Some people inherit a special body chemistry called sugar sensitivity, which sets them up to develop specific behavioural and psychological traits. Sugar-sensitive people generally have a family history of alcoholism and are very fond of sweet foods and carbohydrates.

They are likely to be impulsive in general may be compulsive about eating or other behaviours, and may be overweight and/or depressed.  They feel both physical and emotional pain more deeply. They may have unexplained or disproportionate anger, overreact to stress and fail to get the results they hope for in psychotherapy. Many have experienced childhood trauma or abuse.

There are many issues involved in alcohol dependency recovery and one is your diet.  About 30 years ago, recovered alcoholics would advise a new member attending AA meetings to keep up their sugar intake.

However, this often ended up with the newly sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous attending meetings of Overeaters Anonymous to lose the weight they put on while they were trying to stay sober.

Alcoholism is a brain disorder combined with an allergy to alcohol. Alcoholics are very emotional people with a predisposition to over-reacting due to their sensitivity and impulsiveness. Alcohol is their drug of choice whereas others choose sugar and carbohydrates.

The Paleo Lifestyle is another resource available to help alcohol dependent people distance themselves from sugar and gluten. The Paleo Lifestyle stresses the concept that if we are not feeding ourselves with nutrient rich, genetically congruent, non-toxic and pure foods, there is no way our brains can function properly and alcohol addiction is a brain disorder.

One of the main doctrines of the paleo diet is removing processed foods and toxins from your diet. Alcohol happens to be both a processed food and a toxin.

Recovery from alcoholism is about surrendering to an old lifestyle and embracing a new life without alcohol. There are a number of recovery components including balancing the brain chemistry with supplements and diet.

An alcoholic’s body has been starved of certain nutrients and over saturated with a variety of toxins. Their body is also less likely to properly store and metabolise nutrients as they have become accustomed to an irregular eating schedule and very poor diet.  A component of my recovery program involves eating healthy foods to restore brain chemistry and reduce insulin resistance.

Many alcoholics suffer with hypoglycaemia and are gluten intolerant.  It took me many years to discover this very important aspect of successful alcohol recovery.  Why do so many alcoholics fall off the wagon?  They binge on sugar and consume junk food and before long, they reach for the bottle to satisfy the cravings caused by too much sugar.

If they haven’t worked on the mental and emotional aspect of their alcoholism, they are destined for failure. Alcohol is only a symptom of an underlying problem. That problem could be depression, Bipolar 1 or Bipolar 2, Borderline Personality Disorder otherwise known as Emotion Regulation Disorder, allergic reaction to alcohol, gluten intolerant or a myriad of other emotional or mental health disorders.

It’s a curious aspect of alcohol recovery that alcoholics set themselves up to bust. They may have 6 weeks, 6 months or 6 years recovery and every now and then, something snaps inside their brain.

The Paleo (cave man) hunter-gatherer ancestors occasionally let their hair down when they were exposed to alcohol by eating fermented grapes. You can’t maintain a high level of health if you drink alcohol frequently or in large quantities. The pleasant buzz that alcohol provides also places stress on your liver, creates a strong insular response and dehydrates your cells.

Alcohol is very toxic to the liver. It is a drug, which means it is addictive. Alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, a flammable liquid that is the by-product of the fermentation of starch and sugar.

Too much alcohol in your system makes detoxification a high priority. This causes your liver to prioritise detoxification over the uptake of nutrients and it is hard to burn fat while detoxifying from alcohol consumption.

The liver cannot metabolise alcohol into sugar, which can cause a dip in blood sugar and a rise in blood fats. Some toxins are not processed so they are stored as fat.  So we not only have an alcoholic but we have an obese alcoholic with the likelihood of Type 2 Diabetes looming on the horizon.

Alcohol has psychoactive and depressant properties, hence its inebriating effects. It comes as no surprise that alcohol is considered by many to be the world’s first recreational drug known to man.

Alcoholic beverages are divided into 3 categories, namely, beers, wines and spirits. The first two are by-products of the fermentation of starch and sugar found in fruits and plants such as grapes, coconuts and rice for wines, and wheat and barley for beers. Barley contains gluten, which can cause problems with those sensitive to it. Put down the alcohol and you could still be sensitive to gluten.

Spirits on the other hand, are also a result of fermentation from grains but undergo an added process called distillation, which causes much higher alcohol content. The distillation process however, removes any gluten and other residual proteins brought about by fermentation. However, that doesn’t mean that gluten isn’t added back into the alcohol after the distillation process in the form of colourings and even other alcohols.

Why does the Paleo diet work for alcoholics?

It limits sugar and gluten, two components of alcohol. Most beers contain gluten proteins. There is gluten free beer, but even that beer is still made with grains.

Amino Acid supplements like Tyrosine Mood Food for the manufacture of dopamine and noradrenaline, which are required for concentration, alertness, memory and a happy, stable mood.

L-Glutamine can reduce both cravings and the anxiety that accompanies alcohol withdrawal. Glutamine supplementation can be found in our Ultimate Gut Health Powder.

A good liver tonic like LivaTone Plus is recommended and can be beneficial in those who have an inflamed liver or a sluggish liver. LivaTone Plus contains all the B vitamins and the amino acid Taurine. It also contains the antioxidant vitamins C and E.

Magnesium Ultra Potent can be taken before bed to assist with a deep and restful sleep. It also helps to reduce stress, very beneficial to a recovering alcoholic.  Magnesium is also known as the “great relaxer”.

If you are in recovery but have turned to sugar as your drug of choice, then you are fighting another addiction. Synd-X, Slimming Protein Powder is very high in protein and extremely low in carbohydrates. Check out some delicious Synd-X recipe ideas.

Glicemic Balance capsules will help your body metabolise carbohydrates and will support your insulin function. Glicemic Balance is excellent when used in conjunction with a low carbohydrate eating plan.
The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.