Looking for a Good Night’s Sleep? Alcohol Won’t Help!

photo of unhappy young woman sitting on a sofa and drinking alcohol

For 20% of Americans who have trouble going to sleep at night, having a glass of wine or a drink at bedtime seems like a good solution. Unfortunately, it isn’t. In fact, recent studies have shown that alcohol can disturb your sleep patterns and lead to repeated bouts of insomnia.

Alcohol Does Make You Feel Sleepy
Alcohol is a known to be a sleep inducer, and probably will help you go to sleep initially. There’s a trade-off, though. Later in the night, you may awaken and be unable to fall asleep again. Scientists believe that alcohol interferes with the body’s natural sleep regulation function, called homeostasis. This function balances a person’s time awake with his need for sleep. A drink or two at bedtime could cause a shift in this function and result in disrupted and poor sleep.

Drinking Causes Sleep-Related Problems
In addition to a disrupted sleep pattern, alcohol is believed to affect an individual’s type and quality of sleep. Drinking alcohol as a sleep aid can:

• Reduce REM sleep, the most restorative type of sleep
• Suppress breathing & lead to sleep apnea
• Cause long-term problems with memory
• Increase your chance of sleep walking & sleep talking
• Lead to alcohol dependence

Recovery with an Emphasis on Health
Drug and alcohol rehab at 10 Acre Ranch is about more than clinical treatment and individual therapy. We believe that restoring you to healthy living habits will help you maintain your sobriety and live a fulfilling and productive life.

Healthy food preparation, regular exercise, social support, and a meaningful routine help you gain control of your health, your relationships, and your time. Residential addiction treatment for men 18 and older at 10 Acre Ranch begins with a phone call to 877-228-4679. Our friendly admissions team will verify insurance, explain our healthy living program, and start your enrollment. Take a step toward sober living and sleep better tonight.

Autumn Grilling Ideas : Nutrition in Recovery

photo of chicken and vegetables on squewers

Barbecue aficionados may lament the end of summer, but the truth is that fall is a great time to keep the grill burning. Combining classic grill favorites with seasonal vegetables and flavorful spices is an ideal way to make the most of the autumn, all while boosting your health and promoting drug and alcohol addiction recovery. Addiction experts stress the importance of quality nutrition during the recovery process and note that eating well (and enjoying your food) makes for excellent therapy.

Sample Autumn Recipes for the Grill

If you’ve never tried grilling autumn veggies or fruits, rehab is a perfect time to step outside your dietary comfort zone and experience something new. Here are some savory, satisfying recipes perfect for a side dish or main course:

SKEWERED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Squash is underrated as an ideal grill food. This simple recipe is a unique complement to meaty main courses.

Ingredients
1 butternut squash (medium size)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preparation
Peel the squash. Remove the seeds. Cut into 1-inch chunks.
Boil the squash until slightly tender, about 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse under cold water.
Toss squash chunks in olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place squash chunks on skewers.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush the grill with olive oil.
Grill the skewered squash for about 3 minutes, brushing with leftover oil.
Turn and repeat until both sides are browned.

MOLASSES-GLAZED GRILLED SWEET POTATOES
Rich in antioxidants and vitamins, sweet potatoes are the perfect food for a crisp fall day. Molasses and allspice make this dish burst with flavor, and it’s fast and easy to boot.

Ingredients
4 sweet potatoes (medium size)
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon melted, unsalted butter
Allspice
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil

Preparation
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into ½-inch chunks.
Place sweet potatoes in a pot and cover with 1 inch of cold water.
Simmer partly covered until sweet potatoes begin to tenderize, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove sweet potatoes from heat and drain.
Mix molasses, orange juice, allspice, butter, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Preheat grill to medium. Brush grill with vegetable oil.
Place sweet potatoes on grill and cook for about 2 minutes.
Flip potatoes over and cook for 2 minutes more.
Brush the exposed side of the sweet potatoes with marinade mixture and flip for 30 seconds.
Brush the other side of the sweet potatoes with marinade and flip for 30 seconds more.
Remove from heat and serve.

The Benefits of Eating Well during the Rehab Process

Following a healthy diet featuring plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables is an excellent support strategy to use during the rehab process. Cooking whole, healthy foods is a strategy that complements your group or individual therapy process, since it ensures that your body is getting the vitamins and nutrients it needs to recover from the damage caused by alcohol or drug addiction.

Specific additional physical benefits of proper nutrition during the recovery process include:

  • A boost to the immune system
  • Support for repairing damage to internal tissues & organs
  • Increased energy
  • Improved mood

Studies also show that poor dietary habits can lead to relapse, so it’s critical to focus on giving your body the nutrients you need in order to achieve sustained recovery.

