believe that people from all walks of life who are dealing with drug and alcohol addiction should be given another chance to get back and make meaningful contributions to society. Our 12-step program toward recovery and detoxification is centered on faith and hope. Contact us today for more details.