Learn how to have a balanced and nutritious diet during detox to maximize your health, including, what foods to eat and how to deal with cravings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A healthy diet is important for supporting your mental health as well as your physical wellbeing. Further, detox and rehab can be challenging and making sure that both your body and mind are supported with a healthy diet is key to your healing. A person struggling with a substance will often not focus on the healthfulness of their diet, leading to nutritional problems before detox and recovery even begin. For these reasons, knowing about the components of a healthful diet and common nutritional problems in substance abuse can be useful in helping you achieve<\/a> your rehab goals of a healthier life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Studies have shown<\/a> that you are more likely to successfully recover from substance abuse if you not only have proper nutrition, but proper education about nutrition so you can continue to make healthy choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without proper nutrition, the detox process can take longer and be harder<\/a> than with proper nutrition. For example, drug addiction can cause a person to confuse hunger for a drug craving<\/a>. For this reason, without proper nutrition, a person might be tempted back into substance use. In addition, the detox process itself can impact your body\u2019s nutritional requirements<\/a>, requiring more nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those who struggle with substances are often predisposed to nutritional deficiencies. This is because substance abuse can interfere with your appetite, taste buds, and even the absorption of nutrients<\/a> from the food you eat. Some substances are more likely to cause certain nutritional problems than others. Common problems, and the substances that are most likely to cause them, include<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many foods are considered as staples in supporting your recovery. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts believe<\/a> that it is important to avoid sugar, caffeine, and junk food in the diet for several reasons. First, it is important to avoid changing a substance addiction to a sugar addiction, which can interfere<\/a> with the detox process and contribute to a relapse. This phenomenon is called addiction transfer<\/a>, as sweet foods can stimulate similar brain processes as drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, relying on sugary or junk foods leads to spikes in your blood sugar. These spikes have been linked to mood changes<\/a> like anxiety and frustration as well as cravings, which can complicate your recovery. Further, caffeine can cause<\/a> sleep disturbances and anxiety, which may already be occurring in someone trying to detox or heal from substance use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, about half<\/a> of people who struggle with substances also have an eating disorder. Addressing nutritional needs, therefore, can help both create healthy eating habits as well as foster holistic, long-term recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cravings for both food and drugs are common when you detox from a substance. The body is adjusting to sobriety, and it can take time for it to get used to a new normal. This can lead to confusion in your body, as you may be hungry but may mistake<\/a> it for a drug craving. Notably, an unbalanced diet has been linked<\/a> to cravings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Focusing on eating a balanced diet and keeping to regularly scheduled mealtimes can help<\/a> reduce cravings for both food and drugs as your body adapts to sobriety. Learning what your body\u2019s hunger cues are can help you eat on a more regular basis, reducing<\/a> both food and drug cravings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important<\/a> to consume regular meals during detox to ensure you have enough nutrients and calories. Sometimes this may feel unnatural: those who struggle with drinking in particular may have altered<\/a> eating patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Items to include on your detox grocery list include<\/a> the basic building blocks of a healthy diet like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If going to the store isn\u2019t an option, online meal services can also be useful. Many of these plans let you customize a menu to your preferences and will deliver it to your door along with step-by-step cooking instructions. This saves a trip to the grocery store and plans a detailed menu for you to follow. These plans range in cost and usually offer meal plans for either two or four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If online meal services are too pricey or you prefer to do the shopping yourself, you can still use free online menu planning services. The U.S. government operates the MyPlate Kitchen<\/a> site, which has free healthy recipes, cookbooks, and how-to videos. MyPlate Kitchen also has a free online cookbook about healthy eating on a budget<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In early recovery, you\u2019re likely working to include other healthful behaviors back into your life, like exercise and trying to get enough sleep. A healthy and nutritious diet will also support these behaviors and set you up for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a dietitian is helping you detox, there will often<\/a> be labs drawn to help pinpoint any nutritional deficiencies that you have. Many deficiencies, like