At 10 Acre Ranch, our counselors understand the importance of a complete, individually tailored recovery plan that takes nutrition into careful account. If you or someone you care about is trapped in the throes of addiction, we can help. Please contact an admissions counselor today to request insurance verification, discuss medical detox, or inquire about payment assistance.

Fuzzy Thinking: It’s Just a Phase in Addiction Recovery

a man having difficulty to think clearly

You’re determined to succeed at recovery. It hasn’t been easy, but you’re making progress. You have a few weeks under your belt, and you’re thinking, “This might just work!” You are doing your best to make better decisions and to use the techniques you talk about in therapy, but there’s one problem. It nags at you, filling you with fear and self-recrimination.

Your mind isn’t clear. You get easily confused and your thinking is fuzzy. You’re worried that your addiction has left you mentally impaired and you’ll never escape this “brain fog.”

The good news is that most men in recovery experience periods of fuzzy thinking, and it’s typically only temporary. Remember that addiction causes serious changes in your physical and mental condition. During recovery, your body goes through a type of reset. Your memory loss, muddled thinking, and inability to concentrate are probably the result of one or more of these intertwined causes:

  • The physical effects of withdrawal
  • Sleep disruption leading to fatigue
  • Nutritional deficiency
  • Coping with stress & fear without drugs or alcohol
  • Emotions that can be overwhelming.

Guiding You to Clarity

Fortunately, the rehab professionals at 10 Acre Ranch have the knowledge and resources to help you find your way through the fog. Nutritional meals ensure that you have adequate nourishment; exercise, recreation, and meditation practice contribute to a sense of well-being and better sleep. Disease education helps you understand the physical and mental changes you are experiencing. Recovery assignments provide valuable preparation to lessen the stress and emotions of moving beyond rehab. With these resources and a little time, most individuals successfully recover their cognitive skills.

Comprehensive Resources for Successful Recovery

As you progress through the early stages of recovery, you may encounter doubts, fear, and physical challenges. When you place your care in the capable hands of the staff at 10 Acre Ranch, you’ll have access to the resources you need for physical, emotional, and mental restoration. Don’t let the haze of alcohol and drug addiction keep you from living a full and active life. Call 1-800-266-7074 to start the admissions process and begin your journey today.

The Truth About Drinking & the Gym

You wouldn’t think about taking a six-pack of beer to the gym when you train, but you might not give a second thought to partying the night before or after your workout. Unfortunately, the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality could be ruining your gains at the gym. Here are just a few of the ways boozing can stunt your fitness goals.

Slower muscle recovery. Your body sees alcohol as a toxin, and it takes energy to remove it from your tissue. When you’re focused on fitness, you need those energy reserves for muscle fiber recovery and muscle gain.

Increased cortisol production. Alcohol increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol. High cortisol levels lead to sugar and junk food cravings, along with boosting fat storage in the midsection.

Reduced fat burning. As your liver converts alcohol to acetate, your body prioritizes acetate burning over fat burning. If you are eating while drinking, that means the rest of your meal is stored as fat. Some studies show that moderate to heavy alcohol intake may decrease fat burning by 70 percent or more!

Decreased nutrient absorption. As you’re probably aware, alcohol irritates your stomach and increases acid production. You need nutrients to build muscle and improve your fitness, and an irritated stomach derails nutrient absorption.

Dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic. Dehydration decreases physical performance, increases fatigue, and depletes energy levels. In addition, dehydration prevents cells from producing ATP, which is a critical source for muscle energy.

And, if all of these reasons aren’t enough, remember that drinking makes your workout feel harder—and nobody needs that.

Treatment for Alcoholism at 10 Acre Ranch

If someone you love is stuck in a cycle of addiction, they are starving their body of the nutrients required to battle harmful toxins. 10 Acre Ranch offers counseling and group meal preparation that teaches the importance of nutrition during rehab. Food is fuel, and proper nutrition restores physical health and supports mind-body balance. Make a radical lifestyle change today! Embrace fitness and healthy eating at our CA men’s rehab facility. To learn more, call 800.266.7044 or reach a team member by email: info@10acreranch.org. Your inquiry is confidential and our compassionate team members are ready to help!

Alcohol & the Bedroom: Facts & Myths

wine glass and alcohol in the bed

Alcohol has a reputation for improving sleep, libido, and sex—but what’s the truth about drinking and the bedroom?

The Impact of Alcohol on Sleep

Put down that nightcap. America is sleep deprived, and alcohol isn’t helping.

