Nutrition for Thriving in Addiction Recovery: What to Eat, What Not to Eat, and When

By Guest Author |

Nutrition is hugely important for addiction recovery. Lauren Bailey explains how to make good nutrition easy.

The following is a guest post by Lauren Bailey, a freelance writer whose articles have appeared frequently on accredited_online-colleges, as well as on Sue Scheff’s Blog and PrimeParentsClub.com. She can be reached at blauren99@gmail.com. 

Easy Nutrition for Thriving in Addiction Recovery: What to Eat, What Not to Eat, and When by Lauren Bailey

Eating a varied, nutrient-rich diet is an important part of brain and body health and healing the brain, body and soul is what addition recovery is all about.

Going through any sort of addiction issue can wreak havoc on your body, not to mention your mind and soul. That is why anyone recovering from an addiction needs to be supported in replenishing their body with enough sleep, regular exercise, and the most nutritious food available. This will help them both physically and psychologically, as recovery is a process that involves healing of the mind and body. Practicing good nutrition, however, can be one of the hardest parts of the recovery process, and it is something that is most readily written off as not deserving of the same level of attention as, say, making it to regular meetings. The importance of providing your brain and body with the fuel and nutrients it needs to balance and function cannot be overstated. If you or someone you love is in a recovery process, these nutritional guidelines can help to clear away the stress and confusion of eating well after an addiction.

1. What to Eat
One of the most important things to think about while in recovery is eating food that is whole, or in it’s pure state. Eating whole foods is the simplest way to know that you are eating something that’s good for you. This means eating an apple instead of drinking apple juice or eating a side of baby potatoes instead of potato chips. Eat things as close to their natural state as possible, and it’s hard to go wrong. Balance your diet with whole grains, fiber, proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, and meats and seafood, all in their purest state. You will get fiber from fruits and veggies, and healthy fats can be found in nuts, olive oil and avocado.

2. What Not to Eat
It is just as important to avoid foods that will throw your body off balance as it is to eat the right foods. During recovery, focus on avoiding sugar, processed foods, additives, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and caffeine. If you do want to eat something with sugar or caffeine, try combining it will some healthy grains and protein. That way your blood sugar will not peak as much as if you had eaten sugar or processed foods alone.

3. When to Eat
Make sure that you are eating enough and eating regularly. Controlling blood sugar levels is central to healing the body after an addiction issue, so it’s important to eat steadily. This will have a huge effect on the mood as it gives the body the fuel it needs to regulate neurotransmitters such as serotonin and beta-endorphin. Everyone is different, but a good rule of thumb is to eat 3 balanced meals a day, with snacks in between. Try to keep snacks as low in sugar as possible and opt for high protein snacks to provide your body with extra fuel between meals.

Share This
Posted in Addiction | Substance Use Disorders | Treatment, Prevention | Intervention and tagged ,

Leave a Comment