Can Clean Eating Improve Your Recovery Journey?

In recovery, people adopt all sorts of healthier lifestyle habits to help themselves stay sober. That may include regularly attending therapy and support groups, practicing mindfulness, and exercising. These healthy habits are necessary for staying sober because recovery is much more than solely abstaining from substance use; it's about completely reinventing yourself and improving wellness. Another healthy habit people pick up during this journey is clean eating. It may be hard to believe that something as simple as one's eating habits can make a difference in recovery, but it can. 

The life changes you implement day-to-day post-treatment can make all the difference in the quality of your sobriety. Getting into a routine regarding clean eating can be challenging, but it's possible with a little extra time, planning, and effort. Consider working with West Coast Recovery Centers to seek treatment or learn more about the benefits of clean eating today.  

Food and Mood

Researchers have spent years trying to understand the connection between food and mood. Of course, we know that food impacts our physical health and well-being. This includes gut health, weight management, and disease prevention.  However, after further years of research, we now know that food influences mental health, too. Healthy eating can improve mood, concentration, and happiness. A healthy diet can also improve memory, increase optimism, and reduce the risk of developing depression. 

In many ways, eating healthy is all about mindfulness. When we're mindful about what we put into and how we take care of our bodies, it changes our entire mindset. It's not solely about what we eat, but how we eat, too. Of course, developing healthier eating habits takes time and energy. However, it's possible with the right tools and guidance. 

What Is Clean Eating?

Clean eating is essentially a dietary approach. Individuals who try to eat prioritize eating healthy and clean food. By clean, we mean whole, minimally processed foods that are as natural as possible. 

Admittedly, clean eating may mean different things to different people. For instance, some people only consume organic, minimally processed food as part of their clean eating routine. However, others use the term to express healthier eating habits, even if it means consuming occasional processed food. 

Nevertheless, people use the opportunity to try gardening, experiment with different recipes, and try new foods they usually wouldn't. The key to a healthy diet isn't being the best chef. It's simply about preparation. Anyone can follow a healthy eating plan with prep and planning. 

The more significant question is why should we focus more on our diets. Why should we be eating healthier for our overall well-being? What does it mean for us long term? 

Why Clean Eating Is Crucial for Your Overall Health

We already mentioned that clean or healthy eating can help with gut health, weight management, and disease prevention. Let's dive deeper into why it's crucial for our overall well-being. 

For starters, the less processed food we eat, the better. Processed foods contain alarming amounts of sodium, sugar, fat, preservatives, synthetic ingredients, and chemicals that aren't good for us. In the long term, these can cause physical health complications. What they have an almost immediate influence on, however, is our mood. 

Clean and healthy eating nourishes the body. It provides healthy fats, vitamins, and protein, improving our body's health. The better our body feels, the better we feel. As our mood improves, symptoms of mental illness reduce, and we can focus on living better for ourselves. 

What Does Clean Eating Have to Do With Addiction Recovery?

Believe it or not, there's a direct correlation between the benefits of healthy eating and addiction recovery. You see, to eat healthier, individuals must learn how to prepare and cook food. Learning to cook provides structure and routine.

Furthermore, clean and healthy eating benefits can also give your body a better chance during recovery. Long-term and excessive substance use can wreak havoc on the body, making it harder to heal. Eating healthier will improve your immune system, increase your energy, and may even make staying sober and fighting cravings a little easier. 

Tips to Start Improving Your Eating Habits Today!

Of course, most life changes necessary for staying sober long-term don't happen overnight. However, you can do small things to improve your eating habits and begin clean eating today. Start by: 

• Taking a cooking class with a friend or family member 
• Gaining a foundational knowledge of cooking 
• Researching recipes that excite you 
• Planning a weekly cooking part with friends and family 
• Learning from people in your support network who already know a little bit about cooking and can help you get started 

Of course, continue researching if clean eating is something you're interested in learning more about. For help, access to resources, or to learn more about treatment and recovery, reach out to West Coast Recovery Centers today. 

Who would've thought that the food you eat would make such a significant impact on your mental health and addiction recovery? Well, if we think about it, addiction recovery is all about being mindful of what we put into our bodies. So, it makes sense that what we eat would also significantly influence us. Clean eating involves eating healthy, whole, minimally processed, and natural foods. You may discover you enjoy cooking, gardening, and preparing food for yourself and others, especially when you experience the many benefits of eating clean and healthy foods. Clean eating can also improve your physical and mental well-being, making your recovery journey more successful. Call West Coast Recovery Centers at (760) 492-6509 to learn more today.