NUTRITION COACHING

Research supports the theory that people who become addicted to substances may start out with a chemical imbalance which makes it harder for them to experience pleasure.  Substance use only compounds this effect by not only exacerbating this imbalance, but also drastically reducing the body’s ability to absorb nutrition.

Malnutrition leads to a number of physical ailments and impairs the body’s ability to obtain the necessary vitamins to effectively regulate body chemistry.  ASTARA provides Nutritional Coaching and assessment services for everyone concerned about their dietary lifestyle. 

In the late 1980s, researcher Kenneth Blum identified the need of some people to feel good as a biochemical disease.  He called it “reward deficiency syndrome.”  In the course of pleasurable activities, (such as eating or spending time with a loved one), most people experience a cascade of neurotransmitters.  Dr. Blum proposed that some people either fail to produce enough of these neurotransmitters, or they are unable to properly distribute them through the body’s network. 

The result is an inability to derive pleasure from normally pleasing activities.  These people may seek out substances as a way to remedy this situation and feel good.  Ironically, substance abuse exacerbates reward deficiency syndrome by damaging neuroreceptors in the brain.  This further deteriorates the body’s ability to properly utilize neurotransmitters and pushes the addicted individual even farther away from any natural ability to feel good.

Nutritional therapies for addiction have been shown to be most successful in combination with behavior modification, self-help motivational, and substance abuse coaching approaches.  Addressing the physiological roots of addiction promises to enhance treatment and promote positive long-term outcomes for recovering addicts.

Treat the underlying causes of your addiction.  A nutritional coaching session with Dr. Barbara Bakus will provide you with specific information that is tailored to your individualized wellness needs.  She will help you to understand which foods, vitamins, herbs, and health practices can give you the health and vitality you desire.