By Joy Stephenson-Laws is the founder of Proactive Health Labs (pH) and her team—
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease. It is considered a brain disease because studies have shown that drugs and alcohol physically change the structure of the brain and how the brain works.
Research has shown that a majority of addicts suffer from biochemical, nutritional, and metabolic disorders, including depleted or malfunctioning brain chemicals called neurotransmitters and hypoglycemia (or low blood sugar), which causes a wide range of symptoms like anxiety, fatigue, depression and panic attacks; as well as poor adrenal function; digestive problems such as the overgrowth of yeast, leaky gut syndrome and malabsorption of nutrients; food allergies or sensitivities to common foods such as corn, wheat, sugar and dairy products; and nutritional deficiencies of key amino acids, vitamins (e.g., B vitamins and vitamin C), and minerals (e.g., zinc, magnesium, and calcium).
So what does nutrition have to do with addiction recovery?
Good nutrition plays an important role in successful change. For example, healthy food choices are particularly important for recovering addicts in the following areas:
So what’s the plan?
Some experts recommend that those in recovery consume a diet that consists of high-protein meals at regular intervals to regulate the production of neurotransmitters and keep the person free from cravings. However, you also want to make sure you are not deficient in folic acid and other B-complex vitamins. Limit sugar and caffeine during the early stages of recovery to reduce or avoid mood swings they can cause.
There also may be specific supplementation recommendation
Enjoy Your Healthy Life!
The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses and certified fitness instructors. This team also includes the members of the pH Medical Advisory Board, which constantly monitors all pH programs, products and services. To learn more about the pH Medical Advisory Board, click here.
Joy Stephenson-Laws is the founder of Proactive Health Labs (pH), a revolutionary health care company that provides tools needed to achieve optimal health. Her new book, Minerals – The Forgotten Nutrient: Your Secret Weapon for Getting and Staying Healthy [Proactive Health Labs, Inc., 2016] is available through Amazon or wherever books are sold. All proceeds from the book will be donated to The Bili Project Foundation, an organization devoted to reducing the incident and improve the outcome of Hepatobilary cancers, which are cancers of the liver, gallbladder, or bile ducts. Connect with Proactive Health Labs on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagr