Essential Oils for Recovery

Using essential oils, made from parts of certain plants like leaves, herbs, barks and rinds, may help you unwind, destress and stay focused as you endure the hard work of recovery. In fact, more and more people are turning to aromatherapy as a way to relax and center themselves. Of course, there’s a wide range of use for essential oils – from easing headaches and stomach woes to boosting immunity – but here we take a look at a few essential oils study-proven for their stress- and anxiety-busting benefits.

Before using essential oils, talk with your healthcare provider and addiction counselor. You want to make sure they don’t interact with any medications you’re taking, aggravate a preexisting health condition or act as a trigger for you in any way. And look for trusted brands without extra ingredients.

• Lavender: This essential oil is perhaps most prized for its calming effects on the body and mind. According to one study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, inhaling a lavender aroma enabled participants to perform a memory task while under stress better than those who used a placebo. 
• Bergamot: Sourced from the peel of a citrus fruit, known as Citrus bergamia, this oil is what gives earl grey tea its fragrance. While research is limited, one study published in Phytotherapy Research found that being exposed to bergamot for 15 minutes gave participants in the waiting room of a mental health treatment center positive feelings. 
• Lemongrass: This oil, sourced from the lemongrass herb (Cymbopogon citratus), has been found to promote relaxation and reduce symptoms of anxiety. The delicate yet calming aroma of the oil has also been linked to improved sleep and reduced insomnia. 
• Orange: In one study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, breathing in the sweet aroma of orange oil allowed participants to remain unrattled during an anxiety-inducing situation compared with those who inhaled a control oil (tea tree oil) or a placebo. 
• Vetiver: The woody and strong root-like smell of vetiver has been found to help people center their mind and body. Many people incorporate vetiver into blends for mindful practices like meditation, yoga and prayer.

Stress Management for Women in Recovery
At Rising Roads, we focus on the unique needs of women in recovery. We help our female clients discover new coping strategies to manage (not run from) their emotions, so they can continue to heal and reclaim healthy, sober lives. To learn more, call today: 866-746-1558.

Great Sobriety Gift Ideas

If you’re looking for a meaningful gift for a woman in your life in recovery, reading this is a great first step. Finding a gift doesn’t have to be tough and it doesn’t even have to focus on her sobriety, so long as it doesn’t harm her recovery.

Just because she’s now sober, it doesn’t mean she’s a different person. So, if you know she loves a certain perfume, pajamas, earrings or a favorite sports team, go for a gift that meshes with her likes.

Thankfully, there are plenty of awesome products available this holiday season that can also help your loved one feel inspired, calm and focused on building a healthy sober life. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Massage/spa gift card: The gift of relaxation will help acknowledge the hard work of recovery. 
• At-home spa kit: If you can’t afford a gift card, a homemade relaxation kit works, too. You can include an eye mask, facial scrub, slippers, essential oils, a scented candle and bath bombs. 
• Adult coloring book and art supplies: Creativity is a powerful recovery tool and great use of downtime for your loved one. 
• Journal or passion-planner: Writing in a journal or planner can help your loved one set short- and long-term goals and explore her inner thoughts and feelings. 
• Box of relaxing tea or coffee: A soothing cup of tea or coffee is a perfect gift that will last all season long. 
• Pretty mugs for coffee and tea: You can purchase a mug with a recovery phrase or inspirational quote or just a pretty design. 
• Healthy cookbooks or cooking supplies: This will support her new healthful sober lifestyle and provide recipe ideas to rejuvenate her mind and body. 
• A house plant: Try a low-maintenance cactus if your loved one doesn’t have a green thumb. 
• Ornament: An ornament is a great keepsake and reminder of your loved one’s new independence now that she’s sober. 
• Inspirational book: Just be mindful of your loved one’s stage of recovery, as you might want to avoid any books containing detailed descriptions of drug or alcohol use. 
• Engraved jewelry or keychain: This can include her sobriety date, an inspirational recovery slogan or just a personal note of encouragement and love. 

The Gift of Recovery
Perhaps the greatest gift you can give your loved one is supporting her sobriety. If the woman in your life has experienced sobriety and then had a relapse, we can help. Contact us today to learn about our post relapse care. Call: 866-746-1558.

Healthy Uplifting Recipes

What you do (and don’t) put into your body each day makes a big difference in how you feel and how much effort you can put into your recovery. The right mix of foods can help stabilize your mood, keep energy levels high and provide the right vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and strong in your recovery.

We scoured the Internet to find some healthy uplifting recipes to add to your recovery diet this season. Give them a try!

