Nutritional Counseling

APEX Rehab

At APEX Rehab, we follow a holistic approach to treating substance abuse and addiction. Years of abuse, as well as the poor eating habits that tend to accompany addiction, lead to a buildup of toxins within the body. While detoxification is the first step to cleanse the body, we also want to replenish it with the proper foods and supplements to create homeostasis. We provide on-site nutritional counseling to all of our residential patients and work with them to ensure their nutritional goals are met post-treatment as well. Our integrative physician works in conjunction with our chef to provide individually tailored meal plans and appropriate foods in order to maximize recovery, health, and long-term wellness to each participant. For our alcohol and drug rehabilitation in San Diego we always utilize organic ingredients, reduced fat, and often vegetarian options, with the ability to go gluten free as well.

Our chef is in charge of ensuring our ingredients are of exceptional quality. Some of the herbs and vegetables are grown in our own garden, while others are obtained from local organic farms through the service Farm Fresh to You.

Our approach to nutrition runs on two levels. Our immediate goal is to restore the balance to the body. This is absolutely necessary, because patients need nutrients to be able to attend the therapeutic sessions and perform activities.

However, we have a goal for the long-term as well. The goal of our and every other rehab is for the patient to be able to continue on the road to recovery when the rehab is over. To maximize the chances for success, our chef works to educate the patients on how they should manage their diet.

Food provides support in fighting cravings and preventing relapse. First of all, a well-balanced diet of regular healthy meals will effectively control hunger. Addicts who go through rehabilitation on their own or without sufficient support frequently make the mistake of misinterpreting hunger as craving, which increases the risk of relapse.

In addition to this, recovering addicts should also learn how to approach food to feel better. This is an important piece of the overall puzzle of recovery – at APEX Rehab, we aim to teach our patients how to take proper care of themselves on every level, so that they truly experience the joy of new life. Food low in fat and rich in vitamins promotes the feelings of overall well-being, lightness and fullness. Food naturally stimulates the brain to produce dopamine and endorphin, both of which are associated with positive emotions.

Our nutritional counseling teaches both what our patients should and shouldn’t do during their recovery. For example, it’s very important to monitor fat and sugar intake when an individual is recovering from addiction. Sugar provides instant energy, but sudden spikes and lows in blood sugar make abstinence more difficult. Our chef warns against this and informs our patients how to satisfy their nutritional needs in the best possible way that promotes their recovery and keeps them safe from eating dysfunctions.

Nutritional Counseling

Organic Meal & Nutrition Implementation Treatment

APEX Rehab

Our goal in nutritional implementation treatment is to reduce the body’s toxic load and replace key vitamin and mineral deficiencies through diet. At our residential facility in Mt. Helix, CA, our personal chef caters to the individual nutritional needs of each patient. By using plenty of fresh, organic ingredients whenever possible, our meals nourish both the body and the mind.

Different addictions cause different health problems. Alcohol is associated with deficiencies in vitamin B complex and folic acid, which can cause anemia. Alcohol also has a detrimental effect on the pancreas and the liver. Severe abuse can lead to a very serious impairment of the liver called cirrhosis. High blood pressure is a common trait among those who abused alcohol and it’s also possible to develop diabetes.

Opiates are known to negatively impact the gastrointestinal system. This is made obvious during rehab, when these patients have problems with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Cocaine, methamphetamines and other stimulants can lead to serious malnutrition and imbalances in electrolytes because they significantly reduce the user’s appetite.

Despite the substance-specific differences, all addictions generally cause malnutrition and dehydration. This is partly because of the impact of alcohol and the substances and partly because when individuals are in the grip of addiction, they disregard their diet and nutritional needs.

APEX Rehab strives to provide unmatched alcohol and drug rehab experience in San Diego. That’s why our executive chef and the culinary department take special care of the meals served in our center. Nutrition is taken very seriously here and both traditional medicine and holistic healing support our view on this.

Our chef makes meal plans that aim to satisfy all the needs of a body in addiction recovery treatment – the goal is to balance the calories and enable intake of complex carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, vitamins and minerals. This nourishes the body and the brain and supports the vital processes that allow the patients to be attentive and receptive in therapies and other treatment activities.

It is interesting that regular nourishing meals prevent or diminish drug craving. This is important in supporting the patients not to relapse. It has been found that if recovering addicts don’t pay attention to what they eat and when they eat, they are likely to interpret hunger as craving and turn to abuse again.

Another reason why we place so much importance on nutrition during recovery is because people who are recovering from addiction are likely to overeat if they are not supervised. When they stop using, they suddenly feel the appetite and the sense of taste coming back. However, because they have a brain wired for addiction, especially in early rehab, they have high chances of replacing alcohol or substance abuse with a new addiction – food.

Organic Meal & Nutrition Implementation Treatment