Alcohol Recovery Diet: Best Foods To Eat and Why

When you start feeling good, it’s much easier to have a more positive outlook during the recovery process. Many people find that they can’t resist the craving for something sweet. However, there are plenty of healthy snack options that will best serve your needs while in early recovery. High-iron foods include shellfish, spinach, organ meat (like liver), legumes, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, turkey, broccoli, tofu, and red meat. During this stage, most people focus their energy on coping with cravings and resisting the urge to drink.

• The doctor may tell you to take supplements to raise your nutrient levels.
• A personalized plan can help make the most of nutritional therapy, so you may want to consider working with a dietitian.
• Essential vitamins and minerals play a pivotal role in the recovery process, aiding in the restoration of physical health and the support of overall recovery.
• Excess processed foods can lead to weight gain, elevated blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
• Some of the most powerful antioxidants for the brain are vitamin C, vitamin E, flavonoids, and carotenoids.
• Laboratory tests for protein, iron, and electrolytes may be needed to determine if there is liver disease in addition to the alcohol problem.

Alcohol Use Disorder: Nutrition During Recovery

It’s important to note that in some cases, alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous or even life-threatening. That’s why it’s crucial you speak to a healthcare professional before significantly reducing your alcohol consumption. For people experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, eating can prove difficult. But nourishment is important once a physician deems an individual stable enough to eat. Well-balanced, calorie-appropriate meals can help detox patients improve nutrient deficiencies, manage low blood sugar and improve and maintain their body weight. I know firsthand how difficult it can be to stay on the path toward recovery, especially when substances like alcohol have been an integral part of your daily routine.

Alcohol use disorder

• Alcohol can not only alter your brain chemistry, but it can negatively affect your nutrition as well.
• Professional guidance from dietitians and support groups can be instrumental in creating a tailored nutrition plan that addresses both physical and mental health needs during alcohol recovery.
• Glycine is also used to create protein, helping you replenish your ability to strengthen your muscles.
• Unlike fad diet programs, simple food substitutions can PERMANENTLY transform your health, mood, and physique – without any need to count your calories.
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids, found in walnuts and salmon, can help reduce anxiety in people struggling with substance abuse.
• A well-balanced diet is important to build up your vitamin and nutrient stores and keep you healthy during the recovery process.

Moreover, alcohol can exacerbate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and interfere with treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Alcohol consumption often leads to a vitamin B deficiency because your body cannot properly absorb vitamin B when there is alcohol in your system. Even moderate amounts of alcohol can severely reduce the rate of vitamin B absorption, so it’s beneficial to boost vitamin B levels after you stop drinking.

What Does Alcohol Do to the Body?

Recovery patients should stay away from certain foods because of their ability to crash a good mood or reinforce pathways to addiction. Lack of these nutrients can result in anemia, which makes the sufferer feel cold, lethargic and frequently dizzy. They may also experience frequent headaches and feel short of breath. Although staying hydrated in recovery is important, you should ask your doctor how much water is safe for you to drink. Certain health problems like heart disease can impact how much water you can safely drink. Aside from water, it can be beneficial to add hydrating foods into the mix.

• However, carbohydrates are essential for the function of the central nervous system and brain.
• The challenge of this stage is to essentially develop and maintain healthy life skills that will serve you for a lifetime.
• Similar to vitamin B, zinc is another nutrient that can’t be adequately absorbed when a person consumes alcohol.
• During the first 12 to 48 hours of detoxing from alcohol, people may experience withdrawal symptoms that include diarrhea, loss of appetite and vomiting.
• Once addiction has forced changes in the brain, however, it damages neuroplasticity and makes it much harder to adapt to sobriety.

She continued by explaining various resources like the 12-step program Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART recovery, recovery coaching groups, and therapeutic support groups. The level of care needed for your sobriety journey is unique to you. Seeking Best alcohol abuse recovery diet out an intensive outpatient program may be another step you take to find lasting recovery. He continued by sharing that those suffering from alcohol use disorder think about alcohol differently than those who don’t suffer from the disorder.

Whole Grains and High-Fiber Foods

This can make it hard to stay away from alcohol while you’re trying to get better. With careful planning and attention to your diet and lifestyle, you can address your physical needs, stay in recovery, and go on to live a meaningful life. Daily drinking can have serious consequences for a person’s health, both in the short- and long-term.

Dual Diagnosis Treatments

Think of it as giving your liver a little boost in the right direction. “Nutrition therapy is very important in terms of feeding the liver and giving it the building blocks it needs to restore itself,” says Dr. Lindenmeyer. For this reason, most addiction counselors warn against ever consuming food cooked in any kind of alcohol. I myself avoided such foods until I was about one year alcohol-free, at which point I had already begun to regard alcohol as a worthless toxin rather than a forbidden fruit. However, for some people in early recovery, the flavor of liquor can result in “euphoric recall” and thereby serve as a sensory trigger for alcohol cravings that could potentially result in a relapse. First, cooking food in wine (or any other type of liquor) tends to burn off all of the alcohol.

• Amino acids in certain proteins are also used to make dopamine and serotonin, the brain chemicals that most directly influence cravings.
• Your brain is seeking dopamine, the chemical that makes us feel pleasure.
• Engaging with a nutritionist or dietitian can be beneficial in creating a personalized nutrition plan that supports long-term recovery and well-being.
• Protein aids in the repair of these damaged tissues and supports the liver’s recovery.

Treating Co-Occurring Eating Disorders

Coping and support