What should I eat?

[beatle]

What should I eat?

As a long-time student/believer in the nutritional element of recovery, I swear by Seven Weeks to Sobriety

Alcoholism Treatment Program, Alcoholism Addition Treatment

In terms of its advice and incredible outlining of a nutritional protocol for alcoholics both getting sober and staying sober. It includes incredible explanations of why each nutrient is important, too.

One thing I would warn about, though, is that I believe that most of the supplements in the "Seven Weeks" protocol are supplied by BioRecovery (a company which I believe to be completely ethical and provide high-quality products) which basically offers chemically fabricated supplements, and also most are delivered in gelatin capsules.

I do believe in the integrity of BioRecovery, so I do not mean to denigrate BioRecovery in way -- I still order many of my products from there,

[beatle]

What should I eat?

[QUOTE=beatle;860752]As a long-time student/believer in the nutritional element of recovery, I swear by Seven Weeks to Sobriety

Alcoholism Treatment Program, Alcoholism Addition Treatment

In terms of its advice and incredible outlining of a nutritional protocol for alcoholics both getting sober and staying sober. It includes incredible explanations of why each nutrient is important, too.

One thing I would warn about, though, is that I believe that most of the supplements in the "Seven Weeks" protocol are supplied by BioRecovery (a company which I believe to be completely ethical and provide high-quality products) which basically offers chemically fabricated supplements, and also most are delivered in gelatin capsules.

I do believe in the integrity of BioRecovery, so I do not mean to denigrate their products.

[techie]

What should I eat?

Beatle Thanks I really appreciate this information here. Exactly what I was looking for. However, why would you NOT opt for natural sources of supplementation?

[daybyday]

What should I eat?

Studies Confirm it; good eating stops bad drinking

CONQUERING ALCOHOLISM NUTRITIONALLY

"The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41

An alcoholic is very likely to confirm this statement. One reason why the body is weak is because of nutrient deficiencies.

Another reason is because beverage alcohol is a slow acting poison. Other alcohols are immediate poisons. If you add a carbon atom to drinking alcohol, you get C3 H7 OH (isopropyl or rubbing alcohol) which is toxic. C H3 OH, or methanol, is found in windshield washer fluid and is just one carbon less than drinking alcohol... and again, is very toxic.

Beverage alcohol is a major factor in most violent crimes, notably sexual assault and murder. At least one-third, and some studies indicate as much as three-quarters, of all suicides are alcohol related. Alcohol directly kills about 40,000 drivers each year, not counting their passengers, pedestrians and occupants of other cars. I have no love for the tobacco industry, which kills over 400,000 smokers annually. Still, smoking is unlikely to lead to murder over a piece of meatloaf, and alcohol literally has. (Ray, O. and Ksir, C. Drugs, Society and Human Behavior, Mosby, 1990, page 173)

But, like cigarettes, alcohol does lead to lung cancer. And cancers of the mouth, esophagus, larynx, tongue, throat, and much of the rest of the body. Hard-drinking, cigar-smoking Ulysses S. Grant died of a horrible throat cancer which is obscured by a large, carefully placed scarf in his later photographs.

Given all this, and more, we are surely aware that alcohol is harmful to health. This is why the drinking age is 21, yet a person can legally perform other adult tasks, such as voting, signing a mortgage, and fighting in the military, at 18. If alcohol is harmful, is it any less harmful to a person of 21 than it is to a 20 year-old?

This leaves us with a need to either collectively or individually stop using alcohol. A general ban on alcohol has already been tried. Prohibition is usually written off as a failed social experiment, but the truth is that alcohol-related hospital admissions and deaths did indeed decline during prohibition's early years. Individual action requires no law. Many, many alcoholics have stopped using alcohol by the power of their wills alone. If you are in A.A., it is with the help of the Power of a Will greater than yours. If it works, do it.

I've taught college courses in biology, health, and substance abuse inside two New York State prisons. Quite a few members of my "captive audiences" have had drinking problems. (Incidentally, many are studying to become certified as alcoholism counselors). I believe more alcohol users and abusers could "work the steps" of A.A., or just plain stop drinking on their own, if they were optimally nourished. If you drink too much, then you are not eating right. Here's why:

Alcohol is filling, so it displaces more nourishing foods in the diet. This causes malnutrition.

Alcohol causes thiamin (vitamin B-1) deficiency in particular, and a deficiency of many other nutrients as well.

