Alcohol Detox Foods: 6 Types of Food to Eat When Detoxing From Alcohol

One reason this occurs is because blood sugar levels are known to fluctuate during early recovery, causing someone to crave sugar more than usual. Sugar can also provide a dopamine release, which can feel especially satisfying for someone already craving the dopamine burst alcohol provides. This can be desirable for those managing withdrawal symptoms like fatigue and insomnia. As we’ll discuss below, it’s best to avoid these types of food in order to keep your body as healthy as possible as it navigates withdrawal symptoms and recovers from alcohol. Before we get started, you might be wondering what causes alcohol withdrawal?

How Alcohol Affects Your Nutrition

• At ECHO Recovery, I’ve found great value in the education and recovery support we provide for those who are struggling with substance use disorder (SUD), including alcohol use disorder (AUD).
• Because many factors can affect how much fluid your body needs, always ask your doctor or treatment team how much water you should be drinking each day.
• Healthy fats can help in satiating your cravings for unhealthy food.

I used to eat a lot of whole wheat bread (the worst offender), pasta, and cereal. Ever since I started eating meals consisting of whole foods, I’ve felt much better and become leaner. You can replace flour products with “slow carbs” – i.e., foods higher in complex carbohydrates that digest slower, providing longer-lasting energy, curbing cravings, and reducing insulin spikes. Juices and sodas account for most of the sugar consumed in the modern diet. These can be replaced with low-sugar kombuchas, unsweetened iced tea, or sparkling waters with natural flavors.

Why Nutrition Is Important During Alcohol Detox

And that’s not to mention their tendency to make us feel depressed or sluggish after eating them. Because withdrawal can already induce depressed and sluggish feelings, it’s best to eat healthier foods that leave us feeling energized and nourished. Also, because of the way alcohol affects our brain chemistry, it’s common to experience mood swings in early sobriety.

Practical Dietary Tips for Recovering Alcoholics

Joining support groups focused on recovery and staying informed about nutrition and recovery through reliable sources are also effective ways to maintain a healthy diet during recovery. Recovery from alcoholism certainly involves more than our just quitting drinking because it’s a comprehensive process that affects every aspect of our lives. An important part of recovery is eating well; however, it’s frequently left out of conversations surrounding the journey to sobriety.

How to Stay Sober

While I do not have any sensitivity to dairy, I’ve noticed that drinking lots of milk causes me to gain weight. For this reason, I do use organic milk during periods in which I’m trying to gain muscle and strength. But at the grocery alcohol recovery diet store, they instinctively opt for “low fat yogurts” (often filled with sugar) and cut off the most marbled parts of their ribeyes. Sprouting grains drastically reduces their starch content and increases their nutrient density.