What’s the Best Diet to Follow in Early Recovery?

Healthy eating habits play a vital role in the process of recovering from a long-term drug or alcohol addiction. Staying drug- and alcohol-free after you complete a recovery program is a challenge, but maintaining healthy eating habits can help you accomplish this goal.

Nutrition Advice for Recovering Addicts

While there’s no one specific diet that’s best for you to eat when you’re trying to protect your sobriety, the optimal eating plan involves plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole-grain breads and cereals. Here are five nutrition tips to follow.

1. Establish a healthy eating routine. People who have used drugs and alcohol for a long time neglect good nutrition because they are more focused on getting their next dose than they are about what they are putting on their plates. Newly sober people should try to not only eat healthy foods, but to get in the habit of eating at the same times each day. Following a sensible diet can also help protect your sobriety by helping you avoid mood swings that may trigger addiction cravings.

2. Try to keep sugar consumption to a minimum. Many people trying to establish healthier eating habits still struggle with sugar, which tends to hide in processed foods. Some research suggests sugar affects the brain’s dopamine levels in a similar way as drugs and alcohol, which is why recovering addicts may crave sugar. It’s best to avoid any foods that spike your blood sugar levels in early recovery, since dramatic fluctuations could affect your mood and make you more likely to relapse.

3. Choose foods that are easy to digest. Recovering drug addicts, especially opioid abusers, frequently experience digestive disorders. Nausea and upset stomach are also common withdrawal symptoms. Easily digested foods, like eggs and toast, are a good choice if you are having gastrointestinal problems.

4. Consume caffeine with caution. People in early recovery should cut out caffeine altogether, or limit their consumption to only one cup of coffee per day. Though caffeine is not dangerously addictive like some drugs, it is a stimulant with the potential to create a physical and psychological dependence.

5. Get plenty of vitamins. People who have lived with substance misuse for many years can become malnourished. Eating a healthy, balanced diet with lots of fresh produce, dairy, nuts and heart-healthy fiber can help you get the nutrients you need. Try using an app such as Nutrition Facts, which can tell you at a glance about the nutrition content of your food. Or, experiment with the “eat a rainbow” approach to meal planning, which can help make sure you are getting a wide variety of nutrients every day.

Eating Your Way to Better Health

Your diet plays a tremendous role in your mood, energy levels and overall well-being, which is why it is essential to plan a balanced diet if you are working on your sobriety. Considering food as part of your holistic recovery plan is another strategy for bringing balance to your body, mind and spirit. Contact us at Complete Harmony to learn more about our unique approach to addiction recovery.

More Veggies, Less Stress

Need yet another reason to load up on fruits and veggies? It could lower your risk of stress, especially if you’re a woman, according to a new large-scale study. Researchers found that women who ate five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day had a 23 percent lower risk of stress, compared with women who consumed zero to one serving per day. 

Other notable findings included: 

• Women who consumed two servings of fruits daily had a 16 percent lower risk of stress than women who consumed zero to one serving. 
• Eating three to four servings of vegetables daily was linked to an 18 percent lower stress risk.
• When looking at the results by sex, the researchers found that the link was much stronger for women.
• Moderate fruit intake alone had no significant benefit on psychological stress.

While further research is needed to better determine how these foods impact stress, past studies have found that folate-rich leafy greens (spinach, kale) can help increase the production of feel-good mood stabilizers in the brain. In the meantime, it certainly can't hurt to add more fruits and vegetables to your recovery diet. Here are some tips: 

• Whip up a smoothie. Add some spinach, strawberries and a half of banana – or another variation of your favorite fruits and veggies. 
• Start the morning with a veggie-packed omelet. Add peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach or onions to your favorite eggs.
• Double up. A little extra chopping can go a long way for your vegetable intake, so next time a soup or salad recipe calls for a certain amount of veggies, double it. 
• Grate your way to goodness. Get creative in the kitchen by shredding or pureeing fruits and vegetables and adding them to your favorite recipes. Think grated zucchini and carrots in turkey burgers or pureed cauliflower in mac and cheese. 
• Go seasonal. Hit your local farmer’s market and experiment with a new seasonal fruit or vegetable each week. 

Hybrid Addiction Treatment at Complete Harmony 
Complete Harmony provides clients with an array of holistic modalities that complement the 12-step experience, including nutrition and exercise planning. To learn more about how we can help heal your body, mind, and soul, call us today: 866-930-4673. 

Smart Snacks for Recovery

Putting a healthful diet on your radar is an important part of your overall recovery and relapse strategy. After all, proper nutrition is an important part of healing your body and mind from the damage of addiction. The goal is to stay full, energized, and alert throughout the day – this will help you better complete recovery tasks, have willpower, and make smart decisions – and to distinguish hunger cues from cravings. 

One way to do this is to incorporate regular snacks into your diet. This doesn’t mean loading up on processed, sugary foods, which could lead to a sugar addiction, or at the very least, an energy roller coaster. Instead, the trick to snacking for a healthy recovery is to choose nutrient-rich foods and filling combos of protein and fiber. 

14 Filling Food Combos 
Add these simple, portable (and, of course, yummy) snack ideas to your recovery diet: 

• Hard-boiled egg and slice of whole-wheat toast
• Whole-grain toast or celery sticks with dollop of natural peanut butter (no sugar added)
• Plain Greek yogurt with blueberries
• Hummus with carrot sticks or sliced bell peppers 
• Low-fat string cheese with whole-wheat crackers
• Turkey roll-ups wrapped in lettuce with apple slices
• Apple with handful of raisins and dollop of nut butter
• Half of whole-grain bagel with ricotta, strawberries, and honey
• Whole-grain waffle with dollop of nut butter and yogurt
• Oatmeal with handful of crushed almonds or berries
• Edamame
• Brown rice cake with ¼ of an avocado
• 2 cups of watermelon and handful of pistachios
• Banana slices with ¼ teaspoon of Nutella 

Nutrition Planning at Complete Harmony
Helping clients plan healthful meals to enrich their body and mind is just one of the many features of our hybrid addiction treatment. By integrating conventional and holistic recovery approaches, we help restore balance to the whole person. To learn more, call: 866-930-4673.