Your Body In Recovery | The Effects of Alcoholism on Our Bodies
I remember the first 60 days of recovery like it was yesterday – and that’s a good thing! It’s one of the memories of my sickness that keeps me from going back to the bottle. The emotional side of alcohol recovery is hard enough – feelings of depression, sadness, doubt, anxiety, and loss. But add the physical side effects – the shakes, sweats, stomach cramps, cravings for alcohol and sugar – and you end up with chaos.
Many recovery programs deal with the physical side effects by covering them up with medications to help with the feelings of depression and to counteract the cravings. Group and individual therapy, as well as 12-step programs, go a long way in helping the recovering alcoholic deal with the “head part” of the business. However, they rarely work on repairing the damage done internally – liver, brain, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as well as basic nutrition.
Alcohol depletes our bodies nutritionally. It changes the way our bodies process food. It eats up the vitamins and minerals we do put in our bodies. Over time, we end up so malnourished that our brains cannot think our way out of our predicament. Alcoholics who have gone that far are usually the ones we see on the streets. All it took was one night sitting in an alley waiting for an ambulance to take me to the hospital when I thought I had alcohol poisoning to get my semi-lucid mind to make the decision to finally get help.
During my early recovery I tried radical vitamin therapy – I worked with a local naturopath to increase the amount of vitamins typically depleted in an alcoholic: L-Glutamine, L-Tyrosine, and L-Tryptophan, B-complex, Ester C, Calcium, Magnesium, GLA, Pancreatic Enzymes, Betaine Hydrochloride, and Melatonin. I think the vitamin therapy helped a bit, but I was not working on the underlying psychological and emotional issues that come hand in hand with alcoholism. The amount of vitamins I had to consume to “push out” the toxins was the equivalent of 15-20 capsules every 2 hours a day for about a month. The expense (about $650) and the time it took to prepare and consume that amount of supplements ended the experiment. Insurance companies will pay for drugs, but not for supplementation.
As a trained and experienced personal trainer and nutrition specialist, I knew the best course of action was 2-prong: get a complete metabolic screening (fasted blood test) and have it analyzed by a Registered Dietician (RD), and get serious about therapy and a 12-step program. Now, I know not everyone is keen on 12-step programs, but I knew that if I didn’t use every resource at my disposal to get to the root of my addiction, I would lose my family, my job, and possibly my life. For the purposes of this article, I’ll explain the nutritional recovery process I went through as part of my alcohol recovery, which I have shared with my own fitness and nutrition clients whom are also seeking a path to alcohol recovery.
But first, it is important to understand a few things about how the media has corrupted the science of nutrition, what type of damage alcohol may have done to your body, and why supplementation doses should not be left to the untrained.
- As a people, Americans are over-dosing on protein in animal and supplement form. Several diet plans popularized on Facebook and in other online and print resources call for drinking protein shakes after working out, using protein shakes as a meal replacement, and “health and fitness” magazines and sites promote eating large amounts of protein in both supplement and animal form. The truth is two-fold: everyone’s body is different and no two people should use the same stock nutritional plan and expect the same results, and our bodies can only digest so much protein. The macronutrient ratios long held by the fitness industry – more protein, fewer carbs, and sometimes more fat, sometimes less – have been turned upside down by rigorous scientific study. Carbs are not bad, but over-processed foods can be. Consuming an excess of animal protein is not only bad for the cardiovascular system but also the environment. Good fats (olive oil, avocados, etc.) make a positive impact on cardiovascular health, while bad fats (animal fat and processed fats (margarine) have a negative impact.
- Alcoholism affects the whole body, but the most damage is done to the liver and the brain. To simplify, your liver loses its ability to process alcohol properly, and in turn cannot absorb and utilize nutrients the way it is supposed to. As a result, the toxins remain in your system and can go straight to your heart and brain. Your body lacks the ability to synthesize protein, so if you are in denial about your alcoholism, hit the gym hard, drink those protein shakes and eat extra protein “to build your muscles”, then your body will just expel the protein before it has a chance to process it, and the toxins from the animal protein will end up in your heart and brain. All that working out and “eating well” will not do you any good if you are still putting alcohol into your system. Your brain decreases its endorphin production, because the alcohol is making it artificially happy. This is why the first few days of alcohol recovery are so painful mentally and physically.
