Aspiration

Can anyone share their experience with addressing physical damage done by alcoholism through nutrition, supplements etc?

I haven't had a drink for about 2 years and still suffer from mood swings, anxiety and depression at times, although this has improved somewhat over time.

At one point, I made a conscious effort to improve nutrition and exercise - cutting out refined sugars and reducing coffee and keeping a food diary, and for that time I felt on top of the world. At the time I thought I was having a spiritual awakening! Now I think it might have been the diet and exercise which made me feel great and I can't quite find the motivation to get back to it. I have also been reading some stuff on the internet about biochemical repair and it has sparked my interest.

Just wondering if anyone can share their experience with addressing physical effects that alcoholism may have had? I have read that nutrition can play a part in correcting symptoms of anxiety, irritability etc.

44556677

Hi I find cutting coffee down is good, extra vitamins vegetables, quality proteins, & quality sleep good. I don't manage this all the time but at least I know healthy living & taking care of myself works. Thanks for posting it's an interesting subject & I had a giggle when you said it was like a spiritual experience it's inspiring me to up my efforts. This has just come to mind that in recent years the link between good nutrition & health is very well established especially regarding mental health, I read poor diets can lead to changes in mental wellbeing.

Boleo

I find vitamin B-Complex or B-50 help me with that.

DylanS

Hi Aspiration,

When I was following Dr. Fuhrman's plan it was the best I felt in my life. It's a vegan, extremely nutrient-dense way of eating (including 1 pound of raw vegetables, 1 pound of cooked vegetables each day). I remember doing an intense aerobic work-out and then being surprised that I still had energy to do strenuous work at home for hours. It was like going from a 4-cylinder truck to an 8-cylinder - serious energy. It took about a month of eating that way and suddenly, POW - I felt better...and better...and better. Balanced, energetic, focused.

He wrote a book, "Eat to Live" which was his first book, I believe. He has a website, as well, of course, if you want to check it out.

I don't know what kind of program, if any, that you use for your sobriety but several types of work address emotional issues (AA and REBT are two that come to mind). Meditation, of course, is helpful, too. Yoga. But I'm sure you know this stuff....HTH, though.

NewLifeGirl

Maybe you were drinking to self medicate for depression...? Now you are sober, depression is still there. Just a thought.

I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder over 20 years ago, stopped taking my meds because I started drinking and didn't want to do both. Bad move on my part. Even after 5 days of NOT drinking and back on my medication I am feeling better!

Twinings

I was diagnosed with several mental health problems when I was a teenager.
Prescribed medication for a long time and was drinking too much too.

Since trying to get sober I've researched a lot about nutrition and even tho I have had lapses when I'm sober, i'm eat a vegan diet with lots of raw food/veggies/nuts etc. No more medication and loads of energy.
Plenty of evidence to show we don't need animal products, harms us, harms them, harms the environment.

I also have a lot of herbal teas for various things such as insomnia and anxiety.
Meditation helps too.

When I put crap in my body, I really do feel rubbish.

Wildog007

I'm reading a book titled Seven weeks to sobriety. I realize you've been sober a good while, but the author's take on nutrient and vitamin deficiencies and how they effect our moods and behaviors might interest you. I'm doing the detox supplement program currently which involves taking a large amount of supplements through out the day for seven days. I've been doing it only four days and I feel great.

serious

i'm surprised that this isn't enough motivation

food is medicine or it can kill you. changing my understanding of nutrition has made a world of a difference. my friends consider me crazy for drinking green smoothies and buying all organic, etc.
to me it was a profound change, that will be with me for the rest of my life.

"let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food" -- Hippocrates

b086

I've been sober for about nineteen months. my drinking and using was always tried up with a chronic, constant sense of restless, irritable discontent. i had panic attacks and major depression and delusions of all kinds.

i have found St. John's Wort to be enormously helpful. I started taking it before i got clean and i believe that it helped me through early sobriety. I still take it. In my experience, it produces no side effects, and I simply don't get as low as I used to get. It turned the volume knob way down.

I have also found a lot of relief in body work, especially cranio-sacral therapy. If you can find a practitioner with whom you really click, it can be like an exorcism.

all the best. know that you are not alone!

NorCal1970

I can reccomend going on a juice fast. A friend of mine had told me about this documentary where this guy goes on a juice fast for 90 days and loses like 80 pounds. It also allowed him to quit taking medications that he had been on for years. I did a 10 day fast and lost 18 pounds and was able to stop my blood pressure medication altogether. I still juice everyday for breakfast and lunch and then eat whatever I want for dinner. I am still losing an average of 2 pounds a week. I am close to having lost almost 100 pounds total.

The documentary
Fat Sick and Nearly Dead | a Joe Cross Film

His juicing website
Juicing for Weight Loss | Reboot With Joe | Fat Sick & Nearly Dead

soberhal9

When I was taking fish oil supplement, a multivitamin, and eating a diet strictly of oatmeal, egg whites, tuna, salmon, lean beef, chicken, vegetables, fruits, and brown rice, and cottage cheese. I felt great. My energy was up and my mind was sharp. On top of exercise. No coffee. Only green tea.

Soberella66

Digging Soberhal's dietary regime and also second Boleo on the B-vitamins. Though Ive found its best to take B-vitamins in the early part of the day because B-vitamins give energy and can cause sleep disturbances if taken during the later part of the day.