Addiction is a wonderful spring board to better things. The following is a little summary of some things to do with diet and exercise that may be useful to anyone who is walking the path of recovery.
Exercise is a very inexpensive way to help your body to heal after drug or alcohol abuse. Exercise has been shown to stimulate the body’s production of helpful hormone-like chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are useful as they provide a feeling of well-being, contentment, even a mild euphoria. Now who couldn’t use a little bit of that, especially when it is not only legal, it is coming from the most natural source available, YOU!
Amino Acids help the body to heal because these substances provide basic building blocks that are needed to repair any cellular or organic damage that was suffered.
Any sort of detox method is useful to help speed up the body’s own natural tendency to clean out. A colon cleanse followed by regular use of acidophilus (friendly bacteria) would give a person more energy, and an increased ability to absorb nutrients as they pass through the digestive system. Word of caution would be not to go at it too agressively - just shoot for a slow gentle process which will allow the cleansing process to go most efficiently and without too much discomfort.
Sugar levels are extremely important to keep level. That means avoid sugars for a start. Substitute low glycemic sweetners (means they don’t cause the blood sugar level to spike upwards and crash afterwards). Some very good sweeteners you might want to try would be agave syrup, or possibly xlyitol crystals, coconut based sugar crystals, or stevia. You can always ask at your local health food venue for other ideas.
Another common food to avoid is white flour. Flour, like white sugar, is a refined carbohydrate. A doughnut will cause the blood sugar to spike and then make you feel awfully tired. That’s the crash. It mimics the way alcohol (and some drugs) cause the blood sugar level to fluctuate wildly, and this can turn on cravings. Cravings are more easily avoided if you eat foods that do not spike the blood sugar. If you have a sweet tooth (and who doesn’t from time to time?) you can experiment with foods like the following suggestions:
- toasted bread made from sprouted grains or sprouted wheat like Ezekial bread or Squirrely bread, with butter and drizzled with agave and cinnamon or your favourite topping.
- a baked apple sprinkled with whole grains and nutmeg, sprinkle on your favorite low glycemic sweetener, and a dob of whipped cream on top for good measure.
- instead of spaghetti made from white flour, try spiralled zuchinni with your favourite sauce and don’t forget the meatballs !
- a milkshake made with low glycemic sweetner, add a banana, and some powdered organic cocoa and voila you have a mouth watering and satisfying treat. Get creative with adding crushed ice and whipping cream. Ascorbic acid and pureed fruit instead of the cocoa powder makes a delicious variation. It doesn’t get much better than that.
For more helpful information and tips on assisting your body to adjust after drug or alcohol abuse, you are invited to speak with any of our caring counselors at drugrehabreferralservices.org - they will be happy to help you !