- As noted above, we tend to overdose on protein. When I interview my fitness and nutrition about their daily nutritional intake, I often find that people are eating fewer good foods and instead relying on meal replacements or other supplements for their vitamins and minerals. It is true that much of our food supply is inferior to what it was even when I was a child, but your brain needs mastication to get the endorphins firing. Chewing is essential to brain function. It is one of the reasons I used to let my students chew gum or eat during exams. True story! Michael Pollan puts it well when he advises us to “eat real food, everyday, mostly plants”. While I advise most of my clients to take a daily multivitamin formatted for their particular age and activity level, I also insist that they get serious about what else they put in their bodies. I have them set aside the protein shakes and meal replacements for the first month that they work with me and instead focus on adding real foods to their daily intake, one meal at a time. Add an apple at lunch today, add a handful of greens to dinner tonight, and add some oatmeal to breakfast tomorrow. Just like the saying goes, one day at a time.
Now, you or your favorite diet book may disagree with the above statements. I would ask you the same thing I ask any of the gym members who say they already have an exercise and eating plan: How is that working for you? If your metabolic tests come out well, then keep doing what you are doing. Like I said before, everyone is different. My sisters cannot eat or workout the way I do and expect to get the same results. None of my clients are on the same fitness or nutrition program.
However, if you are in recovery, regardless what stage, I would urge you to do the following to at least get a baseline:
- Get professional help – The article in the magazine, or the blog post on Bodybuilding.com will not address your individual situation. Get a full physical and request the help of a Registered Dietician. As a certified nutrition specialist I can provide meal planning as prescribed by a primary care provider or registered dietitian. Your personal trainer is under the same rules, so if they are “prescribing” supplements or meal planning, they are working outside the limitations of their practice. Buyer beware.
- Metabolic Screen (fasted blood test) – When you get your metabolic screen, be sure it includes results for the following: blood count, chemistry profile, thyroid function, urinalysis, 5-hour glucose tolerance, serum zinc/copper levels, candida-antibody assay, serum histamine, hair analysis (not absolutely necessary, but will screen for toxins), amino acids, keyptopyrroles, and DHEA. Discuss the results with a registered dietitian. If you believe you may have a food allergy, then let your primary care provider know this so that they can screen for that. Keep in mind that there is no screen for gluten intolerance – simply because it does not exist. You can have celiac discorder, and that can be screened for. However, a suspected intolerance to gluten is likely caused by an additive or other food source.
- Take baby steps – Alcoholics are, by nature, control freaks. The irony is that we are out of control. So, there is a tendency to want to change everything all at once. Cut out coffee, nicotine, sugar, and of course alcohol. I know from personal experience, my own clients, and results of good science, that deprivation rarely results in lasting habits. Concentrate on the alcohol and the underlying emotional and psychological issues first. Then find a way to become accountable – for me it was a daily meeting at the same place and same time for the first 60 days without question. For you it may be someone or something else. And then attend to your nutrition, which includes real food and potentially supplementing with the right vitamins and minerals for your body.
- Resources – Your primary care provider and registered dietitian can give you advice on resources for vitamins and other supplementation. I use Vitacost online (http://Vitacost.com), because the prices are excellent and they sell very reputable products. You should also be able to find local sources – just check the labels for unnecessary ingredients with the guidance of a registered dietitian.
What should your take-away be from reading this article? Just like tackling your alcoholism, get help from the pros to improve your physical, emotional and psychological health. You may have to try a few different doctors and registered dietitians before you find ones which you feel comfortable working with and whom have had positive results with recovering alcoholics. Anything you do to improve your health should be something you are willing to continue to do for the rest of your life. This is why radical approaches rarely work – “fad diets” are called that for a reason. Remember, just because your best friend is doing it does not mean you should be, too.
Here’s to your health!
Shelly Larson, CPT, Pn1
Disclaimer: The opinions and information presented in this article and by Shelly Larson are for informational purposes only and should not take the place of professional advice from you primary care provider or registered dietitian. Please seek help before making any changes to your fitness or nutritional plans.
Shelly Larson is a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist with over 20 years experience in the education and fitness sector. She is currently working as a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness Yorba Linda Super Sport in Southern California and continues to work with private nutrition clients, both in person and online. She holds a Master of Educational Leadership, and is certified by the National Association of Sports Medicine and Precision Nutrition. She is currently pursuing certification as a Health Coach through the American Council on Exercise. You can find more information about Shelly’s nutritional services at Shelly Larson Fitness (http://shellylarsonfitness.com).
052: 10 Value Bombs After 1 Year of Podcasting
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What I learned in 1 year of podcast is remarkable. It will help me stay sober and I want to thank everyone who has been a part of Recovery Elevator. I really hope you enjoy this summary because I had a great year compiling them.
