Nutritional Therapy Program

Steps Recovery Center recognizes how vital the mind, body, and spirit are in their connection to the whole person. We take a holistic approach to treating addiction or mental health disorders that includes treating the whole person, and find that it tends to be more successful, especially since addiction affects every aspect of a person’s life. With a customized and individualized program that includes a nutritional therapy program, a holistic approach just makes sense. It affords an opportunity to meet the patient’s physical and psychological needs and allows them to engage physically, emotionally, and mentally.

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What is a Nutritional Therapy Program?

How Substance Abuse Disrupts Nutrition

What is a Nutritional Therapy Program?

Nutritional therapy programs are created to help those people in substance abuse recovery or recovery from other disorders. It’s to prepare them for their new and improved lives. The therapy program is uniquely designed to fit your needs and is run by a qualified and experienced nutritional therapist. They develop an eating plan that helps you reach your goals of wellness and rebuild your body through proper nutrition and exercise.

After months or years of substance abuse, your body suffers the consequences. Studies show that diet and general wellness are connected, so implementing a program after detox for substance abuse users can help them become physically healthy again. The therapist monitors your progress throughout the program and encourages you to continue eating healthy.

Before initiating a nutritional therapy program, the therapist reviews your health history, physical condition, and eating habits. They take into account allergies or intolerances when developing the plan to ensure there are no problems with the diet. One goal of nutritional therapy is to fit your diet into your life and daily routine easily.

Helping identify triggers
Identifying when negativity arises and how to combat it
Processing traumatic events
Reducing their stress response
Changing their thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors

In an individual program, you can feel confident talking to a trained therapist about your challenges, especially when it comes to addiction or mental health disorders that interrupt your life.

How Substance Abuse Disrupts Nutrition

When someone abuses drugs or alcohol, it depletes their body of essential nutrients and creates a state of malnutrition, meaning the body can’t absorb nutrients. Many people ignore their dietary needs and, instead, rely on the drug or alcohol to “feed” them, both emotionally and physically. When they are using, they can’t distinguish the difference between hunger or something else.

During recovery, individuals may find it difficult to differentiate between malnourishment and withdrawal. Also, weight gain is a concern for those in recovery since malnutrition also results in weight loss. Alternatively, with weight loss, some people may gain weight because they try and replace drugs with food.

Alcohol

Alcoholics are deprived of an important vitamin called thiamine. Every tissue in the body uses this vitamin, including tissues in the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys. Without thiamine, the tissues can’t function as they should. This, in turn, can increase the risk of heart attacks and heart failure. A person’s brain also suffers from deficiency. They are more likely to experience dementia and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Another condition from thiamine deficiency is metabolic syndrome, which is associated with elevated blood sugar and pressure, high cholesterol, and too much body fat. The syndrome also increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Opioids

When taking opioids, it slows the body down, making people feel sleepy. It also slows down digestion and metabolism, meaning the body can’t efficiently process nutrients from the food they eat. The most telltale sign is indigestion, thus increase of constipation. Opioid withdrawal can disrupt a meal plan, so people may feel nauseated and vomit or have diarrhea during withdrawal. Moreover, these symptoms can prevent food and water consumption at crucial times when the body needs energy.

Stimulants

Those who chronically use stimulants, such as methamphetamines, cocaine, or prescription ADHD medications can drastically lose weight—a primary concern of developing eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa. Individuals who go on cocaine or crystal meth benders can go days with eating or sleeping, so when the bender ends, they’re starving and will often binge eat. This cycle can be brutal on the body and lead to malnutrition. Besides, meth users increase their risk of oral disease and develop more cavities as a result.

Counseling and therapy, along with other holistic treatments, are part of an overall addiction and mental health treatment plan. Coupled with a nutritional therapy program that is structured to meet the needs of the individual, maintaining sobriety is easier. With comprehensive meal plans as critical components of addiction treatment, this can help prevent relapse and assist in recovery.

Joy Downen

10 weeks ago

This place is so wonderful and all of the staff care so very much! They are very professional and they know what they are doing. Absolutely amazing facility and staff!!!

Nathan Frame

28 weeks ago

Steps Recovery is the place you go if you want a caring and understanding program. They have helped me gain knowledge about myself and what I want/need to do. The staff there can relate and help you through core issues and they push you to do better because being in this program you know you can do big and amazing things. Also the therapists there are awesome and walk with you through struggles of life and give you the tools you truly need. Overall this place is an amazing opportunity and you’d be missing out on a lot if you chose to not at least try this program.

Shaylesa Stulce

46 weeks ago

Steps Recovery in St. George has been amazing! I’m so excited to use the tools that I’ve learned here! The staff is amazing, and very understanding! I would recommend them to anyone struggling with addiction!

Adam Kelly

47 weeks ago

What I liked most about my time at Steps is the atmosphere that was presented during my whole stay. I have done a lot of treatment centers and this one is by far the one I have felt I gained the most from. I would highly recommend Steps to anybody struggling with addiction!

Gary Hanson

47 weeks ago

Steps saved our daughter’s life as well as her kids!

Natalie Painter

Jan 1, 2019

The staff and facility is amazing- Couldn’t ask for anything better. The program is well rounded with rec activities, equine therapy, gender therapy, group therapy, individual and couples therapy, and also attends various 12 Step support groups such as AA or NA. They also have family therapy and processing with options for individual settings or in a group. These help families understand what their loved ones who suffer from addiction is going through and how to support them, and also gives them their own support system.

BRIAN MEYER

Nov 13, 2018

This place saved my life! The therapists were very helpful, friendly and really cared about the clients wellbeing. The tech’s were alway helpful with meds and anything that was needed. House manager was amazing, had high expectations on job duties, and kept a very clean organized atmosphere. Food was always amazing. I never went hungry! The information and skills that I have learned and applied to my life are priceless. If you’re not willing to put forth the work to change your life this is not your place, but if you are this is the first Step to take. I Love everyone at Steps. Thank you for all your help

Matthew Cromar

Aug 10, 2018

I’d been to other recovery centers before but this one was the best, it stuck because I was willing to do the work, and with the help I received from staff I am now celebrating a year of sobriety in a couple of days. Update; I’m now 18 months sober as of yesterday and I still keep in touch with my steps family. The lessons I learned at steps will stick with me for the rest of my life. Thank you for giving me my life back.

The Steps Recovery Centers Guarantee

Steps Recovery Centers guarantee that any person who completes any of our programs are welcome to come to our weekly aftercare group for additional support at no charge for life.

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Nutritional Therapy Program