Why is taurine an important nutrient for dogs, and what is the controversy around it? We’ll discuss the vital importance of this amino acid, and how it can help your dog stay energized, healthy, and happy.

While there are many nutrients required to maintain the optimal health of your dog, taurine has been getting a fair amount of press within the past year. This is because taurine deficiency seems to have been on the uptick. This condition can lead to serious medical complications, and pet owners are naturally keen to ensure their dogs get the proper nutritional support. However, most dogs can synthesize taurine on their own, and only a few breeds cannot. These breeds include:

• Labrador retriever
• Golden retriever
• American cocker Spaniel
• Newfoundland
• English setter
• Saint Bernard

These dog breeds are vulnerable to taurine deficiency through a particular genetic defect, but certain illnesses, like the disease Cystinuria, can also inhibit taurine absorption.

Taurine is an amino acid that acts as an important protein building block that supports brain, heart, and muscle function. A lack of taurine can lead to significant medical conditions, which cause the following symptoms:

• Lethargy
• Heavy panting
• Excessive drooling

If your dog is exhibiting the above symptoms and is one of the breeds that are particularly susceptible to taurine deficiency, consult your veterinarian for appropriate dietary strategies. Certain pet food brands are especially good for providing the necessary dietary taurine for dogs who are incapable of synthesizing it themselves. Zignature taurine rich dog food provides a beneficial amino acid boost, and its all-natural ingredients deliver a diverse assortment of nutrients that help support overall wellness in various dog breeds.

In addition to being a committed dog issues blogger and amateur animal photographer, I’m an owner of two beautiful rescue girls, who are always pleased to model for my silly pics.

To read more on topics like this, check out the health category.

If you’ve always wanted to lose weight and get into great shape, it is never too late to think about making a change. You will find that when you challenge yourself to lose weight and tone up, you’re doing something positive for your health and sense of well-being. Not only can you reverse and prevent a lot of weight-related health disorders, but you are going to be happier and have more confidence to take on your day. Reaching your goals is easier than ever before thanks to the range of ViSalus products available to you.

Reasons to Lose Weight and Challenge Yourself

It takes weeks to develop healthy habits and get rid of older, unhealthier habits that you might have. It also takes time to lose weight, since this is simply not something that can be done overnight. By challenging yourself and giving yourself time, you will find that it is easier than ever before for you to reach your goals and feel healthier than you have ever felt before.

There are tons of reasons for you to consider losing weight. Not only are you doing something better for your health, but you will have more energy throughout the day and will find it easier to take on your day. You can finally have the energy that you need to keep up with your family and busy lifestyle. Likewise, losing weight and toning up can have a positive impact on your mental health as well. You will feel better and happier because of the changes that you’ve made. If you have depression or anxiety, losing weight and taking care of your body can be incredibly beneficial to your mental health and overall sense of well-being.

Tips for Getting Started

It’s no surprise that getting rid of old, unhealthy habits and beginning to adopt healthier choices can be difficult. After all, no one would be overweight or unhealthy if it was that easy. The key to getting healthy is to make it a habit and to make small changes so that they are actually easy to stick to. For example, you can’t expect to go from never working out at all to committing to an exercise regimen for two or three hours a day. Rather than force the lifestyle onto yourself, make small changes and gradually grow them from there. By doing this, you’ll be more likely to stick to the changes and begin to adopt better habits.

For a lot of people, they may need products that help them out when it comes to achieving all of their goals. This is easy to do when you look into the line of ViSalus products, which includes supplements, foods, protein powders and everything else that you may need to begin reaching your goals. These products are made of high-quality ingredients and can be a perfect match to all of your healthy lifestyle needs.

With so many benefits that come from losing weight, it’s surprising that so many do not attempt to change the way that they are living. When you take better care of your health, you’ll feel better and know that the changes you are making are going to have a positive impact on the way that you live day to day. There are tons of benefits and reasons for challenging yourself, the key is to just get started and to never look back. It is never too late to begin making a change to your health and wellness. Even if you’ve lost weight in the past and gained it all back, you can take control again and feel amazing about your body.

No matter how well you think you’re taking care of your body, almost everyone has some room for improvement. But sadly, so many people neglect even the basics of proper self-care for their physical bodies, which can have innumerable negative impacts on all areas of their health.

