- A new programme is combining cooking courses with alcohol recovery support
- The approach focuses on how alcohol can affect appetite and nutrient absorption, which may matter during withdrawal and early recovery
- Participants described practical benefits like eating more regularly, feeling healthier and building social connection
A new alcohol rehabilitation initiative called Nourish the New You has been launched through a partnership between the University of Bournemouth and a drug and alcohol charity, We Are With You.
The programme is being delivered alongside the Friendly Food Club and centres on helping people improve nutrition and cooking skills as part of recovery.
The idea is to put healthy food back into the picture for people who are trying to stop drinking, at a time when routine and self care can be hard to rebuild.
Why food is part of the plan
Dr Casey’s interest in nutrition and addiction grew from personal experience and from observing how alcohol use can affect eating patterns.
The programme highlights that alcohol can disrupt appetite and interfere with nutrient absorption, leaving people nutritionally depleted and less resilient during withdrawal.
People working in addiction services also see a practical issue: when someone is caught up in substance misuse, eating can slip down the priority list.
The programme treats that as something worth addressing directly rather than as an afterthought.
What people in the programme reported
A participant, Katherine Johnson, described using alcohol to cope with anxiety and depression before dependence developed.
She said the cooking and food focus helped her start eating properly again, and that this fed into family life too.
She also reported weight loss and improvements in how she felt physically, along with her daughter taking an interest in cooking.
Another participant, Dave Palfrey, who said he had been addicted to alcohol and heroin, described the food club as a turning point.
Alongside healthier eating, he highlighted the social side, saying it helped him build real friendships rather than relationships centred on drinking or drugs.
Those involved want to secure longer term funding so the course can sit alongside more conventional rehabilitation support.
