Your Guide to Nutrition in Sobriety: How To Protect Your Health
In 2017, close to 20 million Americans struggled with substance abuse, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. When you are taking the steps to become sober, there are many side effects to your health.
This is why it is vital to learn about nutrition in sobriety and find a proper diet for sober addicts. Keep reading to learn more about sobriety nutrition and how you can keep your body healthy during your path to sobriety.
Substance Abuse and Poor Nutrition
When you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, it is likely that you didn’t follow a proper diet. Often, addictive diets include lots of fast food, alcohol, other foods with little nutrition.
Substance abuse also causes poor diets because of the lack of money. What money you had may have gone to drugs or alcohol.
There is a strong correlation between substance abuse and poor nutrition. Addicts often have nutritional deficiencies.
For example, alcohol abuse causes health issues in your liver and pancreas. This means you may have problems with your fluids and electrolytes. When you are addicted to opiates, you may experience diarrhea, vomiting, and other things that drain you of your nutrients.
Another issue that comes from substance abuse is that it prevents your body from processing many types of amino acids and other compounds that they need to feel good. This can have an impact on your mental clarity, calmness, and more.
Finally, drug and alcohol abuse can cause issues with your internal organs, including your intestines. This means that your body cannot properly absorb the vitamins and minerals that it needs to function properly.
Why You Need Good Nutrition In Addiction Recovery
When you have these nutritional deficiencies and the medical conditions that are associated with them, your health will just keep getting worse. This is why it is vital to prioritize your nutrition as you are on the journey to addiction recovery.
Not only will good nutrition improve your physical health, but it will also keep you balanced in every other aspect of your life! It will help you be stronger mentally, emotionally, and even socially.
Benefits of Nutrition in Sobriety
While a balanced diet is essential for anyone, there are many ways that having a nutritious diet will help you in your sobriety.
First and foremost, it will help you physically. While you were deficient in many nutrients during your active addiction, good nutrition can help replenish these nutrients.
When you practice good nutrition and have replenished your nutrients, you will also see a difference in your mental health. When you are missing vitamins and minerals in your body, it can cause anxiety and depression. This is why many of those experiencing addiction have mood disorders.
When you prioritize your nutrition, you will feel better both physically and mentally.
Anyone who practices good nutrition will also have more energy! When you only eat junk and don’t eat the right amount of nutrients, you may feel like you have no energy. When you eat healthy foods, you fuel your body.
Tips For Health in Sobriety
While it seems like an easy fix, eating nutritious foods can still be difficult. If you have a hard time staying on a diet for alcoholics or on a diet for sober alcoholics, following these tips may benefit you!
Set Goals
First, it is always important to set goals. Having goals can help you feel more motivated to accomplish them, so think about what goals you want to set and write them down! In fact, it has been found that “people who write down their goals are 20% more successful at accomplishing them.”
Having goals will help you stay motivated and will help you track your progress with your nutrition!
Talk to a Dietician
While eating fruits and vegetables is a good start to improving your nutrition, it is beneficial to have a plan made specifically for you. A dietician can help identify the things you should eat, how much you should eat, and more.
They can also help you answer any questions you have about your nutritional goals.
Meal Plan
It is always harder to eat healthy and nutritious foods when you don’t have a plan in place. Something that may help is planning out your meals a week or two in advance. This will help you know what to buy at the grocery store and will make sure you always have healthy foods ready to eat.
If you have your house stocked with junk food, you are more likely to eat junk food. If you have your house stocked with healthy foods, that is what you will eat!
Make sure you are prepared to start your journey to better nutrition.
Best Foods To Support Your Sobriety
While there are many foods that can help support your sobriety, it is never a one size fits all solution. This is why it is important to consult with a dietician!
However, there are some foods that are packed with nutrients that can help you.
First, you want to make sure you eat foods that are vitamin and mineral-rich! These include leafy greens, dairy, bananas, and more. You also want to eat fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber.
Some good options for foods that are high in fiber are apples, broccoli, pears, chickpeas, and berries.
Protein is also essential to a healthy and nutritious diet. Chicken and other types of meat are high in protein, but you don’t need to eat meat to have protein in your diet. Other foods that are high in protein are eggs, beans, and nuts.
Find Additional Support!
When you are going through addiction recovery, it is important to have nutrition in sobriety, but it is also important to have people to rely on! Finding additional support can make all the difference and keep you on the path to sobriety. If you are looking for additional support, Wellness Retreat and Recovery Center can help!
We help our clients recover from any kind of addiction and help keep them comfortable in the process. Contact our team today to learn more about our services and how we can help you as you recover from substance abuse!