Alcohol destroys the liver and brain gradually, but profoundly. This damage INCREASES the need for nutrients to repair these organs at a time when the drinker is eating fewer and fewer good foods.

Therefore, VITAMIN AND OTHER FOOD SUPPLEMENTS ARE ESSENTIAL for the heavy drinker.

Which ones and how much of each? I would recommend considering the following, based on the many works of Roger J. Williams, Ph.D.:

1. VITAMIN C may be taken to the point of daily saturation, which is just below the amount causing diarrhea. Vitamin C improves the metabolism of the toxic by-products of alcohol and, in large quantities, is a powerful antitoxin. It has also been shown to be effective against hepatitis. (Smith, L. H., ed. Clinical Guide To The Use of Vitamin C, Life Sciences Press, Tacoma, WA, 1988)

2. B-COMPLEX (50 milligrams [mg], 6 times daily) Beverage alcohol (ethanol, C2 H5 OH) is a simple carbohydrate supplying lots of energy and no nutrition. In this way it is a lot like sugar. Excess consumption of either sugar or alcohol is well known to increase our need for the vitamins necessary for their metabolism, specifically the B-complex vitamins. It is safest, easiest and cheapest to take the whole B-vitamin team together.

The B-vitamins, including much-needed thiamin, help correct a bad diet and also help level out low blood sugar problems. Hypoglycemia is often a factor in alcohol cravings. The body wants simple, quick carbohydrate and we erroneously satisfy that craving with sugar... or booze. Niacin (vitamin B-3) helps the body to calm down. The B-vitamins have been successfully used for decades by orthomolecular psychiatrists to relieve depression and psychoses. Watch what they can do to relieve the D.T.'s. Incidentally, you can create the symptoms of delirium tremens in laboratory animals without alcohol just by inducing B-vitamin deficiency.

3. CHROMIUM (200 to 400 mcg chromium polynicotinate or chromium picolinate daily) Chromium, deficient in 90% of all healthy people, is almost certainly wanting in the alcoholic's diet. Chromium improves your body's sensitivity to insulin, so you can do more with less of it. Remember that alcoholics consume huge amounts of simple carbohydrates. The last thing an alcoholic's body needs would be insulin-resistant cells.

4. L-GLUTAMINE (probably two or three grams daily) This amino acid has been shown to improve brain function in alcoholics, resulting in improved sleep, decreased anxiety and a reduced craving for alcohol.

5. LECITHIN (2 to 5 tablespoons daily) Lecithin makes up one third of your brain by dry weight. Lecithin also provides choline, which your body can make into the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. As with L-Glutamine above, this produces a feeling of well being and self-control so wanting in most alcoholics.

Additionally, lecithin is lipotrophic, which means it can help move fats about in the body. The fatty liver condition so common with alcoholics is likely to improve with lecithin supplementation.

6. Controlled VEGETABLE JUICE FASTING has been successfully used to clear out fatty livers, too. Juice fasting, along with large amounts of the B-vitamins and vitamin C, may be a real long-term help with cirrhosis of the liver. The liver can regenerate to a considerable extent; Max Gerson, M.D. says that it takes about 18 months to do so. It is no surprise, then, that the Gerson Therapy focuses on the liver and on raw vegetable juice therapy for it.

7. A HIGH POTENCY DAILY MULTIVITAMIN AND MULTIMINERAL supplement is needed as well. It should carotene, an antioxidant and safe form of vitamin A. 400 to 800 IU of vitamin E, 50 mcg of selenium, and 50 to 100 mg of zinc gluconate or zinc monomethionine would also be desirable.

8. A DIET OF GOOD VEGETARIAN FOOD and plenty of fresh vegetable juices is important. A vegetarian (or even a nearly-vegetarian) diet effortlessly ensures better health. More fiber and complex carbohydrates; less fat and sugar. No junk food!

I have seen this program work. I've personally observed how charitably dispensed vitamin supplements help street people. I've seen just wheat germ (a modest source of B-vitamins, among other good things) help those in prison. I've also worked with financially well-off alcoholics, and supplements help them, too. Booze and malnutrition have no respect for bank accounts.

