Today, I’d like to discuss a few key foods that aid in alcohol recovery that you can begin eating to improve your recovery journey. So, you’ve quit drinking—and perhaps you’re already starting to feel the health benefits. You may feel fatigued or toxified, struggle with food cravings, or not feel like eating much at all. And if you established unhealthy eating habits while drinking alcohol, they may suddenly be very obvious.
Nutritional Supplements During Detox
- Complex carbs are not to be confused with simple, refined carbs, which are often packed with sugar and offer little to no nutritional benefits.
- A treatment program that pays close attention to nutrition for recovering addicts will create a meal plan with appropriate portions that will allow a healthy reintroduction of healthful food into the body.
- It’s common for a person to crave sweet foods during a detox because sugar mimics the effects of alcohol on the brain.
- You may not feel like eating, drinking, or taking vitamins, which can affect your overall health.
Good nutrition helps your body heal, fixing the harm that too much alcohol has done. Foods that are rich in nutrients help your mental health, easing feelings like sadness and worry that often come with recovery. Eating a balanced diet helps keep your blood sugar steady, which gives you more energy and mood balance, which are important for facing the difficulties of recovery. Chronic heavy drinking can cause a person to become deficient in many nutrients. Alcohol abuse often leads to undereating or a loss of appetite, and it can cause people to make poor food choices.
- If you drink heavily, your liver will begin to struggle to keep functioning as normal.
- A person struggling with a substance abuse problem needs to eat well for their body and mind.
- Dark leafy greens can also be added to stir-fry meals and blended into fruit smoothies.
- They’re also a good source of the nutrients that people recovering from alcohol abuse need, such as vitamins A, B, C, calcium, potassium and fiber.
Complex Carbs
Moderate amounts of coffee have been shown to help protect against liver disease, but caffeine is a stimulant. Consuming too much can overstimulate the nervous system, causing anxiety, headaches and irritability. Caffeine also disrupts digestion and sleep, which are important for a healthy recovery. It’s best to limit coffee to no more than two cups a day, or drink decaf coffee and herbal tea to control caffeine intake during recovery. Another risk of detoxing at home is that if more severe symptoms develop, a person may be too disoriented to call for help.
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Moreover, a healthy diet helps your immune system, making you less likely to get sick and slow down your recovery. In essence, the right nutrition not only feeds your body but also cares for your mind and soul, playing a key role in your journey to lasting recovery. Even those who were formerly healthy tend to let their good eating habits go as they become more consumed with the need to find and drink alcohol. This creates a two-fold nutritional problem because even if someone does manage to eat healthfully and get all their nutrients, alcohol prevents them from being fully absorbed. That is why alcohol detox and alcohol withdrawal treatment is administered by medical professionals.
- We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses.
- They’ll ask about your health history, do a physical exam, and run some blood tests.
- Stay hydrated while going through alcohol detox by drinking plenty of water.
- Alcohol abuse causes malnutrition, which has a cumulative effect of weakening our bodies in the long run.
Accreditation by the Joint Commission is considered the gold standard in health care.
Some of the key micronutrients for neuroplasticity are vitamin B complex, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, iron, and iodine. These can be found in a variety of foods, such as whole best diet for recovering alcoholic grains, leafy greens, mushrooms, eggs, cheese, seafood, and meat. Good nutrition also helps improve your overall health, which may have suffered during your addiction.
Liver Detox With Lime Juice
Not only does our Sebring drug rehab offer recovery resources like financial management tips, but we also provide a wide range of addiction services to support physical and psychological recovery. Nowadays, labeling requirements vary for alcohol contents, its calories and nutrients, and the ingredients. Despite many attempts to add labeling to alcoholic beverages, the regulations concerning nutritional labeling remain convoluted. This continues to make it difficult for individuals to understand what’s truly in their drinks. To combat the resistance from family members, get them involved in the shopping and cooking process.
But eating sugary products in place of healthier foods during this time can result in vitamin deficiencies, creating additional stress on the body. Most alcohol abusers are prone to vomiting what they eat during detox, especially in the initial stages. So, instead of heavy, solid meals, it would be best to start your alcohol-cleanse diet with liquid food, like soups. Soups that contain vegetables and lean protein can help provide the nourishment that your body needs. Alcohol detox and withdrawal can be dangerous without medical support.
What’s diet got to do with alcohol addiction recovery?
Opiate and heroin use can be linked to nausea and vomiting, serious organ damage over time, and general neglect of one’s health, potentially leading to nutritional deficiencies. You may be wondering what diet has to do with alcohol withdrawal since you may only be thinking about the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and the grueling process altogether. However, what most people don’t know is that a healthy diet can have a significant impact on a patient’s alcohol abuse recovery. It is important for you to know these challenges when you are recovering from alcohol, showing you the need to take care of your nutrition as part of your wider journey to healing from alcohol abuse. Eating a balanced diet is essential to reduce the harm of alcohol and improve your overall well-being.
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