The Importance of a Healthy Diet in Drug Recovery
By Guest Blogger, Sharon Torres
http://sharontorreswriter.blogspot.com/

Substance addiction! This is still a problem and we have a great deal to learn about. We have made strides in our understanding, and we have a more detailed understanding of what causes it than ever before. We have also learned a great deal about how to treat addictions. If an addict is willing to get help and they have access to it, then there is a reasonable chance that they can kick the habit.

First Stage

The 1^st stages of overcoming an addiction involve detoxifying the body. This basically means ridding the body of whichever substances the patient is addicted to. This can be complicated for the patient and a rehab center such as Sunshine Behavioral Health will provide close medical supervision when necessary.

However, this first stage is only a small part of the recovery process. Once the patient has detoxified they then need to be given the life skills they will require to be able to prevent a relapse.

Stage Two;Taking Good Care of Yourself

Much of the recovery process will involve working with psychiatrists. They will help the patient recognize the triggers and teach how to overcome them. Part of the process will also involve physical recovery. An addiction can ravage the body both through the effects of the drug directly, and an addict will probably not take care of themselves sufficiently. Patients are often encouraged to take part in physical activities to help them gain physical strength and fitness. They are also generally encouraged to eat a healthy diet because doing so will help them maintain physical and mental health.

It is no secret that there is a link between eating well and good mental health. With the right diet, the body and the brain receive all the nutrition that they need, and this is crucial for our mental health. Indeed, anybody will benefit from having a well-balanced diet regardless of whether they are recovering from an addiction.

Consuming Nutrition Rich Foods

One thing that everyone should keep an eye out for is the nutritional value of the food they are eating. Take salmon, for example; salmon is packed full of high-quality proteins that are important for building and repairing the body. The benefits don’t stop there, either, because salmon is also very fatty. Before this puts you off it is important to know that fats are important for our health. Furthermore, salmon contains the ‘good’ fats, and these are very healthy for our brain. In particular, they are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids which are well-known as being  “brain food.”

Of course, salmon is not the only food out there that is packed full of useful nutrition. A simple search for “super foods” will give you a lot of information regarding certain foods and the nutrients they contain.

Dual Diagnosis

Healthy and nutritious foods can be particularly useful in helping people with a dual diagnosis. A dual diagnosis is where an addiction is accompanied with another condition such as depression or anxiety. The depression can encourage drug use and the drug use can lead to depression in what can become a very dangerous, vicious circle.

Taking care of yourself with a healthy and nutritious rich diet can help to break the circle. Healthy living can help stave off depression and this, in turn, can help prevent drug usage. Feeling good can also give the addict more of a reason to avoid using drugs in the future.

Overall, a healthy diet can be a powerful tool in helping people to recover from an addiction. Everybody can benefit! An improved diet can help just about everybody to lead a better quality of life overall.