Fighting addiction begins in the brain effectively

September 28, 2015

Fighting addiction begins in the brain effectively: To fight addiction, feed your brain

Fighting addiction begins in the brain effectively and this must be done with utmost care owing to the sensitivity of the brain. Essential nutrients must never be in luck

As the nerve center of human life, the brain is very essential in very many ways. Nothing will happen in the body without it being registered in and from the brain. The brain therefore plays an integral function in keeping the body communications to various parts of the body. Having known the importance of the brain, we now want to narrow our discussion to some of the specific role the brain play in fighting addiction. Therefore the focus of our discussion is going to be on the topic “fighting addiction begins in the brain effectively.” That topic begs to ask how is this possible and what do we know about the brain, addiction and effects of addiction to the brain? These are very fundamental questions of concern which we want to address progressively as we settle into the discussion. To help us in this, we are going to seek the professional opinion of experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) and founder of the same. To start us off, doctor Akoury shares with us her personal experience with her clients over the years as follows.

Fighting addiction begins in the brain effectively: Denial and denying the brain essential fats

As we have said time and again that denial is the biggest problem we all face when dealing with addiction, that fact is very evident in most clients that I have been privileged to help get through their addictive situations. At one point I was attending to a client who for purposes of confidentiality I will refer to as Miss XYZ. Ideally if you met Miss XYZ, you might presume she had everything to live for. And just to share briefly about her in her early thirties she was doing well as a junior executive who was married with two young children. Yet when XYZ opened up as she sat on my couch during a session, she narrated to me how her troubles at home and work had brought her, more than once, to put a killer knife at her wrist and imagine ending her emotional pain forever.

For over a decade Miss XYZ disorderly drank bottles of wine every night and regularly smoked marijuana alongside taking pain killers. Even though she knew her actions she denied it first to herself, her family and to me (her doctor) that substance abuse was a part of her problem. “I’m not an alcoholic,” she said with a lot of confidence. Because she was such a long way from even addressing her (conventional) addictions, I inquired about what else she was ingesting and so I ask “What did you eat for breakfast?” That question revealed to me that she wasn’t just intoxicating her brain but she was also starving it of the essential nutrients. It was almost a routine for her skipping breakfast most days and when she took it will be only a cup of coffee or glass of juice once in a while. According to her, she put soy milk in her coffee because she thought that all dairy and meat products were unhealthy. She also avoided fat in all her foods because she believed fat would make her fat (are you like her?). What she didn’t know is that the brains rely on healthy fats for their functioning and for that reason two fats, EPA and DHA, are particularly known for their mood-boosting qualities. By avoiding any fats she was literally avoiding foods that would provide her brain with these naturally essential and therapeutic molecules.

Doctor Akoury continues that realizing all these she asked her to go to a local lab for some blood test. We talked about her making some dietary changes, especially the merits of nutrient-rich brain foods, such as eggs and fish. She admitted in a guilty whisper, “I’ve been craving a hamburger” and you will agree with me that wasn’t really surprising. Like a good number of other women of reproductive age, her there was great deficiency of iron in her blood further explaining what was lucking in her body to function well. With this deficiency she actually felt listless; she lacked the energy to cope with her demanding job and a family as well.

Fighting addiction begins in the brain effectively: Certifying the brains nutrient needs

With so many challenges standing in the way of recovering from addiction, the simplest first step is to stop depriving your brain of good and necessary food and nutrients. Experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are very categorical that recovery will partly depend on developing new chemical pathways by which the brain overcomes habitual behaviors. This we want to emphasis that you owe it to your recovery as it will nourish the brain to poise it for better learning, stable moods and less intrusive cravings. Even though there are so many bad things Miss XYZ did, the good news is that eating to support recovery need not be a deprivation: It can be delicious and remember that when you feed your brain with essential nutrients from their natural sources, you are taking better care of yourself, which is a fundamental step in rebuilding your brain and your self-esteem. A diet geared to stabilize mood and minimize cravings will be high in omega-3 fats from fatty fish, folates from leafy greens, vitamin B12 from eggs and meat, and the many brain-healthy nutrients amply found in colorful fruits and vegetables. Instead of the sugar (dopamine) rushes from eating simple carbohydrates, the sustained feeling of fullness from healthy foods can fortify you in your recovery.