Remember: many people want to stop drinking but can't UNLESS THEY HAVE THE BODILY STRENGTH TO DO IT. Since alcohol hurts the body, we have to first fight back with vitamins, and then we can reach our highest goals. Don't tell someone to stop drinking; EMPOWER them to stop drinking. Studies confirm it: good eating stops bad drinking
__________________

[beatle]

What should I eat?

techie;860761 wrote: Beatle Thanks I really appreciate this information here. Exactly what I was looking for. However, why would you NOT opt for natural sources of supplementation?

I always opt for natural sources in supplementation (as long as they don't come from an animal source. I choose to not put any part of an animal into my body.)

Natural sources are just what they are -- if they are vitamins, they come from food, not a laboratory. Synthetic vitamins have to be taken with food because they are chemicals that need the natural elements (food) in order to be absorbed into the system.
Be
For ethical reasons,as stated above, I also stay away from gelatin capsules. Many companies now use "vegecaps", and often these are the same brands that use real food for their vitamins, not chemically reproduced vitamins. You will notice on the directions of real food vitamins, it says you do not have to take them with food -- because they ARE food.

[beatle]

What should I eat?

daybyday;860804 wrote: CONQUERING ALCOHOLISM NUTRITIONALLY

"The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41

...

Remember: many people want to stop drinking but can't UNLESS THEY HAVE THE BODILY STRENGTH TO DO IT. Since alcohol hurts the body, we have to first fight back with vitamins, and then we can reach our highest goals. Don't tell someone to stop drinking; EMPOWER them to stop drinking. Studies confirm it: good eating stops bad drinking
__________________

You said it.

This is also the basis for the "Seven Weeks to Sobriety" protocol, which relies on a very high level (some call it extreme) of supplementation and strict diets designed to heal the body and give it the strength to stop drinking and stay that way.

The Health Recovery Center claims that most alcoholics can get sober on this diet and supplementation with little or no medication.

I use this book as a guide, but choose my own supplementation and diet based on other sources, as well.

On this note, I would like to postulate that baclofen is in this sense an adjunct supplement that allows the body to rid itself of its need for alcohol and thus to be able to heal and continue to heal.

As I understand it, Baclofen is a chemical agonist of a naturally occurring substance in all mammals. Alcoholics have too low levels of this in their systems, for whatever reason -- probably a combination of genetics and environmental factors, and need to supplement it, just as I need to supplement the hormones which my thyroid does not manufacture.

Baclofen is NOT a medication designed to do something that your body would not naturally do if it could. Insulin is also such a "medication" -- i.e. it replicates something most bodies can do for themselves, naturally. However, it seems to me (I am not a doctor -- simply a layman) that most medications in the modern world introduce something chemical into your body to combat a sickness in a way that your body would not naturally do, because it would not naturally produce that chemical. Please feel free to add to (or substract from) this hypothesis.

The big difference with baclofen, which I find fascinating and puzzling, is that in order to get the brain/body back into a state of equilibrium, extremely high doses for a short period of time are often required, but after complete "saturation", so to speak, it appears that the brain/body adjust to that equilibrium and subsequently far lower doses are needed after the high-dose therapy.

Sorry, did not mean to hijack this thread. I do really see a connection with the "heal thy body heal thyself" train of thinking, however.

[techie]

What should I eat?

Thank you Beatle. i find your posts most helpful. BTW, I use products by a company called New Chapter!

[beatle]

What should I eat?

A fitting name, I suppose.

I've also used New Chapter... very good brand. Worth the extra cost (if you can afford it).

Here is some interesting information about New Chapter (even though it is put out by New Chapter itself):

New Chapter? Frequently Asked Questions

[techie]

What should I eat?

Thanks again beatle Very helpful!

[anna]

What should I eat?

Nutrition

I found this really helpful. Thank You!

daybyday;860804 wrote: CONQUERING ALCOHOLISM NUTRITIONALLY

"The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41

An alcoholic is very likely to confirm this statement. One reason why the body is weak is because of nutrient deficiencies.

Another reason is because beverage alcohol is a slow acting poison. Other alcohols are immediate poisons. If you add a carbon atom to drinking alcohol, you get C3 H7 OH (isopropyl or rubbing alcohol) which is toxic. C H3 OH, or methanol, is found in windshield washer fluid and is just one carbon less than drinking alcohol... and again, is very toxic.

