Tag Archives: Nutrition

Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition

February 24, 2014
Relapse Prevention

relapse occurs when the addict resumes his or her addictive behavior after a period of abstinence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition

Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition-what is relapse

Relapse is the deterioration in someone’s state of health after a temporary improvement. However, in the context of addictive behaviors, a relapse occurs when the addict resumes his or her addictive behavior after a period of abstinence. For people trying to control their behavior rather than trying to quit entirely, a relapse is a period of uncontrolled behavior. For example, for someone trying to control their drinking, a relapse could result in a session of binge drinking. For a shopaholic who is trying to follow a spending plan, a relapse could be going on a shopping spree.

Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition-Relapse Prevention

The way to prevent a relapse is to recognize and deal with some of the things that could get in the way of recovery. If you learn how to overcome these challenges, you will be more likely to keep up the changes you’ve made during treatment. There are several things that a person can do to prevent relapse. Below are some strategies that you may find helpful: Develop a support system – and use it! It is very important to surround yourself with people who love, support and encourage you. These people can be members of your family, your friends, or your care providers. They will be there to help you when you are struggling with a difficult situation or experience. It’s not always easy to reach out, but you should feel comfortable asking for help when you need it. Some people find it useful to make a list of names and phone numbers to call if they start to slip back into old thought patterns or unhealthy eating behaviors. Reduce negative influences Try to get rid of any negative influences in your life. That includes people who make you feel bad about yourself or who constantly obsess about their own weight and appearance. Your own thoughts can also be a bad influence. Learn to question any destructive thoughts you have about yourself. Make a list of all of your good qualities and use it when you feel critical or pessimistic. Identify your “triggers” A “trigger” is anything that can cause you to return to disordered eating or thoughts about disordered eating. Each person has their own triggers. They can include feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or lonely. Sometimes a traumatic experience, such as the death of a loved one can be a trigger. Some people are more likely to relapse at certain times of the year, such as during holidays or exams. To identify your triggers, think of times when you were tempted to relapse. Try to figure out what made you feel that way. Make a personal coping plan Make a list of different triggers that could cause you to relapse. Then, come up with a plan for dealing with each of these triggers in a healthier, more constructive way. Your coping plan might include calling a friend, taking a walk, or writing in a journal. Eat meals regularly A meal and snack schedule can prevent you from going back to disordered eating. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time, and don’t skip any!  Eat three meals a day, plus snacks, at regular times (about every 3 hours). A consistent schedule will be good for both your emotional and physical health. Your family may be able to help by making sure that you eat meals together as often as possible. Keep busy and stay involved Get involved in a hobby or activity that you enjoy and that makes you happy. It can be anything from arts & crafts, to volunteering, to nature walks, to joining a club. If you make time to do the things you enjoy, or to do nice things for others, your focus will shift away from your eating disorder. It can also help to keep you motivated to recover and to stay connected to your surroundings and the people in your community. Make time for yourself It is important to take time to do something good for yourself every day. Some people find it helpful to use this time to relax or reflect. Some do yoga or meditation, some draw, paint, write, or listen to music. No matter what you choose, remind yourself that you are important. You deserve to take this time to do something that is just for you!

Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition-Quick tips for healthy living

Nutrition is the process of breaking down food and substances taken in by the mouth to use for energy in the body or it is the process of obtaining and consuming food. By practicing a healthy diet, many of the known health issues can be avoided. With good nutrition comes healthy living. Therefore, healthy living is all about moderation, balance and flexibility. Attaining this may be difficult because there will be some days when you don’t eat healthy foods and some days when you don’t do enough exercise. This is totally normal in your busy, sometimes stressful, life. You get a more accurate picture of how you’ve been doing if you look back over the past month or so. For the month ahead, aim to make small changes that will improve your health, both mental and physical. Here are some ideas:

  • Nourish your body throughout the day—avoid skipping meals
  • Eat a variety of foods and aim for a balance over the month
  • Rather than worry about ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ foods, remember that moderation is the key
  • Try to eat more fruits and vegetables
  • Drink lots of water. It helps reduce fatigue and replenishes the body
  • Use caffeine in moderation, particularly if you are prone to anxiety or sleep problems
  • Listen to your body’s signals—it will let you know when you are full or hungry. Become more conscious of why you eat when you are not really hungry. Try to find other ways to cope with feelings of boredom, unhappiness, loneliness or social pressure
  • Use exercise as a way to deal with stress
  • Slowly increase your physical activity level
  • Consider joining a gym or other formal exercise program
  • Check out your local community centre for a range of fun options and programs people of all ages
  • Try adding in extra activity throughout your normal day, such as parking a block from work and walking the rest of the way or using the stairs instead of the elevator. Even getting up to change TV channels can make a difference!
  • Remind yourself that weight and shape are not the only way to evaluate your self-worth—think of at least one other way that shows you are a worthwhile, loveable, talented person who has something to offer the world
Relapse prevention and healthy nutrition

 

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Healthy Weight Loss and parasites

February 18, 2014

Healthy Weight Loss and parasites-Can this work?

parasites are entirely dependent to their host for survival, this makes them drain the excess calories and nutrients hence weight loss.

Parasites are living organisms that depend on their host for daily living. They do not produce their own food but relay on their host for everything. The common parasites are tapeworms. They are flat segmented worms that live in the intestines of some animals. Animals can become infected with these parasites when grazing in pastures or drinking contaminated water.