Finally when Miss XYZ changed her diet, her moods stabilized and her suicidal thoughts dissipated. The killer knife was now used properly for cutting meat, fish, and vegetables. The conclusion of my therapy with her was that a better-nourished brain and taking control of her eating habits were very instrumental steps in addressing her alcohol and drug problem. At this point she could now listen to the concerns of family members about her addiction. She became more responsible and registered with a support group. She stuck with her diet and got in the habit of regular exercise instead of daily sugar or alcohol. Miss XYZ is now celebrating many years of sobriety a recovery journey that began when she took her first bite of real food for breakfast. You can also benefit from the same by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for the commencement of your recovery program.

Fighting addiction begins in the brain effectively: To fight addiction, feed your brain

Why people choose alternative treatment for addiction

July 25, 2015

Why people choose alternative treatment for addiction: Helping addicts to remain focus in recovery process

Why people choose alternative treatment for addiction it is because of several benefit. When addicts are engaged in activities like exercise they are able to release some stress off and remain focus to their recovery journey.

I believe that this is not the very first time you are hearing what addiction is. It is a chronic brain disease that triggers obsessive thinking and compulsive drug seeking and consumption. The problem can be very devastating and harmful in many ways. And while addiction can effect changes the brains normal functioning, the personality, judgment and values of the individual victims will also become compromised. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury says that once addicted the addicts will continue using these substances despite the harmful consequences that are associated with the drugs. They will often live with a significant degree of denial about their situation, preferring instead to lay blame, generate excuses or simply lie to themselves and others that they have their addiction under control. Like many other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, drug addiction can be managed and treated effectively. The difference is that recovery for addiction will combine medical help, behavior changes and social support to help the individual generate a self-sustaining sobriety and that is why people choose alternative treatment for addiction even as they explore the all treatment avenues available.

Why people choose alternative treatment for addiction: Drug Addiction reveals the whole picture

There are a number of reasons why people often choose alternative treatment. Some of those reasons may include the following options:

One of the most common reasons for why people choose alternative treatment options is because there is the feeling that the available medical treatments are not meeting their needs. In the event that the scientific medications fail to work then naturally people will be tempted to look elsewhere for solutions.
People come from different cultural backgrounds where they have their own way of doing things including treatment. It therefore means that some people may be comfortable with their approaches to treatment and not be keen on the main stream medications like for example, traditional Chinese medicine or Ayurveda medicine from India.
People can follow a spiritual path where there is a belief in healing energies that have not yet been discovered by science. Those individuals who believe in healing energies will want to benefit from them.
There is a common perception in the public that alternative treatments are more natural, and that natural means they are better and safer free from chemicals.
Those individuals who have had success with alternative treatments can convince family and friends to consider these options. A common reason for why people first experiment with complimentary is due to a recommendation for a friend.
Many times physicians have recommended alternative medicine for their patients, this communicate strongly that if they believe it will complement the current treatment or if they feel unable to find an appropriate treatment within western medicine then alternative medicine is the way to go.
There are some theories that claim that standard western only treats the disease but alternative medicine treats the whole person. It is suggested that a more holistic approach really gets to the root of problems it does more than just treat the symptoms.
It is believed that alternative medication has little or no side effects further crediting their use by many people. to be fewer side effects associated with many alternative
Due to the fewer number of clients that alternative therapists attend to, it is believed that they offer more personalized care. This may be because physicians are overworked or in some cases they will treat patients like puzzles instead of people.

Why people choose alternative treatment for addiction: Examples of alternative treatments for addiction recovery

There are many alternative addiction treatments available including:

Some individuals do seem to be able to recover from an addiction by purely relying on their own inner resources, this could be described as true natural recovery. This is not an option for everyone, and most people who seek treatment will already have tried and failed many times to quit by themselves.
There are a number of herbal remedies that may be of value to those who are trying to escape addiction. An example of this would be passion flower which is said to help with the mental aspects of addiction withdrawal.
There are many addicts who claim to have benefited from reiki, acupuncture, and other energy treatments. These techniques tend to enhance and not replace traditional treatments.
There is growing evidence that practices such as mindfulness meditation and yoga can be of great value to people in recovery. These continue to be considered alternative treatments by many in the establishment, but this is likely to change in the future under the weight of evidence that supports them.

