Addiction is both a mental and physical hold over a person that makes them crave something that can be detrimental to their health. This addiction can be anything from caffeine or fried foods to hard drugs and stimulants. While overcoming addiction is a long process that may require help and guidance from a great support of people in your life, one thing that you can do is put the right foods into your body so that you are not depleted of essential vitamins and minerals. Lacking these vital nutrients can make your body crave unhealthy alternatives and cause your addiction to become worse.
Whole foods, or foods that do not have chemicals, coloring, additives, or any alterations, are the healthiest type of food. Your diet should consist of eighty to ninety percent whole foods in order to obtain the recommended amount of nutrients and to decrease toxins found in other food.. The chemicals in altered foods can deplete electrolytes as well as make your body stop collecting nutrients from whole foods. You can harm your liver, kidney, stomach, heart, and other organs. Most addictive substances also harm your body. Alcohol can harm your liver and cigarettes can harm your lungs, so if your foods are also harming these body parts your body is working overtime to try to heal itself and cannot. You cannot heal from addiction and move past it if your body is essentially shutting down.
Some examples of whole foods are:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables with peels. The peels have added vitamins and nutrients so be sure to wash any pesticides or waxes off of the surface and eat these as well. The skins contain fiber that helps to digest other foods and absorb nutrients like carbohydrates.
- Whole grains like steel cut oatmeal and brown rice contain complex carbohydrates that your body uses for energy.
- Protein from legumes, seeds nuts, eggs, fish, and organic lean meat like chicken that do not contain hormones, help to get amino acids that you need into your body.
- Omega-3 from fish and natural oils like coconut oil and olive oil that have not been refined
If you want to make sure that no pesticides, genetically modified DNA, or hormones have been introduced into your food look for local farmers markets and fresh produce stands, or grow your own food in a garden. The added chemicals from larger chain farms and supermarkets cause your body to not be able to detox or get rid of the harmful toxins that your addiction could be placing in your body. Without the ability to remove the harmful toxins from your body, your body can not get rid of the addictive substance so that you can feel healthier without it.
Make sure that you discuss with a doctor what essential electrolytes, vitamins, and nutrients that you may be lacking so that you can get a variety of these healthy whole foods in your system. You may also want to discuss taking vitamin supplements if necessary so that you can stay healthy and be able to overcome any addictions that you may have. Nutrition is one of many different aspects to overcoming addiction and leading a happy healthy life, but it is an important aspect so make sure that you make this a priority. You can also look for drug rehab clinics that will help you with every aspect here.
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Zoella Hemsworth is a drug counselor that helps family members of addicts deal with addiction. She helps both addicts and their family members deal with this hard subject, and move forward to living a healthy and happy life. She loves nutrition and is an advocate in eating healthy and living healthy lives.
