How to Eat to Curb Sugar & Alcohol Cravings

Prolonged alcohol use often goes hand in hand with nutrition issues, so it’s no surprise that nutrition can play a crucial role in healing our bodies from alcohol and managing the cravings that make resisting a drink so challenging.

But why do cravings for alcohol become so intense when we’re trying to cut back?

Here are a few reasons:

• Nutritional Deficiencies: These deficiencies can heighten cravings.
• Stress: Stress can amplify cravings for both sugar and alcohol. For many, alcohol was a go-to stress reliever.
• External Environment: Social settings and work culture can make it much harder to resist.
• Internal Damage: Alcohol exposure can harm our body’s functions, leading to discomfort and increased cravings.

By optimizing our diet, meal timing, and incorporating nutritional supplements, we can:

• Reverse the effects of prolonged alcohol use
• Prevent cravings

The Science Behind Cravings

Many of my clients feel a lack of willpower prevents them from achieving their alcohol-related goals. However, we know that specific systems within the body can create an environment conducive to substance abuse. To prevent cravings, it’s essential to understand what might be working against you and how you can modify your nutrition to set yourself up for success.

3 Major Body Systems Linked to Cravings

The Brain

The brain is the strongest contributor to the intensity of cravings. You’ve likely heard of the brain’s reward centers—the regions that produce feelings of pleasure. These reward centers are influenced by neurotransmitters, which are essential for feelings of pleasure and calmness. Low levels of these neurotransmitters can lead to an increased drive to drink and intensified cravings for other pleasurable substances, like sugar.

These neurotransmitters rely on nutritional precursors to function properly. By adjusting our diets to support these functions, we can optimize our body’s feel-good hormones and reduce cravings.

The Gut

Emerging research shows a strong connection between the brain and the gut. Improving gut health can positively impact brain function. Prolonged alcohol use disrupts the gut, leading to imbalances that may exacerbate cravings. For instance, serotonin, an important feel-good hormone, is primarily produced in the gut.

The Endocrine System (Blood Sugar Balance)

Up to 95% of heavy drinkers experience low blood sugar or glucose dysfunction. This can lead to increased cravings and a tendency toward alcohol consumption. Sugar and carbohydrates significantly impact blood sugar balance. Like alcohol, sugar activates the brain’s reward system, creating sensations similar to a high. While some turn to sugar to combat other addictive substances, we want to break this craving cycle entirely.
 

Foods to Help Reduce Cravings

While healing the brain and gut should be a priority during alcohol recovery, managing blood sugar is a crucial first step to immediately reduce cravings for both alcohol and sugar. Here are some foods you can add to your diet:

• Protein-Rich Foods: Incorporating protein at each meal helps maintain fullness and stabilize blood glucose levels. Aim for at least 10g of protein with every meal and snack, and eat every 3-4 hours.

• Fiber-Rich Foods: Fiber slows digestion, allowing for a more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream. Pairing carbohydrates with fiber or consuming fiber-rich carbs can prevent blood sugar imbalances that lead to cravings.

• Healthy Fats: Healthy fats contribute to blood glucose balance by slowing food digestion and promoting longer-lasting fullness. They also support a healthy brain and gut while aiding in the absorption of vitamins that are often depleted by alcohol use.
  
  

Important Reminder

Because sugar and foods that convert quickly to sugar can impact the brain’s dopamine receptors similarly to alcohol, it’s common for those cutting back on alcohol to crave sugar-rich foods. To stop this cycle and eliminate cravings, it’s essential to limit these foods.

Looking to curb cravings with the support of supplements? Start with these:

The research on supplementation to diminish cravings is promising. These are the three supplements I recommend to anyone looking to cut cravings. You can also click here to learn more about our Functional Sobriety supplement line >>

• L-Glutamine: An amino acid found in protein-rich foods that supports gut and brain health. It converts to glucose without causing insulin spikes and helps produce GABA, a neurotransmitter that induces calmness.

• NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine): This supplement boosts glutathione, a key antioxidant in the body. Research indicates it may reduce cravings and aid recovery from alcohol use disorder.

• B Complex: B vitamins are often depleted through prolonged alcohol use. Supplementation may significantly lessen the desire to drink.

These principles form the foundation of using nutrition to change alcohol use behavior and heal the body from the effects of regular alcohol consumption.