Replacing Alcohol With Sugar in Early Recovery

Page 1

Repl aci ngAl coholWi t hSugarI nRecover y Manypeopl ewi l l f eel i nt ens es ugarc r av i ngsaf t ert heys t opdr i nk i ng.Fors ome,t hec r av i ngsar es os t r ongt hey f eel l i k et heneedt heyonc ef el tf oradr i nk ,l eav i ngt hem bi ngi ngs ugar yf oodsi nmuc ht hes amewayt heyonc e bi ngedonal c ohol .Whi l emanyar es ur pr i s edbyt hes ec r av i ngs ,i t ’ sac ommon,andpr edi c t abl e,s i deef f ec tof goi ngs ober .

Whydopeopl ecr avesugarwhent heygosober ? Thek eyt ounder s t andi ngwhygoi ngs oberc anbeac c ompani edbyi nt ens es ugarc r av i ngsi si nunder s t andi ng t hemec hani s m ofaddi c t i on.Thepr ev i ousal c ohol addi c t i onwasar es ul tofc hangesi nt hebr ai n’ sr ewar dpat hway s ,whi c hwoul ds t ar tr equi r i ngal c oholt ot r i ggert hec r eat i onofc hemi c al sl i k edopami neands er ot oni n. Whens omeonegoess ober ,t hei rbr ai nc eas espr oduc t i onoft hes eneur ot r ans mi t t er s ,andt hebr ai n,i ns t ead i dent i f i ess ugarasanot herwayofs t i mul at i ngt hei rpr oduc t i on. Sugari sl i nk edwi t hs t i mul at i ngs ev er alf eel goodc hemi c al s ,i t ’ soneoft her eas onst hatmanypeopl eenj oy c hoc ol at es omuc h.I nef f ec t ,t hes ugarc r av i ngi sr epl ac i ngt heal c oholc r av i ng.Howev er ,t hi si snotuni que t ot hos er ec ov er i ngf r om al c oholaddi c t i on,r eadi nganydi etbookwi l lhi ghl i ghtt hatmanypeopl e,ev ent hos e whohav enev erdr unki nt hei rl i v es ,c anhav epr obl emswi t hs ugarc r av i ngs .

Whatpeopl eshoul dn’ tdoaboutsugarc r avi ngs? Onet hi ngar ec ov er i ngaddi c t s houl dnot do, i swor r yabout r epl ac i ngal c ohol wi t hs ugari nr ec ov er y . Goi ngs ober i sandi nc r edi bl ydi f f i c ul t pr oc es s , t her ei sv er yl i t t l et obegai nedbyaddi ngawor r yabout s ugarc r av i ngs . Formos t peopl es i mpl yac c ept i ngt hos ec r av i ngsandgi v i ngi nt ot hem wi l l bet hebes t t hi ngt heyc ando, andwi l l hel phel p t hem beatt hei ral c ohol addi c t i onbys t i mul at i ngt hepr oduc t i onofneur ot r ans mi t t er s .

Awar dedSt at usasaLux ur yCl as sRehabbyWor l dsBes tRehabMagaz i ne www. wor l ds bes t . r ehab


Formany ,t hes ec r av i ngswi l l ,ov ert i me,r educ eanddi s appear .Thehumanbody ,l i k eanyl i v i ngor gani s m, s eek sas t at ek nownashomeos t as i s .Homeos t as i si swhent hebodyi sati t sopt i mals t at e,andv ar i abl es l i k ebodyt emper at ur e,mi ner all ev el s ,ener gyar eal latt her i ghtl ev el s ;es s ent i al l y ,i t ’ st hebal anc et hebody t r i est of i nd. Al mos tany t hi ngaper s onc andowi l l c aus eac hangeast hei rbodyr eac t sandadapt s .Whet heri t ’ seat i ngand dr i nk i ng, ex er c i s i ng, orj us t mov i ngbet weenar easwi t hdi f f er ent t emper at ur es , t hebodywi l l unc ons c i ous l ys t ar t pr oc es s est oadj us t .Somet i mes ,t hes emani f es tasc r av i ngs . Bec aus eal c ohol wi t hdr awal i samaj orc hangef ort hebody , i t wi l l hav es i gni f i c ant ef f ec t sast hebodyadj us t s . A f or meraddi c t , byl i s t eni ngt ot hos ec r av i ngs , c anhel pt hebodyr es t or ei t snat ur al equi l i br i um. Andgoi ngs ober i sdi f f i c ul tenoughwi t houthav i ngt or es i s ts ugarc r av i ngst oo.

