Treating and preventing cravings and addictions wi...
Many people believe that their cravings or addictions are purely habitual prisons from whence it is seemingly impossible to escape. I would contest that notion and aim to enlighten you as to why dietary deficiencies can lead to a whole host of health problems, including cravings and persistent addictions.
Perhaps two of the most well recognized addictive tendencies are those for cigarettes and alcohol, although craving sweets is one that should never be ignored either. Every year millions of people are drinking or smoking themselves to death, literally. According to the Health Recovery Center and many other similar groups, while traditional talk therapy is an important step in uncovering psychological patterns that can lead to alcoholism or keep people there, at least 3 out of every 4 alcoholics are hypoglycemic. Stabilizing blood sugar therefore becomes essential in the goal of addiction abatement as does nutritional deficiencies which themselves make people crave something. Alcohol and cigarettes have a numbing effect on those who use them but therapy groups rarely address the deficiencies that actually lead to their consumption. Balancing nutrition and blood sugar can stabilize the addict and make it so much easier to overcome addictions.
The nutrient deficiencies that most often cause cravings are for minerals, vitamins, essential fats and proteins. One of the easiest ways for us to get such nutrients is through the consumption of whole foods and whole food supplements. Green vegetables such as steamed kale, collard greens, green cabbage, broccoli, etc, as well as salad greens such as romaine lettuce, spinach, arugula and mizuna greens should be consumed daily and will provide you with many of these important nutrients in a form that your body can absorb.
Bearing in mind than many of us lead busy lives, another great way to get your greens for sure in a convenient form that requires little preparation, is to take a powdered greens formula that you can blend up with fruits to make a great smoothie. There are quite a few products on the market nowadays but one I highly recommend is a 100% organic one made by Enerhealth Botanicals. It is called Enerfood and is unique in the fact that it is completely full of whole foods and is filler free. Many competitor products use cheaper filler ingredients that pack little nutritional punch. Another great reason for taking Enerfood when your goal is to overcome addictions is that in addition to a high concentration of B vitamins that help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, Enerfood is also a rich source of micronutrients such as trace minerals, which are always lacking in people who engage in addictive substances. Other mineral and vitamin rich foods include beets, carrots and berries and also other fruits such as kiwi, oranges or grapefruits, which are rich in vitamin C. Such whole foods are fiber rich and they help us feel full and thus make it less likely that we will reach for more, be it sweets, alcohol or cigarettes. Fiber is crucial not only because it makes us feel full but also because it acts like a broom in our intestines, sweeping out toxins. A great fiber supplement that is optimal in its ability to attract and expel toxins is a product called the Natural Body Detox and Colon Cleanse. It is almost 50% fiber. Sugar is also key to avoid in the pursuit of a substance free life. Cigarettes themselves contain tobacco which is cured with corn, cane or beet sugar and so smokers are doubly addicted, to the nicotine and to the sugar, making it even harder to quit the habit. This in addition to the fact that many folks who are addicted to both alcohol and cigarettes are also allergic to corn, yeast, barley and other foods that are contained in those substances. So when an AA group or some other suggests that you consume candy to help get over the addiction you face, you are actually perpetuating the problem. I would like to add to this that the food industry is actually creating a profound addiction to salty and sugary foods by their overuse of sugars and salt in the vast majority of processed and packaged foods. It keeps us consuming, that’s for sure. Salt is something we tend to crave when we are mineral deficient. The problem is that most commercially available salt is only sodium chloride and lacks the minerals that our bodies intuitively search for when we reach for the salt. Consequently I recommend that you purchase and use celtic sea salt, which is very mineral rich.
Specific herbal formulas can also help us in our goal to break the habit. One formula I recommend to help kick the smoking habit, in addition to the above mentioned ideas, is a formula called stop smoking herbal remedy which actually makes your cigarettes taste bad. In addition to this specific herbal formula, it is also recommended that you take a formula that will help calm your nervous system. Relax and de-stress herbal remedy is superb for helping you achieve that aim.
Addictions are often a reflection not just of a nutritional deficiency but also of a social sadness, one where we are also craving social connection. So often that leads to us going out more to eat or to bars, where the very substances we want to avoid are so very prevalent. A great way to avoid that trap is to go to meetup groups that will support you in your new goal of healthy, addiction free living. Mingle with those who share your goals and not only will you feel better, you will also feel supported.
Overcoming addictions is truly a road worth traveling. Imagine your life transformed and use all the suggestions in this article as a road map to your success.
