In a lot of rehab programs, treatment centers or 12 step programs, you will find individuals who are chain smoking or vaping all day.

Others who are drinking 15 energy drinks a day to prevent themselves from using.

Those individuals then find themselves experience a lot of anxiety, leading to a loss of appetite and restless sleep.

Poor diet and lack of sleep can lead to a decrease of mental clarity.

No wonder wonder it's hard to focus...

The main reason behind the feeling of being “foggy” comes from a nutrient deficiency caused during withdrawal.

Detox is a painful, but not the hardest part of overcoming addiction.

If it was the hardest part, then everyone who successfully completed detox would be home-free, free of addiction.

That is not always the case.

If you make it 28 days into a detox, you’re not in the clear or done.

Your body and mind is still recovering and there is more to the journey to recovery than simply detoxing from drugs and alcohol.

From my personal experience, and what I have seen, addressing nutrient deficiencies of an individual in recovery can help to stabilize their recovery.

When I was in recovery, I remember sitting on the couch with my wife and having a casual conversation about politics.

I was attempting to recall the name of a former governor of Los Angeles.

I could see his face, think of his movies, remember lines, but couldn’t recall his name.

Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I have always put a lot of emphasis on mental acuity and I didn’t like that one of my symptoms was struggling with that.

I relapsed shortly after that incident.

I know the relapse cannot fully be contributed to that moment, but I do know that it did not put me in a great place.

This loss of mental clarity is something that many in recovery can experience due to nutritional deficits from using.

5-HTP: A precursor to serotonin. Serotonin in the body is directly related to our overall happiness. The majority of antidepressants focus on balancing serotonin levels in the brain. 5-HTP as a supplement allows for better rest, happier moods and more focus without having to go on prescription medication to boost serotonin.

DLPA: A dietary supplement. When naturally created in your body, it is a protein building block in your brain. When your body is lacking DLPA it struggles to make serotonin and dopamine. DLPA supplements give you the protein needed to naturally produce the chemicals that make you feel happy, have more regulated moods and fall asleep more easily.

L-Tyrocine: The #1 supplement I would recommend. What I look at as the “addiction killer”. L-Tyrocine is a direct precursor to the body's production of dopamine. Anyone who is recovering from amphetamines will struggle with symptoms that are going to closely resemble depression. The feeling of having the “blahs” and a doctor may be included to diagnose and subscribe medication for depression, when in reality the body and brain is lacking L-Tyrocine. 

It is easy for us as humans, to want immediate gratification when it comes to anything.

There is a lot of relearning when it comes to diet and nutrition therapy, in that the gratification will not come overnight.

You have to trust the process to see the benefits. I always tell my clients to give it at least a month to determine if the course of action is working for them.

But once the benefits are witnessed, they will be more rewarding than you could ever imagine.

In addition, the benefits of diet and nutrition therapy are lifelong!