So to help ensure that you’re able to live a long, healthy, and happy life, here are three things you can do today to start taking better care of your body and developing long-term healthy habits.

Practice Having Good Posture

Many people today don’t practice good posture throughout the majority of their day. While some of this is due to bad training, another reason why people tend to have worse posture now than ever before is a result of how much time people are spending using technology, which can make it very hard to have good posture.

To combat this, ClevelandClinic.org recommends that you put more focus on sitting up straight whenever you’re in a seated position. This should include when you’re sitting at a desk, working on a computer, or driving in a car. Additionally, when you’re walking anywhere, try to consciously pull your shoulders back and keep your head held high. Not only will this help you to have better posture over time, but it can also help you look and feel more confident.

Set Specific Sleep and Wake Times

Although everyone knows how important it is for your body to get the rest it needs, many people simply aren’t allowing themselves to get the amount of sleep that they need to be their best self. While you can make it through a few days on little sleep, if getting fewer than seven hours of sleep on a consistent basis has become a habit for you, it’s time to make some changes.

According to Gyan Yankovich, a contributor to Buzzfeed.com, one of the best ways to ensure that you’re getting the sleep your body and your mind need is to set specific wake and sleep times. Once you’ve set these times for yourself so you can get at least seven hours of sleep each night, try to stick to this schedule each day, including the weekend.

Drink Water Before Eating Meals

Just like how most people aren’t getting the recommended amount of sleep each night, people also tend to be chronically dehydrated as well.

To help get yourself drinking more water each day, Jeff Haden, a contributor to Inc.com, suggests making it a habit to drink a full glass of water before each meal that you eat during the day. By doing this, not only will you be getting more water into your body than you presently are, but you’ll also find yourself making smarter choices when you eat so you don’t overeat as much as you might be previously.

If you’re wanting to start some new habits that will make you healthier as soon as you begin them, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do just that.

For many people, there will come a time in their lives when they themselves are living with an injury or someone within their home has sustained an injury. When this injury is minor, you likely don’t have to make any big changes with how your home functions. But when someone gets seriously hurt or sustains a long-term personal injury, odds are that you’re going to have to make some adjustments within your home.

The changes you make within your home should primarily make things easier for the person who’s been injured. So to help you know what you might need to restructure within your house, here are three tips for adjusting your home when dealing with an injury.

Declutter To Keep Areas Clean And Clear

One of the most dangerous things that can happen to someone when they’re already injured is to further hurt themselves due to slipping and falling. For many people, being hurt can greatly affect their ability to balance or maneuver themselves as they once could, so it’s important that you make this part of their lives as easy as possible.

To do this, Gregory Minnis, a contributor to Healthline.com, recommends that you do whatever you can do declutter the areas that you or your loved one will be frequenting. This means doing tasks like rolling up any rugs that could cause tripping, rerouting any cords or wires that are in the way, and putting away any clutter or small items that could be a walking hazard.

Consider Mobility Issues

In addition to wanting to avoid tripping and falling, you’ll also need to consider if other mobility issues will present a problem with how your home is currently set up. Especially if you or your loved one is using something like crutches or a wheelchair, you’ll likely need to make some larger adjustments to help with mobility around the house.

According to ProjectLearnet.org, some of the most common areas where adjustments need to be made are in the entrances to the home and the bathrooms. By doing things like adding ramps or grab bars, you can make things a whole lot easier.

Hire Help For Tasks You Can’t Do On Your Own

Dealing with an injury can not only be exhausting, but it can also prohibit you from doing things that once came easily to you. So when there’s something that needs to get done that you just can’t do yourself anymore, Wayne Caswell, a contributor to Modern Health Talk, recommends that you hire help for the tasks you need.

Whether this means getting someone in to clean your home, take care of your yard work, or deliver meals for you, taking these things off your plate will make life simpler and allow you to focus on healing.

If you or someone in your home has become injured, consider using the tips mentioned above to figure out how to cater your home to these new needs.

To read more on topics like this, check out the health category.

It is of little need for me to elucidate on the importance of water for our daily living any further than what readers are already expected to know. Biologists claim that almost 70% of the human body comprises of nothing else but water. This tasteless, colorless, and the most commonly seen liquid does not only serve to quench our thirst but also performs a variety of other essential functions in the human body. Human beings require water for maintaining the regular and consistent rate of their metabolic activities. People would also not mind if they get a bucket of lukewarm water to bathe and refresh themselves.

However, for water to perform all its functions properly, as required by our body, it is of primary concern for us to ensure that the water we drink and use is purified enough to be considered safe for us.

Therefore, in this article, we will discuss the various methods of water purification and the need for us to use the best water purifier.

What is Water Purification?

Water purification is the process by which unwanted, unnecessary, and sometimes even harmful substances are eliminated and removed from the water that we are going to use.

Such substances may include chemical toxins, hazardous metal particles, suspended solids, harmful gases, biological matter like various microorganisms and other such contaminants.

To remove such substances, we need the help of some specific water purifiers.

About Water Purifiers

Since our childhood days, our mothers and grandmothers have used to boil drinking water to purify it and to ensure that it is safe for us to drink.

However, the scenario has changed now. The act of boiling water no longer ensures that the drinking water that we shall drink would be free from all germs and harmful elements.

Therefore, various types of water purifiers with advanced and scientific methods of water purification have been introduced in the market today. They are also available at reasonable prices. You would only need to check the types to decide which one you want to use for your household or your place of work, according to your specific needs.

Types of Modern Water Purifiers

Nowadays, scientifically advanced water purifiers have evolved. Among them, the most efficient ones are the UV water purifier and the RO water purifier. Some even modern purifiers use both the RO and UV methods of water purification together, for even better results. They are called the RO-UV water purifiers.

How Do Modern Water Purifiers Work?

All modern water purifiers implement and incorporate various scientific methods and advanced techniques for their respective processes of water purification. However, it is the mechanism that differs and categorizes the different water purifiers into specific types. Let us go through the following points to have a better understanding of the differences between the several mechanisms and working procedures of each and every kind of water purifiers.

• RO water purifiers are electronic water purifying machines that make use of a scientific process called Reverse Osmosis (RO) to purify the water
• RO water purifiers use a semi-permeable membrane to remove the various impurities and suspended particles from the water that we drink
• The RO water purifiers contain an in-built water storage system where the purified water is stored after all the contaminants are removed from it
• UV water purifiers, on the other hand, use ultraviolet rays to kill germs, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms that might be present in the water
• UV water purifiers are free from chemicals. These purifiers do not have any adverse side-effects
• UV water purifiers do not possess any mechanism for removing the microorganisms and bacteria from the water after having killed them. These water purifiers do not contain any in-built water storage capacity
• The price of an RO water purifier is greater than the price of a UV water purifier. While UV water purifiers are budget-friendly, RO water purifiers are worth the price buyers pay to purchase it, since they are more efficient for the water purification procedure
• The RO-UV water purifiers incorporate both the Reverse Osmosis process of removing contaminants from drinking water using a semi-permeable membrane and also the technique of killing bacteria and microorganisms using ultraviolet radiation. These are the most advanced type of water purifiers
• With the latest RO-UV water purifiers, the limitation of UV water purifiers of not being able to get rid of the dead microorganisms and bacteria from the otherwise purified water is solved and the efficiency of the Reverse Osmosis technique of RO water purifiers is also increased, being doubled with the incorporation of the ultraviolet radiation technique to kill biological contaminants in the drinking water rather than just removing suspended impurities using a semi-permeable membrane

Final Thoughts

For the question that the title of this article suggests, if it is essential to choose the best water purifier for our daily lifestyle, the only answer is YES. Drinking and using purified water for various purposes like cooking must be our main priority. Water-borne diseases are caused because of impure, contaminated water. Such conditions can pose fatal threats to our health. Water purification is not an option that you may or may not choose to implement in your household. If you want to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, choosing the best water purifier according to your need must be your most important decision and action.

Vaping, it’s fair to say, has attracted a lot of commentary across the world, with some people hailing it as a brilliant solution for helping cigarette smokers to quit, and others expressing fears that it could actually have the opposite effect, serving as a ‘gateway’ to smoking for young people.

Many of the more negative claims made about e-cigarette use, though, have turned out to be pretty ridiculous when compared to the facts. Indeed, below, we’ve listed five examples of fear-mongering about vaping being emphatically debunked.