Value Bombs
What I learned from a year of podcasting about my sobriety.
By Paul Churchill (with Elliot P.)
Podcasting about your sobriety isn’t exactly the best way to stay anonymous. However, after years of struggling to stay sober I was willing to try anything and nothing seemed more powerful than the accountability I’d create by checking in with “the world” every week. So I bought a few simple pieces of recording equipment, signed up for a podcasting service and started talking. I was terrified to release the first episode – it felt like I was jumping off a cliff. I knew my life would never be the same. I was right.
This year has been the best year of my life but strangely, also the hardest. I know what you are thinking, “of course it was the hardest as getting sober isn’t easy” and you’d be right. But there is something especially terrifying about getting sober in front of anyone who wants to watch. I’ve been told that some people thought my podcast would be a train wreck and they were listening for entertainment value. Luckily, so far, I have beaten the odds and probably made this pretty boring for my macabre listeners. My goal is to make this podcast as boring as possible for this demographic of my audience! How is that for a podcasting goal? Really though, I think we have had a lot of fun this year and I’m all for the suspense each week as I sign in, once again, still sober. If I can do it, maybe some of my listeners realize that they can too.
Now I don’t claim to be very smart but the most unexpected part of this journey has been meeting hundreds of listeners who can relate to my story. I honestly felt like I was the only one who suffered exactly like I did. It turns out that alcoholism is ironically a communal disease where everyone afflicted feels isolated. Part of the solution involves finding like-minded people who you can get honest with. Little did I know, just by talking openly into the microphone, this group of like-minded people would come to me. Listenership has grown beyond my wildest dreams. I love you guys.
I’ve been asked what have been the most impactful lessons I’ve learned over this year of podcasting. The beauty of listening to the stories of those I’ve interviewed is that everyone can relate to the stories differently depending upon their place in their sobriety journey. Below is a list highlighting ideas that have meant the most to me:
- Avoid isolation like the plague:
One of the single biggest differences between “drunk Paul” and “sober Paul” is my sense of community. By getting honest with this podcast, my chances of long-term sobriety have significantly increased! As Russell Crow says in The Gladiator, “Whatever comes out of those doors, we have a better chance of survival if we stick together.”
- Accountability:
I didn’t know it at the time, but I was creating accountability by taking the following actions when trying to get sober:
- I sent a text message to my fantasy football league about how my drinking is more serious that they knew.
- I told my parents and brother while we were on vacation together that I was an alcoholic.
- I started a podcast and told anyone in the world who wanted to listen. Okay, this one was a little extreme!
My sobriety date (9/7/14) was shortly after the first two accountability measures were taken. Coincidence? I think not.
If you haven’t told someone about your drinking yet, do so! Letting the cat out of the bag is so hard but it is so liberating! Telling someone pushes you past the point of no return – and only then are you really on the journey.
- Conduits:
What, you need a higher power to get sober? That is a sticky and messy topic. I’ve learned that there really is no need for all the emotion and debate surrounding one’s belief in something more powerful than one’s self.
I’ve learned to look at it like this: See the highway, not the cars. See the river, not the water. See the trees swaying, not the wind. See the power lines, not the power.
By focusing on the pathway and not the source – we worry less about understanding and yet we find harmony in knowing that we are not the ones in control. Then, and only then, is it so much easier to find peace in this crazy process called recovery. I’m not the source but maybe I can be the pathway. Clarity comes when my glaze rises above the mess.
- Affirmations:
With every passing day, I run the risk of getting so far away from my last drink that I forget about the misery it caused and I could then trick myself into having “just one.” It’s so tempting to be so enthralled with my new life that I could forget my past.
Once I got sober, I’ve found ways to constantly affirm a few simple truths. Meetings, conversations over coffee, podcasting, and repeated phrases are all ways for me to remember. For me, these truths are:
- My body processes alcohol differently than others and thus I choose not to drink.
- I’m either moving forward or backward in sobriety and I choose to move forward.
- Helping others is the best way to help myself.
- Honesty:
The truth is that honesty is pretty darn important. And liberating.
- Anonymity:
How can I say anonymity is important when I’m clearly not anonymous about my recovery on the Recovery Elevator podcast? Good question! Let me explain….
Anonymity is a coin with two sides. One side is what probably 99% of the world would think of when then think of 12 step groups. It’s the idea that “who you see here, and what you hear here, stays here.” These groups need to be a safe landing pad for newcomers and a place where people know it is safe to talk freely. Anonymity also keeps the group focused on certain principles and not on personalities. Principles are timeless and personalities can be fickle. These groups need to stay anonymous.