Why people choose alternative treatment for addiction: Problems associated with alternative addiction treatments

Like in all treatment methods, doctor Akoury says that there are a number of problems associated with alternative addiction treatments too. Some of which may include the following:

If these treatments had sufficient evidence to support them they would not be considered alternatives. This of course does not mean that such evidence will not appear in the future a common problem with complementary therapies is that they have not been adequately researched on.
There are undoubtedly people out there who are willing to scam those who looking for help for their addiction. Almost anyone can claim a new addiction wonder cure and try to sell this to other people – those who are cunning enough will be able to do this and remain within the law.
Some alternative treatments could prove to be dangerous. This is particularly likely when untrained individuals begin offering medical advice for example, they may tell their clients to stop taking medications prescribed by their physician.
There can be unpleasant side effects associated with most of the herbal remedies. It is not recommended that people begin taking any of these natural medicines without first consulting their physician this is particularly important for those who are already taking prescribed medications because there will be the risk of negative interactions.
Meditation techniques can be highly effective for people in recovery, but it is also possible to overdo it. In rare instances people have developed meditation-related psychosis (also known as Kundalini syndrome) as a result of their practice.
Some alternative therapists make claims for their methods that are exaggerated. This may be because they actually believe such claims or because they are out to make money and they have no scruples about this.

Finally things could be worse for some addicts particularly those who only have one more chance at recovery. Doctor Akoury says that if such people make what they call their final attempt using alternative medication and this fails to work, they are likely to give up on ever recovering from their addiction. It would be advisable that patients consult widely before taking any action. If you are worried on where to start from, then look no further and schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for a more professional approach on your struggle with an addiction.

Why people choose alternative treatment for addiction: Helping addicts to remain focus in recovery process

Kidney Health and Blood Sugar

November 30, 2014

Kidney Health and Blood Sugar

The connection between hypertension and blood glucose is even more insidious than it seems. When you think of hypertension the organs that come into your mind are probably the kidney, then the heart. The kidney refused to regulate the amount of blood sugar. A lot of it got deposited on the walls of blood tissue resulting in some unregulated pressure for this life fluid.

Hypertension often accompanies diabetes in the event of chronic hyperglycemia. Clearly then, the relationship between elevated blood glucose, hyperinsulinemia and kidney health is a complicated one. You probably understand how crucial the kidneys are in maintaining the balance in the body system. The organ plays an essential regulatory role in creating the body’s equilibrium through osmoregulation.

With diabetes, the kidneys are at risk. Yes they often help in releasing of glucose into the blood circulation via a process known as gluconeogenesis, lead the uptake of glucose from the circulation to satisfy the body’s energy needs, and then help reabsorb blood sugar at the point of the proximal tubule. But diabetes can often cause this vital osmoregulatory system to break down.

This happens when the high levels of blood sugar damages the kidneys rendering them dysfunctional. When the kidneys fail they are not able to filter out waste from the blood any more. This may often lead to kidney disease (nephropathy) with time.

Kidney-Health

Where does the sugar come from?

The diet! Organ failure. Related disorders. Genetics. Lifestyle choices such as exercise and lack of it. All these factors bring the excess sugar into your blood. Any of these factors may be responsible for a diabetic condition. This path is however a long one. One does not simply wake up one morning and have diabetes.

Of all these factors, the diet is the major root cause of diabetes. Statistics show that the contemporary world populations take a lot of sugar in their diet. Try to imagine how much soda you take in a week, how much peanut butter you consume, yoghurt, crackers, ketchup…and the list may go on and on.

America alone was last estimated to have its population consume 156 pounds of sugar every year each person. Among these ponds of sugar consumed, soft drinks alone was found to take up 33 percent of the total sugar intake.