The British health authorities disapprove of vaping

Alas for those seeking to cultivate unwarranted negativity about e-cigarettes, this simply isn’t true. Public Health England (PHE) has actually declared vaping to be 95% less harmful than smoking, while – as reported by The Telegraph – a National Health Service (NHS) trust even recently made the decision to allow vaping shops to open on its hospital premises, as it seeks to discourage smokers.

Vaping gives you ‘popcorn lung’

This one ‘popped’ up due to some e-liquid flavourings intended to provide a buttery flavour containing the chemical diacetyl, which – at very high exposure levels – is indeed linked to the serious lung disease bronchiolitis obliterans.

However, as PHE has explained, diacetyl isn’t even allowed to be used in e-liquids in the UK – and the low levels at which it has been previously detected in some e-liquid flavourings should give you even less concern that you could be at any real risk of developing this rare disease.

E-cigarette use is a ‘gateway’ to smoking

Fears have often been voiced that the fast-rising popularity of vaping could help to effectively renormalize smoking – the idea being that impressionable and curious youngsters could easily try vaping, and then give smoking a go as well.

However, writing in The Mirror, Dr Miriam Stoppard shared a series of statistics indicating that smoking among the young has continued its historical decline in recent years, even as e-cigarette use has sharply gone up.

While the percentage of 13 and 15 year olds who had ever smoked was 60% in 1998, this had fallen to 19% by 2015; there was a stark drop in the proportion of regular smokers, too.

E-cigarette vapour is harmful to bystanders

You can stop worrying about ‘passive vaping’ now; according to PHE’s 2018 evidence review, there are yet to be any identified health risks associated with inhaling someone else’s e-cigarette vapour.

This helps to explain why, while UK law prohibits smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces, this legislation does not cover vaping. Organisations are therefore free to devise their own policies as to whether e-cigarette use is allowed on their premises.

Vaping doesn’t even help you to quit smoking

Finally, you can cross this one off the list of things to be concerned about as well. Only earlier this year, it emerged from a study focusing on almost 900 long-term smokers attempting to quit, that they were much likelier to achieve this goal if they vaped than if they depended on nicotine replacement patches or gum.

So, there you have it – if you’re still second-guessing whether you should just go ahead and purchase those VSAVI CBD vape pen kits or the quirky flavoured e-liquids on offer from various other online stores, we suggest that you just go for it. The highest of health authorities are happy to recommend vaping as an alternative to smoking – which is why we’re confident in doing so, too.

To read more on topics like this, check out the health category.

When you’re in an unhappy marriage, it’s easy to call it quits and move on with your life. You can’t allow yourself to stay and feel tortured. You can have a great life ahead as a single person or with a new partner.

However, it gets complicated when you have kids. You don’t want to drag your kids into this mess. They don’t deserve to feel this way since they did nothing for the relationship to end. You also don’t wish to make them feel guilty about the divorce. Some kids might think that they’re the reason why their parents decided to split.

Given this complicated situation, should you stay in an unhappy marriage?

The simple answer is no.

When you already feel terrible about the partnership, there’s nothing you can do to be happy again. Of course, you have to give it some time to see if things will start to change. You might eventually solve your issues and continue your happy marriage.

Eventually, though, you might need to give up. When you’re in the middle of an abusive relationship, and you keep fighting even over the simplest things, there’s no point in staying. You will only complicate the situation if you do not give up on your marriage.

Your kids deserve better 

Yes, you want to give your kids a complete family, and they deserve to have one. However, it might not be worth it when they continuously see arguments and physical violence. They might even grow up thinking that it’s normal for couples to fight that way.

Therefore, it would be better if you decide to split and choose how you’re going to take care of the children as an unmarried couple. You can have shared custody and explicitly say what the responsibility of each party will be. It’s better to settle the differences now and talk about it so you can move forward.

There’s life outside the relationship 

Some people fear that they won’t find anyone else when they decide to end their marriage. They worry that they’re too old to date again, and they don’t look attractive anymore. If you think this way, you’re overthinking it. You have to realize that if there’s someone out there for you, that person will come. If no one does, you can always count on your kids to love and protect you.

You need to talk to someone

If you feel confused right now, it’s understandable. Take your time to decide the next step since you’re dealing with a life-changing situation. Your decision won’t only affect your life, but your kids too. If you don’t know what to do and you have no one to confide in, you might consider seeking help from a therapist.

The good thing about partnering with therapy experts is that they know the right words to say. Sometimes, even if they don’t say anything, their presence is enough to make you feel good. You can decide what’s next after a few therapy sessions.

Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/oMtXGNw4ZEs

Photo by Pixabay

Eye infections happen when any portion of the eyeball or surrounding region is invaded by damaging microorganisms — bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Knowing more about eye infection and its causes will lead us to do proper treatment.

Antibiotics like Tobradex eye drop can cure this infection. Let us find out how it works against eye infection.

Watch Out For The Symptoms Of Eye Infection

Luckily, there are many methods to find out if you have an eye infection. Most of these symptoms are red eyes, eye pain, watery eyes, dry eyes, light sensitivity, swelling eyes, itching, and blurry vision. Trying to diagnose your ailment on your own can delay efficient therapy and possibly damage your vision.

If you wear contact lenses, you should only wear your eyeglasses for diagnosis and therapy until you have visited your eye doctor. There are many distinct kinds of eye diseases, and to prescribe the correct treatment, your eye doctor needs to determine what sort of eye infection you have.

What Are The Causes Of Eye Infection

There are different types of eye infections and causes. One of them is pink eye, or conjunctivitis it is the so-called “pink eye” is a prevalent, extremely contagious eye infection that is commonly distributed among kids in daycare centers, schools, and comparable settings. Teachers and daycare employees are also at enhanced pink eye danger when working with young kids in close quarters.

Common kinds of infectious conjunctivitis often originate from viruses or bacteria. Children may also develop conjunctival eye infections when a mom has a sexually transmitted disease during birth.

Other viral eye infections include ocular herpes, which happens with Herpes simplex virus exposure, in addition to prevalent pink eye. Another infection is fungal keratitis; this kind of eye infection created news globally in 2006 when a contact lens option now withdrawn from the market was associated with an epidemic among contact lens wearers.

Fusarium fungus was associated with a fungal eye infection, frequently discovered in organic matter. This and other fungi may invade the eye in different ways, such as by a tree branch causing a penetrating injury.

Treatments You Can Do Get Rid Of Eye Infection

Luckily, most prevalent bacterial eye infections are clearing up, especially with timely therapy such as prescription eye drops or ointments and compresses. Many prevalent infections of the viral eye resolve by themselves.

An antiviral eye drop may be prescribed in instances of severe viral eye infections. To decrease associated inflammation, some viral eye infections involve the cautious administration of steroid eye drops.

Tobradex Suspension, Drops For Your Eye Infection

This medication is used to treat diseases of the eye or to stop them. There are two drugs in this medication. Tobramycin is part of a class of drugs called antibiotics of aminoglycoside. It operates by preventing bacteria from growing.

Dexamethasone is part of a class of drugs known as corticosteroids. It works by reducing swelling. Fortunately, because you can always afford this medication by using Tobradex Eye Drops coupon to get it at a lower price.

How To Use Tobradex Eye Drop

Wash your hands first for applying eye drops. Do not touch the dropper tip or any other surface to prevent contamination. Before each dose, shake the bottle well. Do not wear lenses of contact while using this medicine. Sterilize contact lenses and check with your physician before reuse.

Tilt your head back, look up, pull the lower eyelid down to create a bag. Hold the dropper over your eye and put one drop in the pocket. Look down and close your eyes softly for 1 to 2 minutes. Place one finger (near the nose) at the corner of your eye and apply smooth pressure. This will stop drying out of the medication. Try not to blink or rub your eyes. If aimed and if your dose is more than one drop, repeat these measures for your other eye. Your dosage will only depend on your medical condition.

The dropper should not be rinsed. After each use, replace the dropper cap. If you are using a different type of eye drug, wait for at least 5 to 10 minutes before taking any other medication. To allow eye drops to enter the eye, use eye drops before ointments. Use this medication frequently to make the most of it. Remember to use it every day at the same time. Continue to use this medication for the prescribed time, even if after a few days, the symptoms disappear.

Takeaway

Many of us treat eye infection like a common disease, however, if it is not appropriately treated and right away, it can lead to a severe complication or worst blindness. You are so fortunate that you already know most of the information you need to manage eye infections for your best health.

You can follow all the information listed in this article, or it is better to have a doctors appointment and get medical advice.

