Recently, I was contacted by an outreach coordinator with The Coalition Against Drug Abuse to help spread the word in the health and fitness industry on The Effects of Drugs, Alcohol Abuse and Weight Gain; she shared a very informative resource on the implications, contraindications and their latest research regarding substance abuse, weight gain, obesity and weight loss. It covers many areas that I feel are important to today’s society and the need for people to live healthier lives. After reading the content, I learned so much and in turn I was very happy to blog about this topic and share their page with the hope of helping people learn to live cleaner, healthier, balanced lives.
The Coalition Against Drug Abuse covers many important topics such as how substance abuse affects our metabolism and the way the body breaks down food for energy and nutrition, the body cannot function properly without proper diet and nutrition. They also cover liver function; most people have a few drinks with no thought of how hard the liver has to work to break down alcohol and remove it from the body. In my career, alcohol has been the most common and abused substance that my clients have disclosed at the initial sit down assessment, these clients were feeling frustrated and depressed because they were having a hard time reaching their weight loss and fitness goals, once they cut back or stopped consuming alcohol entirely, they lost weight, their bodies started to look toned, they had more energy and were less depressed, and most importantly, these clients have all continued to exercise and live healthier lifestyles!
Drug and alcohol abuse is an area in the health and fitness industry that is often ignored, yet it is an area that needs to be addressed since substance abuse alters our metabolism, diet and eating habits, some people even start to abuse a substance to cope with the way they look and feel about their bodies. I feel this is largely due to the pressures that are placed on people in today’s “perfection” society. With that said it is important to tell your Personal Trainer-Health Coach about ALL medications, prescription drugs, recreational drugs, tobacco and alcohol that you are consuming on a daily basis because it can have a direct effect on your health as well as your fitness goals and results.
Exercise is an anti depressant, I have seen so many great success stories, people that were struggling in life, they started living healthier lives with exercise, clean diets and finding ways to relieve stress. Taking small steps is key, keep focused on your goals, hire a Health Coach to be accountable to and you will get there at your own pace.
For more information on the Effects Of Drug And Alcohol Abuse On Weight Loss and Gain by Dr Karen Vieira, PhD MSM, go to The Coalition Against Drug Abuse website.
Photos Courtesy of The Coalition Against Drug Abuse Website.