Depending with which type of diabetes is in question, the causes are different. Diabetes type 1, for instance is caused by the presence of insufficient insulin in the victim’s body. This involves a condition where for some reason the pancreas failed to produce insulin. Most likely this is caused by some hereditary condition. It may be a case of autoimmunity.

Insulin resistance on the other hand results into the diabetes type 2. This takes time. You take that sugar of yours over time. You are warned about it. Even the doctor tries to prescribe for you a healthier alternative but you remain adamant on the soda and ice-cream routine. So as time goes by, you develop an addiction to sugar. You sometimes see the syndromes coming but you just cannot quit the wrong path.

What happens in the end is the presence of too much sugar in your blood that the organs responsible for its regulation can no longer control it for you. Your kidneys’ nephrons get overworked by having to filter too much blood due to the presence of excess glucose in the bloodstream. So with time, this added work exerts a lot of pressure on these kidney tubules forcing them to lose that filtering ability. As a result, no reabsorption of glucose takes place at the proximal tubule resulting in a very high blood sugar level.

The endocrine mechanism

This blood sugar regulation process involves a complex system of hormone balance. Insulin and Glucagon are the two major hormones involved here. In fact diabetes can more accurately be viewed not as a sugar disease, but rather an insulin disorder. Insulin is responsible for promoting the absorption of glucose from the blood to skeletal muscles and fat tissue. The hormone also causes the fat to be stored in that form instead of being hydrolyzed for energy production. This way hormone insulin regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats.

Insulin is a peptide hormone made by the pancreatic beta cells. It allows the body therefore to use sugar/glucose contained in carbohydrates in the diet to synthesize energy. Alternatively it helps to store glucose for future use in inert form. As such, Insulin helps keep the blood sugar levels from getting too high, a condition referred to as hyperglycemia, or low; a condition known as hypoglycemia.

Diabetes-Awareness Blood sugar is root-controlled by 3 major organs; pancreas, liver and the adrenal glands, given the fact that adrenaline, thyroxin and cortisol are also involved.

Hypoglycemic conditions stimulate the adrenals and the liver to produce a counter effect with the help of their respective hormones. The adrenal glands increase the production of hormone cortisol which prompts the liver to raise blood sugar levels. In this process of trying to arrest the situation, the increased cortisol eventually leads to weight gain by cortisol mobilizing fat in the body. This causes the fat to settle in the abdomen making it fatter.

Problems posed by the sugar

With the increased sugar levels, diabetes is not the only adversary you are facing. There is more than just the diabetes. Rather, you are faced with an increased cardiovascular disease, obesity, nutrient deficiencies including a reduced level of the essential B vitamins. Dysfunctions related to blood sugar dysregulation are also common. You may also encounter strokes, metabolic syndrome, oxidative stress and a possible adrenal or pancreatic dysfunction.

Physical signs for the blood sugar issue?

Rising blood pressure may be a sign of a cardiovascular problem. You may also experience adult acne, slow healing of wounds, white patches on inside of your cheek, cataracts and sometimes chronic bladder infections.

The good news is that there is a relatively simple way of improving all these conditions at the same time. AwareMed recommends that you follow a reduced-carbohydrate diet that includes plenty of fresh, potassium-rich vegetables, low-glycemic fruits and healthy fats—the latter of which have virtually no effect on glucose and insulin levels.

Kidney Health and Blood Sugar

Alternative Medicine Therapies for Diabetes

September 6, 2014

Alternative Medicine Therapies for Diabetes That May Help You

Diabetes is a dangerous disease that has enslaved many people to insulin injections. However there are some alternative that when used under care of qualified medical expert can help treating diabetes. Here are some of the alternatives.