Incorporating Nutrition to Holistically Improve Mental Health and Personal Well-Being 

The substance abuse recovery process is different for everyone. Each person who experiences dependency will have their own unique path forward, but a few things hold true for everyone in recovery. Nutrition is one of the most often overlooked parts of life for many people who are experiencing drug dependency. Over time, people experiencing drug dependency neglect basic self-care, including the basics of a well-balanced diet. Long-term drug use can lead to dangerous nutrient deficiencies.

The purpose of substance abuse treatment is not necessarily to cure a dependency; as anyone who has experienced addiction knows, the goal is to manage cravings and rebuild their bodies and minds to handle life’s challenges without fear and without substances. Exploring the role of nutrition in recovery is beneficial in the journey to healing.

How Nutrition Affects the Human Body

Though people recovering from substance abuse experience nutrient-deficiency, it isn’t solely an issue of dependency. Many Americans are nutrient-deficient and do not even realize it; the average person may be neglecting a few vital nutrients and minerals in their daily diet, but they are usually able to see the problem in their daily life and rectify it with new foods or a supplement. To many people struggling with drug dependency, proper diet becomes an afterthought, eventually leading to low nutrient levels and overall degradation of personal health. Sometimes, substance use will mask the effects of a poor diet, so people may not even realize their diet is hurting their bodies.

When most people learn that they have a nutrient deficiency, they can simply take a dietary supplement or tweak their average weekly menu to compensate for the deficiency. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that as many as 462 million people worldwide qualify as malnourished, though the degrees of severity range widely. People struggling with drug dependency can benefit from a holistic recovery experience that includes nutritional therapy or dietary counseling to repair the damage that occurred during drug dependency.

Nutrition Deficits from Drug Dependency

Many people who struggle with substance abuse develop nutrient deficits and other negative consequences from failing to maintain a proper diet. This occurs for several reasons:

• Many addictive substances suppress appetite, and an individual under the influence may not have an appetite and will simply forget to eat.
• Even when they do eat, people with substance abuse disorders often neglect maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.
• People struggling financially due to substance abuse may not be able to afford nutritious food. Unfortunately, it’s much less expensive to eat processed foods than it is to eat nutrient-dense foods.
• Severe drug dependency can damage internal organs, making it difficult or even impossible for the body to process certain foods or absorb necessary nutrients.
• Drug dependency weakens the immune system, which can lead to infections and various illnesses that will also interfere with appetite, digestion, and nutrient absorption.
• Some substances, such as alcohol, can cause chronic gastrointestinal problems such as pathogenic bacterial overgrowth, leaky gut syndrome, fungal infections in the intestinal tract, and acid reflux disease.
• Many people with a substance abuse disorder only eat out of necessity, and therefore only eat whatever is available or easily accessible without regard to nutrition.

Drug dependency damages the body and impedes proper nutrition. Any individual seeking substance abuse treatment should consider a recovery center that offers holistic treatment and nutritional support through every phase of recovery, from detox to rehab to ongoing care. For many people, a balanced diet and proper nutrients can make the recovery process easier.

Common Nutrition-Related Issues During Detox

Rehab is an opportunity for patients to relearn self-care. The rehab process begins with detoxification, which allows the last traces of drugs to leave a patient’s body so recovery can begin. This is a difficult process, and appropriate detox procedures should be considered for both medical needs and nutritional needs. Medically assisted detox procedures offer a much higher chance of successful recovery than attempts at quitting cold turkey.

Successful substance abuse treatment requires an approach based in integrative medicine or treating the whole patient rather than only treating conditions. For example, many people struggling with substance abuse disorders also experience mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, or personality disorders.

Patients can’t fully recover from substance abuse disorders without addressing their mental health disorders and vice versa. Holistic recovery must aim to treat the entire person, and nutritional support is a crucial building block of the process.

