Diet for Recovering Alcoholics: Nourish Your Recovery

It’s common to begin craving sweets and other unhealthy foods when you give up alcohol. Protein is the building block your body needs to repair itself, whether that’s after a workout or after malnourishment from chronic alcohol use. It’s an essential part of a healthy diet for alcoholics who are in recovery. At The Recovery Village Columbus, we care about helping you feel your best during recovery, ultimately succeeding in your recovery journey. Contact a Recovery Advocate today to learn how we can help you achieve lasting freedom from alcohol addiction. Unfortunately, the most important foods to avoid when overcoming withdrawal symptoms are greasy, fatty food and too much sugar.

Our bodies metabolize foods in a complex chemical system, certain elements are essential in order to keep this system fully operational. The amino acid, tyrosine, is fundamental for cells to create proteins which in turn is essential for the synthesis of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine. Do not drink fluids with alcohol in them, even to help mitigate the symptoms of withdrawal.

Dual Diagnosis for  Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse

Fruits and vegetables are packed full of the necessary vitamins, minerals and fiber the body needs with which to heal itself. Complex carbs are high in fiber and healthy, natural sugars that boost your energy levels and promote good digestion. Fatigue and low energy are common alcohol withdrawal symptoms, but complex carbs help fight and reverse these symptoms. Before we get started, you might be wondering what causes alcohol withdrawal?

Improving your gut health can also make your liver and kidneys more efficient at detoxing. Hemoglobin helps your red blood cells carry oxygen to your body’s organs and tissues, then transports carbon dioxide from those organs and tissues back to your lungs. Drug and alcohol abuse severely affects the natural levels of two essential amino acids within the brain, namely tryptophan and tyrosine. These amino acids produce the compounds serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which are neurotransmitters within the brain. Our mood, mental-clairy, alertness and overall feeling of mental stability and emotional well-being are affected by these neurotransmitters. When levels are disrupted by drug and alcohol abuse, this has a great impact on a person’s mood and behavioral patterns.

Alcohol Recovery Diet Tips And Food Substitutions

If you’ve ever found yourself licking the salt off your fingers after you finish a bag of potato chips, you know how satisfying salt can be. But food high in sodium can lead to a variety of health problems, including weight gain, high cholesterol, and blood pressure. And that’s not to mention their tendency to make us feel depressed or sluggish after eating them. Because withdrawal can already induce depressed and sluggish feelings, it’s best to eat healthier foods that leave us feeling energized and nourished. If you find yourself craving sugar during the withdrawal phase, it’s best to seek out healthy, natural alternatives like fruit.

• Eating a variety of foods in recovery is a good way to ensure you are incorporating vitamin A into your diet as it is present in many different foods, including carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes.
• Recovery from alcohol withdrawal is possible with the right foods, fluids, and vitamins.
• It’s essential to drink plenty of fluids during your detox and recovery stage.
• Sunflower seeds are a source of protein that can not only boost your energy levels in a pinch but can also raise your dopamine, or “feel-good” hormone levels.
• This diet will give you the necessary vitamins and nutrients to build your body’s stores.

An immediate effect of drug or alcohol abuse is the loss of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients, however, the consumption of nutrient rich whole foods can rectify this and replenish them. Following a specific diet which incorporates a holistic nutritional approach, receiving addiction treatment from a top-notch treatment center such as FLOW can be vital for recovery. Eating a balanced diet can help manage the alcohol withdrawal symptoms and restore physical and mental health during recovery. The right foods provide essential nutrients that ease physical symptoms like nausea, headaches and cravings. Foods rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber will help restore healthy gut bacteria and replenish nutrients depleted by heavy drinking.

Tip 1 – Cut Sugar And Flour Products

For instance, too much alcohol impacts the body’s ability to convert vitamin A to its active form because this process requires the same enzymes that metabolize alcohol. You should incorporate thiamine, B6 and folate into your daily diet as your body does not store them. Good sources of thiamine include vegetables, fruit, eggs and whole grain bread. Vitamin B6 is found in pork, poultry and fish in addition to many of the sources of thiamine.

Using trial and error to discover your ideal alcohol recovery diet is a huge step in the right direction. Even if those studies turn out to be false, I’ll still take cheat days. I’ve gotten away with them easily, despite weighing over 250 pounds before I quit drinking. My goal is to live life fully, not to feel deprived and have a 6-pack at all times.

Nutrition to Help Your Body Heal in Addiction Recovery

These top five foods that aid in alcohol recovery are foods to prioritize as you return to physical and mental wellness. Because alcohol can slow down or even stop the absorption of nutrients, you can expect to deal with nutritional deficiencies if you continue to drink heavily. For example, you may lack adequate levels of vitamin A in your system, which can lead to vision impairment and dry skin. Some people may also drink excessively while eating very little, which leads to multiple nutrient deficiencies that are tough to correct. At Acqua Recovery, our nutrition therapy, led by our dedicated Chef Kyria Cropper, goes beyond meals – it’s a culinary journey infused with love and care.

• It’s a scary disease, and although treatments are getting better, a liver transplant is often required.
• Whole, unprocessed grains contain more fiber as well as B vitamins, which are a common deficiency in alcohol abuse.
• Most Americans have been conditioned since childhood to avoid eating fat – or at the very least, to feel guilty about it.
• Nutritionists, however, can provide detailed, personalized meal plans for those recovering from alcoholism to help them meet their nutritional goals and optimize their recovery.
• Vitamins are perfectly acceptable to help get your body back on track after giving up alcohol.
• And just like vitamin B and zinc, alcohol affects how the body absorbs iron from food, causing an imbalance when you first stop drinking.

Lack of vitamin D can cause the body to have difficulty absorbing calcium. Some best grains to avoid during alcohol detox are white rice, processed cereal, and anything made with flour, or cornmeal. These options have no filter content which can lead you to feel sluggish after meals.

This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care. Dairy products are good sources of both calcium and vitamin A, promoting strong, healthy bones and teeth as well as healthy digestion. Dairy products can be high in fat, but skim milk, yogurt, butter and some cheeses can be a good way to supplement your diet. One of the organs within the body which is hugely affected by alcohol and drug abuse is the liver. Your liver is your in-built filter which protects you from harmful and poisonous substances.

L-Glutamine is an integral part of glutathione; the body’s more potent antioxidant and detoxifier. You can find vitamin D in some foods, including fortified milk and oily fishes, like herring; however, vitamin D primarily comes from exposure to the sun. The body only needs a small amount of vitamin D, but it is crucial for maintaining good health. Eating a variety of foods in recovery is a https://ecosoberhouse.com/ good way to ensure you are incorporating vitamin A into your diet as it is present in many different foods, including carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes. Excess alcohol consumption also leads to the loss of fat-soluble vitamins that are crucial for good health. If you are still drinking and feel constantly fatigued, I would suggest asking your doctor to give you a vitamin B12 injection.

Nuts, Seeds, and Other Sources of Healthy Fats

No mimosas, light beers or any other drinks to “help get the day started.” Drinking more alcohol will only prolong withdrawal symptoms and worsen damage to the body. Alcohol vitamin deficiency is difficult to spot, and by the time symptoms start, it is too late to treat. Additionally, you have probably become accustomed to an irregular eating schedule and poor diet. This is something to be aware of when you pick out alcohol alternatives to drink. Many drinks like soda, sweetened teas, iced coffees, and fruit juices contain lots of added sugars. In some cases, the sugar content of these beverages actually exceeds the sugary foods listed above.