Beverage alcohol is a major factor in most violent crimes, notably sexual assault and murder. At least one-third, and some studies indicate as much as three-quarters, of all suicides are alcohol related. Alcohol directly kills about 40,000 drivers each year, not counting their passengers, pedestrians and occupants of other cars. I have no love for the tobacco industry, which kills over 400,000 smokers annually. Still, smoking is unlikely to lead to murder over a piece of meatloaf, and alcohol literally has. (Ray, O. and Ksir, C. Drugs, Society and Human Behavior, Mosby, 1990, page 173)

But, like cigarettes, alcohol does lead to lung cancer. And cancers of the mouth, esophagus, larynx, tongue, throat, and much of the rest of the body. Hard-drinking, cigar-smoking Ulysses S. Grant died of a horrible throat cancer which is obscured by a large, carefully placed scarf in his later photographs.

Given all this, and more, we are surely aware that alcohol is harmful to health. This is why the drinking age is 21, yet a person can legally perform other adult tasks, such as voting, signing a mortgage, and fighting in the military, at 18. If alcohol is harmful, is it any less harmful to a person of 21 than it is to a 20 year-old?

This leaves us with a need to either collectively or individually stop using alcohol. A general ban on alcohol has already been tried. Prohibition is usually written off as a failed social experiment, but the truth is that alcohol-related hospital admissions and deaths did indeed decline during prohibition's early years. Individual action requires no law. Many, many alcoholics have stopped using alcohol by the power of their wills alone. If you are in A.A., it is with the help of the Power of a Will greater than yours. If it works, do it.

I've taught college courses in biology, health, and substance abuse inside two New York State prisons. Quite a few members of my "captive audiences" have had drinking problems. (Incidentally, many are studying to become certified as alcoholism counselors). I believe more alcohol users and abusers could "work the steps" of A.A., or just plain stop drinking on their own, if they were optimally nourished. If you drink too much, then you are not eating right. Here's why:

Alcohol is filling, so it displaces more nourishing foods in the diet. This causes malnutrition.

Alcohol causes thiamin (vitamin B-1) deficiency in particular, and a deficiency of many other nutrients as well.

Alcohol destroys the liver and brain gradually, but profoundly. This damage INCREASES the need for nutrients to repair these organs at a time when the drinker is eating fewer and fewer good foods.

Therefore, VITAMIN AND OTHER FOOD SUPPLEMENTS ARE ESSENTIAL for the heavy drinker.

Which ones and how much of each? I would recommend considering the following, based on the many works of Roger J. Williams, Ph.D.:

1. VITAMIN C may be taken to the point of daily saturation, which is just below the amount causing diarrhea. Vitamin C improves the metabolism of the toxic by-products of alcohol and, in large quantities, is a powerful antitoxin. It has also been shown to be effective against hepatitis. (Smith, L. H., ed. Clinical Guide To The Use of Vitamin C, Life Sciences Press, Tacoma, WA, 1988)

2. B-COMPLEX (50 milligrams [mg], 6 times daily) Beverage alcohol (ethanol, C2 H5 OH) is a simple carbohydrate supplying lots of energy and no nutrition. In this way it is a lot like sugar. Excess consumption of either sugar or alcohol is well known to increase our need for the vitamins necessary for their metabolism, specifically the B-complex vitamins. It is safest, easiest and cheapest to take the whole B-vitamin team together.

The B-vitamins, including much-needed thiamin, help correct a bad diet and also help level out low blood sugar problems. Hypoglycemia is often a factor in alcohol cravings. The body wants simple, quick carbohydrate and we erroneously satisfy that craving with sugar... or booze. Niacin (vitamin B-3) helps the body to calm down. The B-vitamins have been successfully used for decades by orthomolecular psychiatrists to relieve depression and psychoses. Watch what they can do to relieve the D.T.'s. Incidentally, you can create the symptoms of delirium tremens in laboratory animals without alcohol just by inducing B-vitamin deficiency.

3. CHROMIUM (200 to 400 mcg chromium polynicotinate or chromium picolinate daily) Chromium, deficient in 90% of all healthy people, is almost certainly wanting in the alcoholic's diet. Chromium improves your body's sensitivity to insulin, so you can do more with less of it. Remember that alcoholics consume huge amounts of simple carbohydrates. The last thing an alcoholic's body needs would be insulin-resistant cells.

4. L-GLUTAMINE (probably two or three grams daily) This amino acid has been shown to improve brain function in alcoholics, resulting in improved sleep, decreased anxiety and a reduced craving for alcohol.

