10 Nutrition Tips to Keep Addicts in Tip-Top Shape

When addicts seek help for substance abuse in residential recovery programs, their treatment includes a number of elements. Along with the counseling sessions and attending 12-step meetings, clients learn life skills to help them undo some of the damage caused by poor diet and irregular eating.

Nutrition Tips to Help Addicts Continue to Improve Their Health Once They Leave the Addiction Nutrition Program:

  1. Set up a regular schedule for mealtimes. Having a routine is important for people in recovery, and eating at the same time every day provides much-needed structure.
  2. Be sure to stay well hydrated. It’s important to get enough fluids throughout the day. Use a refillable water bottle and make a point of drinking water regularly to avoid dehydration.
  3. Eat a balanced diet that includes lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.
  4. Plan to eat three meals and two healthy snacks each day. Some addicts don’t recognize the normal feeling of being hungry when their appetite returns in recovery. Going too long between meals may be interpreted as a drug craving, which can trigger the urge to start using again.
  5. Avoid high-calorie foods packed with sugar and which have little nutritional value. People who were taking stimulants may be drawn to these types of foods, but they will only cause blood sugar levels to spike and then drop off quickly.
  6. Taking a multivitamin supplement helps to ensure all necessary elements for good health are present. No one eats a perfectly balanced diet all the time, and the addiction nutrition program instructor will explain there will be times when clients make better choices about nutrition than others. Rather than deciding some foods are “good” or “bad,” a better option is to make good choices most of the time and take vitamins every day.
  7. Choose high-fiber foods more often. They create a fuller feeling that will carry a person through to his or her next scheduled meal or snack and make it easier to resist sugary treats in between meals.
  8. Reduce caffeine intake. It can interfere with normal sleep patterns when ingested later in the day. Be aware that it is found in soft drinks and coffee, as well as chocolate.
  9. Consider taking a fish oil supplement to increase the body’s magnesium levels. It contains the omega-3 fatty acid EPA, which can improve mood.
  10. Consult with a nutrition counselor to work up a diet plan. Individual and group sessions may be helpful to stay on track with a healthy eating plan.

Following these nutrition tips and the strategies learned at the substance abuse recovery program will help clients stay on the right track to long-term sobriety and better health.

How To Find Spiritual Awakening Through The 12 Steps of Recovery

At first glance, it may seem as though going to a 12-step recovery program and gaining a spiritual awakening might not have very much in common. It’s human nature to want things to come quickly and easily, and recovery is no different. Working through the 12 steps is a difficult endeavor, but the results are always worth the effort.

If you take a look at the wording of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, 4 of them refer to a Higher Power or to a spiritual awakening directly. You don’t have to be a member of a specific religious faith to follow these steps to sobriety. They are written in a way which makes them adaptable for people of any denomination. The third step addresses this idea when it allows participants to make a decision to turn their will and their lives “over to the care of God as we understood Him.”

No One Way to Sobriety

While each person may be walking along similar steps, their journey is a unique one. The 12-step program refers to tools like prayer and meditation, which can be used to get in touch with one’s self during and after any formal treatment at a drug and alcohol program, has been completed.

Once a client becomes familiar with using tools like prayer, meditation, and mindfulness as part of his or her everyday life, they can be used regularly. This combination of personal resources is an excellent way to reduce stress and stay focused on what is happening in the present. Addicts need to learn to take life “one day at a time.” For some people in recovery, the time frame needs to be shortened to an hour at a time.

Using these strategies can help them stay centered when difficult situations arise and they are tempted to give in and start using drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with boredom, stress, anxiety, grief, or any difficult situation they are facing. Addiction recovery programs include 12-step programs along with counseling (individual and group sessions), equine therapy, and group outings to help clients learn how to adjust to life without drugs or alcohol.

Working the 12 steps is a way of life and the riches that can be discovered on the spiritual journey are numerous. All that a person needs to get started is the willingness to make a change and then everything falls into place from that point.  The greatest gifts of recovery include letting go of shame, guilt, and fear and experiencing more peace, joy, and happiness than ever before.