The only problem with this concept is that people often take it too far and use it as an excuse to fiercely stay private about their reasons for not drinking. This secrecy perpetuates the shame, stigma and loneliness associated with alcoholism. Those still struggling are never able to learn that many people around them also struggle. It is such a shame because there are few things that can bring people together in this world like a common problem! Imagine the empathy we could feel and help we could be if we knew what others around us were truly struggling with. And this brings me to the other side of the coin…
I believe there are absolutely times NOT to be anonymous. Growth happens outside of your comfort zone. A great way to grow in sobriety is to start sharing your story with others. Maybe you start with your significant other and then move to close family, and then expand to your trusted friends. Not only does growth happens with each layer of people we tell, so does our ability to be of service to someone else who may be struggling.
- Acceptance:
Acceptance is the answer.
Acceptance is the answer.
Acceptance is the answer.
Our efforts are futile until we accept that we are powerless over alcohol. Our life won’t be truly happy until we accept that every person, place or thing is exactly the way it is meant to be in this moment. It is then, that I’m reminded that I don’t need to change the world; I just need the courage to change myself. It’s with this acceptance that the journey begins and it’s with this acceptance that living peacefully is possible.
I love a quote from Pam, an interviewee, “you must go through it to get to it.” By accepting life as it comes, we are then able to achieve true happiness.
- Recovery network:
One must have a network of other sober individuals who they can do life with. This disease is communal and within five minutes of being around another alcoholic, relief seems to always come. The network grows and changes over time but it almost always consists of people who can help you, people who you can help and friends you naturally don’t want to let down. Remember, there are few things that bring people together as powerfully as a common struggle.
- The Journey:
Recovery, like life, is a journey. It’s a darn hard, often ugly, unending journey. It’s a journey we didn’t start out in life wanting and it’s a journey we only really end when we die. But I think too many of us subconsciously think the goal of sobriety is to simply not to drink from now until we die. Yes, that is definitely an important goal but what good is that if we still live miserably. The trick is to find ways to be both sober and happy.
I also think too many of us subconsciously do just enough work in sobriety to stay sober. Thus, its like we walk the path of happy destiny as slowly as possible. I’m not judging here because we all are on our own path. In this year of interviewing people for the podcast, I have found that the people who seem the happiest in sobriety are the ones who aren’t afraid to put a little skip in their step down this path of sobriety.
- Helping others:
I know the term “helping others” sounds so cliché! It’s also the last thing anyone new in sobriety wants to hear. Maybe that is why I’m putting it last. Maybe that is also why helping others doesn’t show up until the very last of the 12 steps. Regardless, there does seem to be some magic in that helping others really does end up helping ourselves. I think maybe we can call it sobriety karma. Yes, let’s call it sobriety karma. I like that.
I really look forward to what this next year has in store for my sobriety and for the Recovery Elevator podcast. It’s a journey I’m walking with you all and it’s a journey that widens with the addition of each of your voices. Thanks for being here and thanks for listening!
You took the elevator down but you need to take the stairs back up. You can do this!
Recovery Elevates,
Paul
Be sure to join the Recovery Elevator Private Accountability Facebook Group.
Be sure to expand your recovery network in and Seattle on February 27th and San Francisco on March 5th.
Made It Through the Woods, Fell Into a Bottle | Relapse in Alcoholism
On January 16, at 18 days sober, I got up before dawn and drove 50 miles outside of the city to toe the line for a 25K trail race. I had no competitive goals; I just wanted to enjoy racing again. And…I did. It was invigorating, challenging, and at times even euphoric. It was all the things my addiction has robbed from me over and over again in the past two years. Trail racing is more exhausting than road racing because your brain is perpetually engaged. You’re constantly judging, calculating, balancing. As I ran through the woods, dodging roots and fallen branches and sliding through the mud, I felt more alive than I had in weeks. Maybe I can really kick this, I thought. For real this time.
Two and a half hours later, I finished, covered in dirt and full of joy. Later I discovered I was 6th female, which was a nice bonus, but it wasn’t why I was out there. I left fairly quickly, because there was an after-party for the normal people (the ones who can have a few, call it a day and go about their business) and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to handle that. Smart decision, right? Yes…but it sucked.
Because in my post-collegiate running career, I’ve learned that I could not only run well enough to sometimes win races, sometimes even win money, but that I could also reward myself with a drink or two after a race or a hard training run.
