As compelling as it is to attempt to use sweets and snack food to fill the void left behind by drugs or alcohol, use this life change to shift all of your habits — not just the ones related to substance abuse. When planning your diet both in rehabilitation as well as when you are living independently, keep these tips for a sober diet in mind. If you have a substance use disorder, whether it involves drinking or drugs, you could be low on certain nutrients you need to be healthy.

  • Terms such as “alcoholic,” “substance abuse,” and “brain damage” are generally terms we avoid using in the articles we publish at American Addiction Centers (AAC).
  • It is fine to make progress in healthy eating, even if you are still slipping up and having an occasional slice of pizza or cake.
  • White flour is found in most commercial breads, crackers, pasta, bagels and pancake mixes.
  • More studies are needed to confirm if behavioral factors play a role in the effect of drugs on plasma glucose levels.
  • AdCare Treatment Centers don’t allow electronic devices outside of phones.

They may feel compelled to overeat, which can shock the digestive system. An experienced treatment team should create a comprehensive nutritional plan consisting of a well-balanced diet and portioned meals that gradually reintroduce food to the stimulant user’s body. A person with substance use is more likely to relapse when they have poor eating habits. Drug and alcohol addiction causes a person to forget what it is like to be hungry, and instead think of this feeling as a drug craving.

Hypoxic Brain Damage from Overdose

In addition to these vitamins, there are amino acids that can be given that help the brain to product adequate amounts of critically important neurotransmitters. When you go to rehab to give up an addictive substance, you risk developing addictions to other behaviors and substances. For example, you can find yourself developing a sugar addiction or addiction to processed foods, even during your stay in rehab.

Following a specific diet which incorporates a holistic nutritional approach, receiving addiction treatment from a top-notch treatment center such as FLOW can be vital for recovery. In order to analyze how food is essential for mental, physical, and emotional health, utilizing the benefits of the five foods given below can be an efficient way to assist your body heal after recovery. A comprehensive overview is presented of the nutritional issues faced by people who use drugs or are undergoing treatment for recovery. Chronic substance use affects a person’s nutritional status and body composition through decreased intake, nutrient absorption, and dysregulation of hormones that alter the mechanisms of satiety and food intake.

Experts talk solutions to tackle drug deaths in Palm Beach County

These unpleasant symptoms can make it difficult for someone using opioids to eat enough food. In addition, when improperly digested food stays in the gut for too long, alcohol recovery diet it can trigger inflammation that leads to leaky gut syndrome. This causes deficiencies in vitamin C, vitamin B3, folate, potassium, selenium, zinc and magnesium.

  • Scarce available data on users undergoing treatment indicate improvement in anthropometric and metabolic parameters but with micronutrient intake remaining suboptimal.
  • A lack of vitamin B9 can trigger anemia and make you weak, tired, and moody.
  • Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, are usually in liquid form at room temperature.
  • No one’s experience will exactly mirror that of another person struggling with addiction.
  • Adhering to the proper nutritional guidelines can help heal this damage.
  • The fiber in greens helps keep blood sugar levels steady, which can reduce symptoms of irritability, anxiety and cravings.