Sheridan Watkins the Sales/Marketing Manager and Reporter with The News Argus ask doctor Kantor about nutrition and release rate.
In your opinion why do you think the relapse rate is so high? Does your research mean that recovering addicts should never intake sugar, carbohydrates, dairy products, or the other foods that trigger opiate receptors, ever again?
I believe the relapse rate is so high because in many cases the patients transfer their addiction from one substance to another, like drugs to nicotine or caffeine or sugar. Once they are in an environment where the drugs or alcohol is freely available again and the opiate receptors have remained stimulated it is very easy to relapse.
I am not saying never have a food again that stimulates the opiate receptors but at the beginning I would keep it as close as possible to zero. As you build back up physically, nutritionally and mentally you can increase the foods that do stimulate the opiate receptors but only in moderation.
Although there is no direct specific scientific correlation between a bad diet and substance abuse (although a poor diet will keep the opiate receptors stimulated which may have a small effect), there is an effect psychologically and using logic and common sense. If you know people that are into healthy living, always eat healthy and work out on a regular basis, a very small percentage of these people abuse drugs or alcohol because they care too much about their health, body and appearance. They are much less likely to allow per pressure or personal problems to let them destroy or hurt something they have work so hard on (Healthy living).
On the other hand, those people who will eat anything, do not care about healthy living at all, tend to tease those that lead a healthy lifestyle, never work out, seem to have low self esteem in many cases, are easier to be moved by per pressure or personal problems towards substance abuse.