Food for Thought
During early sobriety there are many things we do that support the belief that we are now on our way to a healthy lifestyle. One being, we just stopped ingesting toxic and fatal substances! That's very healthy and something to be proud of But just removing drugs and alcohol is only the beginning. In early sobriety it can feel like we are still in a fog or that our heads are still processing all the new information. There are many things to take into account on this journey. One that can often be overlooked or ignored is, Creating healthier eating habits.
This is Not a “How to lose weight post.” We aren’t trying to tell you what to eat or how much to eat. This is simply a “Here’s some things you can eat to help your brain be healthier and stay focused” Post.
Your meal choices have a direct and long-lasting effect on the most powerful organ in your body. Your brain. A healthy brain is a key component of maintaining optimal mental wellbeing and healthy nutrition is essential for both developing and maintaining brain activity. To produce the neurotransmitters required for communication and to maintain a consistent balance of mood, motivation, and energy, your brain needs a variety of vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients. Our brains are also more prone to disease, mental decline, and brain disorders without the power of macronutrients.
Here are 4 things you can incorporate into your day to day and meals to get that brain going and stay focused on your sober journey.
1. Water
Start your morning with water. When you wake up, before you go for that coffee or energy drink, drink at least 16oz of water. Water fires up your metabolism, helps your body flush out toxins and gives your brain fuel. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends drinking 2.7 liters (11 cups) for adult women a day, and 3.7 liters (15 cups) for men in a day. This enhances brain health by boosting blood flow and oxygen to the brain, improves focus and cognition (supporting memory function) and helps regulate moods and emotions, decreasing headaches and stress.
2. Nuts and Seeds
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or other seeds to food each day or include a moderate amount of nuts in your daily diet. They include vitamin E and B6, necessary fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3 for strong brain cell membranes, and support stable levels of serotonin, a soothing neurotransmitter that affects our moods and appetite. They include phenylalanine, an important amino acid necessary for the synthesis of dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline, three chemicals that regulate mood. In addition to being an excellent source of riboflavin, iron, magnesium, and L-carnitine, which improves choline metabolism and prevents neuronal degeneration to enhance memory, certain nuts are high in vitamin E.
3. Beans and Lentils
Try to eat a bean-based meal at least once a week. Both are rich in plant protein, fiber, B-vitamins, iron, folate, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. These nutrients are vital in helping form healthy red blood cells, producing cellular energy, brain growth and function, and has been shown to improve cognitive function and memory. Try them on salads, in soup or just eat them plain.
4. Berries
Include two to four servings of fruit in your diet each day. Try to eat berries such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. These berries contain Anthocyanins, and can pass across the blood-brain barrier and protect the brain's cells against illnesses like cancer and aging. They are a fantastic source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Berries include flavanols, a kind of flavonoid that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that lessen and repair cell damage and help with memory.
Try them out! Find what you like and mix them in with your meals, smoothies, snacks and or salads and see if you feel better, mentally and physically. Look up what other foods boost the brain and have fun with bettering yourself.
Creating a healthy diet helps the brain, which in turn improves mental, emotional, and cognitive well-being which is a great thing to have when in sobriety. We have enough on our minds as it is. Sobriety can be challenging at times. But if our mood is balanced, we are thinking better and focused; then we give ourselves that much more of a chance at maintaining our sobriety and being able to help others.
