What is nutrition?
Nutrition is about eating a healthy and balanced diet. It stems from the fact that food and drinks provide the energy and nutrients one needs to be healthy. Knowledge about nutrition makes it easier for one to make better food choices.
In discussions about recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, proper nutrition is frequently overlooked. People typically prefer to concentrate on things like detoxification, treatment, and support networks while overlooking the importance of the right nutritional balance for actual addiction recovery health.
Nutritional therapy
Nutritional therapy has been defined by a leading alcohol and drug treatment center near me as the promotion of health through personalized nutrition and lifestyle support. Instead of concentrating on symptoms, it takes a holistic approach to nutrition and lifestyle health that tackles any potential underlying causes of illness.
Leading inpatient and outpatient drug rehab centers near me are increasingly enhancing the nutritional components of their addiction recovery programs so as to bring the addicts’ brains and bodies back into biochemical balance through the deliberate implementation of dietary changes tailored to the patient’s needs.
For instance, nutritional therapy is advocated at Roots Through Recovery in the near term to assist patients in regaining their health and adjusting to the physical consequences of achieving sobriety.
The organization's long-term nutritional goal is to assist the patients in developing a general understanding of health as well as practical self-care skills. This gives individuals the ability to feel in charge of their health and positions them for success on the road to recovery.
Why nutritional therapy in addiction recovery?
The alcohol and drug abuse treatment centers that provide efficient addiction recovery are aware of how persistent substance use depletes essential nutrients that support the body's optimal functioning.
This is why these leading addiction treatment centers prioritize nutrition as part of their inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment programs:
- Enhancing of biochemical balances in the body
Long term substance abuse leads to metabolic imbalances that, when paired with genetic predispositions, can exacerbate cravings, anxiety, despair, and other problems that make it difficult to recover from addiction.
- Correcting nutritional deficiencies
Specific vitamin, mineral, and micronutrient deficits in the body are addressed through nutritional therapy.
In addition to making it difficult for addicts to feed themselves healthfully, heavy alcohol and drug use also hinders the body from absorbing some nutrients. Additionally, it impairs the body's physiological processes of the addict.
For instance, people who abuse alcohol frequently don't get enough zinc. According to a top addiction and substance abuse counselor, part of the reason for this is that alcoholics tend to consume more calories from alcohol than from foods like whole grains and nuts, which are rich in zinc. As a part of the process of recovering from addiction, nutritional therapy helps to fix these deficits.
- Control for cravings
The brain often sends signals to start a swift energy surge when a person's blood sugar drops. Cravings typically occur at this time for those who are alcohol or substance dependent.The body typically has a sweet craving, which addicts confuse with an alcohol craving. Therefore, nutritional therapy aids in maintaining blood sugar levels that do not result in alcoholic cravings.
- Reduction of pain and discomfort during detox
The process of detoxification can be quite unpleasant and uncomfortable, because of changes in in an addict's appetite, among other things. Addicts who are properly nourished can manage the effects of such changes in their appetite during the detoxification processes.
An addict will understand how to plan and prepare nutritious meals for themselves once they grasp the value of nutrition in their sober lives. This understanding encourages him or her to eat for their health and self-care rather than for reasons of emotion or as a replacement for an alcohol or drug addiction.
- Enhancement of the quality of life
Nutritional therapy helps an addict optimize his or her health and sobriety. By limiting carbohydrates, sugar, and sodium, it helps to reduce inflammation, detoxifies the body, and reduces cravings.Nutrition, therefore, leads to a better life for the addict both during the addiction recovery process and during their life in sobriety.
- Balancing of dopamine levels
Dopamine is an organic, happy neurotransmitter that causes happiness and enjoyment. Dopamine overflow brought on by substance use results in a person experiencing a concentrated euphoric experience.
The brain's dopamine receptors are impacted by this intentional manipulation of dopamine levels, which causes the chemical to operate poorly. Correcting this involves providing the body with the essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins.
Need help with addiction recovery nutrition?
If you need more information or help with addiction recovery nutrition, reach out to Roots Through Recovery today by calling 562-473-0827.