You know the old saying: “You are what you eat.” The idea, of course, is that if you eat healthy food, you will be healthier, and if you eat less healthy food you will be less healthy. The idea is similar to a statement you might hear from a computer programmer: “Garbage in, garbage out.” For a programmer, that means that if your code is bad, the results it produces will be bad. That is equally true when it comes to food. If you consume junk, you are unlikely to like the outcome.
Eating nutritious food is good for your physical health and for your mental health. And better physical and mental health helps support your ongoing sobriety. So, it is especially important that a person in recovery from a substance use disorder make good decisions about food.
That is not always as easy as it should be. Food that is both quick and cheap tends to be less healthy than other options—and our busy schedules and tight budgets often push us toward those less healthy choices.
But don’t get discouraged. Making steady progress toward healthier eating can be a great goal as you work to maintain your hard-won sobriety. We have some advice to help you get started moving in the right direction.
A quick disclaimer: We are not nutritionists. For more specific advice about your personal eating choices, we suggest you talk with your doctor.
Let’s Start with How You Wet Your Whistle
We live in a time when each beverage we consume seems more complicated than the last. Think of the seemingly infinite ways you can order coffee, for example. Or consider all the limited time “special edition” flavors of various sodas. Or think about the wide variety of beverages that claim to have health benefits of one kind or another.
Despite this proliferation of liquid options, one thing remains true. Assuming you live in a community with access to clean drinking water, you really can’t find a better option than water. Keeping yourself hydrated is always a healthy choice, and nothing does a better job of keeping you hydrated than water.
Water has no sugar—which is good because too much sugar has risks in recovery. Water has no calories—which is helpful for maintaining a healthy weight. And water has no caffeine—which means it won’t disrupt your ability to get quality sleep.
Other excellent beverage choices include white, green, and herbal teas. Black tea and black coffee can be part of a healthy diet, too. Just be careful about consuming too much caffeine.
Start the Day with Healthy Choices
Breakfast is a tricky meal. Most of us recognize that it is an important meal that gives us the energy to get our day going. Even so, many folks skip breakfast entirely. Others tend to start their day with something heavy and filled with sugar. And listen, we have nothing against a delicious donut from time to time.
But on a day-to-day basis, you can give your morning and your overall well-being a boost by making consistently healthy choices. That means a good combination of protein and fiber as well as plenty of nutrients. There are plenty of ways to achieve that goal. Eggs, for example, are high in protein. Whole-wheat toast has a good amount of fiber. Fruit can provide a range of nutrients. This article offers a range of suggestions—and suggested combinations—for getting your day started in a healthy way.
If you currently tend to skip breakfast or usually grab something covered in frosting, this is an area where you can make a small change that can make a big difference for your health and your sobriety.
We Have More Delicious and Healthy Ideas to Share
This entry is the first in a series devoted to helping you make food choices that support your ongoing recovery. After all, we only made it through breakfast in this entry—and we’re already thinking about lunch.
We Serve Up Heaping Helpings of Sobriety Support
A steady diet of drugs or alcohol is sure to upend your life. At French Creek Recovery Center, our menu of services includes medically supervised detoxification, rehabilitation that includes individual and group therapy (as well as treatment for co-occurring substance use disorders), and a continuum of care that ensures you can start your recovery journey with confidence.
Located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, French Creek Recovery Center is dedicated to helping you take back control of your life by making it possible for you to leave drugs and alcohol behind. Our approach to effective substance use disorder treatment is grounded in evidence, expertise, experience, and empathy.