Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits: Nutrition and recovery

Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits is not only good for yourself but also beneficial to your loved ones. Take note of that and seek for professional help immediately.

Did you know that the food you eat could either help you out of your addiction situation? On the other hand the same food can also make you to sink further into addiction. These are two conflicting statements yet they are pregnant with a lot of truth in them. If you are wondering how, then you are just right in time for the commencement of this healthy discussion whose main focus is based on staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits. Now to begin with, there is the general concern that the escalation of substance abuse is ruining the young, the old and even the unborn children. This is not something to be taken lightly because lives are being lost, manpower in our work stations is reducing and the cost of maintaining the victims in the rehabilitations centers is chocking the economies of our states down to the local villages and to the smallest unit of our families. Doctor Akoury a veteran addiction expert is not left out in this matter and she is saying that as things stand right now, there is mounting evidence which suggests that some of these sweet and appealing food stuff may be the reason why we are ever struggling with all manner of addictions. If this is the prevailing circumstance, the question that begs for an answer is what is the best solution to the problem? This is the one million questions that we want to respond to in this discussion.

Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits: The nutritional double whammy

From the professional point of view, the nutritional dilemma faced by recovering addicts is coming in two different categories. The first one being the very act of ingesting drugs or alcohol which is no doubt wreaking havoc on the body of users. Like for instance alcohol is one of the greatest impediments to nutrient breakdown and assimilation resulting in nutritional deficiencies. Opiates on the other hand tend to cause gastrointestinal issues, and more so during opiate withdrawal, severe vomiting and diarrhea can lead to nutrient depletion while stimulants will be suppressing appetite which can ultimately lead to an insufficient intake of calories and nutrients.

In addition to the purely physiological implications of drug and alcohol abuse, there is another factor that results in a less than stellar nutritional report card for addicts and that is change in lifestyle. Professionally doctor Akoury reports that when a person is lost in an addiction, he/she is less likely to eat in a very unhealthy manner. This is so because some of these drugs will cause you to eat too much while on the other hand the others will do the opposite thereby causing you to eat too little. At the height of their drinking, alcoholics often derive as much as 50 percent of their daily calorie allowance from alcohol itself. In most cases, the need for the addictive substance is prioritized over the need for, say, a whole-grain turkey sandwich or other high-quality nutrient-dense food says doctor Akoury.

We spoke to the professionals at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury and they are in agreement that given the nutritional standing of most recovering addicts, it’s surprising that proper nutrition is not emphasized more in recovery programs. And besides that there are mounting evidence pointing to one emerging consensus and that is the significance of nutritional therapy in helping those individuals who are recovering from addiction. It is ideally in order that proper nutrition has the potential to make those in recovery feel much better both mentally and physically. Moreover, various researches have suggested that the inclusion of nutrition education in substance abuse treatment programs can increase participants’ success in achieving recovery and these needs to be embraced by all standards if we are to see any meaningful changes in the fight against substance abuse.

Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits: The roles of nutrition in facilitating the healing process

Proper nutrition helps recovering addicts (and everyone else) feel better because nutrients give the body energy, help build and repair organ tissue, and strengthen the immune system. Because recovering addicts have usually damaged vital organs during the course of their drug or alcohol abuse, good nutrition provides them with the nutritional building blocks they need to begin restoring these damaged tissues. Besides that various studies have established that nutrition also plays an important role in mood. Research suggests that changes in your diet can alter brain structure both chemically and physiologically, and influence your behavior. Furthermore, the consumption of certain foods has been tied to increased production of key neurotransmitters like serotonin, which enhances mood.

This means recovering addicts can use food to feel better physically (as their bodies receive the nutrients they need to repair prior damage and operate on a more optimal level) and mentally (as they eat foods that enhance their mood and overall well-being). In many cases, feeling better will reduce the risk of relapse, as demonstrated conversely by the fact that recovering addicts with poor dietary habits are more likely to relapse. Additionally as we had mentioned before that in some cases, addicts may be so unfamiliar with the feelings of hunger, they misinterpret hunger as a drug craving and fall face-first into relapse. This is potentially a very disastrous mistake which can easily be remedied by frequent feeding on healthy meals.

Finally staying sober is the best thing you can do to yourself and to your loved ones. It will not only facilitate your recovery from all sorts of addictions you may have, but it will also bring a lot of comfort, piece and satisfaction in your whole life as a responsible bread winner of your family. We appreciate that doing this may not be very easy, and that is why doctor Dalal Akoury established this facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) to help you go about any challenges you may be feeling in your struggle with addiction. Therefore if you are struggling with any kind of addiction, you can call doctor Akoury today and schedule for an appointment with her so that all your addiction concerns can be addressed professionally.

Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits: Nutrition and recovery

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings

July 1, 2015

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Putting sugar addiction to check

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings can be very effective in bringing sugar cravings to manageable levels

There is no doubt about the sweetness of sugar and naturally sweet things are liked by many globally. No one would want to associate with nasty and horrible taste because that is how we are, the human nature in us. The problem comes when one begins to take sugar excessively to the point that they cannot do without it. When we begin to crave for sugar, then its usefulness and sweetness is altered to addiction which can come along with other health conditions which may be chronic in nature for human life. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care recommends that when one begins to get into this stage of usage then such a person should seek for help immediately from the medical experts. The consequences of not taking action in good time can be very endangering as we will be able to see in the course of this discussion. In the meantime, doctor Dalal Akoury will be taking us through the discussion focusing on the natural means of fighting sugar cravings as follows:

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Diet tips to fight off sugar cravings

The consumption of refined sugar all over the world is sky rocketing and this is a great point of concern for many experts. Take for example in the US it had been estimated that an average American citizen is consuming up to 160 pounds of refined sugar yearly. Can you imagine that? This high consumption of sugar is not just in America, but also in most of the western countries. As a matter of facts, studies have positioned western world to be leading in the prevalence in the number of health conditions which are associated with sugar consumption. Some of those health conditions may include the following: diabetes, certain forms of cancer, obesity and overweight, and tooth decay. Besides that, it is also very important to note that the consumption of too much sugar can also have an impact on individual’s mood causing them to feel tired, irritable, anxious and aggressive.

These complications can really bring you down with a lot of discomforts if treatment is not sought for in good time. With these conditions, one would wish to take action immediately but unfortunately, it is often very difficult to cut back on sugar. This is because human beings have a natural tendency to like sweet things a nature’s trick to save us from poisonous plants which usually have a bitter taste. A sweet tooth was valuable to the survival of our ancestors also because sugary foods provide a quick source of energy. The problem these days is that we eat far more sugar than our ancestors ever could. Also the type of sugar we tend to consume makes us more vulnerable to health problems: rather than indulging in healthy sweet treats like berries or fruit we often opt for unhealthy snacks containing concentrated amounts of white table sugar. This highly refined sugar has little nutritional value; yet it is high in calories. With that said and done let us now get to the natural means of fighting sugar cravings, and remember that the presentations we are going to give only represent diet related tips to help you fight off sugar cravings but are not in any way substitute the professional medical or nutritional advice by the professionals.

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Increase brain serotonin levels through diet

The chemical known as serotonin is responsible for the communications between the cells and other nervous system cells. It functions like the neurotransmitter that helps in the transmission of communications to the brain. Some of the perfect sources of serotonin may include walnuts, pecans, plantains, pineapple, bananas, kiwi fruit, plums, and tomatoes.

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Eating sufficient of tryptophan-rich foods

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in protein rich foods. It normally serves as a precursor to serotonin and therefore an adequate intake of tryptophan rich foods can help with sugar cravings. To get the most out of tryptophan, one should try to increase the blood levels of tryptophan, relative to the blood levels of the other essential amino acids, as other amino acids compete with tryptophan for entry to the brain. One way to do this is to consume some healthy carbohydrates together with the tryptophan-rich meal. It is important to note that carbohydrates stimulate the production of insulin, a hormone which lowers the blood levels of all the essential amino acids, except tryptophan.

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Consumption of plenty of foods rich in B vitamins

B vitamins can be helpful for fighting sugar cravings. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), found in a variety of foods including beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables, can be particularly beneficial due to its role in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin.

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Ensure an ample supply of glutamine

Glutamine is an amino acid that provides energy in the brain and helps build and maintain muscle. It is commonly used by body builders to help reduce muscle deterioration during and post workout. Glutamine may also help reduce cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. This is likely to be a result of glutamine’s stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels: when the levels are low, glutamine suppresses insulin to prevent further decline of the sugar levels. It also stimulates the release of glycogen to help increase the blood sugar to normal levels. Glutamine is found in many protein rich foods such as fish, chicken, beans, and dairy as well as in vegetables such as raw parsley, spinach, cabbage, and beets.

Finally remember what I had said above that these are only tips to help you fight off sugar cravings but are not in any way substitute the professional medical or nutritional advice. The communication behind this statement is that when you are following these natural tips, you will still need the services of professionals to help you out from time to time. It is because of this gap that lead to doctor Dalal Akoury to make a decision of forming a medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. With visionary experts like this, you should not continue to suffer because of any kind of addiction. Therefore you may want to schedule for an appointment with this great addiction professional to help you address all your known concerns.

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Putting sugar addiction to check

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