Many addicts find that in recovery, they turn to other substances. The alcoholic is known to guzzle coffee after getting through recovery. It’s a staple item at Alcohol Anonymous meetings.

But the stereotype of the alcoholic who eats pounds of sugar when beginning recovery as a coping mechanism is more real than you’d think. It’s believed (by some) that an addict will never cease to be addicted, but rather, will switch from substance to substance. Maybe that means a stimulant addiction turns to caffeine addiction turns to sugar addiction. Maybe the alcoholic turns into a compulsive gambler. There are many ways that addiction can shift.

Whatever the case may be, it’s likely that once one addiction has replaced another, that should be treated as well. However, coping strategies can help in dealing with those addictive substances. Many simply do not have the awareness that they are replacing one addiction with another type of dopamine-producing food, which is perfectly natural.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “Some alcoholics ingest as much as 50 percent of their total daily calories from alcohol, often neglecting important foods.”

How Does Alcohol Affect Your Health?

When you drink alcohol, it must be immediately metabolized by the body, in a sense, setting aside whatever has been consumed, in order to process the alcohol. That means that if you’re trying to lose weight but are drinking alcohol at the same time, you are (literally) prolonging your weight loss. Alcohol can also prevent your body from consuming other needed nutrients properly, and generally deplete your body of crucial minerals, proteins, and vitamins. Those nutritional components help to repair cell damage, provide energy, and maintain consistent bodily functions.

That’s why when alcoholics come into recovery, it’s important to build up nutritional content in order to gain strength, and pave the path toward continued recovery.