What Rehab Centers Offer Gluten-Free Diets?
People who are recovering from addiction often try to get healthier by trying out unique diets and the increasingly popular gluten-free diet is just one of them. This diet, originally a way to treat Celiac disease, has become one of the most popular (and controversial) diets on the market. Trying to eat a gluten-free diet in drug rehabilitation is a noble goal, but it can be tricky.
If you have Celiac disease, you obviously are going to have to learn how to live without gluten during rehabilitation. But if you’re simply interested in experiencing the many benefits of a gluten-free diet, you’re going to need a little education on how to get started. You’re also going to have to know how to find drug rehabilitation clinics that utilize gluten-free diets.
Benefits Of A Gluten-Free Diet
The first advantage of a gluten-free diet is well-known: it helps treat diseases that react negatively to gluten. During your drug rehabilitation treatment, this will be essential as you’re going to need to be as healthy as possible to fight off the symptoms of withdrawal.
Other benefits of gluten-free diets include:
- Decreased sluggishness
- Improved mood
- Decreased reliance on heavy eating
- Increased ability to lose weight
Many of these mental health benefits will be essential during your drug rehabilitation treatment. Struggling to maintain a positive state will be a major difficulty, and the mood-boosting abilities of a gluten-free diet may make it easier for you.
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Foods With Gluten
Gluten is present primarily in the various grains that make up the majority of our diet. Try to avoid foods with the following grains to stay gluten-free:
- Rye
- Wheat
- Barley
- Bulgur
- Farina
- Couscous
- Semolina
Foods such as soups, ketchup, cabbage, and even cheese, are all heavily imbued with gluten. However, even items as diverse as shampoo, cosmetics, lipsticks, and self-adhesive stamps have gluten. Avoid using these items to stay gluten-free.
When going gluten-free, you’re going to have to take vitamin supplements, such as iron and zinc to avoid malnutrition. That’s because gluten-rich foods offer some of the highest concentrations of certain vitamins, which is the major reason they are so popular as food products.
Symptoms Of Gluten Intolerance
Gluten intolerance is actually relatively difficult to diagnose. It’s not that the symptoms aren’t obvious: it’s that many people tend to ignore them. Even people without Celiac disease can show intolerance symptoms when eating gluten-rich food, symptoms that include:
- Upset stomach
- Indigestion
- Bloating
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Diarrhea
- Severe mood swings
- Depression
- Tiredness
- Rashes
- Severe (and unexplainable) vitamin deficiencies
Obviously, you’re not going to want to be suffering from these problems while undergoing drug rehabilitation. That’s why most centers will offer you a gluten-free diet; all you have to do is ask! However, if you’re simply going on a gluten-free diet without suffering from these symptoms, you may be putting yourself at risk of suffering from gluten withdrawal.
The Connection Between Gluten And Drug Withdrawals
When trying to get on a gluten-free diet, you are often putting yourself at risk for severe withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms won’t be as extreme as drug withdrawal, but they can exasperate those conditions. Gluten withdrawal symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Cramps
- “Foggy” head
- Vomiting
- Irritability
- Intense cravings for gluten-rich foods
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Anxiety
That’s why it might be a good idea to actually go gluten-free before attending drug rehabilitation. It can help you get through those difficult withdrawal symptoms before the difficulties of detoxification and rehabilitation treatment. So always make sure to contact your personal doctor before making a serious dietary decision.
The Differences Between Gluten-Free And Paleolithic Diets
People often confuse gluten-free and paleo diets due to their restrictive natures. However, there is a pretty big difference: while you can still eat certain carbohydrates on a gluten-free diet, carbohydrates are completely verboten on a paleo diet.
The more restrictive nature of the paleo diet also makes it pretty difficult for most people recovering from drug addiction to maintain. Not impossible, by any means, just more difficult. If you are interested in following a restrictive diet during rehabilitation, gluten-free is probably the way to go.
Finding A Center That Offers A Gluten-Free Diet
Most drug rehabilitation centers will be more than happy to offer you a gluten-free diet, especially if it will be beneficial for your recovery. However, our resources offered at RehabCenter.net can help you find a gluten-free drug rehabilitation center near you.
So if you’re interested in learning more about a gluten-free lifestyle during drug rehabilitation, please contact us. Our networks and vast information can help guide you towards the gluten-free rehab center that you need for your addiction rehabilitation.
