7 Best Foods for Alcohol Detox
Adequate glycine levels can help you can feel fuller, stronger, and more nourished. 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. “For patients who are left with cirrhosis after severe injury to the liver from alcohol, even one drink of alcohol is toxic to the liver,” cautions Dr. Lindenmeyer.
Nutrition and Diet in Alcohol Recovery
Eating eggs may help you feel better if you’re hungover by restoring glutathione levels. One 2019 study found that a significant portion of individuals with AUD admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) had vitamin C deficiency, with 42% being severely deficient. The research suggests that vitamin C supplementation, in addition to thiamine, should be considered for these individuals. Clinical evidence suggests that the most common causes of relapse during this stage are neglecting self-care or not attending self-help groups. When you call our team, you will speak to a Recovery Advocate who will answer any questions and perform a pre-assessment to determine your eligibility for treatment.
Alcohol’s Detrimental Effects on Nutritional Health
It’s important for every person to develop healthy eating habits, but it’s crucial for people who are recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction. Even short-term addiction can take a huge toll on the body https://ecosoberhouse.com/ as it is forced to work overtime to eliminate toxic substances and defend itself against the damage they do. Achieving nutritional balance is essential in repairing the harm addiction does to the body.
- The food should help you get back to a healthy balance, and it should start at the beginning of recovery.
- Lack of these nutrients can result in anemia, which makes the sufferer feel cold, lethargic and frequently dizzy.
- Whole grains are fiber-rich foods that slowly release sugar into a person’s system, which helps to prevent mood swings and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
- These symptoms can last for up to several months or years, and may require ongoing aftercare treatment following alcohol detox.
- Talk to a doctor about your personal history and what’s right for you.
Tips to Help You With Alcohol Withdrawal
That said, everyone’s relationship with food is different, and your diet shouldn’t be a point of immense stress, especially in early sobriety. If a few more sugary snacks best foods for alcohol recovery will prevent you from drinking, it can be okay to treat yourself a bit more than usual. For those in the withdrawal phase, the most common food craving is sugar.
The 4 Stages of Alcohol Recovery: A Path to Healing
Protein also helps boost memory, concentration, and mental clarity that may also be inhibited by alcohol use. Alcohol detox is the first stage of any alcohol addiction treatment, and must be completed before patients can move on to overcoming the root causes of their addiction with counseling and therapy. Alcohol detox treatments not only cleanse your body of alcohol and help you overcome dependency, but allow you get back on track with a healthier lifestyle. Diet and nutrition therapies are widely available at many alcohol detox centers to teach patients about foods that can keep them healthy and sober for the rest of their lives. Eating a balanced diet with healthy foods during detox can help promote physical wellness and reduce alcohol cravings in the early stages of detox and addiction recovery. When you stop drinking alcohol, your body may react with mild withdrawal symptoms like dehydration or a severe reaction like Delirium Tremens (DTs).
Nutritional Deficiencies Caused By Alcohol
- Vitamins are essential for aiding the liver after alcohol misuse by helping with detoxification, regeneration, and metabolism.
- Your body has acclimated to quitting drinking over the past couple of years.
- Prepare peas, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin in a steamer to retain the nutrients in these foods, or make vegetable chilis with a variety of beans.
- If you’re struggling to stick with new habits during the recovery process, there are new ways to get the help you need.
- For example, without zinc, you can experience appetite loss, rough skin, and mental lethargy, and iron is responsible for helping red blood cells carry oxygen to and from your body’s organs.
- Poor diet and dehydration during alcohol detox can contribute to existing nutritional deficiencies and potentially increase the risk for severe, withdrawal-related complications.
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.
Amino acids in certain proteins are also used to make dopamine and serotonin, the brain chemicals that most directly influence cravings. Chicken, turkey, soy and pumpkin seeds are good sources of amino acids. While I am not a nutritionist myself, there are certain foods research has demonstrated to effectively support the alcohol recovery process through all stages of recovery.