Eating undercooked meat from infected animals is the main cause of tapeworm infection in humans. Although tapeworms in humans, usually cause few symptoms and are easily treated, they can sometimes cause serious, life threatening problems. That’s why it’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of tapeworms and know how to protect yourself and your family

Healthy Weight Loss and parasites- Signs and symptoms of Parasites (tapeworms)

Most worm infestations cause any or all of these symptoms: diarrhea, perhaps with blood; weight loss; dry hair; general poor appearance; and vomiting, perhaps with worms in the vomit.

Healthy Weight Loss and parasites-Understanding how parasites may be of help.

Despite the extreme “gross” factor of tapeworms, some people have suggested that acquiring one intentionally would be a relatively simple way to lose weight. In fact, tapeworm pills may have been sold as weight-loss aids in the past.

In some ways, it seems to make a certain amount of sense that is, if you can get past the gross out factor. If a tapeworm is absorbing your body’s nutrients and calories, you can eat all you want and enjoy the test. Then the worm diverts it all before it hits your waistline, right? The body gains more weight among other reasons is through the kind of food we feed on and human habits of feeding themselves.

Since parasites are dependents to the host and cannot fend for themselves, they will be there to absorb the excess calories and food nutrient which your body could not contain that would have otherwise resulted in weight gain and eventually development of obesity. Much as it may look strange, this direction of understanding is practical. I know that these parasites should be eradicated from the body; they are not in any way organism to be accommodated in the body however for this one reason of consuming what the body may not need one or two of the parasites may be necessary.

This may not be a good way of eliminating the excess body weight, but in all things we have or do, there will be merits and demerits. To help us understand the merits better, let us look at the case study research by a researcher at the University of Manchester, in this research Mice were infected with a worm called Trichinella spiralis in the study

Healthy Weight loss following infection with intestinal worms is the body’s way of fighting off the parasites, University of Manchester researchers have said.

The immune system hijacks a hormone that controls when to stop eating, their study of mice suggests. This then triggers the type of immune response needed to expel the worms from the gut. The finding could lead to new ways to treat people with intestinal worms, researchers say.

Researchers first saw a potential link when they were measuring levels of a hormone called cholecystokinin in volunteers after they had been fed a meal. One man had incredibly high levels and on further investigation it was found he had an intestinal worm infection he had picked up on holiday.

Joining forces with a team specializing in gut worm infections the researchers did a study in mice infected with a worm called Trichinella spiralis.

Naturally you would think that if you are losing weight you are going to have less energy to fight off infection. But they found out that immune cells called T-cells responded to the worm infection by driving up levels of cholecystokinin. This increase has a knock-on effect of driving down another hunger hormone, leptin, which influences what type of immune response the body needs to produce.

When they artificially added leptin back into the infected mice, the immune system mounted the wrong response and the intestinal worms remained in the gut for longer. As we said before these organisms should not be in the body but for this particular reason there were some merits, however where the parasite is not helpful and causes health problems immediate treatment should follow.

Healthy Weight Loss and parasites-Treatment Options

Healthy Weight Loss Drug Therapies

Your health care provider will choose the drug that is most effective against your intestinal parasite. You may need one dose, or you may have to take the medication for several weeks. Be careful to take the medicine exactly as it is prescribed, or it may not work.

Healthy Weight Loss Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Conventional medical treatments can get rid parasites more quickly and with fewer side effects than most alternative treatments. Alternative treatments may be helpful along with conventional medications. However, your health care provider must find out what kind of organism is causing your problems before you start treatment. The following nutritional guidelines may help keep parasites from growing.

Healthy Weight Loss Nutrition and Supplements

  • Avoid simple carbohydrates, such as those found in refined foods, fruits, juices, dairy products, and all sugars, except honey.
  • Eat more raw garlic, pumpkin seeds, pomegranates, beets, and carrots, all of which have been used traditionally to kill parasites. In one study, researchers found that a mixture of honey and papaya seeds cleared stools of parasites in 23 out of 30 subjects. Drink a lot of water to help flush out your system.
  • Eat more fiber, which may help get rid of worms.
  • Probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus planetarium, Saccharomyces boulardii, and bifidobacteria help keep your digestive tract healthy. Probiotics may not be appropriate in some severely immune compromised patients. Talk to your doctor.
  • Digestive enzymes will help restore your intestinal tract to its normal state, which makes it inhospitable to parasites. Papain is an enzyme from the papaya plant that may help kill worms when taken 30 minutes before or after meals.
  • Vitamin C supports the immune system. Lower the dose if diarrhea develops.
  • Zinc (20 – 30 mg per day) — also helps support the immune system. Zinc may interact with certain medications, particularly some antibiotics, and it may not be appropriate for people with HIV/AIDS. Talk to your doctor.

Healthy Weight Loss Herbs

Herbs are a way to strengthen and tone the body’s systems. As with any therapy, you should work with your health care provider to diagnose your problem before starting any treatment. You may use herbs as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). People with a history of alcoholism should not take tinctures.

Many of the herbs used to treat intestinal parasites have toxic side effects or interfere with other medications. Use them only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. Your health care provider should treat you with the gentlest herb that is effective for the type of parasite you have. A few of the herbs that your health care provider might consider include:

  • Garlic (Allium sativum)
  • Barberry (Berberis vulgaris)
  • Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
  • Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium)

Healthy Weight Loss Homeopathy

As with other treatments, your health care provider must first diagnose the kind of parasite you have. Before prescribing a remedy, homeopaths take into account a person’s constitutional type — your physical, emotional, and intellectual makeup. An experienced homeopath assesses all of these factors as well as any current symptoms when determining the most appropriate remedy for a particular individual. The following remedies may be used:

  • Cina
  • Cuprum oxidatum nigrum
  • Indigo
  • Teucrium

Healthy Weight Loss and parasites-Can this work?

 

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