Nutrition

Stimulants

This category consists of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, and ADHD medication. Most people who abuse stimulants don’t feel hungry. They are left malnourished and underweight. Stimulants are closely associated with eating disorders like anorexia or binge eating after a run of heavy use. Other effects include memory loss, malnutrition, anxiety, paranoia, and insomnia. Stimulants speed up the activities of the brain and nerves and charge up the body’s metabolic rate.  

Those whose drug of choice is a stimulant enter treatment underweight, dehydrated, and muscular deficient. Many times they lack vitamin A, vitamin C, the B vitamins, and iron, including electrolytes like calcium and potassium. Stimulant abuse often leads to a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids, which contribute to the regulation of mood and the prevention of depression and anxiety.

Nutrition for a new healthy life in recovery

• Eat less fast food and go with healthy, unprocessed meals
• Eat a wide selection of food from all the food groups
• Eat food rich in fiber
• Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast
• Taper off caffeine. Keep intake to under two cups of coffee, tea, or soda per day
• Keep sugar intake as low as possible
• Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water or other non-caffeinated, unsweetened beverages.
• Talk to your doctor about taking multivitamins or vitamin supplements
• Limit intake of salt and high sodium foods
• Keep healthy snacks available all times
• Be active. Exercise daily.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are two main types of micro-nutrients with specific roles to keep your body functioning correctly. Inadequate amounts of vitamins and minerals can have serious side effects. A lack of thiamine (vitamin B-1) may lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.  Low levels of iron, folate, or B vitamins can result in symptoms like depression, fatigue, poor attention, and sleep disturbances. Healthy sources of vitamins and minerals include fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans, peas, dairy, peanuts, and whole-grain bread or cereal.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are macronutrients that provide the body with energy, help with brain function, and keep blood sugar stable. Eating food with complex carbohydrates like bread, pasta, root vegetables (potatoes, carrots), legumes (beans, lentils, peas) helps regulate levels of serotonin in the brain.  Serotonin supports a positive, stable mood, and assists with healthy sleep cycles. Carbohydrate intake releases insulin that is used for energy and helps tryptophan enter the brain. Folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 assist the synthesis of tryptophan to serotonin. Reliable sources of carbohydrates include nuts, beans, vegetables, potatoes, whole fruit, and low-fat dairy.

Fiber

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that lowers blood cholesterol and helps regulate blood sugar. Fiber also enables food to move through the digestive system. Fiber relieves constipation, which is symptomatic of opiate abuse. High blood sugar and dangerous cholesterol levels can come from a diet low in fiber. Healthy sources of fiber include tomatoes, nuts, oatmeal, carrots, apples, nuts, beans, brown rice, and wheat bread.

Protein

Protein builds and repairs every cell in the body. It is vital for muscle and connective tissue. Protein also helps produce hormones and neurotransmitters. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are crucial to neurotransmitters. A lack of neurotransmitters, especially dopamine and serotonin, can trigger an individual to find relief by returning to substance abuse.  The immune system’s strength depends mostly on protein intake. While many drugs weaken the immune system, a diet low in protein doubles the problem and cripples the immune system. Good sources of protein include nuts, beans, low-fat dairy, eggs, fish, and chicken.

Fat

Dietary fat is a reserve source of energy, but also plays a role in producing hormones, supporting the nervous system, and building cell membranes. Although many try to reduce fat in their diets, not all fat intake is unhealthy. There are fats that the body needs but can’t produce on its own. These are known as ‘essential fatty acids.’  Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids help keep the production and activity of neurotransmitters smooth, and therefore directly influence mood. A diet with excessive unhealthy fat can result in obesity and a host of health problems. Some good sources of dietary fat include nuts, olive oil, seeds, dairy, and fish.

Water

Water is an indispensable staple for a healthy diet. The liver and kidneys use water to perform their functions. Water prevents constipation, lubricates joints, protects internal organs, and aids in the absorption of other nutrients. Dehydration can lead to disorientation, trouble concentrating, and irritability. Dehydration can arise during the detox process, and it is even more imperative that those in early recovery take in enough fluids.

Vitamins and Minerals

Several factors influence a person’s desire to stick with long term sobriety. These factors can be positively strengthened by maintaining a healthy diet but can be negatively affected by poor nutrition.

• Energy, motivation, and resilience – starting a new life of sobriety come with many personal challenges and obstacles. It takes effort and perseverance to build new habits and coping mechanisms.  

Healthy eating can supply the energy and drive to face all the necessary life adjustments. Malnutrition can leave you feeling heavy and weighed down. You will feel drained of strength to keep forward progress.

• Attention and focus – Recovery is a process of becoming aware of yourself and your environment. It’s a process of paying attention to new information and opening your awareness to what’s going on within. Proper nutrition will support strong attention spans.  

 A healthy diet will help you focus and process what you’re learning about yourself on a deeper level. Poor eating habits leave you easily distracted and mentally cloudy. It’s a state that’s not conducive to learning a new way to think and live.

• Self-confidence, mood, and self-esteem – a positive sense of self-worth strengthens your drive to face life’s challenges. You’ll realize that you’re worthy of a sober, healthy life. You’ll feel capable of using the tools of recovery to build the kind of productive life you’ve always wanted. Balanced eating habits give your mood stability, while malnutrition makes your body feel the weight of depression and anxiety.

• Ability to face cravings and overcome them – Cravings and temptations to relapse are normal parts of recovering from substance abuse. Resisting these cravings takes emotional and physical stamina. Malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies will intensify cravings and give you the illusion that you need to get high or drunk to feel better. The more mentally and physically healthy you are, the easier it is to remember that you don’t need to turn to drugs or alcohol to make it through life.