Drug addiction can take a toll on your health and well-being. Recovery from alcohol or some other substance addiction is a time-consuming process. Most people know the importance of a healthy diet for living a happy life, but not many know that food holds a fundamental place in speeding up the recovery process after substance abuse.
Food can significantly contribute to the functioning of your brain; when your brain is not producing sufficient neurotransmitters, you may feel irritable and angry. It may be due to nutritional deficiencies or deregulation of hormones. These changes inside your body alter the sense of appetite or make you feel full, resulting in abnormal food cravings and an inability to sleep from anxiety.
The Nutrition Reviews Journal states that alcohol and other drugs can alter your understanding of healthy food; hence you may start developing unhealthy food habits. Once your treatment begins, your doctor improves your eating habits by developing a diet plan. You may be required to consume nutrition-dense food to fulfill these insufficiencies. They nourish and replenish your body and brain to overcome vitamin and mineral paucities. Your doctor might pay particular attention to keeping your body hydrated as people with substance abuse don’t feel the need to drink water.
Owing to the importance of food, many reputed treatment centers have developed nutrition therapy programs and nutritional guides to help their patients. Together with other treatment options, these programs provide holistic and individualized care to substance abuse patients. They teach people why healthy food is a good option and how crucial it is during and after recovery. If you want to visit a treatment center near you, all you need to do is conduct a simple online search with your location to find a suitable place. For example, if you live in Cali, just type ‘california treatment center.’ However, if you just want some advice regarding what foods to consume to speed up addiction recovery, then have a look below.
- Poultry and fish
White meat is often hailed for its low-fat but higher protein content. Due to the consumption of drugs, the body stops the production of adequate levels of tyrosine—an amino acid that combines to make proteins. This amino acid is also indispensable for the production of dopamine and norepinephrine, which play a significant role in developing your moods, a sense of well-being, and mental clarity. By adding a more substantial portion of poultry and fish to your diet, you can enhance the levels of tyrosine and promote cognitive health and well-being.
- Banana and other foods for potassium
Another nutrient to add to your diet is potassium; therefore, you must add bananas and others to make up for this need. Bananas are excellent sources of energy and significantly help the body heal after taking a large amount of medications as part of substance abuse treatment. They are an essential and easy-to-consume snack. Moreover, bananas also abundantly provide tryptophan to the body. The presence of this amino acid in the body regulates the production of serotonin—a hormone needed for adequate sleep. In the early days of recovery, this hormone often has abnormal growth; therefore, the body needs external interventions to regulate its production. Apart from the production of tryptophan, bananas also provide vitamin C and B6.
Potassium and magnesium deficiencies in the body can cause confusion, muscle cramps, fatigue, and weakness. Other foods carrying these nutrients include cantaloupes, papaya, tomatoes, avocados, and kiwis.
- Tofu
Tofu is another food you can have to heal your body in drug addiction recovery. It is a non-animal source of protein and is very low in fat. The use of tofu can speed up the recovery because it is easier to digest and helps repair the liver damaged due to consumption of alcohol or other substance. Toxins in these drugs are the main reason for damage to your lungs; therefore, foods that can return it to their normal state is essential, and tofu is one of them. Due to its lower fat content, the already weakened liver does not have to work much during the whole digestion process. Therefore, tofu consumption puts less burden on your internal systems and makes you healthy at the same time.
- Veggies
There is no doubt that vegetables play a vital part in keeping you healthy. Vegetables are affordable and offer an abundant supply of fibers, minerals, vitamins, and other essential nutrients needed for healing the body in substance addiction. By consuming a sufficient amount of vegetables, your body can regain its proper nutrition level. Some of the vegetables that you must regularly include in your diet include leafy greens, kale, and start-rich vegetables like potatoes and broccoli to effectively speed up your body’s healing process. Additionally, vegetables also improve your skin and hair that may face a decline in their health due to substance abuse.
- Berries
Apart from bananas, other fruits that can help in your healing process include berries because of their higher content of antioxidants. A sufficient amount of antioxidants is necessary to boost your immune system and keep diseases at a distance. Antioxidants also slow down the aging process and cellular damage due to toxins and free radicals produced by drug and alcohol addiction.
Conclusion
Addiction recovery is a gradual process that needs a combination of food and medicine. The need for healthy food becomes even more critical during recovery mainly because constant drug consumption weakens your body, destroys various organs such as the liver, and affects your immune system. A weaker body needs a carefully developed diet plan to avoid stress on the organs. The presence of certain foods such as bananas, berries, whole grains, and white meat increases your body’s healing process appreciating your chance of coming back to a normal and healthy life.
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