Good nutrition and a healthy diet are essential, especially in your first year of recovery. Depleted nutrients caused by alcohol and drugs should be replenished during your recovery. This means that you need to choose and eat good food, vitamins, and supplements that can rebuild and repair your damaged body.
What can I eat to stay sober and recover?
We are all aware that good nutrition and a steady and fast recovery go hand in hand. The food or whatever you put in your body will bring you back into balance and help you stay sober. That is why it is very important to be aware and careful of whatever you eat or drink. To help and guide you, check out our 5 nutrition tips that can help you stay sober and recover:
1. Develop a Recovery Diet Plan.
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all recovery diet because each individual’s body is different and unique. Sobriety requires a lot of dedication, discipline, and commitment. Poor appetite or overeating can cause mood swings and digestive issues. If these bad eating habits are not addressed and corrected properly, it can negatively affect your ability to stay clean and you will have a hard time recovering. That is why it is very important to have a recovery diet plan where you will eat good food that has nutrients that your body needs to replenish.
If you don’t have time or are experiencing difficulty doing so, you can try hiring and getting professional help from licensed nutritionists or dieticians. They can easily develop a personal recovery diet plan unique to you and even guide you and educate you about proper nutrition and diet. A good recovery diet plan usually consists of a balanced meal that contains a good amount of protein, carbs, fruits, vegetables, and amino acids.
Eat frequently and consistently. Eating at least 3 meals and two healthy snacks per day will help you control your blood sugar and mood. Having a regular eating schedule can help you better notice your bodily hunger cues and keep your hunger and satiety in check rather than becoming too hungry. When you’re hungry, you’re more likely to make terrible decisions.
2. Prepare Your Own Meals.
There’s a lot of benefit in preparing and cooking your own meals. When you do this, you have more control over the ingredients, and you can ensure that you get fresh and healthy meals. It can be therapeutic, help you look and feel better, increase your energy, maintain a healthy weight and attitude, and improve your sleep and stress resistance.
To give you an idea for your future menu, here is an example that you can do:
- Breakfast: 2 pieces of toasted whole-grain bread with smashed avocado, roasted sesame seeds, and a drizzle of olive oil. You can add some salt and pepper to taste. This meal might seem light, but it is full of energy-producing grains and healthy fats that can boost your energy in the morning.
- Lunch: Make a big salad loaded with your favorite fruits and vegetables. You can top this with tuna or any of your favorite fish, chicken, eggs, pork, or beef. Tuna is full of protein and omega-3 fatty acids that can give you energy until dinner time. If you want some dressing for extra flavor, try combining equal parts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You can also squeeze some lemon on top for an extra kick.
- Snack: If you feel hungry in the middle of your meals, you can eat some apples, celery sticks, or any of your favorite fruits or nuts.
- Dinner: For dinner, you can try roasting or grilling chicken breast, sauté broccoli in olive oil or butter, and serve it with brown rice or any vegetables that are high in carbohydrates such as carrots and potatoes. Carbohydrates are good for production. of serotonin. Serotonin is good for you because it can help promote a happy, stable mood, improve sleep, and curb food cravings.
- Dessert: If you have a sweet tooth and need some dessert, you can eat a bowl of Greek yogurt and top it with raw honey and chopped fruits.
3. There is No Bad Food Only a Bad Diet.
When we classify foods as “good” or “bad,” we give them too much power and control which can lead to eating disorders. Restricting ourselves from certain foods can backfire, leading to a binge eating cycle that can be physically, mentally, and emotionally harmful to us.
Learn to listen to your body. If you are craving a certain food, go ahead and eat it. Enjoy it! There is no bad food, only a bad diet. Eat your favorite food guilt-free. Just make sure to eat everything in moderation and in proportion. But for your reference, here are some suggested foods that can be beneficial and helpful in your sobriety and recovery:
- Calcium-rich Food: green leafy vegetables such as okra, kale, soya drinks with added calcium, bread, and any food made with fortified flour, milk, cheese, and other dairy foods. According to a study, people with low calcium levels are also the most frequent drinkers at a particular detox center. This is consistent with a There is a large amount of scientific evidence that calcium leaves our bones and clings to alcohol as it leaves our bodies.
- Fermented Food: kimchi, tempeh, miso, kombucha, yogurt, and other fermented foods can boost your gut health.
- Carbohydrates: oats, brown rice, potatoes, quinoa, prunes, pumpkin, whole-wheat bread, buckwheat, taro, and beets. Carbohydrates might have a poor reputation, but they are a great source of energy and can help your body convert tryptophan into melatonin, which can help you fall and stay asleep.
- Smoothies: are not only tasty, but they are also a good way to hydrate. Hydration aids in flushing out the toxins in your body that are present during your early recovery. It can reduce the intensity of withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, nausea, exhaustion, and sadness.
- Soups and Stews: because these meals are liquid, your body will have to do less work to break them down into nutrients, allowing you to get the most nutrition out of them.
- Nuts: are a great source of calcium and can help replenish and restore critical fatty acids that have been lost due to alcohol or drugs. Nuts have fatty acids that can aid neurotransmitters in fighting depression, reducing anger, and preventing relapse.
These are just some suggested healthy foods. Don’t worry if you can’t eat them all! Remember that every meal doesn’t have to be the most amazing, nutritious meal you’ve ever had. At the end of the day, what’s most important is your happiness and self-worth. Your self-worth is not determined by a single meal, snack, or food.
4. Take Food Supplements and Multivitamins.
Consistent drug and alcohol addiction has a number of negative consequences for the body such as preventing the body from correctly processing vitamins and minerals. That is why it is advisable that you should take some food supplements or multivitamins that contain the following:
- Vitamin B
- Calcium
- Vitamin C
- B12
- Folic Acid
- Glutamine
- Vitamin A
- Magnesium
- Niacin
5. Stay Hydrated and Drink Plenty of Water.
For a multitude of reasons, staying hydrated is essential. You are encouraged to drink any bottled water, tap water, seltzer water, or carbonated water that you like. Fruit juices and sugary beverages are heavy in empty calories and low in nutrients, so avoid them. Aim for at least 8-10 glasses of water per day.
These are 5 nutrition tips that can help you stay sober and recover. They are only suggestions and are not intended to be a comprehensive treatment to addiction and recovery. A change in your diet can have a variety of health benefits. Don’t be too concerned about it, and make these changes gradually.
*Eating well and receiving enough nourishment can help you feel better. It is strongly advised that you visit your doctor or health provider first if you are already taking medications, have allergies, or have major health concerns such as hypertension, diabetes, or cirrhosis.