What Are the Best Foods to Eat When Detoxing from Drugs or Alcohol?

We all know that a key component of a healthy life is eating well. Eating healthy foods and drinking water can help us stay focused, give us energy, and get our bodies in the best possible shape. This is extremely important when it comes to detoxing from drugs or alcohol.

Doing a detox is more than just removing the toxins that have accumulated in the body. When someone with an addiction is in the process of detoxification, replacing those toxins with good nutrients can make a substantial difference in how well the recovery process goes. Depending on whether you are detoxing from alcohol or drugs, your body will more than likely have specific nutritional deficiencies. In order to regain your health, it will be a good idea to research and study which vitamins and minerals your body will need for your particular case.

Freedom Detox has our own dietician on staff who works with our patients to develop healthy habits and diets that can help them during and after the detox process. If you need help with nutrition to battle your addiction in Charlotte, North Carolina, call us today for more information.

Nutritional Needs Depend on the Addiction

Nutritional needs will vary depending on what your addiction is. If you are detoxing from opiates, for example, you likely have some digestive disorders. Heroin and morphine are known to cause specific digestive problems such as constipation. If this is the case for you, you will want to add fiber to your diet. Fiber is an important part of your overall diet. Adding fiber with food that includes plenty of leafy vegetables, beans, and whole grains can help.

If your addiction is to stimulant drugs such as methamphetamine or crack, you more than likely lost a great deal of sleep. These types of drugs will cause someone to stay up for many days with little to no sleep. To balance that with getting your nutrition where it needs to be, you will want to make certain you begin to eat a more balanced diet. A balanced diet will include lots of protein and foods that provide omega-3s. A diet rich in omega-3 will help to lower your risk of depression and coronary heart disease. This diet should include plenty of eggs, dairy, fish, flaxseed oil, and canola oil.

If your addiction is to alcohol, you will find yourself lacking other types of nutrients such as vitamin B6, B1, and folic acid. Having a deficiency of these nutrients can cause problems with your blood such as anemia or Korsakoff’s syndrome. Those individuals that abuse alcohol most often has vitamin B6, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and vitamin D deficiencies as well.

Foods to Implement in Your Detox Diet

When your body has fallen into disrepair or you are coming through a period of sickness, it is not unusual to want to eat foods that will offer some comfort and that are easy. The truth is, in order to help your body heal as fast as possible, you need to rid your body of those toxins that have caused the problem and to add back good things that your body needs in order to recover.

One of the first things you will want to replace in your diet is sugar. Sugar, like coffee, is one of those things that helps people stay awake. However, this isn’t healthy. Instead of detoxing your body, you will likely gain weight if you use these as a substitute for the addiction that you are trying to recover from. Instead, there are some things that will be good for your diet and will help the recovery process.

Protein

When it comes to protein, your body needs at least 56 g for men and 46 g for women each day. You do not have to just find this protein in meat. Look at foods like beans and yogurt. In today’s market, many items contain extra protein. Take the time to read the labels to find out the nutritional value.

Water

Water is always important for your diet, and it’s even more important when you are attempting to detox your body. It’s a good idea to leave out soda and fruit juices because they contain loads of sugar that your body does not need. Instead, make sure you drink as much water as possible. This will help flush toxins from your body.

Fruits and Vegetables

We cannot emphasize enough that you need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as well. The nutritional guide says you need 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruit each day. This will be a great time to try new things. If you are not a fan of some of the basic fruits, try something different like a mango or kiwi fruit. If you are bored with regular salads, then try something different. Consider adding different types of nuts and vinaigrettes to your salad. With a little imagination, you can come up with some unique ways to get in lots of vegetables and fruits during the day. These are all healthy for you and will go a long way toward helping you with your detox.

Vitamins

You can also add a multivitamin to your diet. This can help you with your detox as well. The best way to add back vitamins is through good foods, but adding a multivitamin can also help replace what your addiction has robbed your body of.

Top-Rated Substance Abuse Treatment Center in Charlotte

Our team at Freedom Detox truly cares about you. We understand how difficult managing your day-to-day can be for anyone who has struggled with addiction. At our drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, we focus on our patients’ well-being and are always working to determine what your triggers are and what we can do to help. Our team knows that detoxing can be daunting, but we’re here to help ease you into the process and make your time with us as comfortable as possible. Put your trust in us and we’ll help you get on the right path to recovery.

Contact our team online or call Freedom Detox at (800) 475-2312 for 24/7 availability regarding your drug or alcohol addiction. We’re JCAHO accredited and proud to serve patients throughout North Carolina.