Nutrition and Addiction

Nutrition isn’t just about what’s on your plate; it’s about how you care for your body as a whole. The World Health Organization calls nutrition “a critical part of health and development” and they’re right.

Good nutrition helps keep your immune system strong, protects you from getting sick and gives your body the tools it needs to heal and thrive. It’s like giving your body the fuel to stay safe and strong every day.

The NHS says that most people in the UK eat too many calories but don’t get enough of the good stuff. Instead, we often load up on sugar, salt and fat, which can leave us feeling sluggish, craving more junk, and even dealing with issues like obesity and high blood pressure.

When your diet isn’t balanced, it’s like running on empty, and that’s when things like coffee, cigarettes, drugs or alcohol can feel like a quick fix to get through the day. But in the long run, they only make things harder and can often lead to addiction.

Eating well isn’t just about how much food you have on your plate – it’s about what’s on it, too. A balanced diet means mixing everything your body needs to stay strong and healthy. This includes:

• Proteins to build and repair your muscles.
• Carbs for energy.
• Fibre to keep your digestion happy.
• Healthy fats.
• Fruit and veggies for vitamins and that feel-good glow.
• Dairy for strong bones.

At Liberty House, we believe that good nutrition is crucial in complementing our rehab therapies. We have a private chef and nutritionist who work together to create meals that not only taste amazing but are packed with the nutrients your body needs to heal. Every dish is carefully planned to support your recovery, boost your energy and keep you feeling good as you take on the challenges of rehab.

Just having a regular mealtime schedule is very important for those in recovery. It helps to establish better routines, which are often missing in people struggling with addiction. You will be sharing your meals with everyone else in rehab. This is a great way to create a community spirit and make you feel comfortable to open up in front of each other in group therapy.

We will also help teach you the fundamentals of good nutrition. This can set you up for cooking your own healthy meals at home to keep you fuelled and feeling good post-rehab.

When you are dealing with addiction, eating well often gets pushed to the side. Maybe you skip meals or grab whatever’s quickest because your focus is on getting more drugs or alcohol or doing things like gambling or gaming. You may even be spending so much money on feeding your addiction that you can’t afford healthy food or even enough food.

Addiction can also take a toll on how your body processes the food you eat. Substances like alcohol, stimulants or opioids and even the stress of behavioural addiction can mess with your appetite, your digestion and how your body absorbs important nutrients. Without the vitamins and minerals your body needs, you are then left running on empty and relying on more substances to function.

Eating disorders and addiction also show up together regularly, with many people experiencing both at the same time. This includes:

• 1 in 4 people with anorexia 
• 1 in 3 people with bulimia 
• 1 in 4 people with binge eating disorder 

The reasons for this are complex and unique to each person. Someone with an eating disorder might turn to substances to escape feelings of guilt, stress or shame, while addiction might make eating patterns worse. Whatever the reason, when these two issues mix, they can make each other even harder to deal with.

Addiction experts have long recognised the importance of nutrition in addiction recovery. Good nutrition helps with the healing process and gives you the energy you need to work through the tough challenges of rehab treatment.

Here is the role of nutrition in addiction recovery:

If your good eating habits end when you leave rehab, you can make everything feel harder than it needs to be. Poor nutrition can increase your cravings, make emotions harder to handle and slow down your healing. If you start putting on weight, it can affect your self-esteem, which often receives a boost during rehab. Most worryingly, perhaps, your mental health can also take a major hit, and this is a common route to relapse.

That is why learning to eat well and bringing those lessons into your everyday life is so important. Good nutrition gives your body and mind what they need to work at their optimum levels so you can live a happy, healthy, sober life.

Want to know more about the role of nutrition in addiction recovery? Get in touch with Liberty House today. Our friendly team is here to answer your questions, explain how nutrition fits into our rehab programmes and talk you through the treatments we offer. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for extra support with healthy eating, Liberty House can help!