Are you or someone you love recovering from an addiction?

This can be a very challenging and frustrating time, not to mention a time during which many people feel alone and confused.

What can make matters worse is not knowing what to do to help yourself, specifically when it comes to what to eat. 

Indeed, there are several different aspects to recovery from addiction. It’s important to consider effective treatment from various angles, including both how the body and mind can be supported. 

One of the factors to consider as part of a successful recovery is a healthy diet. 

Diet can play a vital role when someone is in addiction recovery, helping to improve health in multiple ways. It can form one part of a healthier lifestyle and support people in their recovery. There are multiple reasons to pay attention to diet during recovery and different ways to navigate dietary changes to ensure good health.

Bottom line: Diet shouldn’t be ignored as part of a healthy recovery. Creating a balanced and healthy diet needs to be a part of planning an effective recovery that can lead to a healthier life.

Keep reading to discover some tips that may help along your journey.

A Balanced Diet Forms Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

A balanced diet is one of the most important things that everyone should have to stay healthy. 

For people who are in addiction recovery, making their diet more balanced can help them to start building a healthier lifestyle. When you want to get into a healthier frame of mind, thinking about what you eat and why is a good way to start restructuring how you care for yourself. 

Along with other healthy habits, such as regular exercise and taking care of your mental health, a healthy diet forms an essential part of self-care and putting your health first.

If you don’t know what a balanced diet looks like for you, be sure to contact a nutrition coach for support.

Leading a healthy lifestyle includes eating life-affirming nutrient-dense whole foods. These include pasture-raised, grass-fed proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables of all colours of the rainbow.

Kelly

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It was very useful to have an update, checking in on things I needed to ensure were in my routine. The tweaking and new recipes will definitely help me keep on task. The coaching on how to eat sensibly on the upcoming holiday is much appreciated.

Regards,

—David (British Columbia)

Create a Healthy Routine Around Eating

A healthy routine can be essential for someone who is recovering from addiction. Routine helps provide structure and order and can make it easier to start and maintain good habits. It’s also a good way for you to take control of various parts of your life and be in charge of your decisions. 

A healthy routine around eating can be an important part of this and will often form part of your treatment program. It can include having solid meals at set times of the day, ensuring that you get a balanced diet. It could be especially important for anyone who needs to gain weight or stick to a certain diet.

Get Vital Nutrients from Your Diet

Many people who have abused certain substances can be deficient in essential nutrients. They may be low in vitamin A, iron, potassium, or vitamin C, for example. Such deficiencies make the importance of a healthy diet even greater. 

A more balanced diet that contains a variety of whole foods can help someone recover by fuelling their body in the ways that it really needs. Some people might also benefit from supplements that help to replace the nutrients that they have been lacking. 

A balanced diet should provide a variety of nutrients to meet all of your dietary needs. It can encourage you to think more consciously about what you are eating.

Strengthen Your Body and Mind

Eating the right foods is essential for strengthening your body, and can also be an important part of having a healthier mind. 

A balanced diet can boost your energy levels by providing your body with the right fuel. It can also improve your mood and help you manage stress more easily. 

These are important considerations when you are in recovery from an addiction. When your body and mind feel stronger, you can be more resilient and feel better about your current position. It gives you something to work toward too, helping you to focus on your recovery.

One method that can help manage stress and rebalance your nervous system is using the scientifically proven techniques as taught by HeartMath. The breath work techniques will help you build emotional resilience to help you better manage your recovery and strengthen your mind.

Managing Emotional Eating

One thing that some people might need to be careful of when in recovery is the risk of emotional eating. Some people can end up gaining too much weight because they use food as a comfort when they feel stressed or emotional. This can be tough to avoid if you already have a tendency to "eat your feelings,” especially when you may be looking for something to distract you from cravings. 

However, like anything else, it’s important to find a balance and learn how to manage your food in a healthy way. To help you figure out what best to eat for your body and goals, consider talking to a nutrition coach for the right kind of support when it comes to food and lifestyle recommendations.

Enjoy Preparing Food and Drink

Food and drink can also become a hobby and part of a lifestyle that’s rich with different activities. 

Many people enjoy cooking or baking, or might become interested in preparing the perfect cup of tea or coffee. In fact, mastering a pour-over technique or mixing a balanced matcha can be quite therapeutic, and almost meditative. The process can help divert your attention and focus your mind on something other than your recovery. If you haven’t gotten into any of these kitchen activities yet, now may be the perfect time to start!

It’s important to find new things to fulfill you and keep yourself occupied. Even if you don’t enjoy preparing food, you might like the experience of going to a restaurant and trying out new foods.

Diet is important to think about for anyone in recovery. It can help you to start building a healthier lifestyle that’s sustainable and more in line with your desired outcome.

Are you ready to begin your journey towards long-term health? If so, take a look at the services I offer here. 

As always, I welcome your thoughts and value your feedback. Let me know what you think by dropping me a line or commenting below.

[Medical Disclaimer]

Please consult with your doctor(s) before starting any new mental or physical health improvement program. The advice I offer is not intended to replace that of your medical practitioner. I am not a medical professional, nor am I qualified to diagnose, cure treat, or prevent disease. The advice I provide on this website is intended for a broad and diverse audience, and as such, deals with general lifestyle concepts, not specific healthcare advice. This material disclaims any liability or loss in connection with the advice expressed herein.