Eating Clean Can Help Get You Clean

Sep 28, 2023

If you have an addiction to anything—whether it be caffeine, sugar, alcohol, or a controlled substance—then, seeking recovery and self-improvement treatment to get rid of the addiction is going to be in your body’s and mind’s best interests. But that’s just one step to feeling great, because once you are in the recovery process, sometimes it’s hard to stay clean.

When your body is in recovery mode, the way it functions can change significantly. Recovery groups and rehab centers will help you get accustomed to these changes as you wean off, but certain lifestyle changes can make lifelong recovery much more achievable. Because a primary symptom of addiction withdrawal is low energy, your diet can play a key role in sustaining your recovery. Here’s a look at how clean eating can help you recover from addiction.

Understanding Withdrawal

If you were a former alcoholic and you decided to stop drinking—it can take anywhere from six hours to two weeks before you stop experiencing acute withdrawal symptoms. Some of the symptoms include insomnia, tremors, elevated temperature, high blood pressure, and increased sweating.

For extreme cases, some people may even lose consciousness. In terms of quitting controlled substances, the withdrawal symptoms can vary depending on the length and type of addiction. In most cases, withdrawal is a painful process, and you will need healthy foods to help your mind and body get through it successfully.

Avoiding Junk Food

Due to these withdrawal symptoms, clean eating provides plenty of healing benefits for the body. Beyond that, the last thing you need is to trade one addiction for another—such as controlled substances for junk food. Besides, your body never feels good after a junk food binge—it’s entirely the opposite.

Bingeing on junk food may lead to other unhealthy habits. It may lead to a loss of self-confidence and control, which can then spiral into other addictions that you once tried to shake off. So it’s essential to start with clean eating as soon as possible.

Eating Clean

Clean eating is about cutting down on added sugar, salt, preservatives, and unhealthy fats. The objective is to focus your meals on healthy proteins and fats. You also want to cut down on processed foods. This is about eating what nature has to offer—at its finest. Think simple foods, organic foods, fresh foods, and healthy proteins and fats. It’s not about cutting out all carbs or cutting out all fat.

You can eat complex carbs to add more nutrients to your diet, to keep yourself full, and to add variety and texture to your meals. Since addiction can lead to malnourishment, you will need to rebuild your body’s health with a clean diet. As you recover, you can also look into taking vitamins, herbs, and other health supplements to increase your nutrient intake and make up for deficiencies in your health. Most addicts have a poor diet, and alcohol has empty calories that can make you feel full.

Addiction can take a toll on your health that continues to feed the addiction. With clean eating, you are getting your health back on track with highly nutritious and delicious foods that are enjoyable to eat. You will start to feel and look better, which will positively impact your mood. When you feel good, you are naturally less inclined to hit the bottle or pop a pill. So give clean eating a try, and see how lifestyle changes can positively affect your life.