Painted Desert Recovery

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/When someone is battling an addiction to drugs and alcohol, self-care becomes less of a priority. Depending on the severity of the addiction, people may neglect their personal hygiene, such as going for days or weeks without a shower. However, one of the most significant impacts of addiction is on the diet.

Nutritious food and a proper diet are key components of a healthy lifestyle. If you are battling an addiction to drugs or alcohol and have noticed that your eating habits have suffered as a result, there is help available. Painted Desert Recovery is an addiction treatment center for women in New Harmony, Utah, with an excellent nutrition therapy program. First, what exactly is a nutrition therapy program?

What Is a Nutrition Therapy Program?

Nutrition therapy programs, also known as food therapy programs, become a building block of recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. A nutrition therapy program teaches you what types of food give you the correct vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Once your body is getting the right nutrients, you feel more energized and focused in the recovery process.

According to research, the most effective substance abuse treatment program would lose its efficacy without nutritional counseling for those recovering from addiction. Working with a licensed nutritional counselor, you have a better chance at maintaining long-term recovery and improving mental health conditions.

Additionally, a nutrition therapy program gives you the chance to sample food that you might not usually try. With the help of a licensed nutritionist, you’ll discover that nutritious food can be delicious, too.

Addiction and Nutrition

As an addiction to drugs or alcohol accelerates, maintaining a healthy diet becomes less of a priority. Although the harmful effects of addiction depend on the preferred substance, most of them disrupt the body’s ability to receive proper nourishment.

Some of the ways that addiction affects nutrition include:

  • Failing to eat – One of the most significant effects of addiction is the failure to eat. This happens because the person either forgets to eat while under the influence or has a loss of appetite due to substance abuse.
  • Poor diet – When an addiction to drugs or alcohol becomes the priority, the food that is consumed is usually lacking in nutritional value.
  • Organ damage – Substance abuse can damage the liver, stomach lining, pancreas, and intestines, all of which contribute to the proper digestion of nutrients.
  • Immune system damage – Substances such as alcohol and opiates can suppress the immune system and make the user more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
  • Gastrointestinal disorders – These disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or fungal intestinal infections, can result from addiction to drugs or alcohol.

Benefits of a Nutrition Therapy Program

Nutrition is the key to a healthy lifestyle that is free from drugs or alcohol.

Some of the benefits of nutritional therapy programs include:

  • Reduces stress
  • Stabilizes moods
  • Heals the physical toll that addiction takes on the body
  • Lessens the cravings for drugs or alcohol
  • Encourages positive self-care
  • Lowers the chances of relapse

Most importantly, a nutrition therapy program just makes you feel better. When you are enrolled in Painted Desert Recovery’s nutrition therapy program, you start to experience these benefits almost immediately.

Discover More About the Link Between Nutrition and Recovery

The Painted Desert Recovery staff understands that a nutrition therapy program can be a tool that helps to build long-lasting recovery. If you have questions about how nutrition affects your recovery, reach out to the Painted Desert Recovery team today by calling 844.540.0357 or completing our convenient online form.