Addiction can lead to physical bodily damage, alongside psychological issues. The longer your addiction continues on for the greater the damage to your mind and body. In some cases addiction will lead to death, but for many there is a chance of recovery.
Biochemical restoration is an increasingly recognised form of treatment that can be used alongside other holistic treatment methods for recovery, such as therapy treatment options and detox plans. Biochemical restoration will involve your diet to try and restore a more natural balance to your body.
Humans require a variety of vitamins, minerals and amino acids in various levels to function at optimal level. When you are addiction to a substance this healthy balance is depleted and your body is let deficient in various aspect of a balanced diet. Your nervous system, organs and various glands experience lasting changes that can also exacerbate symptoms from mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression.
At Cassiobury Court, we provide nutritional support with all of our treatment programmes to help you achieve long term recovery with a maintained sobriety. This article walks you through what you can expect from Biochemical restoration.
How does Biochemical restoration work?
When you suffer with an addiction your body is left with nutrient deficiencies, a level of toxicity and often an excessive level of heavy metals that accumulate during your substance misuse. Since each individual will have their own experience of addiction and each body will react differently to substance misuse, the first step in Biochemical restoration is a medical examination.
During the medical examination, lab tests are undertaken to assess your biochemistry. Inflammation, amino acid levels, nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalances, adrenal fatigue and gut health are all tested for to enable a dietary plan to be developed.
A nutritional specialist will assess the data to determine the best possible diet for your recovery. The aim of the diet is to improve your cognitive skills, provide you with more emotional stability, help you sleep, and reduce your cravings. This is achieved through stabling your blood sugar levels, correcting your nutritional deficiencies, regulating your dopamine levels (so you don’t rely on the substance for this) and restoring your gut bacteria to help enable healthy brain and hormone function.
This particular treatment will help provide you with a greater understanding of your body, which will, in turn, help you to maintain long term sobriety.
It is important to remember that Biochemcial restoration itself cannot be used solely to treat your addiction, but, instead, must be used as part of a holistic treatment programme to combine therapy with detox and a dietary plan. It is always advised to undertake any treatment under the care of a medical professional to avoid any negative reactions.
What does a Biochemical restoration diet look like?
Your diet forms a key part of your rehabilitation, as a bad diet can actually worsen symptoms of anxiety, depression and your withdrawal cravings. The nutritional specialist will work with you to determine the best dietary plan for your recovery, but it is important to remember to take it slowly.
You may be keen to crack on, but just remember that your body will be in a fragile state from the addiction, which means that changing your diet must be done in a controlled and slow manner. Our dedicated medical teams are always on hand to provide you with support and advice.
The following foods groups will be taken into consideration:
• Complex carbohydrates are used to give you a slow release of energy and help balance your serotonin levels. These can include root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, legumes such as beans and peas, and whole grains.
• Fibre is extremely important for your gastrointestinal systems health, which will have a direct impact on your brain functionality. Your nutritionist will ensure that your diet will include a healthy level of dietary fibre.
• Healthy fats that can be found in nuts, avocados and fish all help your body with vitamins, mineral and nutrient absorption and will help improve your neurotransmitters.
• You may also be provided with vitamin and mineral supplements, as addiction can leave your body with a deficiency in B-complex vitamins, vitamin C and minerals such as zinc, magnesium and calcium.
With the help of a specialist nutritionist you can gain back control of your body and help aid your long term recovery.
Advantages of Biochemical restoration
Biochemical restoration will change the way you think about your body and food, by focusing your mind on what your body needs and teaching you to develop healthier habits.
There are numerous pros of biochemical restoration, including the following:
• Biochemical restoration will help yo maintain sobriety and prevent relapse by giving you back control over your body and develop your understanding of your body’s needs.
• It can help to curb cravings by restoring balance to your body and helping your body heal.
• Symptoms of depression and anxiety can be reduced through biochemical restoration, as you tailor your diet specifically to your mind and body.
• Your health is improved and not just for the length of your treatment programme, but for the length of time you maintain your diet.
• Biochemical restoration compliments other holistic treatment options for drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation, such as therapy and detox.
Developing healthy eating habits can really progress your addiction recovery, but must always be guided by a professional and undertaken at a slow and steady pace.
Treatment centres for Biochemical restoration
Most treatment centres will offer the facility to discuss your dietary needs with a medical professional. Since residential treatment programmes start with a medical examination, dietary requirements are usually part of the programme.
At Cassiobury Court treatment centre, in Watford, we offer a wide range of treatment services and programme options. We provide a comfortable, high quality and supportive environment for addiction recovery, where medical professionals are on hand to offer expert advice and help.
At our centre we have a consultant nutritionalist on hand to help you develop a dietary plan to suit your particular needs and give you back control of your body and life. Contact us today to find out more about how.
