Nutrition and Recovery
How Addiction Takes a Toll on Your Nutrition
Drug and alcohol abuse can take a major toll on your body, especially when it comes to nutrition. While recovery is a gradual process, one often-overlooked factor is how poor nutrition affects healing. Food directly influences brain function—and when your brain isn’t getting the nutrients it needs, you may experience irritability, anxiety, and emotional instability.
Common symptoms of poor nutrition in addiction include:
- Paranoia
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Impaired memory
There’s a common belief that indulging in sweets and junk food during recovery is harmless. However, research such as this study shows that sugary, low-nutrient diets can slow down your progress. Why add an extra burden to your recovery by consuming foods that may disrupt your mental clarity and stability?
Substance abuse can disrupt nutrient intake in several ways. Stimulants may suppress appetite, leading to nutrient deficiencies, while other substances may increase cravings and lead to unhealthy eating patterns. Over time, this imbalance affects everything from metabolism to mental health.
The Role Nutrition Plays in Treatment
Proper nutrition and hydration are essential to restoring both physical and mental wellness during recovery. Deficiencies in macro and micronutrients can lead to symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, and depression—all of which increase the risk of relapse.
That’s why Cliffside Malibu incorporates nutritional counseling into our programs. We help clients learn what to eat, what to avoid, and how to form healthy habits that will serve them for life. While working through emotional challenges and repairing relationships, nutrition may seem secondary—but it plays a foundational role in long-term recovery.
Our dining services are designed to provide a stress-free, nourishing experience. We serve high-quality meals crafted by classically French-trained and Le Cordon Bleu–trained chefs, led by our Executive Chef with over 12 years of culinary experience. You’ll receive meals that are as comforting as they are nourishing.
How Nutrition Helps Keep You Sober
Long-term addiction can damage vital organs and brain chemistry. A healthy diet helps to restore function, repair tissues, and rebalance brain chemicals such as serotonin—a neurotransmitter that boosts mood and reduces stress.
Eating nutrient-rich meals supports emotional stability, which is crucial in preventing relapse. Many people in early recovery struggle to distinguish between food cravings and drug cravings, so eating regularly and nutritiously can also help minimize these triggers.
One healthy choice—like eating a wholesome meal—can create a positive ripple effect throughout your day, promoting better decisions and boosting confidence.
Nutrition Tips for Recovery
- Eat plenty of protein: Proteins are made up of amino acids, which help your body produce serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine—all of which may be depleted from substance abuse.
- Limit caffeine: Too much coffee can elevate your heart rate and trigger anxiety, which may be mistaken for a mental health issue and cause setbacks in recovery.
- Avoid sugar: Sugar causes mood swings and offers no nutritional value. Focus on nutrient-dense foods that help your body heal.
- Increase fiber intake: Drug abuse may damage the digestive system. Fiber helps restore gut health and improves digestion.
- Keep a food journal: Tracking your meals helps you and your treatment team understand patterns and make informed adjustments—especially helpful for those with co-occurring eating disorders.
About Cliffside Malibu
During active addiction, nutrition is often neglected. At Cliffside Malibu, our dedicated team of nutritionists and culinary staff helps each client rebuild healthy habits around food and wellness. Nutrition is not just about diet—it’s part of the whole-person approach we take to recovery.
Each patient is matched to one of five stages of the Transtheoretical Model of Change:
- Precontemplation
- Contemplation
- Preparation
- Action
- Maintenance
Using this model, we create individualized treatment plans that evolve with each person’s progress and readiness to change. Our goal is to offer the right support at every step of recovery.
Cliffside Malibu offers a full continuum of care, including:
- Medically supervised detox
- Residential treatment
- Day treatment
- Outpatient services
Services are designed for individuals with substance use and/or alcohol addiction diagnoses and provide a safe, structured environment for healing.
For more information, visit cliffsidemalibu.com.