Vitamin D and iron, can show up in blood tests, helping your dietitian and doctor pinpoint the nutritional areas where you need the most support. Although it is possible to take supplements without a nutritional evaluation, it will be hard to predict where you need the most nutritional support without this information. It is possible to accidentally take too much of nutrients you do not need while taking too few nutrients that your body requires, compounding your nutritional problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, some supplements may have drug interactions<\/a> with other medications that you are taking, possibly reducing their effectiveness. For this reason, it is best to seek the advice of a dietitian or doctor before starting on any supplements. That said, experts believe that a multivitamin may be useful, especially<\/a> if it contains B-complex vitamins, vitamins A and C, and the mineral zinc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Warning:<\/strong> Attempting to self-medicate with substances without medical supervision can be dangerous, worsening nutritional problems and carrying the risk of drug interactions. Always consult your doctor or a medical professional before taking any kind of supplement.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Related Topic:<\/strong> Alcohol detox supplements<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n It can be helpful to have a model on which you can base your diet, which should generally<\/a> contain three meals and two snacks. A sample meal plan, full of nutritious food and vitamins to assist you in making good choices during recovery can be useful. If you are planning on undergoing detox or rehab in a facility, it is important to ask for a copy of their meal plan so you can review their food choices and make sure they are adequately focused on nutrition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Breakfast ideas include<\/a> a smoothie with protein powder, unsweetened yogurt, oats, banana, blueberries, and unsweetened almond milk<\/p>\n\n\n\n A healthy lunch idea<\/a> is tuna or chicken salad on a bed of spinach or another dark green leafy vegetable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A nutritious dinner choice<\/a> is salmon, with a side of a vegetable like brussels sprouts, quinoa or another whole grain, and greens with healthy fats from pecans and goat cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some healthy snack ideas<\/a> include a slice of whole grain braid with sugar-free peanut butter and honey, or a handful of nuts or sunflower seeds<\/p>\n\n\n\n It can be overwhelming to try to detox from a substance without help. Managing withdrawal symptoms and cravings on your own can be hard enough without adding on to your stress by having to learn new skills about nutrition and cooking healthful foods. A medical detox center<\/a>, where you safely detox from a substance while under round-the-clock medical supervision, can be helpful in managing your withdrawal symptoms while taking care of your nutrition. In a rehab center, you can learn skills while being guided by nutrition and other medical experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n The Recovery Village at Baptist Health has a full-service detox facility to help you safely and comfortably detox while taking care of your nutritional needs. Our expert dietitians can work with you both in detox and in our rehab program to meet your dietary needs and help you make a full recovery. Contact us today to learn more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Learn how to have a balanced and nutritious diet during detox to maximize your health, including, what foods to eat and how to deal with cravings. A healthy diet is important for supporting your mental health as well as your physical wellbeing. Further, detox and rehab can be challenging and making sure that both your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10783","blog","type-blog","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"written_by":303,"enable_medically_and_up":["Yes"],"medically_reviewed_by":289,"medically_reviewed_content":"This article was reviewed by a medical professional to guarantee the delivery of accurate and up-to- date information. View our research policy.<\/a>","up_to_date":"Last Updated<\/i> - 12\/29\/2022<\/b>","page_first_published_date":"20221229","page_last_edit_date":"20221229","highlighted_description":"If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help is available. Speak with a Recovery Advocate by calling 888-648-0738<\/b><\/a> now.","key_takeaways":"Key Takeaways<\/strong>\r\nWhy What You Eat Matters During Detox<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Common Nutritional Problems from Drug & Alcohol Use<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Foods to Support Recovery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Why Sugar and Junk Food Won\u2019t Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Coping with Cravings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Planning Meals for Detox & Best Practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Do You Need Supplements?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sample Meal Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Breakfast<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Lunch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dinner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Healthy Snacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Know When It\u2019s Time to Get Professional Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\r\n \t