5. LECITHIN (2 to 5 tablespoons daily) Lecithin makes up one third of your brain by dry weight. Lecithin also provides choline, which your body can make into the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. As with L-Glutamine above, this produces a feeling of well being and self-control so wanting in most alcoholics.

Additionally, lecithin is lipotrophic, which means it can help move fats about in the body. The fatty liver condition so common with alcoholics is likely to improve with lecithin supplementation.

6. Controlled VEGETABLE JUICE FASTING has been successfully used to clear out fatty livers, too. Juice fasting, along with large amounts of the B-vitamins and vitamin C, may be a real long-term help with cirrhosis of the liver. The liver can regenerate to a considerable extent; Max Gerson, M.D. says that it takes about 18 months to do so. It is no surprise, then, that the Gerson Therapy focuses on the liver and on raw vegetable juice therapy for it.

7. A HIGH POTENCY DAILY MULTIVITAMIN AND MULTIMINERAL supplement is needed as well. It should carotene, an antioxidant and safe form of vitamin A. 400 to 800 IU of vitamin E, 50 mcg of selenium, and 50 to 100 mg of zinc gluconate or zinc monomethionine would also be desirable.

8. A DIET OF GOOD VEGETARIAN FOOD and plenty of fresh vegetable juices is important. A vegetarian (or even a nearly-vegetarian) diet effortlessly ensures better health. More fiber and complex carbohydrates; less fat and sugar. No junk food!

I have seen this program work. I've personally observed how charitably dispensed vitamin supplements help street people. I've seen just wheat germ (a modest source of B-vitamins, among other good things) help those in prison. I've also worked with financially well-off alcoholics, and supplements help them, too. Booze and malnutrition have no respect for bank accounts.

Remember: many people want to stop drinking but can't UNLESS THEY HAVE THE BODILY STRENGTH TO DO IT. Since alcohol hurts the body, we have to first fight back with vitamins, and then we can reach our highest goals. Don't tell someone to stop drinking; EMPOWER them to stop drinking. Studies confirm it: good eating stops bad drinking
__________________

[Phoenix1]

What should I eat?

Yes Anna I found that very interesting also and am happy to report that I take all those vits/supps mentioned except chromium which I did look into and can't remember why I decided against it.
Onions and garlic are good for the liver,after a boozy weekend I usually eat lots of them,thankfully I don't have to be around people.

Phoenix

[Mirawizad]

What should I eat?

Vitacost

I used to buy products from many sources but have found vitacost.com to be cheapest in price and highest in quality. I have found Baclofen and L-Glutamine to be life savers for me as well.

John

[Sunnyvalenting]

What should I eat?

There is a book out called "Food Rules"
the 3 rules can be simply stated as:

Eat Food, Mostly plants, not too much. that about sums it up
Good Luck

[celebration]

What should I eat?

runningwind;815069 wrote: Does a good diet give you a better chance of managing this disease?:new::question2: runningingwind

that's never a silly question? I find that very difficult to answer!
:h:new:

[Sunnyvalenting]

What should I eat?

How I view it is that in making the decision to abstain I had a very positive impact on my overall health. About 5 months into abstinence I decided to start an exceptionally healthy diet and exercise program. I don't take supplements (I took B vits while detoxing). I eat a generic MVI every other day. I try to get Calcium+d every day. But the main thing is that I am shooting for 2-3 fruits and 4+ veggies every day. I am also eating whole grains in small amounts at each meal along with high quality protein. I also started walking every day for 3 miles at the gym. I was about 55 pounds overweight when I started about 3 1/2 months ago. I have thus far lost 33 pounds. I look so much healthier. A lady who has known me for 30 years says I look thinner and healthier than I did in my younger (much lighter) years.
My idea was to piggyback this success on top of the success of abstinence which is my main accomplishment. Once I felt confident it is as tho the confidence built on itself. I have heard this happens. When I was drinking I use to go on health kicks for a few weeks but I always knew that I was just getting ready for the next binge. This is and feels different. I have never been on a healthy lifestyle change plan for this long. I am thrilled and plan to continue. I was actually surprised at how easily the weight came off and how easy it is to stay on track (after the first month which was a bear).
I am using little self help tools that have made a lot of difference. If anyone is interested I can share them at a later post.
Good Luck and Good health starts with abstinence for me
Sunny