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Going Healthy, Going Strong, Health, Lifestyle, Tips

Detox Diets: What Are They And Do They Work?

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During your quest to be a healthier human, you’ll encounter a long range of diets. Some claim to help you lose weight, others say they’re the most nutritionally beneficial, and then you have detox diets. 

These diets are popular with loads of people who wish to do both of the above: lose weight and be nutritionally healthy. You’ll find loads of companies and influencers peddling detox diets – but what are they and do they actually work? 

Detox Diets: A Quick Overview

What is a detox diet? Simply put, it’s a type of diet with a focus on ridding your body of toxins. The diets are proposed to work as such: 

  • You consume certain foods
  • The foods enter your system and flush out “toxins”
  • Your body becomes much healthier and you may lose weight

That’s a generalized example of detox diets, though other types exist as well. Some will involve a fasting period before overhauling your diet and making you eat certain foods. Others will be a liquid-only diet where you drink smoothies for all meals in a day. 

Then, you have some that are also known as cleanses. These detox diets make you take supplements that help cleanse your system – normally by having a laxative effect. 

Do Detox Diets Work?

In short, there is no evidence to suggest that detox diets work at all. People might lose weight following a diet like this, but it is usually temporary. Detox diets are extremely restrictive, so you’ll barely eat much every day. This means you’re bound to lose weight, though the diets themselves are unsustainable. 

After a few weeks, you’ll resort back to your old diet, undoing any weight loss you saw from a detox diet. Moreover, detox diets are not “healthy” at all. The body already has a natural way of removing toxins; it doesn’t need any extra help! Taking supplements or eating foods that encourage you to remove toxins will only result in you sitting on the toilet multiple times a day. 

It’s not a very nice way to live your life and you’ll probably feel far worse following a detox diet than you did before. 

Are Detoxes Ever Necessary?

Yes – but never from a weight loss perspective. The reason detox diets are popular is because medical detoxes are proven to be effective. You’ll find a medical detox if you search for a rehab center near me as they’re a popular treatment method as part of a residential addiction rehab program. 

Here, medical experts provide specific medication and supplements that encourage the release of toxins from the body. They work, but the core difference between a medical detox and a detox diet is that the former focuses on removing traces of drugs and alcohol from the body. These linger, which causes addiction cravings in individuals. Removing them helps the person recover from addiction – but medical detoxes also involve using things to calm down all the side effects of flushing toxins out of the body. 

In other words, detoxes like these are far more medically-based and backed by scientific research. They also involve constant support and attention from medical professionals while a detox diet involves you drinking special smoothies at home and then rushing to the toilet. 

So, yes, detoxes are necessary in some circumstances, but only when used as a medical treatment for things like drug or alcohol addiction. From a dietary standpoint, you will never need to “go on a cleanse” or follow a detox diet. 

The Best Alternatives To A Detox Diet

If a detox diet isn’t helpful, you’re probably wondering what alternatives there are. Should you try keto instead? What about the Atkins diet? Maybe you should find another specific diet to try as well. 

None of these are necessary. The best alternative to a detox diet is a healthy, balanced, diet that fits your health goals and aims. It doesn’t need to be crazy – your diet simply requires the following: 

  • A good selection of whole foods
  • At least five portions of fruit and veg a day
  • Portion sizes suited to your needs
  • A protein source with every meal
  • A decent amount of fiber
  • A good balance of calories to hit your targets

If you’re making meals that tick all of these boxes, you’re eating healthily. It’s genuinely that simple; there’s no need for detox diets or any other crazy diets out there. As long as you don’t have any specific medical requirements, a balanced diet comprised of whole foods and good protein sources is all you need.

Going Healthy, Health, Life, Tips

7 Surprising Benefits of Traveling for Rehab

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Addiction is an all-consuming disease that makes it difficult for people to prioritize the important things in their lives over their substance of choice. They fall into the unhealthy patterns of making up excuses as to why they can’t give up their addictions or to not seek treatment. Little do people know that attending an out-of-state rehab facility takes away many of these reasons and excuses. Here are 7 surprising benefits you may experience from traveling to rehab.

1. A Chance To Get A Fresh Start

Going to an addiction treatment clinic in a different state (or even a different country) gives you a better chance for a fresh restart because you are in unfamiliar territory. There are none of the familiar comforts near you and there are fewer temptations to trigger a relapse.

2. Fewer Distractions

When you’re attending rehab, the only priority should be yourself. Although it’s good to have a support system close by, family and friends can be a distraction. Being away from them can give you the energy and motivation that you need to work on yourself during your time in rehab.

