Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (77 page)

You are way above the recommended weekly unit intake for your gender:

males: 21; females: 14.

You cannot get through the day without a drink, each and every day.

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON THE BODY

Long-term heavy alcohol use can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, pancreas,
brain, and central nervous system. Alcohol suppresses the immune system, depletes the body of nutrients, and removes water from the body.

Over time, alcohol can affect the body’s ability to break down fats properly. This can lead to a fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis of the liver, which can cause death.

Alcoholics are at increased risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, digestive problems, malnutrition, and some cancers. The behavior of alcoholics often has a negative effect on their relationships and on society generally.

Withdrawal from alcohol can cause symptoms such as hallucinations, convulsions, anxiety, perspiration, insomnia, and more. Emotional and psychological support is needed during this time. Remember, the symptoms will pass in a few weeks and you will feel better than you have in a long while. But you cannot ever go back to drinking alcohol. It is too great a risk.

Action plan

The first step is to choose not to drink and then to stop drinking alcohol completely. The following nutritional measures can help you through the process of recovery:

EAT/DRINK

Fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, seaweed.

Alfalfa sprouts—these are high in many vitamins and minerals; alcoholics tend to have wide-ranging deficiencies, so high-nutrient foods are important.

Oily fish three times a week and raw, unsalted seeds daily—alcoholics tend to be deficient in the essential fats needed for brain and central nervous system function.

Water—eight glasses a day. Alcoholics tend to be chronically dehydrated. Water and herbal teas can start to rehydrate your body and help to flush out toxins. So every time you feel like a drink of alcohol, go for herbal teas or water instead.

Vegetable juices—they contain vitamins and minerals that are easily absorbed by the body and can help reduce withdrawal symptoms.

AVOID

You absolutely must avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates at all costs if you are to beat the alcohol addiction. These will upset your blood-sugar control and create cravings, sometimes ravenous cravings. And of course, the alcohol you take in creates more swings of blood sugar. It’s a vicious cycle.

Saturated, processed, and fried fats—these all put a strain on the liver that your body may struggle to deal with.

Coffee, which causes blood-sugar swings that lead to cravings. Your cravings may then lead to alcohol.