Researchers at the University of Bournemouth have partnered with a drug charity to launch an alcohol abuse rehabilitation scheme that emphasises the importance of healthy food in recovery.
The project – Nourish the New You – looks at the science behind how better nutrition can prevent relapses during withdrawal and is the brainchild of Dr Chloe Casey.
“I became really interested in the role of nutrition in recovery when I lost my mother-in-law to alcohol,” she said.
“As a nutritionist, I started watching the way her appetite fluctuated when she was drinking and not drinking, and became really interested in how alcohol can affect nutritional status.
“It has some really negative impacts on nutrient absorption and appetite, especially.”
The university is working with drug and alcohol charity We Are With You and the Friendly Food Club to deliver the cooking courses.
Mum Katherine Johnson has been sober for more than 18 months, in part thanks to her involvement in learning to cook healthy food.
“I started using alcohol as a coping mechanism to ease my anxiety and my depression,” she said.
“It went from drinking a couple of times a week to drinking every day, then before I knew it, my body became dependent on it.
“If I didn’t drink, I would have shakes, I would feel sick, and have heart palpitations. Then, unfortunately, my health deteriorated quite badly, and I ended up in hospital. My family found out, and then I started getting help.”
She told Sky News the club has made a notable difference: “First of all, I’m actually eating properly, and it means my family is eating properly as well. Healthy food is so much more enjoyable.
“I’ve lost a lot of weight, my skin feels better, my hair feels better, and my daughter is really getting into the cooking as well, which is nice.”
‘Eating is not on the agenda’
The hope is to secure permanent funding to integrate the course fully alongside more conventional rehabilitation methods.
“Once we can get this going and piloted in some areas, then we can try to collect that data and evidence the impact,” said Dr Casey.
The project echoes numerous studies that show a healthy diet can improve recovery from alcohol abuse.
Paula Loader, from the drugs charity We Are With You, said healthy food is not a priority for those facing addiction issues.
“Most of the time, when people are in the midst of substance misuse, eating is not on the agenda. It’s something you don’t think about… because your drink is more important,” she said.
“By bringing in this initiative of eating healthily has been great as it’s bringing people around the table.”
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Dave Palfrey – who was addicted to alcohol and heroin for years – said the food club has had a huge impact.
He said: “I’ve been sober for 17 months, and it’s all down to coming here… it’s saving my life. It means I eat healthy for a start.
“When I was drinking, a microwave beef burger would be that day’s food.
“I’ve never had friends before. I’ve had work colleagues, drinking buddies and drug dealers – this is the first time that I’ve had what I can call friends.”
