Recovery from addiction is not just a mental process, it’s physical as well. Consequently, anything you can do to care for your body properly is a good thing. That includes making changes to what and how you eat. As one of the leading detox centers in Sacramento, we teach the people we work with to take a fresh look at their eating habits and to change them as needed.
This includes:
- Drinking water instead of soda. The empty calories in sugary beverages do nothing to improve your health. And, they don’t improve your finances either. Water and proper hydration, on the other hand, are essential to good health. It may take some time to make the switch, and it certainly will require some effort, but it’s definitely worth it.
- Eating mindfully. It’s easy to fall into a habit of watching TV, reading a book, or being otherwise distracted while eating rather than actually focusing on what you’re doing. But people find when they learn to concentrate on their meal, they enjoy it more. In addition, people who struggle with eating too much may find that increased awareness of the sensation of being full helps them consume more appropriate portions.
- Planning meals in advance. One of the biggest reasons people eat unhealthy meals is that a healthy option isn’t readily available. By creating a menu for the week ahead and shopping for the ingredients, you make it easy to eat better. And the fact that you’ve already spent the money is a good incentive not to spend more on junk food.
- Keeping plenty of healthy snacks on hand. If your only option for a quick snack to tide you over between meals is a handful of greasy potato chips, that’s what you’ll eat. Be sure to always have tasty and nutritious things like fresh fruit, cut vegetables, and hummus around.
- Making full recipes and immediately freezing leftovers. Sometimes people will hesitate to cook a healthy meal because they know they’ll leave the leftovers in the refrigerator until they go bad. The answer is to cook the meal and as soon as it cools, package whatever you won’t eat in the near future and throw it into the freezer. That way there’s no waste AND a pre-cooked meal for sometime down the road.
Food for Thought
At New Dawn, we’re big believers in holistic health. To be successful in addiction recovery, you have to ensure that both your mind and your body are getting what they need. If you’re researching detox centers in Sacramento, contact us today to learn more about our treatment options.
