Throughout your addiction, your body has undergone a great deal of neglect. It is very difficult for an individual to give their body the attention it needs when addiction is in charge. Now that you are in addiction recovery center Austin Texas”, it is time to focus on your body and bringing your body back into a state of health. Eliminating the substances which damaged your body is the first step, now it is time to focus on what your body needs instead. Focusing on your health and nutrition during recovery at Gallus detox Phoenix, will be essential to your complete restoration of health. Keep reading to learn more.
What Happened During Addiction
While you were dependent on substances, there were many physical things happening to your body which you were probably not aware of.
- You were consuming less food than is healthy
- You were likely not choosing healthy food when you did eat
- Your body used up your energy at an increased and unnatural rate
- Your body lost nutrients at a rapid rate because of vomiting or other sicknesses related to your addiction
- The damage was done to your major organs because of chemicals found in the substances you were using
You probably did not realize it while you were using, but food, or the lack thereof, contributes greatly to not only your physical health but to your emotional health as well. Substance abuse and lack of good nutrition will have a dramatic and negative effect on your brain chemicals. The good news, though, is food and good habits can have an equally dramatic positive effect on your brain chemicals. Now that you are in recovery, you can begin to learn how to harness this power to speed up your recovery process.
How to Use Food For Recovery
It is very important during recovery that you do not begin to replace one addiction with another. Addictions are often the result of an addictive personality. A person with an addictive personality can become addicted to many things, including food. In order to avoid switching one addiction for another, balance is crucial.
You should focus on creating a nutritional plan for yourself that is balanced. This means not being too extreme in one direction or another.
You will also want to focus on eating foods that contribute to balanced Serotonin levels. This brain chemical helps with relaxation and stress management. Foods high in healthy carbs can help with Serotonin levels. Healthy carbs include beans, potatoes, whole wheat bread, and grains. It is best to combine these with lean proteins such as fish and chicken.
People with addictions are often found to be lacking healthy levels of the B-complex vitamins. Adding foods that help raise these levels will make recovery easier. Alcohol consumption also decreases the levels of other vitamins in your system as well, so adding a multi-vitamin is also crucial to restoring your health.
Hydration is also very crucial during your detox and recovery process. Detox and recovery will feel traumatic to your body. Dehydration can complicate these already difficult processes.
Other Important Tips
Do not skip meals. Your body needs nutrition during this difficult time in order to heal. If you find it difficult to navigate healthy nutrition during this time, speak with your counselor or advisor in your recovery program. They will be happy to help guide you in this area or point you to the person who can help.
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