Ar et her eanyr i sksf r om r epl aci ngal coholwi t hsugari nr ecover y Ar ec ov er i ngal c ohol i cs houl df oc usont hei rr ec ov er yf i r s t .Ther ear e,ofc our s e,s omer i s k swi t ht hes ugar c r av i ngs ,butt her i s k sf r om r el aps eandal c ohol addi c t i onar es i gni f i c ant l ywor s e. Onedangeri sf r om addi c t i ont r ans f er enc e.Bec aus eal l addi c t i onswor kont hes amer ewar dpat hway si nt he br ai n,addi c t sc anr ec ov erf r om oneaddi c t i ononl yt of i ndt heyr epl ac ei twi t hanot her .Thi si soner eas onwhy r ehabc ent er swi l l us ual l ynot al l owanys ubs t anc eorbehav i oras s oc i at edwi t haddi c t i on, ev eni f i t ’ snot t heone t heyar et r eat i ng.Themos tobv i ousi sdev el opi nganaddi c t i ont os ugar ,butbec aus et hos er ewar dpat hway s ar ek eptac t i v et her i s kofot heraddi c t i onsr emai ns . Ther ei sal s ot hes hor t -andl ongt er mr i s k sof apoordi et whenr epl ac i ngal c ohol wi t hs ugari nr ec ov er y . Hav i ng ex c es s i v es ugarc anhav eanear i mmedi at eef f ec tonqual i t yofl i f e,wi t hr us hesandc r as hesaf f ec t i ngener gy l ev el sandmood,and,t hr ought hat ,s oc i al r el at i ons hi ps . As ugar r i c hdi etwi l l al s ohav ewel l k nownl ongt er m heal t hef f ec t s ,f r om t oot hdec ayt oobes i t y . Howev er ,des pi t et hes er i s k si t ’ si mpor t antt onot et hatt her i s k sofc ont i nuedal c ohol addi c t i onar ef argr eat er . And,i ft hebodydoesnotev ent ual l ys t opc r av i ngs ugar ,i ts t i l lc aus esmuc hl es shar m andi sf areas i ert o managet hanac ont i nuedorr enewedaddi c t i ont oal c ohol .

Howt omanager epl aci ngal coholwi t hsugari nr ecover y I far ec ov er i ngal c ohol addi c tf eel st heyneedt oaddr es st hei rs ugarc r av i ngs ,t hent hes t epst heyneedt ot ak e ar e,byandl ar ge,t hes ameasany onegoi ngt hr ought hes amepr obl ems . Ani mpor t ant par t i sunder s t andi ngwhat i shappeni ngt ot hebodywheni t pr oc es s ess ugarandhowt hi saf f ec t s t hec r av i ngs . Whenc ons umed, s ugar si nf oodar ec onv er t edi nt ogl uc os ewhi c hi st r ans por t edi nt hebl ood; t hi s i sr ef l ec t edi ny ourbl oods ugarl ev el s . Ani nc r eas ei nbl oods ugarwi l l s t i mul at et hegener at i onofdopami ne,a f eel goodc hemi c al ,andi ns ul i n,whi c hwi l l l owert hebl oods ugarl ev el t or egul at ei t .Thi si swhypeopl ehav e s ugarc r as hes ,t hei rbodyr es pondst oas pi k ei nbl oodgl uc os ewi t hi ns ul i n,l eav i ngt hem wi t hl owbl oods ugar butal s oadr opi ndopami ne. Thebes tr out et omanagi ngc r av i ngsi s ,t her ef or e,t ohel pt hebodymai nt ai nas t abl ebl oodgl uc os el ev el . And t hebes twayt odot hi swi t ht hr oughdi et . Oneoft hemos ti mpor t antappr oac hesi st oav oi dr ef i nedc ar bohy dr at es .Bec aus et hes ear eal r eadyr ef i ned, t hebodyc anqui c k l yt ur nt hem i nt ogl uc os e,c aus i ngc r as hesandi nt ens i f y i ngs ubs equents ugarc r av i ngs . I ns t ead,s t r i v ef oradi ett hati nc l udesf oodst hatar ehar dert odi ges t ,s uc hasf i ber ,orwhol ef oods ,t hatwi l l of f eras l owands t eadyr el eas eofs ugar s .

Awar dedSt at usasaLux ur yCl as sRehabbyWor l dsBes tRehabMagaz i ne www. wor l ds bes t . r ehab


Eat i ngr egul ar l ywi l l al s ohel pt hebody . Av oi di ngl onggapsbet weenmeal swi l l hel pmai nt ai nac ons i s t ent bl ood s ugarl ev el ,av oi di ngi tf al l i ngt oof arbef or et henex tmeal .I deal l y ,s omet hi ngs houl dbeeat enappr ox i mat el y ev er yf ourhour s . Br eak f as ti sani mpor t antmeal ,es pec i al l yasi twi l l c omeaf t erapr ol ongedper i odwi t houtf ood. Tr y i ngt of oc us onpr ot ei ni nt hi smeal wi l l hel p,c r eat i ngas ens eoff ul l nes saswel l asav oi di ngani mmedi at es ugar r us h.I t ’ s al s ohel pf ul t oens ur ei tf ol l owsaf ul l ,andgood,ni ght ’ ss l eep. Fi nal l y ,what ev eref f ec tt hes ugarc r av i ngshav ehadont hewai s t l i ne,i ti snotagoodt i met odi et .Ens ur i ng t hatt hedi etc ont ai nsenoughc al or i esf ort heday ,r at hert hanadi et i ngdef i c i t ,wi l lens ur et hatt hebodyc an adaptt os obr i et yandmanagi ngc r av i ngs .

Awar dedSt at usasaLux ur yCl as sRehabbyWor l dsBes tRehabMagaz i ne www. wor l ds bes t . r ehab


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.