A good recovery plan must be multifaceted and address all the important areas of your life. You have to address the psychological aspects of addiction as well as any co-occurring conditions that may influence your substance use. You have to repair your relationships and build a strong social support system. You need to find meaning and direction for your life and play some part in something bigger than yourself. You also have to keep yourself physically healthy, which means making positive lifestyle changes that include regular exercise and a healthy diet. There are many reasons why adopting a healthy diet is important in addiction recovery.
Addiction often leads to malnutrition.
Of the many ways addiction is bad for you, malnutrition is one that’s often overlooked. Stimulants and opioids often suppress appetite. People who use methamphetamine may eat little besides sugary snacks and drinks for days at a time. Alcohol decreases the secretion of digestive enzymes by the pancreas and damages the lining of the stomach and intestines, preventing the absorption of many nutrients through the intestine wall. As a result, many people with alcohol use disorders suffer deficiencies of vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and B and deficiencies in minerals including calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. These deficiencies can cause a number of health problems including excessive bleeding, soft or brittle bones, more frequent illnesses, and fatigue from being unable to convert food to energy. People entering medical detox or residential treatment are often given IV fluids with vitamins to help correct these deficiencies. This is a good start, but restoring your health requires consistently eating healthy food and drinking plenty of water. This not only helps correct deficiencies, but it also helps heal the damage caused by drugs and alcohol to your cardiovascular system, digestive tract, and other organs.
Alcohol addiction causes hypoglycemia.
It’s estimated that 90 percent of people who have alcohol use disorders have chronically low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. Your pancreas responds to alcohol much the same way as it responds to sugar, by releasing insulin. The damage alcohol does to your digestive system also prevents carbohydrates from being absorbed efficiently. Drinking spikes your insulin levels and it keeps them high for much longer than they would normally be. So normally, if you eat a slice of cake, your blood sugar rises quickly, then your insulin kicks in, driving your blood sugar below the baseline level, then after a short time, your blood sugar gradually rises to baseline again. However, if you have a drink with your cake, it takes much longer, perhaps hours for your blood sugar to return to normal. If you have been a heavy drinker, this effect can persist even after you quit. Since they have chronically low blood sugar, it’s extremely common for people recovering from alcohol use disorders to crave sweets. Sugary snacks temporarily boosts blood sugar levels, but then soon drop again, leading to a vicious cycle. The symptoms of low blood sugar can include irritability, confusion, headaches, shaking, fainting, aggression, fatigue, hunger, and disturbed sleep. These symptoms are unpleasant in themselves and they make sobriety more challenging since people often mistake them for prolonged withdrawal symptoms. Eating a healthy diet high in protein and fiber and low in refined sugar helps stabilize blood sugar levels, reducing the symptoms of hypoglycemia.
Food is a common replacement addiction.
One reason drugs and alcohol are so addictive is that they overclock your dopamine system, which is primarily responsible for seeking rewards. The purpose of that system is not to encourage us to use drugs, but to help us survive and procreate by rewarding sex and eating. Food, especially food that’s high in fat and sugar, produces a response in the brain similar to drugs or alcohol, but typically not as strong. However, if you have just quit using a substance and are having cravings, a slice of cake or some doughnuts might be just enough to take the edge off. That’s why food is such a common replacement addiction. People are often surprised to find they have suddenly gained ten pounds from constantly snacking after they quit drugs or alcohol. It may be better to be addicted to doughnuts than opioids, but in the long run, obesity increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Sticking to a healthy diet, with only occasional indulgences is a good way to keep food from becoming a replacement addiction.
A healthy diet improves mental health.
More and more studies are finding links between diet and mental health. Different foods have been found to improve mood, concentration, memory, and even intelligence. For example, one recent study found that eating about a cup of blueberries reduced age-related cognitive impairment in older adults, while another study found that children who ate blueberries in the morning scored better on a variety of cognitive tests. Other nutrient rich foods, including leafy green vegetables, nuts, beans, and legumes, have similarly beneficial effects on cognition by supplying the brain with energy and helping remove toxic waste products. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids improve thinking by reducing inflammation and insulating the axons in brain cells that allow the different parts of the brain to communicate with each other. On the other hand, an unhealthy diet high in sugar and omega-6 fats can make you feel terrible by spiking your blood sugar and leading to inflammation, which is increasingly being linked to depression and anxiety. A healthy diet keeps these foods to a minimum, while emphasizing the foods that are good for your brain. Feeling better makes recovery easier.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental illness, we can help. Recovery Ways is a premier drug and alcohol addiction treatment facility located in Salt Lake City, Utah. We have the resources to effectively treat a dual diagnosis. Our mission is to provide the most cost-effective, accessible substance abuse treatment to as many people as possible. Request information online or call us today at 1-888-986-7848.
