ELEMENTS OF RECOVERY

How to break food, drug and alcohol addictions, bite by bite.

Are you Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired?

April 27, 2016 by Christina Santini in Binge Eating, Addictions, Depression, Transformation Keys

Nest time you feel like you are about to do something that you have promised yourself not to do - ask yourself this simple question: Are you Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired? This is one of the most easy tools to begin to replace bad habits, step by step. So simple that many refuse to do it - because "it is just too easy" and thus a waste of time, because everything else in life seems like a battle. This is the lie we tell ourselves to NOT take action: if it is not hard, it must not work. Yet it is the simple things in life that works best.

Why you might want to give up cheat days

March 23, 2016 by Christina Santini in Binge Eating, Addictions, Eating Disorders, Transformation Keys

I am not a big fan of so-called cheat days. And anyone with a history of addiction issues likely want to avoid this black-white pattern of planning their eating schedule as well. Cheat days easily turn into binge days. And this leaves us in a mental state of feeling like a failure - we went overboard, we felt like we lost control and allowed our impulses to completely take-over. This is a red flag situation for anyone to relapse back into their primary type of addiction. Simply because our MINDSET is now one of "whatever", "I can't control myself" so "I might as well xyz".

Abstinence vs. moderation

March 02, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Biochemistry Balancing, Eating Disorders, Intuitive Eating, Transformation Keys

Is it all or nothing - what do you think? I like to think that most things in life can be enjoyed in moderation. Although learning to embrace parts of something that has once controlled one, can be difficult. And indeed for some substances it is not possible, as the biochemical component is too strong to ever gain a sense of how to enjoy in moderation again. Yet, from my years of having worked in the addiction field, I am convinced that the deeper lesson of addiction is to embrace the gray zone.

Do you need to cut out sugar?

January 27, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Biochemistry Balancing, Eating Disorders

Sugar, sugar, sugar. Everyone is talking about sugar these days, like a single grain hidden under the carpet will make you drop dead in plain sight. Let's sum up some research that makes for this widespread obsession with the white villain. Just one to two servings of sugary beverages per day may raise your risk of heart disease by 35 percent, diabetes by 25 percent, and stroke by 15 percent. Cutting added sugars can improve health in as little as 10 days, reducing triglycerides by 33 points, and lowering blood sugar by 53 percent. This all seems like the perfect case to drop that sugar like it's hot. Or does it?

Sleep deprivation and the addiction connection.

December 30, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Sleep, Stress Tools

When we don't sleep sufficiently for our needs, our brain doesn't recharge and our body cannot repair optimally. We feel a bit worn out. A bit edgy. A bit tense. A bit teary. A bit irrational. A bit forgetful. Oftentimes compensating by our lowered stress tolerance by exhibiting some overly neurotic tendencies aka perfectionism. Over time, we exhaust our energy reservoirs and we begin searching for the quick fix. First, if we have no history of addiction, we might reach for something socially acceptable. A fix like caffeine to keep us alert. A fix like red wine to make us feel a bit calmer, when our nerves feel frazzled. Or maybe we pop a Xanax to take the edge off. Many of us will also reach for something edible - our hunger feels insatiable, because it is interwoven with cravings now.

3 Tips To Navigate The Holidays When You Are In Recovery

December 23, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Eating Disorders

It is hardly surprising that the holidays is a stressful time for many, especially those in recovery from an addiction. Even though Christmas is probably my favorite time of year, it can also be a very painful time in certain seasons of our life. Seasons of our life when things are not going quite as smoothly. Christmas is a time where everything becomes magnified - good or bad. So many triggers can be set off simultaneously, emotionally and biochemically - fueled with anticipation and ideals of perfection. Perfect happiness must happen at 6 PM when we savor the dinner in all-together harmony. No wonder those of us who strive for perfect bliss during this time get a bit stressed out. So how do you navigate the holidays when you are in recovery and temptation for relapse a plenty?