Stress-Busting Green Smoothie from MindBodyGreen.com
This simple recipe can work for breakfast or a snack and packs in mood-boosting spinach and sunflower seeds – they are both rich in B vitamins, which are key players in the production of the feel-good hormone serotonin. What’s more, the recipe includes omega-3 rich chia seeds (often called “food for your brain.”) And last, but not least, a bit of the superfood cacao contains magnesium, which is known for its calming effects. Just mix it all in a blender and sip that stress away.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1/2 - 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon cacao
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup coconut milk (full fat)
• 1/2 cup water

Energy-Boosting Quinoa Power Salad from EatingWell.com
The stars of this recipe are sweet potatoes and quinoa – two superfoods that will keep you full and energized during the day. Plus, there’s lots of vitamin-packed greens (spinach, kale or arugula) as well as mood-boosting sunflower seeds. Make a big batch and eat it all week!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick wedges
• ½ red onion, cut into ¼-inch-thick wedges
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt, divided
• 8 ounces chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard, divided
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 4 cups baby greens, such as spinach, kale and/or arugula, washed and dried
• ½ cup cooked red quinoa, cooled
• 1 tablespoon unsalted sunflower seeds, toasted

Mood-Boosting Ginger Turkey Stir-Fry from EverydayHealth.com
It can be difficult to stay upbeat and energetic, especially since we’re dealing with a double-whammy: seasonal depression and holiday blues. Lean turkey is a great source of healthy protein that promotes relaxation and can help you better manage stress. This is because it’s high in tryptophan, an essential amino acid that relaxes your body. This quick dinner recipe also contains colorful veggies and the super spice ginger, known to help ease anxiety, stress and feelings of tiredness.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice, brown
• 2 tablespoon oil, olive
• 1 pounds turkey, breast boneless, skinless
• 1 head(s) cabbage, napa (Chinese) shredded, about 4 cups
• 4 stalk(s) onion(s), green tops and bulbs, chopped
• 2 cup(s) mushrooms, fresh sliced
• 2 cup(s) pea pods, fresh or frozen
• 4 clove(s) garlic finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, fresh peeled and grated
• 1 teaspoon pepper, black ground
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce, less sodium
• 2 tablespoon oil, sesame
• 4 teaspoon sesame seeds

Snooze-Boosting Sweets from WomensHealth.com
We all know that sleep rules when it comes to regulating your mood and energy and keeping you focused on your recovery tasks. Well, apparently, you can have dessert and sleep, too! Just skip any sweets after dinner and try one of these recipes chock-full of snooze-inducing ingredients about 30 minutes prior to bed.

• 1 cup cottage cheese + 1 cup sliced strawberries 
• 1 slice of bread + 1 tablespoon hazelnut chocolate spread 
• 1 small pear + 1 tablespoon almond butter 
• 1 small banana + 1 tablespoon jam 
• 1 whole wheat waffle + 1 tablespoon raspberry preserves

Let Us Fuel Your Recovery
Rising Roads offers weekly nutrition classes, in addition to shopping preparation and cooking classes. The camaraderie of cooking together, gaining new skills, learning new recipes and enjoying the process is a positive move forward. To learn more, call today: 866-746-1558. 

More Expectant Moms Using Meth/Opioids

Both meth and opioid use is on the rise among expectant moms in the United States, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health. In fact, in the last decade amphetamine use among pregnant women has doubled (from 1.2 per 1,000 hospital deliveries to 2.4). And the rate of opioid-affected births more than quadrupled, from 1.5 per 1,000 deliveries to 6.5. Researchers say these estimates are likely conservative – as they rely on patients’ disclosure of substance abuse as well as proper recording of diagnoses. 

"With substance use, it's not just the opioid epidemic,” Dr. Lindsay Admon, an OB-GYN at Michigan Medicine Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital and the lead author of the study, told U.S. News and World Report. “There are other substances such as methamphetamine use that are also increasing.” 

Unfortunately, the effects of methamphetamine use on pregnancy and the infant aren't as well-studied as opiates, alcohol and cocaine. However, meth use during pregnancy has been linked to numerous birth complications, including higher rates of preeclampsia, placental abruption, preterm delivery and severe maternal morbidity and mortality. 

This is partly because substance abuse during pregnancy often means later prenatal care and fewer prenatal appointments. In addition, women who use meth frequently use tobacco, alcohol and other drugs – and this can also confound the birth outcomes, notes the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Access to addiction treatment for pregnant women also plays a role. 

These findings highlight the fact that “we really need to think carefully about ways to connect women with the treatment resources that they need,” said Dr. Admon. “We have these really clear treatment guidelines for treating patients with opioid use disorder, and we don’t have the same type of guidance, certainly not in obstetrics, about how to best treat women with amphetamine use disorder, and I think there’s definitely a need for that.”

Substance Abuse Help for Women

Perhaps the biggest and most important choice of your life is making the decision to seek help for a substance use disorder. Let us help support you along your journey. To find out more about our addiction treatment for women, call today: 866-746-1558.