While cooking and recovering from addiction do not seem to have much in common, cooking can actually be a great coping skill. Engaging in new hobbies that do not include drugs or alcohol can help to clear your head and result in a smoother recovery process. Sober cooking is a really interesting hobby where you can express yourself creatively and improve your overall quality of life. Here are some of the benefits of incorporating sober cooking into your life:
Health and Nutrition
When active in an addiction, many people will disregard their overall health. This usually results in unhealthy eating patterns and not getting the nutrition you need. Cooking can be a fun way to improve your health while recovering from addiction by being mindful of what food is going into your body. Cooking for yourself is almost always better for you than eating out or eating processed foods. Nutrition also plays an important role in your recovery. Eating a diet that balances serotonin is key to feeling more relaxed while sober. Many addictions cause people to become deficient in multiple vitamins, which the proper foods can restore. During the first year of your recovery, your nutrition needs are even higher than normal. Therefore, eating good foods is necessary for a proper recovery.
Mental Health and Brain Function
A poor diet will affect your physical health, but it will also affect your mental health. Eating foods that are highly processed and low in nutritional value during recovery can lead to depression and anxiety, which could be a relapse trigger. In order to prevent a relapse, preparing balanced meals is a necessity. In the early recovery stages, some might experience post-acute withdrawal syndrome, which can cause temporary cognitive impairments. Not only will good foods help your brain function properly, but cooking will also stimulate the brain. Cooking involves practicing key cognitive skills and can recover any lost cognition. The process of preparing ingredients, reading a recipe, and working with cooking tools can be the exercise your brain needs.
Social Skills
Addiction can cause some people to isolate themselves from their peers. But addiction recovery does not have to be a lonely process. Sober cooking with friends and family can help you make connections or restore old friendships. Preparing meals with other people while working together can be a great bonding experience. Inviting others for a meal could also be an inspiration to get into cooking when you do not want to cook for yourself. Perhaps some friends and family even have some cooking tips to help you along the way or some tasty recipes for you to follow.
Road to Recovery
Recovering from addiction is no easy task, but there are so many ways to make the process much easier. At the American Treatment Network in Havertown, PA, and Wilmington, DE, our goal is to achieve lifelong sobriety. Our substance abuse treatment involves treating the whole person by creating a strengths-based perspective. We have a team of professionals with experience in mental health treatment to help you along with your recovery. Contact American Treatment Network today to fully recover from addiction and build a better life.