The 3 traits that drive the BREAKTHROUGH

November 19, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Eating Disorders, Binge Eating, Transformation Keys

I am currently attending TEDMED 2015 in Palm Springs, where the focus is on how on to BREAKTHROUGH in health and medicine. For those of you not aware what that is, TEDMED is the annual TED event for the medical community. It is pretty awesome as it gathers up-and-coming entrepreneurs, scientists and young and seasoned minds: All focused on how to innovate, excel and expand health care to encompass all aspects of our health - including preventative health care and insight on how to inactivate genes of disease etc. Breaking through is also a key component of breaking an addiction - we are breaking through to our essence: to who we really are at our core. Those of us who do not master the part of breaking through in our recovery process of letting go of addiction, will get stuck in the hamster wheel. So which 3 traits are linked to mastery of the breakthrough?

How do you know when you're eating right for your body type?

November 12, 2015 by Christina Santini in Binge Eating, Biochemistry Balancing, Eating Disorders

Ask yourself: Does what you eat today make you feel good tomorrow? If not, it's time to consider getting back on track to restore your hunger and appetite switch, in order to actually FEEL good in the skin you are in, and not only look good.

When we just can't stop hating ourselves.

September 23, 2015 by Christina Santini in Eating Disorders, Body Image, Addictions, Binge Eating, Emotional Management, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

In this TED talk, poet Shane Koyczan talks about the perception of beauty. It is hauntingly, heartbreakingly beautiful. The essence being, how we need to understand that our words... the way we speak.... is what sets off every other domino effect in the world... in our own and other people's lives. Our choice of words has lasting impact on our own sense of self and those that cross pur path. Yet, we often find ourselves using words so carelessly... as if it's only words. Only words.

TO DETOX OR NOT TO DETOX AFTER ADDICTION

September 10, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Biochemistry Balancing, Binge Eating, Superfoods In Recovery

After breaking the chains of addictions, we often find ourselves seeking out other ways to "cleanse" our body+soul from our destructive past. We long for the simple, perfect life. We want to start over. Whether we want to admit it or not - the pull of the quick-fix and rigid way of living in a detox, taps right into or black-white addictive thinking pattern. On the flip-side, one could argue for that it resets our body, and breaks the junkfood addiction that many of us also struggle with. So what to do?

How To Start Life From Scratch

August 26, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Eating Disorders, Emotional Management, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

Sometimes we need to start from scratch. Rather than overanalyze and try to fix things that are broken and lacking; simply toss out all our bad habits, past baggage and with it our belief-system. This, in order to take action steps to create the person, we want to be in the now. It is essential to understand, that this is a decision we make ourselves. Whether we make it or not; we are completely 100% in charge of letting go of the past, in order to become the person we want to be - body, mind and soul.

Why Did You Stop Eating?

August 12, 2015 by Christina Santini in Binge Eating, Eating Disorders, Intuitive Eating

Contrary to our initial reaction to this simplistic question, many of us do not stop eating because we are satisfied. Think about it. Why did you just stop eating your last meal? Is this a reason that repeats itself? What does this mean about you and your ability to listen to your body's signals?

Why weightloss and appetite suppressant drugs make you fatter.

May 27, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Biochemistry Balancing, Body Image, Eating Disorders, Binge Eating

Because you can't stick to a 1500 calorie model-starvation diet, doesn't make you a food addict or a weak will-powered individual - it makes you human.

Being hungry is normal - you eat and it goes away. Being hungry and not being a size 2, is not a reason to ask your doctor for speed, because you "have difficulty focusing...". The stimulant class of medication includes widely used drugs such as Tenuate, Ritalin, Adderall, and Dexedrine. Stimulants work by increasing dopamine and often also endorphins in the brain. So what's the downside?

The biochemical breakdown of food addiction

May 21, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Biochemistry Balancing, Eating Disorders

More of us than ever struggle with eating - whether it be obsessing over the latest diet trend and turning it into a substitute religion, or it be craving food beyond or hunger. Not all of us are prone to food addiction. It depends whether we have the underlying biochemical vulnerability for this AND it gets activated. The 2 key chemicals involved in binge eating are serotonin and endorphin.

