9 Foods That Actually Reduce Alcohol Cravings
Alcohol cravings are difficult to manage when people are in the initial stage of recovery. However, not everyone knows that the correct diet can help you combat the feeling of alcohol cravings and can help you stay true to your path of sobriety.
I faced the same feeling when I was in my initial months of recovery.
Even after returning from rehab, I faced ample triggers whenever I visited the places where my drinking buddies used to meet.
I even avoided parties and social gatherings for a long time because the sound of clattering glasses and the sight of people drinking was simply too much for me.
As I was struggling to maintain my sobriety, I came across a helpful article that mentioned some foods to be helpful in reducing alcohol cravings.
After a little research, I found out that many rehabs like Villa San Miguel Detox and Wellness center also promote those foods in recovery. You can visit website for more details.
Keeping that aside, I started including those foods in my diet, and Believe me, I witnessed a major change in my craving pattern. It kept on reducing with each passing day until I felt no more craving, even if I was in a pub surrounded by alcoholics.
Today, I will share those foods with you.
What Should Be Your Diet During Recovery?
When you are in recovery, your diet should complement your needs for serotonin. It means you must eat a lot of carbs in combination with protein.
Your body may suffer from minerals like zinc, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B, and vitamin C when you consume alcohol vigorously. Hence, your diet in recovery should contain food that is high in vitamins and minerals.
Too much alcohol consumption damages the stomach lining, increasing iron absorption abilities. Hence, iron is one mineral you can skip from your recovery diet.
Malnutrition is fairly common when someone undergoes alcohol addiction. The short-term impacts of this health condition could be digestive issues, sleeping problems, weak immune systems, skin infections, etc. However, the long-term effects of malnutrition could be brain damage, nerve damage, liver, heart, pancreas problems. Etc.
This is why, while planning your diet in alcohol recovery, you must push food slowly since the patient’s digestive system is not too strong to ingest food as soon as he eats it.
Hence, the perfect food nutrient ratio should be:
- Complex carbohydrates should help you consume 50%-55% of calories.
- Moderate protein intake should help you consume 15%-20% of calories.
- Fatty foods should help you consume 30% calories.
- 2-3 cups of dairy products.
10 Foods That Reduce Alcohol Cravings
Now that you have figured out your diet, it’s time you figure out what foods you should eat to minimize alcohol cravings. Find them out right here:
1: Fruits And Vegetables
Fruits and green veggies should always be included in your diet whether you are undergoing recovery or not.
It’s because when you are experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms like mood swings, fruits can help you manage that.
Especially fruits high in zinc like bananas can boost your cardiovascular health pretty well because long-term drinking can put a lot of stress on your heart.
2: Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is an excellent source of vitamin B, protein, and dietary fiber. In addition, it contains amino acids that are essential for the production of dopamine.
Since dopamine is the key neurotransmitter associated with the production of dopamine, peanut butter must be included in your diet.
Apart from peanut butter, beans, tofu, and dairy products could also be included in your diet to reduce alcohol cravings.
3: Fish And Chicken
Since alcohol addiction can cause malnutrition, chicken and fish would be the first food to include in your diet.
It will meet the long-lost requirement of protein in your system.
They are also good sources of omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D sources that help you sleep better.
4: Nuts
You can have alcohol cravings anytime, and you won’t get a full meal to support yourself.
This is why nuts can be a healthy snack, and when you have them, they boost your energy levels significantly.
Nuts are high in magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper, iron, calcium, and manganese.
5: Salmon
Not only salmon but mackerel and tuna are also good choices for filling up your need for protein and vitamin D. They can stabilize mood and lower depression, which are common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
Coldwater and saltwater fish have the greatest propensity for containing polyunsaturated fats.
So, if you eat them during recovery, the omega 3 fatty acid will help reduce alcohol cravings, regulate mood and improve cognitive abilities.
6: Yogurt
Yogurt is an excellent probiotic that contains vitamin D, and calcium that takes care of your digestive health.
If you include 2-3 servings of yogurt in your diet every day, it will control your alcohol cravings.
Apart from yogurt, milk and cheese are also good dairy choices to eat during recovery because of their high nutrient quotient.
7: Whole Grains
When you drink alcohol, it breaks down into sugar, giving you an ample sugar rush.
This is why people who are undergoing recovery often feel sugar cravings, which can be complemented by whole grain bread, pasta, brown rice, etc.
Foods like quinoa, barley, and faro are also high in vitamins and minerals that subdue the alcohol cravings in no time.
8: Cayenne Pepper
When going through alcohol recovery, the nausea symptoms are bound to appear from time to time.
That’s why cayenne pepper would be a good food to add to your diet because it reduces nausea symptoms, reduces your appetite and helps you sleep better.
If you include this pepper in your regular diet, you will normally eat again.
9: Sunflower Seeds
The highs and lows of dopamine are primarily responsible for alcohol cravings, and sunflower seeds can control that fluctuation.
These seeds are low in fats and sugar but high in protein.
So, if you eat 3-5 of them every day, your health will restore, and your nutritional needs will be fulfilled.
Stay Healthy!
Now that we have mentioned all about the foods that reduce alcohol cravings, you should ask yourself when you are starting to eat them.
If you ask us, we think you should start ASAP.
However, if you want more information, ping us in the comment box.