“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” – Muhammad Ali
When I think about early recovery, I think about this quote by Muhammad Ali that has helped me in more ways than I imagined. It expresses the significance of trusting the process and believing in the outcome.
Having faith in oneself to overcome the discomfort and sense of unworthiness during the early stages of sobriety is critical. It involves believing that this journey is for oneself and that one’s strength exceeds their addiction.
As someone who has been collaborating with recovery centers for almost two years, I have had many initial consultations and conversations about health and wellness with individuals in recovery.
During these conversations, three recurring themes emerge: sugar cravings, binge eating, and a desire to return to the gym.
It is important to recognize the significance of considering what one eats and what is on their plate during the early stages of recovery.
The Importance of Monitoring Your Diet During Recovery
Recovery from addiction requires effort and dedication to achieve and maintain sobriety. One often overlooked aspect of recovery is monitoring one’s diet. What we eat can have a significant impact on our physical and emotional well-being.
Addiction can take a toll on the body, leading to various health problems, including liver and heart disease, high blood pressure, and malnutrition. Adopting a healthy and balanced diet can help improve the overall health of individuals in recovery and promote healing.
Consuming certain foods can trigger cravings or mood swings that can lead to relapse. Sugary and processed foods can cause blood sugar spikes, leading to feelings of irritability, fatigue, and anxiety, which can be triggers for individuals in recovery. Avoiding such foods and focusing on consuming nutrient-dense foods that provide sustained energy and promote stable moods is essential.
Adopting healthy eating habits can help individuals in recovery build self-esteem and self-confidence. Setting small and achievable goals, such as drinking enough water or incorporating more fruits and vegetables into the diet, can provide a sense of accomplishment and reinforce positive behavior.
Transitioning Out of an Addiction Via Nutrition— 5 Steps
Here’s a list of my top five recommendations for moving on to your next step as you level up your life out of an addiction and into recovery.
1. Avoid Eating Less or Binge Eating
During an addiction, you may have prioritized drugs and alcohol and not have had the mental capacity and drive to prioritize healthier food, prep, cooking, and so on.
Because of this, you may have chosen food that was more convenient while you were using it. Most likely, this food was processed food—easy and convenient.
The first step is to bring awareness to foods you have been avoiding in active addiction. Making a list of foods that will keep you healthy is a great start.
I’d start with fruits, vegetables, healthy grains, and healthy fats. This will allow you to choose from your list when deciding what to buy at the grocery store and how to balance your meals. If you are looking for a way to balance your meals, please come see me at Kimborose.com
2. Meal Prep
Sometimes it’s hard to focus on anything else rather than recovery. Recovery is hard, but you can improve your life starting from the inside out.
Meal prepping allows you to stay full during the day and gives you nutrients you cannot find in processed food. It will give you more purpose and understanding of what you’re eating.
It boosts your willpower and allows you to plan accordingly so you can focus on meetings and other activities that will help you in your journey.
When I started my meal prep, I usually meal prepped twice a week. I make sure that I do protein, such as tofu or chicken. I roast potatoes and sweet potatoes, carrots, and brussels sprouts. I also make a pot of rice. I wash my fruits and vegetables to prepare for yogurt, bowls, and parfaits. You can use similar ingredients or anything else you like.
I make sure that my fridge is stocked with frozen vegetables for smoothies, and then I have adequate protein powder to help on the days that you are busy.
3. Add Some Form of Exercise
It is common to have muscle weakness and lose a great deal of muscle during an active addiction.
Proteins are the building blocks of muscle, but it won’t work if you don’t use your muscles! Moving your body and exercising are vital to help your body operate and send endorphins and serotonin to your brain during and after the workout.
I recommend working out at least 30 minutes five times a week; that could be stretching, a jog, a boxing workout, HIIT workout.
Exercise will allow you to stay present in the moment. It will allow your body to feel strong and capable and ripple into other areas of your life.
4. Address Your Sugar Cravings
It is common to have sugar cravings after active addiction, and in my group, I have seen so many people gain extra calories by alcohol. So when they are in recovery, there is a sense of sugar cravings.
So, do your best to eat sugars that will help your body process. Avoid sugary drinks, excessive amounts of syrup and coffee, processed sugar, and late-night snack sugar can wreak havoc on your body and mind.
5. Hydrate, Hydrate, and Hydrate
Make sure you are getting adequate amounts of water, especially if you are working out. You must replenish your nutrients with food. You must eat for your workout before, and you must also hydrate with water.
Try putting fresh fruit in your water; adding a pre-workout, lemon, and a tablespoon of honey could help.
The Bottom Line
When you want to choose a different life, there are so many steps that it can feel overwhelming. The blueprint for your happiness is dedicated to you staying consistent in all the small habits that will build the life you want.
When you eat a nutritious and nutrient-dense diet, have a mindful practice (such as meditation), and move your body with exercise, you are healing from the inside out!
Having proper nutrition allows you to sleep better, avoid cravings, eliminate mood swings, improve memory, increase your energy, decrease anxiety and depression, and will make you a total baddie in your life!
So, now’s your time to take charge! Talk to me in the comments, and let me know what you think!