But slowly, deceptively, that drink became more than two. Eventually it became five or six or seven. Finally, it replaced running entirely, and I didn’t see it happening until it was too late. But I miss those post-race rewards. I still remember the days when that’s truly all they were.
And I haven’t fucking gotten over it.
You’re a freak. Just accept it. You never really grew up. You can’t drink like an adult because you’re just a piece of shit with no self-control, I thought as I drove home after slamming two sodas and saying awkward goodbyes to people.
The thought festered and smoldered in my mind for three days, getting more and more unbearable…but I kept quiet.
I should have told someone. I should have reached out for help. Instead, I buried the thought, ashamed of my inability to be like other people. And eventually I broke, telling myself that an impending snowstorm and the inevitable few days off work was a good reason. This, of course, is a perfectly good excuse for most people, but the reality is there is no excuse in my case. There’s only the ugly, sober truth: I can’t drink. What’s fine for most people is poison for me. It didn’t take long to sink into oblivion, and for nearly a week I became a virtual ghost, completely removed from reality. The aftermath, of course, is never pretty. A more accurate description would be “horrifying.” What I’ve experienced in the past few days is not a hangover. It’s sickness, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
I still have hope that I will run again- maybe even compete again, sooner than later. But deep down I know that the bigger problem is that this could eventually kill me, and I don’t want to die.
You can run all you want, but you can’t escape yourself.
045: Recovery is Moving in the Right Direction | A Recap of the 60 Minute Segment on Drug and Alcohol Addiction
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Micheal Hilton, with over 10 years of sobriety, discusses his recovery portfolio. Micheal Hilton is a leader in the recovery community and does personal coaching with his company Breakthrough Coaching.
60 minutes recently did a segment on addiction. Micheal Botticelli, the “Drug Czar” is someone who from first hand experience knows the intricacies of alcoholism and addiction. Here are some key points of what I took from this segment.
- 40 years and a trillion dollars, nation has little to show of the war on drugs.
- 21 million americans are addicted to drugs and alcohol and nearly 1/2 of federal incarcerations are in for drug crimes. “can’t arrest addiction out of people.” “We have learned that addiction is a brain disease.” “ We can’t expect cancers patients to just stop having cancer.”
- Addicts should be patients and not prisoners.
- Michael Botticelli has created a high school for teens in recovery in Massachusetts.
- Convicts can choose rehab over jail and this actually reduces crime.
- in 1998 crashed his car and woke up hand cuffed to a gurney. Alcohol free for 27 years.
- Oversees 26 billion dollar budget across 16 government agencies. Over 1/2 of the money goes to drug enforcement.
- Says the heroin crisis was created at home. Pain scripts have risen from 76 million in 1991 to 207 million in 2015.
- More than 120 americans die of drug overdoses each day.
- Tried an experiment in 2010 with the quincy police department. Officers are armed with Naloxone. A nasal spray for an overdose. Also changed laws called the good samaritan law.
- Today, 32 states have adopted similar laws and more than 800 police departments carry Naloxone.
- In Massachussets, Botticelli has made treating addiction routine health care.
- The affordable care act requires the most of insurance companies to cover addiction treatment.
- Substance abuse is one of the only disease where we let people reach their most acute point of the disease or “bottom” before we intervene.
- Botticelli prefers the word disorder instead of addict.
- Sees a model in the attitude towards the stigma with the gay rights movement. He was more comfortable being a gay man, before saying he was an alcoholic. “We have more work to do.”
- over 1/2 a million a year are killed by legal drugs. Alcohol and nicotine.
- Botticelli is not in favor of legalizing marijuana.
- Grew up as in insecure kid.
- A very wise judge said you can either get care for your drinking problem or you continue the path of this criminal behavior.
You Might be an Alcoholic if…
Claire
You keep a note pad by the phone so you can take notes about your drunk dialings, but then you can’t read your handwriting
You’re now sober but want to wear a sign on your shirt that says you are enjoying a piece of gum to merely blow bubbles, not to cover up the vodka smell
Caleb
You buy canned beer so you can hide it in your bag without anybody hearing the glass clinks
Simone
If you log into MyFitnessPal as soon as you wake up…to log in the calories of the 8 double whiskeys you’ll be drinking later…to know how much not to eat today.
Shane
If after a night of drinking an entire 26er of scotch, the only thing you can think of is “what am I going to drink today?”
Brian in KC, MO
You might be an alcoholic if it’s your turn to be the DD, so before the baseball game you pound beers at the tailgate before the game hoping it carries you through to the end of the game….but then the game gets rained out in the 5th inning and you are still too drunk to drive home.
