Healthy whole grains include brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, barley, whole wheat bread, and whole wheat pasta. Whole grains also help to promote healthy gut bacteria, which supports liver and kidney health, the body’s two most important detox organs. Recovering drug users see improvement in their moods when they eat balanced diets, which often leads to the greater mental willpower necessary to conquer addiction.
It’s a scary disease, and although treatments are getting better, a liver transplant is often required. People who abuse alcohol typically do not pay attention to nutrition. 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. Fish, for instance, is healthy in moderation because it’s often low in saturated fat and high in protein; some fish also contain nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids. Generally, people who consume more fish report lower levels of depression, though experts have contested the exact fish oil or dietary factor that’s responsible.
Fruits and Vegetables
For example, someone with persistent nausea and vomiting will find it challenging to stay hydrated and keep any food down. Stimulant users will often stay up for days at a time and repeatedly use the drug. These “binges” may lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances due to a significant decrease in appetite and inattention to nutrition.
- Fruits and vegetables are packed full of the necessary vitamins, minerals and fiber the body needs with which to heal itself.
- Eating fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk for cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers and Type 2 diabetes.
- Nutrition for alcohol recovery is essential to healing both physically and mentally.
- 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.
- The best foods for alcohol detox are those that will help the body heal.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, and cruciferous vegetables, and consider taking a vitamin C supplement. Similarly, nutritional yeast contains many B vitamins that your body is likely missing as a result of alcohol use. Incorporating nutritional yeast into your diet is easy, as it makes a great savory topping or a thickener in soups, smoothies, and sauces. Nutritional yeast can replenish B vitamins and keep your body going without much fuss. 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.
Enhancing Neuroplasticity Through Nutrition
People withdrawing or detoxing from substances including alcohol may often crave sweets. Experts think this may in part be because sugary foods stimulate similar brain processes as drugs. While you are in recovery, it is important to not substitute one addiction for another.
While they won’t repair permanent liver damage, they can speed recovery. They also help maintain a healthy digestive system, which can be disrupted alcohol recovery diet by alcohol. Incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet ensures a wide array of these beneficial compounds.
The Bottom Line on Nutrition for Recovering Alcoholics
A positive mood is also affected by proper nutrition because it can positively affect an individual’s outlook on life–lessening the risk of relapse in some cases. Such deficiencies can compound issues that people with alcohol addiction face. Low levels of zinc, for instance, can translate into depression, irritability, confusion, and lack of energy. Low levels of folate and vitamin B6, coupled with a decreased ability to absorb amino acids, make it harder for the body to produce serotonin and dopamine—the brain’s mood-boosting neurotransmitters.
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Six months into nutritional treatment, 81 percent were still sober—a much higher rate than in the control group, where 62 percent returned to drinking. While alcohol abuse suppresses dopamine, alcohol itself boosts it, setting up a perfect storm for people vulnerable to addiction. Dopamine levels drop, but reaching for an alcoholic drink can restore them—briefly, until it contributes to their dropping again. If you have any questions about alcohol recovery diets, feel free to leave them in the comment box below. Too many people focus solely on psychological healing, only to be brought down later by biochemical imbalances caused by alcohol that can linger for months or years. Eating plenty of whole foods is a sure-fire way to increase your micronutrient intake.
Monument provides evidence-based treatment entirely online and at affordable rates. Vitamins are perfectly acceptable to help get your body back on track after giving up alcohol. You can opt for a multivitamin https://ecosoberhouse.com/ or seek out individual supplements that contain omega-3, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. Try to use vitamins as a means to support a healthy diet, not to offset an unhealthy one.
This is why mass-produced breads and cereals are “enriched” with a few basic vitamins, which don’t even begin to make up for the opportunity costs of eating these foods. One of the best ways you can help your gut restore its healthy bacteria is to consume probiotics. Yogurt is one of the most popular sources of probiotics, but other options include fermented foods like kimchi and pickled vegetables, fermented drinks like kombucha, sourdough bread, and tempeh.
Fats
For this reason, many experts recommend against sugary foods while you are in detox. Fish contains many healthy nutrients, prime among them omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Both are crucial for keeping you feeling healthy and helping you recover from damage and inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids specifically are among the best nutrients for fighting inflammation caused by alcohol. Look for meaty, fatty fish like salmon, which contain high levels of omega-3s and are also packed with a fair amount of protein.
Shellfish can help you replenish these minerals, helping your body return to normal functioning. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, found in walnuts and salmon, can help reduce anxiety in people struggling with substance abuse. Chronic alcohol use can cause nutrient deficiencies, and fruits and vegetables are one of the best ways to restore these imbalances. They may also help improve your mood, boost your immune system, and even help with alcohol detox. Find out which are the top five foods you should include in your alcohol recovery diet.