Wellness Dietitian

As you may be aware you are not the only one who has ever hid empty wine or liquor bottles in cupboards you know your spouse doesn’t go in. Maybe you missed a job opportunity because you failed a drug test. In The United States, as far back as 2004, it was estimated that five to ten percent of the population were addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs.

That is also believed to be a conservative figure because of the staggering prescription drug abuse that often goes unreported. That’s 30 million people driving on our roads, working in all kinds of positions, some of them sensitive in nature. It’s a little frightening. I used to be one of them. Perhaps it’s better said “I am one of them, however, I have chosen not to engage in that activity anymore.” I’m in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction (chemical dependency, substance abuse, or whichever synergistic label applies today.)

It is not my intention to fill your mind with endless blather about psycho-babble; but rather to point out the obvious, drugs are bad… OK? One aspect of the detrimental effects of prolonged addiction (yes, this is how I talk and write) is the myriad of physical consequences brought upon the human body by abuse. I won’t lay out the laundry list in its entirety, but just to be reasonably informative, on the off chance there is a reader who has been locked in a closet wearing a blindfold, earplugs, and in a state of absolute delusion, it is extremely likely that your liver is damaged.

Ahh… the liver. What a wonderful organ! Next to my penis it’s my favorite. Come to think of it, I made a career abusing that one also. But that’s a bit off topic. Oh yes the liver, even more than the lungs, it is the organ which has the most ability to repair itself. It also is the one organ in the body that performs more functions than almost any other, except for the brain. The brain, that marvelous computer that is so intelligent it controls the automatic functions of the body, because the conscious mind would screw it up. There’s a dichotomy for you.

Given the premise that drug abuse damages the most important organs in the body, and that while we were doing this permanent harm to ourselves, we were in complete denial of the fact that we were truly killing ourselves, it is safe to assume there is a real mental illness at work here.

Ahh… Mental illness, finally we get to the crux of the matter. Physical wellness begins with mental wellness. Now, I don’t advocate that you run out and get a prescription to combat the mental illness we just pointed out that you have… There are other avenues available. Things you can do on a daily basis to repair the damage to your brain, and liver. Start with a really good nutritious diet. Eat lots of raw food (vegetables and fruit not red meat you animal!) and high protein (cooked lean red meat) low carbohydrate, whole grain dark bread, rice etc. It takes time, but you will feel better, and don’t forget to laugh once in a while. Now take off your Chihuahua’s sweater and act NORMAL!