Now Playing: Episode #22 — Rebuild Your Brain with Recovery Supplements
This page contains a full audio episode (28:17 duration) of the Strategic Recovery Podcast 🎧. Below the player you’ll find Show Notes, integration tips, and a link to the free Ultimate Guide to Supplements for Addiction Recovery — so you can turn this episode into a clear, customized supplement strategy for your own recovery journey.
🧠 How to replenish depleted brain chemistry, calm cravings naturally, and build a supplement stack that truly supports long-term freedom 🌿
Strategic Recovery Field Notes 💊
How to rebuild your brain chemistry, reduce cravings, and feel “normal” again using targeted nutrients, amino acids, and adaptogens.
- Welcome & Opening
- Supplement Principles & Organization
- The Strategic Recovery Detox Triad™
- Foundation Nutrients – The Non-Negotiables
- Amino Acids – Restocking the Brain’s Pharmacy
- Key Enhancers – NAC, CBD, Adaptogens & More
- Example Stacks & Daily Flow
- 30-Day Supplement Challenge
- Resources, Brands & Next Steps
🎙️ Welcome to Strategic Recovery with Matt Finch
We blend neuroscience, psychology, and higher consciousness to help you end addiction and rebuild your life from the inside out. In this episode, we zoom in on one crucial layer of the Strategic Recovery™ framework: biochemical repair through smart supplementation.
You’ll learn how to think about supplements without overwhelm, how to avoid wasting money on hype, and how to build a realistic stack that fits your body, your budget, and your recovery goals.
⚖️ Supplement Principles & Staying Organized
Before we talk about specific nutrients, we need a philosophy. Otherwise you end up with a cupboard full of random bottles and no noticeable change in how you feel.
- Supplements are support, not salvation. You can’t out-supplement poor sleep, junk food, zero movement, and constant stress. But you can use supplements to make a healthy lifestyle easier to live.
- Modern food often isn’t enough. Depleted soil, ultra-processed diets, chronic stress, and prior substance use mean many people in recovery genuinely benefit from extra nutrient support.
- Consistency beats complexity. Five basics taken daily for 90 days will do more than 20 bottles you rarely open.
- Your body is the lab; you are the scientist. Track mood, sleep, cravings, and energy as you experiment. Keep what works, release what doesn’t.
🔺 The Strategic Recovery Detox Triad™
To avoid overwhelm, this episode uses a simple three-part system for biochemical repair — the Strategic Recovery Detox Triad™:
- Foundation Nutrients – your non-negotiable basics: vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, and electrolytes.
- Amino Acids – targeted building blocks for dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and endorphins.
- Key Enhancers – NAC, CBD, adaptogens, antioxidants, and more to accelerate healing.
Instead of chasing every trending product, you build a strong foundation first, then layer in support that matches your current symptoms — low mood, anxiety, cravings, fatigue, or brain fog.
🧱 Foundation Nutrients – The Non-Negotiables
Foundation nutrients are like electricity, plumbing, and structural beams in a house. Without them, nothing else in your brain or body works quite right.
💊 Vitamins & Core Minerals
- B-Complex (B1, B6, B9, B12) – for energy, mood, nerve health, and neurotransmitter synthesis. Methylated forms can be especially helpful.
- Vitamin C – supports adrenal repair, detoxification, immune function, and collagen.
- Vitamin D3 + K2 – key for mood, hormone balance, bone health, and immunity; a common deficiency in depression and addiction.
- Magnesium (Glycinate or Threonate) – the “relaxation mineral” that calms the nervous system and supports deep sleep.
- Zinc – crucial for dopamine synthesis, hormone health, gut repair, and immunity.
🌊 Fats & Electrolytes for the Brain
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA/DHA) – structural fats for brain membranes, mood stabilization, and neuroplasticity.
- Electrolytes (Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium) – for nerve conduction, hydration, muscle function, and stress response.
- Basic Multivitamin (optional) – can help cover gaps while you fine-tune the rest of your stack.
Goal: Take your foundation nutrients daily for at least 90 days before judging their full impact.
🧬 Amino Acids – Restocking the Brain’s Pharmacy
Every major neurotransmitter — dopamine, serotonin, GABA, endorphins — is built from amino acids. After addiction, those shelves are often empty.
In this episode, Matt walks through several “all-star” aminos for recovery and how they map to common symptoms:
| Symptom Pattern | Commonly Used Amino Acids |
|---|---|
| Low motivation, fatigue, mental fog | L-Tyrosine or DLPA (dopamine & norepinephrine support) |
| Emotional or physical pain, “blah” mood | DLPA (dopamine + endorphins) |
| Alcohol or sugar cravings, gut issues | L-Glutamine (gut fuel + craving support) |
| Anxiety, overstimulation, racing thoughts | L-Taurine, GABA, or L-Theanine |
| Difficulty winding down at night | GABA or L-Theanine (sometimes paired with magnesium) |
General guideline: Aminos are often best taken on an empty stomach (about 30 minutes before, or two hours after, food). Start low, track your response, and build slowly.
⚡ Key Enhancers – Detox & Nervous System Support
- NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) – raises glutathione, supports liver detox, and may help reduce certain cravings.
- Glutathione – the “master antioxidant” that protects brain and liver cells.
