You Are What You …
Fueling your body with the proper nutrients during recovery from substance abuse might not be the first thing on your mind. After all, you’re going through a challenging time, and eating well may not seem like a priority. But here’s the thing: nutrition plays a crucial role in supporting your mental and physical well-being, especially in those early stages of recovery. So, let’s take a closer look at the impact of nutrition and addiction recovery and why it’s important to pay attention to what you eat.
The Effects of Substance Abuse on Nutrition
Those who suffer from substance use disorders commonly experience several problems regarding nutrition.
- Many drugs cause a loss of appetite, which can lead to severe cases of malnutrition
- Substance abuse can also lead to poor eating habits, whether that is from drugs that cause cravings for unhealthy foods or whether that is from patients prioritizing drug use over being able to afford proper nutrition
- Organ damage and gastrointestinal issues are common side effects of substance abuse, which can cause the body to have issues effectively processing nutrition
The Benefits of Proper Nutrition and Addiction Recovery
Proper recovery is providing your mind and body with what it was missing during your days of substance abuse, and nutrition is a part of that. Proteins, Vitamins, and Minerals have likely been missing from your diet and will play a big part in bringing you back to the person you were before your addiction took hold.
Protein
Increasing your protein is essential, as it will play a role in not only increasing your healthy weight and muscle mass (especially when coupled with a fitness program for addiction treatment) but also playing a vital role in regulating cravings to prevent overeating and new addictions. Proteins also assist the organs in repairing the damage done by long-term addiction and substance abuse.
Vitamins and Minerals
Consuming alcohol, smoking tobacco, or taking any drug can increase the amount of free radicals in your system, which are unstable atoms that can cause long-term cell damage. One way to reduce the number of free radicals in your body is to increase the number of antioxidants you consume, like Vitamins A, C, and E, or Minerals like copper, zinc, and selenium.
Your mental health is also vital in recovery, which can also be tied to nutritional deficiencies. For example, iron deficiency is common in recovering drug addicts, and iron deficiency has been connected with psychotic, anxiety, sleep disorders, and depression.
Supplements and Hydration
While improving your diet can play a big part in getting your nutrition and addiction recovery back on track, sometimes the organ damage caused by substance abuse has limited your ability to absorb nutrients from foods as you could before your addiction. This is where Vitamin and Mineral supplementation can become helpful, as you may need to dramatically increase the amount of Vitamins and Minerals you consume to make up for the years of deficiencies.
You’ll also need to increase the amount of water you are drinking, as not only are there several mental and physical benefits to hydration, but increased fluid intake will help your body absorb the nutrients it has been missing.
Prioritize Nutrition and Addiction Recovery
By prioritizing nutrition, you are helping improve your health and repair the damage that substance abuse has done to your body. You are also improving your mental health and increasing the chance of a successful recovery. At Heartwood Recovery drug rehab in Austin, our comprehensive addiction treatment options for men are designed to give you the tools to build lasting recovery. Call us today if you or someone you know needs help with a substance use disorder.
