ELEMENTS OF RECOVERY

break free from disordered eating, addiction, or destructive cycles — and step into lasting clarity.

Who would you be without your addiction?

November 09, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Depression, Eating Disorders, Emotional Management, Transformation Keys

When we are addicted to something, our true self tends to get hidden away. Only to be seen in glimpses here and there, when the cravings are not controlling us. And usually, when we are addicted to something, most of our waking time is spent on figuring out when to get our next fix, recovering from the crash after the high has worn off or dealing with the insatiable cravings. There is little space to just be. Be okay with who we are. This is super stressful. And what do we do, when we are stressed out? We reach for our addiction of choice. And on and on it goes.

Your doubt is the only thing holding you back.

November 02, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Faith, Transformation Keys

Recovery from any kind of addiction is a long winded road. It is not straight, nor does it even always go in the right direction - there are many u-turns and steps back along the way.

On repeat.

October 26, 2016 by Christina Santini in Depression, Emotional Management, Transformation Keys, Self-Worth, Addictions

How many times do you find yourself in the same situation, just differences faces and different spaces? If your answer is more than 3 times, you might want to consider what the shared feature of each situation is.

The perfect time.

October 19, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Depression, Emotional Management, Transformation Keys

When are we ready for change? When the time is right. And the time is always right. Time is the only thing in life we cannot get more of. Nevertheless we tend to wait for that right time, as if only then magic can happen. I don't know many people who truly ever change. I do know many people, who say they are waiting for the perfect time. When the time is right, then they will do it. Whatever that may be.

They say that if you are going through hell...

October 12, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Emotional Management, Faith, Intimacy, Transformation Keys

to just keep walking. Seems pretty solid advice. Yet I wonder how many of us disregard this oh-so-simple advice and instead freeze in the moment, like a deer in headlights. We stay stuck in the pain, we might find ourselves in at times for far too long. So that a moment in pain becomes an eternity. Crippling us.

Without vision for our future, we return to our past.

October 05, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Transformation Keys, Eating Disorders, Binge Eating

It is impossible to change and keep lasting change going, if you do not have a clear vision in your head of, who you want to be and what you want you daily life to look like on there other side of breaking addiction. Without vision the people perish, so it says even in The Bible. Whenever someone is stuck and feel stagnant, like they can't move, yet they may say they want to, they often don't have a clear vision on where they are heading. How are you going to get there, if you don't even know where you are going?

3 tips to get through cravings

September 14, 2016 by Christina Santini in Binge Eating, Biochemistry Balancing, Addictions, Eating Disorders, Superfoods In Recovery

How do you manage the cravings in early recovery? Do you have a strategy for when those cravings hit? Do you know some easy things you can and should plan ahead to avoid those pesky cravings? Today I am giving you 3 super simple tips on how to manage cravings. Yes it is almost too simple, but they work. Always keep it simple - the important thing is just to actually do it, and not just read about it.

4 Ways To Rebuild Relationships in Recovery

August 31, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Eating Disorders, Intimacy, Transformation Keys

After getting clean many expect an almost overnight change and applaud from their nearest ones as well. The road has been long and winded and often we thought we just wouldn't make it. That this life was not for us. That we didn't have what it takes to live in this skin. Every minute felt like another stabbing pain. Yes, that is how many feel that long road to finally figuring out how to live in this paper-thin skin without relying on drugs, food and alcohol.

What To Expect From Medication-Assisted Treatment For Addiction

August 24, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Transformation Keys

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), represented typically by Suboxone and methadone, is used to treat opiate addiction and appears to be useful in reducing overdoses and decreasing transmission rates of HIV and hepatitis C. The short term benefits of MAT begs the question, as to what the long-term perspectives are. What happens when the addict needs to come totally clean and face what life without any drugs feel like? Considering that most people admit to feeling numb on any amount of drugs after prolonged time. Being numb will eventually itself lead to depression, thus MAT is only temporary.

What is Pitta in Ayurveda?

August 10, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Biochemistry Balancing, Superfoods In Recovery

Summer is Pitta season - pitta is also one of the 3 personal constitution types in Eastern medicine: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each roughly corresponds to what we in Western medicine call serotonin, dopamin and GABA dominant natures. Pitta imbalance is often seen in overeating and binge patterns.

Are acidic foods bad?

July 20, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Biochemistry Balancing, Superfoods In Recovery, Sleep

If you are a vegetarian or rarely eat meat and have a craving for carbs and just don’t feel satisfied until you are filled up on breads, pastas or sweets, you may have unstable blood sugar due to a deficiency of protein.

Omega 3 from plant vs. marine sources

July 13, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Superfoods In Recovery, Biochemistry Balancing

In recent years, a "myth" of sorts has sprung up, where people who avoid animal foods believe they can simply consume plant-based omega-3 ALA to meet their needs. But this isn't true and the science doesn't support this assertion. Omega-3s EPA and DHA from marine animal and plant sources are NOT interchangeable. Plant sources that contain omega-3 ALA do not provide the same benefits as the omega-3s you find in marine sources.

Her: "I close my eyes and just feel the pain melt away".

July 07, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions

Him: "I feel no emotion, that's the reason I do this". Her: *I close my eyes and just feel the pain melt away*. In this doc series you get an insight to what heroine addiction looks like. Anne and Digger are parents and both addicted to heroine.

What is it that I am so afraid to feel?

June 29, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Body Image, Eating Disorders, Emotional Management

All the things we do, eat and take to avoid any uncomfortable emotion. How many of us are guilty of this, even without having what can be diagnosed as a full-blown addiction?

Papaya helps digestion

June 15, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Eating Disorders, Superfoods In Recovery, Digestion

Alcohol, drugs and many eating disorders cause damage to the stomach lining. If this is not fixed, discomfort will remain. Digestion disorders always follows addiction. So what can we do to damage control?

Do toxins play a role in addiction?

June 08, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Biochemistry Balancing

Addictive behaviors, such as certain eating disorders like binge eating, overeating and addictions to sugar, alcohol, smoking, chronic masturbation, sexual addictions, etc. all have their root in the brain. A toxic and nutritionally deficient brain is far more prone to addictive behaviors. Heavy metals like mercury can totally screw up our dopaminergic system and make us more likely to engage in addictive behaviors unable to quit them.

Prince was addicted to painkillers.

May 25, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions

Prince passed away a couple weeks ago, and it is now clear that he too struggled with an addiction to painkillers - likely what killed him. Prescriptions for opioid painkillers have risen by 300 percent over the past 10 years. Deaths from overdosing on these drugs now far surpass those from illicit street drugs.

Start where you are

May 11, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Eating Disorders, Transformation Keys

Our current state of balance, can change yearly, monthly, daily and even minute-to-minute. Knowing our current state of balance is an essential tool for figuring out what needs attention right now. We can then feed those needs, rather than continue in a state of suppression and denial - all of which only leads to further imbalance and built-up. You don't fix needs by ignoring them, you fix needs by listening and caring for them.

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.

Balancing the aspects of recovery

April 20, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Eating Disorders, Faith, Transformation Keys

Recovery involves a personal recognition of the need for change and transformation. Recovery is a process through which we gradually achieve greater balance of mind, body and spirit in relation to other aspects of life, including family, work and community. Each person’s recovery process is unique and impacted by cultural beliefs and traditions. Our cultural experience often shapes the recovery path that is right for us. The take-away here is that no one single thing is enough to focus on, not the abstinence, not the trauma, not the nutrition and not the spiritual aspects of connecting with self, others and God. Recovery is complex and requires us to focus on all aspects simultaneously in order to get all the legs on the stool stable.