Regular consumption of alcohol or other drugs deprives the body of essential nutrients. Marijuana smokers are notorious for “having the munchies” and binge eating. Someone with an alcohol addiction who has remained sober for months or years may find themselves drinking again. They may binge drink once or drink for a period of time before getting sober again.
Eat Plenty of Vegetables
We get amino acids from protein in foods like meat, dairy products, and nuts, along with some grains and beans. Getting enough water can also help to improve your mood and other cognitive functions at a time when you could really use it—especially if you’re detoxing. Fiber is important for a healthy digestive tract, especially if you are recovering from an opioid addiction, which commonly causes gastrointestinal side effects during withdrawal.
Staying Social When You Quit Drinking
Ideally, your rehab will connect you to nutritional aftercare, such as a nutritional counselor, that can check on your diet plan outside of residential treatment. The assessment begins with weight, but dietitians also evaluate heart rate, cholesterol levels and other nutritional levels. They also make sure the person hasn’t turned to food as a coping mechanism. Dietitians try to start rehab clients on a healthy diet as soon as possible, but withdrawal complicates most meal plans. Unhealthy diets inhibit recovery by causing headaches, sleep problems and low energy levels. Many of those symptoms are also caused by drug withdrawal, so it’s difficult for many people to know if they’re hungry or in withdrawal.
Depression in Older Adults
Maintaining sobriety is easier when the body is healthy and nourished. That’s why comprehensive meal plans are key components of addiction treatment. People in recovery should learn to prepare and eat healthy meals to feel happier and more energized. Maintaining a healthy diet can help prevent relapse and aid a person’s recovery. This will help support your recovery and ease your transition to a newly sober life. Rather than shopping for each vitamin, it’s best to understand the components of a healthy diet.
- Many drugs, when abused, may also prevent your body from receiving the proper nutrients it needs from foods.
- In addition to doctors and psychologists, many clergy members, social workers, and counselors offer addiction treatment services.
- In some cases, scurvy can develop in those who truly ignore fruit and vegetable requirements, leading to serious health concerns outside of standard risks, like liver disease.
- Protein from both animal and plant sources are broken down into amino acids that the body uses to repair cells.
Unsaturated fats help the body absorb vitamins, reduce inflammation and balance hormones. The omega-3 fats found in fish, walnuts, chia and flax seeds can help stabilize mood and improve brain function. Fish like salmon and tuna have a special type of omega-3 fat called DHA, which plays a major role in brain function.
- They understand the complexities of nutritional deficiencies common in those recovering from alcoholism and can develop meal plans that address these issues.
- It is for these reasons that experts warn about consuming unlimited quantities of sugar and instead recommend opting for a healthier diet.
- A good alcohol detox diet is just one component of a supportive care plan for people who are detoxing from alcohol.
- Recovery patients should stay away from certain foods because of their ability to crash a good mood or reinforce pathways to addiction.
- If you’re able to make an investment, consider getting a juicer and plenty of fruits and vegetables to start getting vitamins back in your system while you hydrate.
This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care. Dairy products are good sources of both calcium and vitamin A, promoting strong, healthy bones and teeth as well as healthy digestion. Dairy products can be high in fat, but skim milk, yogurt, butter and some cheeses can be a good way to supplement your diet. Vegetables are packed with critical vitamins and nutrients, so getting plenty of leafy greens is always encouraged.
Treatment programs for veterans with co-occurring disorders
What you can do is make positive choices for yourself, encourage your loved one to get help, and offer your support while making sure you don’t lose yourself in the process. Just make sure your group is accepting of the idea of co-occurring disorders and psychiatric medication. Some people in these groups, although well meaning, may mistake taking psychiatric medication as another form of addiction. Make face-to-face connection with friends and family a priority. Positive emotional connection to those around you is the quickest way to calm your nervous system.
Many drinks like soda, sweetened teas, iced coffees, and fruit juices contain lots of added sugars. In some cases, the sugar content of these beverages actually exceeds the sugary foods listed above. Hemoglobin helps your red blood cells carry oxygen to your body’s organs and tissues, then transports carbon dioxide from those best foods for alcohol recovery organs and tissues back to your lungs. And just like vitamin B and zinc, alcohol affects how the body absorbs iron from food, causing an imbalance when you first stop drinking. Carbs are a big part of providing your body with energy, but it’s far easier to eat empty carbs than more nutritionally beneficial complex carbs.
It’s often at the center of social situations and closely linked to celebrations and enjoyment. If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please contact at You may have a strong urge to eat sweets because they set off dopamine, the same chemical messenger triggered by some drugs. Too little could eventually cause serious learning and memory problems, a condition called Wernicke-Korsakoff’s syndrome. Eat beans, peas, lentils, pork, brown rice, and fortified foods like breakfast cereal.
Protein from both animal and plant sources are broken down into amino acids that the body uses to repair cells. Animal sources of protein like tuna, turkey and chicken are also great sources of vitamin B6. Red meat, pork and poultry provide iron, and fish like salmon are great sources of both omega-3 fatty acids and calcium.