3. It’s More Difficult To Leave

If you attend a rehab facility close to home, it can be easy to give up and return home before you’ve finished. However, if you’re out of state, you can’t exactly pack up your bags and leave on a whim. It’s much more difficult to make an escape to your house This is also why inpatient treatment is more beneficial than outpatient treatment.

4. It Demonstrates A Commitment To Recovery

Making the decision to pack your belongings and travel across the country to go to rehab is also a symbolic gesture that you really do intend to get better. The first step to getting sober is always the hardest, and if you’re willing to travel the distance to do so, then the gesture is all the more meaningful.

5. Traveling Can Bring About Reflection

The journey to a different state can give you a lot of time to think about your actions and what led you up to this point. Getting out of your comfort zone puts you on the right path to accepting rehab more readily since the whole point is to give you new ways of looking at things and breaking those old bad habits.

6. You Only Have Yourself To Focus On

There are no mortgages to pay, friends to lend money to, or other problems to distract you from your rehab journey. There are also no overwhelming positive emotions to tempt you to relapse either. You have a safe environment where you can deal with your emotions in a healthy manner and reflect inward.

7. There’s More Privacy

Getting help for addiction can be a matter of pride for some people. They don’t want anyone to know that they’re getting treatment. Going out-of-state can help with that problem since they’re less likely to know anyone there.

Getting help for any kind of addiction is not something to be ashamed about. In fact, it should be encouraged. If you or a loved one is dealing with issues of substance abuse, contact your healthcare professional as soon as possible.

Going Healthy, Health, Lifestyle

The DSM5 Diagnostic Criteria for Substance Use Disorder

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Diagnosing a patient can be difficult. When the problem is mental, doing so becomes even harder. What tools do mental health professionals use in this situation?

Diagnostic Criteria

Mental health professionals need a way to diagnose patients consistently. To do so, they rely on the DSM-5. This guide offers criteria for different mental health conditions. One condition found in the guide is substance abuse disorders. What criteria should a professional look for when diagnosing this condition and determining if the patient needs outpatient addiction rehab in newport?

Impaired Control

– Use of the substance in larger amounts or for longer than intended- Ongoing to limit or slow use and unsuccessful efforts to do so- Great deal of time spent obtaining, using, or recovering from use- Craving or strong desire to use

Social Impairment

– Failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home due to use- Continued use despite persistent social or interpersonal problems created or amplified by effects of use

Risky Use

– Recurrent use in physically hazardous situations- Continued use despite physical or psychological problems caused or exacerbated by use

Pharmacological Criteria

– Tolerance (marked increase in amount needed to achieve intoxication or desired effect)- Withdrawal symptoms or use to relieve/avoid them

The level of severity is defined by the number of criteria met:

– Mild: two or three criteria from the DSM must be present- Moderate: four or five criteria must be present- Severe: the patient must show six or more criteria from the DSM-5

The symptoms must cause significant impairment or distress for a diagnosis to be made. If they do not, the individual will not be diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder. Additionally, the particular substance involved is specified based on clinical evidence.

Why Diagnostic Criteria Are Important When Diagnosing Substance Abuse

Clear, consistent diagnostic criteria are essential when assessing whether someone is dealing with a substance use disorder. Without established definitive guidelines, determining the presence and severity of addiction can be extremely subjective. Diagnostic criteria help take the guesswork out of evaluation and allow for more accurate, standardized diagnosis. Having the right diagnosis also helps guide the treatment plan.

Standard criteria help identify the problematic effects of addiction that may otherwise be minimized or explained away. This also aids professionals in offering appropriate recommendations for intervention, treatment, and recovery. A thorough, criteria-based analysis ensures people get the help they need when struggling with addiction rather than having issues downplayed. Evaluating addiction via methodical diagnostic standards facilitates research advancements and successful outcomes through consistent language and measurements across clinical trials and treatment modalities over time. Reliable, rules-based diagnosis provides clarity amidst the complexity of addiction.

Ultimately, the DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorders focus on impaired control, social and interpersonal problems, risky use, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms to assess use that has become dysfunctional and problematic. The number of criteria met determines if a mild, moderate, or severe disorder is present. Careful evaluation of symptoms and evidence of clinically significant distress are also required for diagnosis. Specifying the substance involved is important for effectively planning treatment and recovery efforts.

One can no longer categorize all addictions as the same. The DSM-5 helps to identify these nuances. Without this guidance, a person might not get the treatment they need to overcome the addiction. Stopping substance abuse must always be the primary goal, and the use of this guide helps in achieving it.