- CBD Oil (Full Spectrum) – can calm the nervous system, ease anxiety, support sleep, and modulate pain.
- NAD+ – essential for cellular energy; sometimes used in detox settings to ease withdrawal and fatigue.
These nutrients are often layered on once foundation + aminos are in place.
🌿 Adaptogens & Herbal Allies
Adaptogens help your body adapt to stress instead of being crushed by it. Matt highlights:
- Ashwagandha – supports cortisol regulation and calm focus.
- Rhodiola – helpful for energy, stamina, and resilience.
- Maca – mood, libido, and endocrine support.
- Reishi – immune modulation and nervous system soothing.
- Passionflower / Lemon Balm / Valerian – gentle herbal sedatives many people use for anxiety and sleep.
You don’t need all of these. Treat them as a menu and pick a couple that match your current season of recovery.
🗺️ Example Stacks & Daily Flow
In the episode, Matt shares an example of how the Detox Triad might look across a typical day. This is not medical advice — just a starting template you can personalize with your healthcare provider.
B-complex • Omega-3 • Vitamin D3/K2 • Magnesium (small dose) • L-Tyrosine or DLPA • NAC
Electrolytes • L-Glutamine (for cravings) • Zinc • Optional micro-dose CBD
Magnesium Glycinate/Threonate • GABA or L-Theanine • Vitamin C • Glutathione
Adaptogens for stress days • gentle herbal sedatives for acute anxiety (under guidance)
Remember: start with fewer supplements and add gradually. The goal is clarity, not chaos.
🎯 The 30-Day Strategic Recovery Supplement Challenge
- Choose your foundation stack (vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, electrolytes).
- Add 1–2 amino acids that match your top symptom (cravings, anxiety, low drive, etc.).
- Layer in 1–2 key enhancers like NAC, CBD, or an adaptogen that feels aligned.
- Set up your system: visible supplement station, weekly organizer, and a simple checklist.
- Track mood, sleep, cravings, and energy every day for 30 days and review what changed.
At the end of the month, you’ll have real data on how your brain and body respond — and a personalized supplement map you can keep refining with your medical team.
🧩 Episode Takeaways
- Your brain isn’t forever damaged; it’s depleted — and depletion is fixable.
- The Strategic Recovery Detox Triad™ keeps your supplement plan simple and strategic.
- Foundation nutrients come first, amino acids fine-tune, and enhancers accelerate.
- Supplements don’t replace recovery work; they fuel it so you can actually show up.
If this resonated, please share it, leave a review, or send it to someone rebuilding their brain after addiction. You are not broken — you are replenishing. 💛
Supplements for addiction recovery – FAQ
Clear, holistic answers about using nutraceuticals, nutrients, and smart stacks to support your recovery journey.
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No, supplements are not required for recovery — people heal without them every day. But when used thoughtfully, targeted nutrients can speed up brain repair, calm cravings, and make it easier to do the deeper mental, emotional, and spiritual work of Strategic Recovery.
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Some people notice changes in days to a couple of weeks (especially with amino acids for cravings, focus, or calm). Deeper repair from vitamins, minerals, and omega-3s usually unfolds over 4–12 weeks. Consistency matters far more than intensity.
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Some nutrients are generally gentle, but interactions are always possible, especially with psychiatric meds, blood thinners, and blood pressure medications. Use an interaction checker, bring your full supplement list to your doctor or pharmacist, and never change prescription doses without professional guidance.
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Most basic nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, omega-3s, probiotics, etc.) are not addictive in the way drugs or alcohol are. That said, certain stimulants and prescription “smart drugs” can be misused. Strategic Recovery focuses first on non-habit-forming, body-building nutrients and treats anything more stimulating or sedating with extra caution and medical supervision.
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Foundation nutrients (like B-complex, magnesium, zinc, vitamin D, and omega-3s) rebuild your basic biochemistry. Amino acids help replenish specific neurotransmitters for mood, cravings, and focus. Enhancers — such as NAC, CBD, adaptogens, and glutathione — give extra support for detox, stress resilience, and brain protection.
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Pay attention to your body’s feedback. New anxiety, agitation, nausea, headaches, or wired-but-tired feelings can signal that you’re overdoing it or need to adjust dose, timing, or ingredients. Start low, add slowly, and keep a simple journal so you and your provider can see what’s actually helping.
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Both approaches can work. All-in-one formulas are convenient and great for getting started. Custom stacks let you fine-tune doses and ingredients based on your symptoms, labs, and budget. Many people start with a solid foundational blend, then customize around it with a few targeted aminos or enhancers.
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They’re everything. Supplements are like scaffolding around a building — helpful, but useless without a solid structure. Whole-food nutrition, restorative sleep, gentle movement, sunlight, community, and inner work are the true foundation; nutraceuticals simply make those habits more effective and sustainable.
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The best place to go deeper is the Ultimate Guide to Supplements for Addiction Recovery on GetStrategicRecovery.com, plus this episode’s show notes and recommended brands. Use those resources as a map, then collaborate with your healthcare provider to personalize your plan.
The Ultimate Guide to Supplements for Addiction Recovery
Go deeper into biochemical repair, smart stacks, and recovery-focused nutrients with Matt Finch’s full written guide — featuring practical protocols, trusted brands, and integration tips you can apply at your own pace.
🙏 Thank you for being part of the Strategic Recovery community.
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