Did you know that about 88,000 persons in the United States die from alcohol and drug abuse yearly? Most addicts die from diseases and physical injuries associated with addiction. Addiction deprives the body of essential nutrients, leading to mental and physical health issues.
Fortunately, a proper diet and substance abuse treatment can help you recover from the problem. Healthy eating enables your body to repair damaged tissues, reduce inflammation, and re-establish healthy habits. Read on if unsure whether a proper diet is fundamental in addiction recovery.
Adopting A Healthy Diet Can Improve Your Sleep
Withdrawing from alcohol abuse can lead to insomnia as the body attempts to revert to normal sleep patterns. If you have abused alcohol for a long time, you may struggle with sleep problems for months or years. But you can solve the challenge by embracing a healthy eating habit during your recovery process. Research indicates that magnesium-rich foods reduce cortisol levels, improving sleep. The foods that may help you in sleep include:
- Wheat.
- Whole grains.
- Nuts.
- Dry beans.
- Greens.
- oat barns
All these foods have a significant concentration of magnesium needed to regulate cortisol levels.
Better Nutrition Can Restore Your Memory Levels
Drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, and opioids lead to short-term and long-term memory loss. Withdrawal from substance abuse could leave you with short-term memory issues. Thanks to nutrition since it can improve your memory levels. Research shows that eating a diet rich in flavonoids, polyphenols, and omega-3 fatty acids could enhance memory. For example, your body needs omega-3 fatty acids to develop nerve cells and brains needed for memory. Therefore, eating a healthy diet during recovery could solve memory loss.
A Healthy Diet Can Assist You in Strengthening Your Physical Health
Substance abuse damages most body parts, exposing the addict to diseases and infections. For instance, alcohol misuse leads to liver disease, cancer, and memory problems. Your body needs to recover from physical issues associated with addiction after withdrawal. Getting back your physical health after withdrawal may require time and commitment to healthy eating habits. Foods rich in vitamins, proteins, and nutrients could help your body heal from addiction problems. Consider eating foods rich in the following nutrients to recover from physical addiction challenges:
- Potassium adjusts nerve functions and fluid levels in the body.
- Protein enables the reconstruction of damaged bones and muscles.
- Vitamin D and zinc facilitate healing in various body parts
- Magnesium stabilizes your immune, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and hormonal functions.
A Proper Diet Enables the Brain to Relearn Healthy Habits
Drug and alcohol abuse cause your brain to memorize and learn unhealthy habits. Most of the time, you will think about consuming the substances to feel good. During recovery, you could feel the urge to drink alcohol or consume drugs because of mental issues. Fortunately, your brain can unlearn unhealthy habits courtesy of neuroplasticity. Eating healthy foods will increase your brain’s neuroplasticity, helping you learn healthy habits. Nutrients can help your brain’s neuroplasticity in the following ways:
- Healthy fats secure cell membranes and lessen inflammation allowing your brain to learn healthier habits within a short period. You want to consume pecans, olive oil, and avocado to add healthy fats to your body.
- Amino acids improve dopamine levels enabling the brain to learn, change, and repeat healthier habits. Chicken, yogurt, red meat, fish, and eggs are some of the best sources of amino acids.
- Carbohydrates motivate the brain to produce more serotonin, reducing the cravings for alcohol and drugs. If you do not crave substance abuse, your brain can concentrate on learning healthy habits.
Yes, eating a healthy diet could help your recovery process. Healthy foods are a source of nutrients and vitamins the body requires to recover from substance abuse. Thus, ensure you eat the correct amounts of healthy foods to facilitate your recovery process. However, you cannot recover from addiction with healthy foods alone. Addiction treatment coupled with counseling can prevent a relapse. Contact us today at 866-963-7200 to get help from our experienced addiction therapists.
