Learn 5 Eating Tips that Help Reduce Symptoms that Lead to Relapse when Recovering from Substance Abuse

Learn 5 Eating Tips that Help Reduce Symptoms that Lead to Relapse when Recovering from Substance Abuse
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Tips on How to Eat When Recovering from Substance Abuse

After reading previous articles in this series of Nutrition and Substance Abuse, you have gained insight into what the body endures during addiction and what the body needs in recovery. Now it is time to put the plan together. As we discussed earlier, this concept is not only what you eat but the behaviors that tie into how well we live nutritionally. This plan lists suggestions that do not need to be incorporated all at once. They are more effective when gradually applied into a lifestyle when the individual is ready. Choose one or two at a time that you can improve on. Perfection is not the key. The key is to incorporate small changes until they become your habit and then continue the improvement by incorporating more healthy changes.

1. Eat more frequently.

You want your body to trust you. You want your body to believe that it will be nourished and that it can utilize its fat for energy rather than harbor it for survival. Build the trust by eating three meals a day and a small snack in between each meal. This will allow your body to burn fat, absorb more vitamins and experience less fatigue.

2. Eat Fiber.

You should be eating 5-7 servings of fiber a day. Fiber has the power to remove harmful toxins that you have added to your system (despite how long it has been since you used drugs or alcohol - they are there!) Clean the insides of your body! Choose whole grain breads, fruits and raw or lightly cooked vegetables for snacks and meals.

3. Drink more water.

Help your body wash itself out and eliminate the poisonous debris that has built up over many years of abuse before and during sobriety. We should consume half of our body weight in ounces. Therefore, if I weigh 160lbs I would want to drink 80 ounces a day. Again, we do not have to be perfect. Just begin to drink 2 additional glasses of water a day and you will begin to feel a difference.

4. Reduce Sugar.

No one is telling you to never eat a donut or Snickers bar again. However, cut back. Drink one less soda a day, put less sugar in your coffee, only eat sweets until noon. This will balance your blood sugar, manage your cravings, and reduce anxiety.

5. Make the best of your food.

Learn how to read food labels so that you are eating the foods that are rich in nutrients. Cut back or stay away from fast food. Learn to cook some healthy meals at home. This will provide a significant amount of the vitamins and minerals that your body has been deprived of.

This post is part of the series: The Role of Nutrition in Substance Abuse, Addiction and Alcoholism

This article series addresses how dietary behaviors expressed during drug and alcohol abuse/addiction causes significant problems that lead to relapse. The series discusses these specific problems as well as offers dietary tips that have proven to improve the chances of long term sobriety.

  1. The Nutritional Impact the Body Endures During Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism
  2. Nutritional Impact and its Consequences During Drug Addiction
  3. Relapse and Recovery - Success by Changing Your Diet
  4. 5 Tips on How to Eat When Recovering from Substance Abuse