An Ayurvedic Perspective On Addiction

April 16, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Biochemistry Balancing, Eating Disorders, Transformation Keys, Superfoods In Recovery, Sleep

In Ayurveda (Eastern body-mind-soul health philosophy), addictions are tied to an imbalance in the air element. Everything and every one of us is made up of the basic 5 elements: air, ether, water, fire and earth. When one of these elements get out of balance, we get sick. Modern neuroscience overlaps with classic Eastern medicine, although we use different terms in Western science - but it is all the same: the truth is the truth. Addiction is linked to the air element as it corresponds to our mind. There is too much nervous energy, which leads to an imbalance in our central nervous system. This, in change, causes us to feel disconnected and unbalanced. We are searching through drugs, foods and addictive behaviors in order to feel more grounded - that is the essence of any addiction.

The Energetics of Food and Your Mood

March 25, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Biochemistry Balancing, Binge Eating, Eating Disorders, Superfoods In Recovery

When you are restoring your brain and body from the damage of intense abuse from alcohol, food and drugs, you want to understand how to eat to best support your recovery. What you eat in recovery can make the process towards thriving again in your body a lot easier. If you want to cure the underlying imbalance, it is essential to understand the dynamics that make for addiction - whether that be food, drugs, alcohol or disordered eating behaviors. What is interesting to me, is that these self-abusive behaviors all have that in common, that the energetics are out of whack in a similar fashion. For those of you who prefer neuroscientific terms - the brain chemistry component; particular serotonin and dopamine. This means that we will benefit from adhering to a strategy that helps to re-align that imbalanced energy in our body, that literally makes our skin crawl and go after self-destruction, self-distraction and acting out. Different foods have different signature energetics. Often we are so focused on what science has proven regarding nutrient and antioxidant value that we are blind to the fact, that foods have a lot more value than simply antioxidant value and glycemic index. What is food energetics you ask? Click to read on.

The 3 Aspects of Nourishment

March 03, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Eating Disorders, Emotional Management, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

Addiction is one of the greatest health issues facing Western society today. When I say addiction, I do not mean necessarily hardcore drug or alcohol addiction. The term addiction encompasses almost all self-destructive patterns or behaviors. We are experiencing a lack of control in some area of our life. Some kind of behavior that provides instant relief or distraction to escape the fact, that we are not feeding all 3 aspects of what defines us as a human being - that is why we are not thriving in this skin we are in. What are the 3 aspects of being a human?

CARROT JUICE TO RESET YOUR BLOOD CHEMISTRY

February 17, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Biochemistry Balancing, Superfoods In Recovery, Binge Eating

Did you know that carrot juice is almost identical to healthy blood? This is critical information to apply to any recovery program. Drugs and alcohol severely affect blood chemistry for the worse, thereby also increasing cravings and decreasing nutrient absorption. Healthy blood chemistry is the flow of life through your body. When your blood chemistry is compromised, every organ is too. Carrot juice acts therapeutically to restore and replenish healthy blood.

Why our BRAINS get ADDICTED

February 03, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Biochemistry Balancing, Eating Disorders, Binge Eating

The pull of addiction is beyond human control. Neuroscientist Nora Volkow is a pioneer in addiction medicine and director of National Institute of Drug Abuse at NIH. In this talk which was taped at TEDMED 2014, she applies the lens of addiction to eating disorders and obesity; describing the brain chemical issues at play. TEDMED features the brightest minds in health + medicine at their yearly conference.

HOW do you change habits?

January 27, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Faith, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

So there is a lot of advice out there telling you WHY you need to change beliefs, habits and lifestyle to achieve the life you truly desire to live. And that's great and all. Many of us are aware that we need to change. Many of us are painfully aware of the self-destructive things we do, that we wish would just vanish. Every Monday we start a new. Every year we set the same resolutions. And days turn into weeks that turn into months, years. The story of our life. If we think back on all those years - decades even, that we have tried and tried and yet we are exactly where we started; it can seem quite depressing. The question most of us are left stuck with is HOW. As in HOW do I change - I understand I need to, but HOW do I do it? There are 5 qualities that facilitate change. Without them you will stay stuck in Neverland. So what are the 5 qualities that will facilitate the change you want? Let's dive in.