Diet for recovering alcoholics

Diet for recovering alcoholics

 Many alcoholics develop cravings for sweetness at the beginning of their recovery.
Sweets image by Vanessa van Rensburg from Fotolia.com
Excessive alcohol consumption inhibits the body's ability to absorb nutrients, dramatically influences the diet of the drinker and can result in severe malnutrition. A recovering alcoholic should not only stop drinking alcohol and carefully remove his body from physical effects, but must repair the body through nutrition to reverse some of the negative effects of excessive drinking. A healthy diet, combined with supplements recommended by the doctor, can help restore normal body function.

Alcoholic diet
Alcohol consumption deceives the body thinking that it has been fed by the calories provided that would otherwise come from foods with more nutrients. As alcohol levels rise, alcoholics tend to meet their caloric needs with fatty, sugary foods, according to a study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, published in 2010 in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association. " In general, while the level of alcohol increases, the quality of the diet decreases, according to the researchers.

Nutritional deficiencies
The most common deficiencies in the diet of alcoholics are vitamin B6, thiamin and folic acid. These vital nutrients help in the production of red blood cells and the absorption of nutrients. During the detoxification, or the period immediately after the alcohol intake, the doctor should monitor the levels and decide if supplements are needed to preserve the healthy functioning of the body. You should also check the proteins, iron and electrolytes to determine if there is damage to the liver.

Balance
There is no cure for cirrhosis or pancreatitis, two of the most common chronic diseases associated with alcoholism. However, there will be a time when the damage produced by alcohol, such as the inefficient absorption of nutrients and the low red blood cell count, will be reversed. Diets high in protein and low in simple sugars or saturated fats can accelerate this process. Make a recovery diet plan that contains no more than 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories from fat, with an even split between carbohydrates and protein for the rest, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its food pyramid.

Supplements
The B complex, particularly B12, contributes to a healthy metabolism. Your doctor can give you B12 injections or have you take B-complex supplements during the first months of your recovery. You may also need vitamin A, C and E supplements as well as minerals such as magnesium, selenium and zinc in doses higher than those recommended for daily intake, according to what Dr. Elson M. Haas writes on the Global Healing Center website.

Anxiety for sweets
The body converts alcohol, like other refined grains, directly into sugar, causing an increase in blood sugar levels and an adequate insulin response to lower levels again. Following detoxification, a recovering alcoholic will find that he wants sweets with cravings and starchy foods more than he wanted them before. This is the body's response to what it perceives as a lack of blood sugar because of the absence of alcohol. This anxiety must pass as other withdrawal symptoms disappear, but the compulsion to eat sugary foods may remain in recovery as a psychological replacement for alcohol. By sticking to your balanced diet and avoiding the temptation to "medicate" you with sugar binge, you can mitigate the long-term effects of sugar anxiety as you progress in your recovery.