Alternative Medicine Therapies for Diabetes

Use of dietary supplements

Typically, the foods we eat ought to give us the necessary nutrients that not only provide us with energy to go about our daily chores but also to improve our immunity by helping in fighting diseases as well as avoiding diseases. Due to some factors we are not able to get all the required nutrients from the foods we eat and therefore our bodies lack defense mechanism hence cannot fight or protect itself from chronic illnesses like diabetes. It is therefore helpful to use dietary supplements to avail the necessary nutrients in the body to boost immunity and help fight these chronic illnesses especially diabetes. Dietary supplements are products that can help us get the right balance of important nutrients in our daily diets therefore ensuring that there is no deficiency in most crucial vitamins and minerals that our body needs to keep healthy. They insert what is missing in the diet while replacing what should not be there. It is however good to note that dietary supplements cannot be used to replace the healthy foods that are rich in essential nutrients. Certain vitamins that are crucial in our bodies like vitamin D can be taken as food supplements as they offer many health benefits to us. Some of these food supplements can be used to fight diabetes. These supplements may be absent in person’s diet or may be available in fewer quantities. The supplements may be available in capsules, tablets, powder and liquid form.

Supplements for diabetes treatment

There are very many studies that have proved that various nutrients in our diets can help in curbing the effects of diabetes. Specifically, certain vitamins, minerals, herbs and spices have been found to be potent enough to assist in managing diabetes, and in some cases treat or prevent diabetes-related complications such as nerve damage. Some supplements have also been shown to reduce the chances of a person developing type 2 diabetes. These supplements that have been promoted to reduce the complications related to diabetes and help in healing the diabetic patients include: Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), Vitamin D, Coenzyme Q10, Magnesium, Zinc, Potassium and Chromium. Apart from these known food supplements, there are also other spices, herbs and plant based supplements that can help in treatment of diabetes. They include: Aloe Vera, Cinnamon, Fenugreek, Bitter melon and Ginger.

The use of dietary supplements in fighting diseases is not a new thing in medicine. It has been used in treatment of chronic diseases and diabetes is no exception.

Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurvedic medicine is a holistic treatment that focuses on the whole person healing as opposed to most treatments that focus on mitigating the side effects of the symptoms in a patient. It is a practice that is common to the Indians and is said to have developed amongst Brahmins some 4000 years ago. It focuses on healing by achieving and maintaining internal balance hence promoting whole person healing promoting physical, spiritual and emotional health. It is also tailored to suit the conditions of an individual on treatment.

In Ayurvedic medicine, diabetes is treated as a metabolic disorder that is classified in the Kapha category, due to poor functioning of the Agni. Typically the ayurvedic medicine treats diabetes on a multidisciplinary approach. This involves different stages with the first stage involving modification of the diet where all sugars are eliminated while complex carbohydrates replace the simple carbohydrates. Another stage also involved is the cleansing program that is known as panchkarma and it involves sauna, herbal therapy, fasting and massages. After this stage the patient will be put into yoga and breathing exercises while still using herbal detoxifiers. This treatment also involves the use of a strict diet and use of certain herbs that promote healing and internal balance.

Yoga therapy is a crucial part of the Ayurvedic treatment. The Yoga therapy helps in stimulating the body through exercises after which the patient is left refreshed and relaxed. Relaxation is good for healing.

Aromatherapy

Alternative Medicine Therapies for Diabetes Aromatherapy refers to the use of essential oils that are naturally available in plants. These essential oils are extracted and used to improve the health of the person both in the physical and mental state. The use of these essential oils are supervised by an expert in the art of aromatherapy who most of the time have these products in their specialty shops. Different essential oils can be used in different scenarios as they impact the body differently. They may help the patient in many ways as they stimulate, relax, sedate, sanitize, anti-inflame, decongest among others. This promotes the patients health.

The essential oils may be delivered into the body through the nose, orally or through massage. The essential oils can be effectively used to fight diabetes. Particularly they work better when used with massage therapy. The essential oils that can be used against diabetes include; Juniper, Geranium oils and Eucalyptus oils. It is however advisable to consult your doctor before you begin using aromatherapy in treating diabetes.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced integrative cancer doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease as well as other chronic diseases like diabetes. She has worked hard not only in treating the disease but also in availing informational support to cancer patients at Awaremed which has become a place called home for many patients suffering from various chronic diseases. Call on her now and get help.

Alternative Medicine Therapies for Diabetes That May Help You

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