This is the fourth post in our ongoing series about how healthy food choices support your recovery from a substance use disorder. The first three entries took us through the major meals of the day while also considering the importance of hydration and a couple of snacking situations. You can find those entries here, here, and here.
In earlier entries in the series, we have mentioned sugar in passing, suggesting that it is a good idea to limit the amount you consume. We could leave it at that, but the fact is that sugar can be particularly troublesome for a person in recovery from a substance use disorder.
So let’s tackle this sweet subject—that can have some not-so-sweet impacts on your health and your recovery.
Sugar Can Sink Its Teeth in You
We do not usually think of sugar as something with bite. Generally, when we use “sugar” as a metaphor, it is for something positive. For example, “sugar” might be an affectionate nickname or slang for a kiss.
That said, most of us are aware that sugar can pose some problems if we consume too much. That knowledge underpins the existence of the many, many sugar substitutes as well as the prevalence of advice for cutting down on sugar in our diets.
For a person in recovery, however, sugar can really bare its teeth. This is because sugar provides the brain with a version of the stimulation it used to get from the substances an individual was consuming before they sought out treatment. The sugar effect is less powerful than that of drugs, but the brain of a person in recovery is primed for the kind of rush that can come with sugar consumption. In the absence of drugs, sugar can be a substitute—and soon enough, cravings for sugar are in play.
To put it more simply: Sugar makes you feel good, but the good feelings only last for a while. When the feelings fade, you consume more sugar to get them back. The up and down cycle goes around and around.
That probably sounds familiar if you are in recovery from a substance use disorder. And in some cases, the sugar cycle can lead you back to the kind of substances you worked so hard to leave behind.
Five Ideas for Breaking the Sugar Cycle
In recovery, you certainly do not want to fall prey to any sort of substitute addiction—and that includes a reliance on sugar. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to curb your sugar cravings. Those strategies include:
- Eat on a regular schedule that does not leave too much time between meals—making it less likely you will grab a sugary snack.
- To the extent you can, stick to whole (that is, unprocessed) foods. Processed foods tend to contain more sugar.
- Turn up the level of spiciness in your diet. Spicy foods may cancel out the brain’s desire for sugar—though research is ongoing.
- Get enough restful sleep. When you are well rested, you are less likely to crave the energy boost that comes from consuming sugar.
- Work toward moderating the amount of sugar in your diet by reading labels and making good choices. It is difficult to avoid sugar entirely—especially since it can be hiding where you least expect it (in ketchup, for example)—but you can make progress by checking labels in the grocery store. In addition, each time you choose a beverage or food that is lower in sugar, you are doing the work that can prevent sugar from becoming a significant problem in your recovery.
All of the strategies above take some planning and commitment, but they can pay off by ensuring that sugar does not establish itself as your “drug” of choice or tempt you toward the substances that were upending your life before treatment.
Still to Come: A Look at Cooking and Gardening and More
We are over halfway through this series on healthy eating, but we still have more information and ideas to share. In the next post in the series, we will consider cooking and gardening as ways to support your efforts to eat healthfully. And then we will wrap the series up with a deeper dive into the kinds of foods that have a positive impact on your health and your recovery.
Starting Your Recovery Is the Sweetest Thing You Can Do
Located in Mesa, Arizona, Canyon Vista Recovery Center is dedicated to helping individuals reclaim their lives from drugs and alcohol. If you are in the grips of a substance use disorder, your life might seem sour in the extreme. After all, your physical and mental health, your relationships, your finances, and more are probably suffering in increasingly dire ways.
Treatment can return the sweetness to your life, giving you the opportunity to rebuild and move forward in positive ways. Our detoxification, rehabilitation, and alumni programs can get you pointed in the right direction. When you are ready to trade the sour for the sweet, we are here to help.
