Transitioning from luxury residential treatment to life outside of rehab can be a lot to handle. There are addiction triggers everywhere, and new obstacles to face in early recovery. Many patients may be concerned about relapsing, but there are other considerations if you want a healthy and lasting recovery.
Why Sugar in Addiction Recovery is Harmful
Patients living at our facility are cooked gourmet rehab meals that have both taste and nutrition in mind. Once they leave, though, they are on their own when it comes to food. While they may be preoccupied with attending meetings, getting a job, creating a routine, or mending their broken relationships, nutrition in recovery is important, and sugar in early recovery could be an obstacle for many reasons.
Malnutrition
It is common for heavy drug users to suffer from malnutrition. Many drugs suppress appetite, so users may not eat regularly. When they do, it is likely not the healthiest diet. This can lead to unhealthy weight loss, as well as malnutrition from the lack of proper vitamins. In recovery, the body must have a diet full of these nutrients and vitamins that it’s been lacking. Sugar, on the other hand, does not offer nutritious value and can perpetuate malnutrition when consumed in excess.
Sugar Addiction
Drug addiction and sugar consumption are more connected than many people realize. While drugs offer an intense high and a large boost in dopamine, sugar has similar, albeit milder, effects. Now that your body is missing the unnatural high from drugs, you may be tempted to turn to other things that can give you a natural high. Sugar is one such substance that can lead to an immediate dopamine boost and helps explain why sugar cravings in recovery are common. Because many recovering addicts also trade one addiction for another, too much sugar in recovery could eventually find them addicted to sugar.
Weight Gain
Weight gain is common in early recovery, the result of the body adjusting to a new norm. Without drugs suppressing their appetite, some recovering addicts may be eating more without increasing their activity level enough. Other people may start turning to food as a coping mechanism since they no longer have drugs or alcohol to comfort them. While some weight gain can be healthy if you were medically underweight, too much can lead to obesity and an abundance of health problems as a result. Sugar is one of the biggest culprits in weight gain; it can quickly cause someone to pack on the pounds. To keep weight gain from getting out of control, it is best to avoid sugar in recovery.
Interferes with Energy Levels
Many drug addicts and alcoholics have strange sleep patterns or may suffer from sleep problems. When they get sober, they need to create a better sleep schedule as some of these sleep problems will persist in early recovery as the body adjusts. Because sugar gives a quick energy boost followed by a crash, high levels of sugar may interfere with the body’s ability to regulate its energy levels. To help your body reset, it may be best to avoid a lot of caffeine and sugar in recovery.
Creating a healthy lifestyle takes time, but our high-end rehab facility designs a treatment plan with this in mind. We believe that comprehensive healing and healthy living are the keys to lasting sobriety, so we give our patients the tools they need to start building this foundation during treatment. Whether you need help for yourself or have a loved one who is struggling with substance abuse, contact us now at 561-677-9374. At Seaside Palm Beach, we offer both quality care and comfort.