The length of detox typically depends on the substance abused. Some substances, such as opioids and alcohol, can cause severe or even life-threatening withdrawal symptoms with sudden cessation. During detox, substance abuse treatment professionals and medical staff will assess a patient’s condition and administer medications to help him or her handle the detox process. Here are a few facts to help explain the process:

• Withdrawal symptoms can have a profound physical effect on the human body, sometimes leading to dangerously high fevers, muscle twitches, joint pain, hallucinations, and seizures.
• Many individuals with severe substance abuse disorders fail to recognize the symptoms of dangerous medical issues or simply ignore the problem until it escalates out of control.
• Some illicit substances can cause acute medical events such as severe seizures, periods of unconsciousness, and organ failure. Without medical assistance, the detox process can be life-threatening.
• Some individuals enter treatment while sick from bacterial infections, sexually transmitted diseases, common illnesses such as influenza and pneumonia, and showing symptoms of malnutrition and dehydration.
• Poor nutrition has an undeniable effect on mental health. Overcoming dietary problems is the first step toward helping a patient handle the coming trials during rehab. Holistic treatment including nutrition support can help improve symptoms of co-occurring mental health disorders.

Medically assisted treatment with nutritional support helps patients withstand the negative symptoms of withdrawal and helps them start the recovery process with a more balanced body.

Nutritional Support in Recovery

Nutritional support should be included in a substance treatment regimen. Proper nutritional support requires a thorough understanding of a patient’s dietary needs, medical status, and the severity of the drug dependency. The type of drugs abused and the length of time the abuse has lasted also inform treatment options. Ultimately, the purpose of nutritional support in recovery is to repair the physical damage from drug dependency, effectively healing the body from the inside out.

Substance abuse treatment professionals help their patients in several vital ways when they offer nutritional support:

• A healthy diet with vitamins and minerals can help repair damaged body tissues and organs.
• Better food and hydration will invariably lead to better gut health, which has a significant impact on mental health and the rest of the body.
• Nutritional support can help rebuild a patient’s immune system, helping him or her fight off lingering infections and diseases and protect against illness in the future.
• Proper nutrition will increase energy levels and elevate mood, both of which are beneficial to the recovery process.
• Nutritional therapy as part of a continuum of functional medicine helps strengthen the bond between a treatment provider and patient, ultimately strengthening the overall recovery experience. When used with other holistic treatments such as massage, acupuncture, yoga, and exercise therapy, the results can be significant.

Healing from the Inside Out

Substance abuse recovery is a difficult process and a healthy body goes a long way toward a positive and successful rehab experience. The goal of substance abuse treatment is to teach patients how to live sober and manage the aspects of their lives that may have contributed to their substance abuse problems, but it is not realistic to expect patients to recover if they continue to struggle with nutrient deficiency and other symptoms of malnutrition.

Nutritional support is vital to addiction treatment. Healing the body from within, encouraging exercise and proper rest, and supporting nutritional therapy with other holistic treatments can effectively heal the body from the inside out. A nutrient-rich diet will enhance gut health and encourage production of the “feel-good” hormones that are essential to recovery.

Nutritional Support and Mental Health

Drug dependency may involve various significant physical symptoms, but it is ultimately an affliction of the mind. Drug dependency warps the sense of self and perceptions of reality. Dependency can eventually become all-encompassing and singularly occupy a person’s thoughts, regardless of the severity of the consequences. Nutrient deficits contribute to this downward spiral. People experiencing symptoms of malnutrition are more likely to contract infectious diseases, develop long-term medical issues from poor dietary habits, and suffer the ill effects of untreated co-occurring disorders with greater intensity.

Mental health treatment forms a part of any recovery experience. Regardless of whether or not a patient suffers from a diagnosed co-occurring mental health disorder, drug dependency levies an extremely heavy toll on the human mind and body. While mental health treatment generally requires long-term care, substance abuse treatment centers that offer nutritional support expedite the healing process by empowering the body.

Finding the Right Recovery Options for You

If you or a loved one is struggling with drug dependency, it is vital to understand the physical toll the issue has taken, and that nutritional support is important during recovery. The longer someone experiences substance abuse, the more likely the individual is to experience symptoms of malnutrition, worsened mental health disorder symptoms, and internal medical complications that may require extensive treatment.

Nutrition may be one of the most overlooked aspects of substance abuse treatment. Find an addiction treatment center or intensive outpatient treatment program that offers nutrition support and dietary counseling as part of its recovery options.

About the Author:

Liz Martin is the Chief Operations Officer at Continuum Recovery Center. Liz received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central Washington University in 1999 with emphasis in Human Resource Management and Organizational Theory. She has 20+ years’ experience in marketing, service and administration. Her mission is to help others and create healing environments for those struggling with addiction to change their life.