Eliminating alcohol and junk food from the diet can be one of the fastest ways to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. While it’s important to keep in mind any dietary restrictions and food allergies you may have, certain foods are jam-packed with nutritious content that is vital to the overall recovery process. Before eating any of these best foods for alcohol detox, make sure to consult with your doctor to get professional medical advice if you think there might be any allergy issues. This is why nutrition and a healthy diet are such key components of the recovery process, starting at the beginning with detox. While everyone is different and their nutritional needs are different, certain foods are good for everyone when it comes to regaining a proper nutritional balance during recovery.
Insurance Coverage for Substance-Use Treatment
Choosing the right rehab center, with personalized care and qualified staff, is crucial for a successful treatment journey. Outpatient drug rehab is a flexible treatment program that allows individuals to overcome substance abuse while maintaining their daily responsibilities and living at home. It offers tailored therapy and support, making it a cost-effective and practical option for those with mild to moderate addiction issues. Increasing your glutamine intake during early recovery can help you suppress your cravings while also keeping your nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea under control. Glutamine is also good for supporting proper gut health, so get plenty of meats, cheese like ricotta or cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, and cruciferous veggies like spinach and cabbage. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is the supplemental form of cysteine especially useful for boosting antioxidants in your body and improving brain function.
- Both food and addictive substances present ways to escape from or numb unwanted feelings.
- Sticking close to these numbers can promote recovery and help alleviate some of the stress detox puts on your body.
- Discover how Medicare supports inpatient rehab, covering up to 90 days based on medical needs, progress, and post-rehab care options to ensure recovery success.
How does alcohol affect weight loss?
Adding these to your diet is a simple yet effective way to support your liver’s health. Nuts and seeds, particularly walnuts and flaxseeds, are small but mighty allies for your liver. best diet for alcoholics They’re loaded with healthy fats and antioxidants like vitamin E, which protect your liver cells from damage. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts aren’t just a healthy side dish. They’re packed with glucosinolates, compounds that support your liver’s natural detoxification processes, helping to flush out toxins. Your liver is a beast of an organ, quietly performing over 500 vital functions.
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Finally, be sure to skip the refined carbs and sugary foods and drinks, such as white bread, pasta, sweets, and sodas. If you have GERD or are prone to indigestion, you may want to also avoid other triggers prior to drinking, such as spicy foods, chocolate, carbonated beverages, and caffeine (53). Complex carbs are composed of larger molecules that take longer to break down, which can be beneficial for reducing the effects of alcohol on your body (49). It’s particularly high in magnesium and potassium, two minerals that can help minimize electrolyte imbalances caused by drinking alcohol (42). Quinoa is a whole grain high in protein, fiber, and a number of essential micronutrients (42). It also contains naringenin and naringin, two antioxidant compounds that have been shown to prevent liver damage and help optimize liver health in some older test-tube studies (33).
- 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.
- Women who drink heavily are at high risk of osteoporosis and may need to take calcium supplements.
- Picking the right foods prior to drinking alcohol is incredibly important.
- You’ll have a lot to work on, so getting your healthy diet establishedearly on can help you focus on the bigger parts of your recovery.
Lean Proteins: A Filling Option
- Here’s what you need to know about alcohol detox and withdrawal along with a list of superfoods to include in your alcohol detox diet that may be effective at accelerating your recovery.
- Consuming a balanced diet rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory foods, lean proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, and B vitamins is crucial for supporting liver function and facilitating repair.
- If you’re trying to lose weight, you’re likely paying attention to the calorie content of foods and drinks more than ever before—including your alcohol intake.
Regular consumption can help lower the risk of liver disease and maintain healthy liver function. You’ll be keen to learn why it’s on the list of the worst types of alcohol for weight loss. “With the high sugar content and several different types of alcohol shots, this drink is not going to be weight-loss-friendly,” says Pelitera.
- The development of addiction is itself an example of neuroplasticity, as the reward pathway’s activity chemically adapts to the presence of drugs or alcohol.
- Another older study in 12 people noted that consuming 17.5 oz (500 g) of strawberries daily improved antioxidant status within 16 days (28).
- Carbohydrates, or carbs, are another nutrient that has been targeted for heavy reduction or elimination by diet fads.
- While many foods can help promote recovery, some can hinder your recovery.
Plus, alcohol causes your blood sugar to drop which can result in increased hunger and snacking, adds Tanya Mezher, RDN, a lead functional practitioner at Malla. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce Alcohol Use Disorder the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients. There are no meal plans that major scientific or medical organizations specifically recommend. Nutritionists, however, can provide detailed, personalized meal plans for those recovering from alcoholism to help them meet their nutritional goals and optimize their recovery. Because alcohol causes dehydration and altered kidney function, you run the risk of electrolyte imbalances, according to June 2020 research in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
What Is Outpatient Rehabilitation
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. Inflammation primarily occurs when your body attempts to defend itself from diseases, but alcohol use can also be a source of inflammation. The more alcohol you consume, the more regularly your body is in a state of inflammation, which can cause issues with the liver, brain, intestines, and more. Inflammation can be especially impactful in the intestines, as the harmful components of alcohol can leak from the organ, which becomes weaker as drinking continues. Worse, the immune system will eventually struggle to fight off the resulting infections. To determine which foods are best for alcohol recovery – and understand why they’re so helpful – it’s critical to learn more about what alcohol really does to the body.
We are here to help you and those you love recover from addiction and begin a healthier, alcohol-free future. Contact us to learn more about alcohol addiction treatment programs that can work well for your needs in recovery. During detoxification, it is essential to consume foods high in quality proteins to help repair tissues damaged by alcohol misuse and restore normal bodily functions. Foods such as lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes and nuts are excellent sources of protein that can aid in the recovery of the liver and other organs affected by alcohol.
