Healthy eating in recovery Drugs and alcohol are toxins. When they enter your body the immediately start to upset the chemical and physiological processes in your brain and body. So what can we do to offset this? We need to eat a healthy well balanced diet including lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetable as well as drinking the proper amount of healthy fluids while trying to stay away from sugars and caffeine. Some of the negative things that happen to use for one reason or the other are
- malnutrition
- electrolyte imbalance
- decreased immune system
- weight issues (both weight loss and weight gain)
- chemical changes
To combat malnutrition you will want to eat well balanced meals and follow the food pyramid. For electrolyte imbalance you will want to eat foods high in potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride as well as drinking plenty of water. You will also want to eat foods high in zinc, iron, selenium, folic acid, and vitamins a, b6, c, d, and e to help fight the decreased immune system. When you are new to recovery it also may be a good idea to take supplements until your body has a chance to recover. First consult with your doctor of course and they should be able to point you in the right direction. Along with eating healthy a person should also consider a few other things including stress relief activities, exercise, and getting proper sleep. To sum this up it is always important to try to live a healthy lifestyle, but when we are in early recovery our bodies and minds are suffering from the things we have done to them and it is especially important to address these issues early on to try and combat the damage we have done as well as increase our chances at a healthy and happy sober life Joshua Weathers, Executive Chef