According to National Sleep Foundation studies, 20 percent of Americans sleep less than six hours a night, and sleep disorders are on the rise. Without healthy sleep, we have trouble thinking, performing cognitive tasks, and cementing memories. Sleep deprivation also kills sex drive and contributes to clinical depression. And, if that weren’t enough, lack of sleep makes us look older, faster.

Myth: Alcohol helps you sleep better.

Fact: Alcohol reduces the time it takes to fall asleep.

Alcohol has a reputation as a sleep aid, but that’s not the whole story. A drink or two may allow you to fall asleep faster, but it disrupts the REM cycles that leave you refreshed. Drinking also:

  • Disrupts your body’s circadian rhythms, which impact memory, cognition, and emotional stability.
  • Acts as a diuretic, forcing you to get up to pee more often.
  • Depresses the respiratory system, making you more likely to suffer from sleep apnea.

Lack of sleep can also put a damper on your sex life. Sleep deprivation causes what one California State University researcher calls “tense tiredness,” which can lead to a lack of sexual interest and a reduction in sexual performance. If alcohol is harming your sexual desire, then you and your partner may have to make use of monster cock hd porn in order to feel fully aroused in the bedroom.

Additional Impacts of Drinking on Sex

Alcohol is not the aphrodisiac it’s cracked up to be. While one or two drinks may act as a social lubricant, drinking can also have dangerous sexual repercussions.

Myth: Alcohol boosts my sex drive.

Fact: Drinking lowers inhibitions and leads to poor decision-making.

You may feel more “relaxed” and open to sex when you are drinking, but studies show that alcohol decreases erection and orgasm. In more regrettable cases, people wearing beer goggles don’t put proper sexual boundaries in place. They are more prone to:

  • Ruin marriages & relationships
  • Engage in casual one-night stands
  • Have unprotected sex with one or multiple partners
  • Contract an STD

10 Acre Ranch Drug & Alcohol Rehab

If you or someone you love is battling a drinking problem, we can help. Our proven recovery programs, recreational activities, and fitness opportunities provide a well-rounded approach to men’s addiction treatment. Begin the admissions process or find out about insurance benefits by calling 877.228.4679 today. Serving men 18 and older, our CA addiction rehab encourages clients to embrace an active, healthy lifestyle as they pursue sobriety and wellness.

Activity-Based Addiction Treatment for Men

Seeking help for a drug or alcohol problem isn’t an easy step to take. You may think you know what treatment will be like, and that may be the reason you’ve stayed away until now. And if you’re not comfortable sharing your feelings and participating in a group therapy environment, you’re not alone.

Hiking, working out at the gym, playing softball, or spending time with animals doesn’t sound like addiction therapy to most people, but these are some of the activities you’ll enjoy as part of your addiction treatment program at 10 Acre Ranch. Called “activity-based therapy,” this holistic component is part of many top-ranked drug and alcohol recovery programs.

Why is Activity-Based Therapy Important?

Delving into your feelings to determine why you’ve risked your health, job, and relationships to use drugs is tough, especially for men who don’t see themselves as the “sensitive type.” While talk therapy is integral to helping addicts recover, it’s only one small part of a holistic approach.

Activity-based therapy encourages clients to explore other outlets, particularly those that are physical in nature (sports, weightlifting, etc.), to help patients cope with the changes in their lives that occur during addiction treatment. It’s natural to experience anger, frustration, and aggression during recovery. Participating in recreational activities and completing recovery assignments that are less traditional and more free-form allows men work through negative emotions without becoming self-destructive. These distractions may even curb cravings. Having fun reminds patients that joy still exists in their lives—and that their future holds value far beyond a temporary high.

Studies have shown that complementary therapies like exercise and music performance are valuable components of a multidisciplinary treatment program for drugs and alcohol. Activity-based therapy may also lessen the risk of relapse, in some cases.

Activity Therapy and Men’s Drug Addiction Treatment

Residential, outpatient, and drug detoxification programs approach treatment in several ways, all with the goal of maintaining long-term sobriety. Local outings, softball tournaments, group meal preparation, and nature walks are just some of the activities offered to the men at 10 Acre Ranch, in combination with therapy (individually and in a group setting), 12-step integration, and disease education.

10 Acre Ranch Drug & Alcohol Rehab

To learn more about the therapeutic programs, recreational activities, and fitness opportunities available at 10 Acre Ranch addiction treatment for men, dial 877.228.4679 today. Serving men 18 and older, our wide range of programs encourage clients to embrace an active, healthy lifestyle as they pursue sobriety and wellness.