I’m so grateful that I’ve always had an interest in nutrition, because having the right diet is so important in recovery. We are literally malnourished when we first get sober, and many of us experience symptoms such as insomnia, mood swings, fatigue, anxiety, depression, irritability, and digestive issues because of this. Thankfully there are foods that can help with all of those Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) symptoms. While we were using, we were stripping ourselves of the vitamins and minerals that we needed to maintain a healthy mood, such as serotonin, GABA, and dopamine. When we give these nutrients back to our body, our mood is going to improve, and further, we will have more energy and a stronger immune system.
In my earliest days of sobriety, I was incredibly
dehydrated. Unfortunately, I was not able to keep water down. If you find yourself in
this stage, I highly recommend drinking your meals. Smoothies are great, because you will
probably be craving sugar. Load them up
with yogurt and frozen berries. The yogurt
is great for your gut heath, and by pureeing your food, you are effectively
pre-digesting it, so it will be easy on your tummy. Soups are also great for
hydrating.
A great trick for keeping cravings at bay is to keep nuts on
hand. They’re great for a quick snack if
you need to avoid hunger-related mood swings and they are full of essential
fatty acids that can help reduce feelings of depression. Alcoholics are typically deficient in B
vitamins, which are also found in nuts. To
add more B vitamins to your diet, load up on leafy greens. My personal favorites are spinach and Brussels
sprouts. I make spanakopita (spinach
pie) at least once a month. I also love sunflower
seeds, which are known to reduce alcohol cravings because they trigger a
dopamine release in the brain.
As an insomniac, I love cherry season. Cherries have a number of health benefits,
but I most enjoy them for their melatonin content, which helps to promote
sleep. For best results, I recommend
eating them about an hour before you go to bed.
You can also sub tart cherry juice, or melatonin supplements, but I
prefer to get it as naturally as possible.
Bananas are also good for sleep, because they contain L-tryptophan, which
decreases the amount of time it takes for you to fall asleep as well as being a
natural mood booster. They also contain potassium and magnesium, which are both
natural muscle relaxants.
Beans are my favorite food, not because of anything specific
to recovering alcoholics, but because they are so great for you. They are known
as a longevity supplement – beans are a staple in the diet of the oldest-living
people in the world. Most Americans don’t
have enough beans on their table. As a
lifelong vegetarian, they have been a staple of my diet. Many varieties, such as black beans, actually
increase the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Beans also have a ton of fiber, so they keep you full and promote weight
loss. They are also chock full of
protein.
Along with adding plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, and
yogurt to your diet, try to avoid sugar that isn’t coming from fruit. Like I mentioned earlier, smoothies are a
great way to cope with sugar cravings.
The problem with sugar in early recovery, is that it’s going to keep
those addictive pathways open in your brain and you’re going to get a quick
sugar high, followed by a crash that will lead to feelings of depression. You don’t want to feel depressed in early recovery,
because that feeling will make you crave whatever you are detoxing from. Caffeine is similar, treat it like a
drug. I suggest waiting a few months
before reintroducing caffeine to your diet.
It seems to be fairly common for addicts to replace drugs or alcohol
with food as a coping mechanism. Now you’ve
been warned.
