break free from disordered eating, addiction, or destructive cycles — and step into lasting clarity.
Many of us think, that we need detox diets to clean our bodies, and yes, sometimes we do after years of eating garbage and perhaps abusing drugs etc. However, more importantly though, we need to detox our emotions. Our emotions constantly set off a cascade of biochemical reactions in our body - promoting inflammatory responses and activating genes of disease.
Read MoreThis week your recovery step is to change your body image - rewire the script that you tell yourself about your body.
Many of us - regardless of struggling with an eating disorder, addiction or other self-destructive behavior, spend a lot of time, whether we are conscious about it or not, on judging ourselves and constantly telling ourselves some type of condescending message daily, hourly.
Often times we don't even realize we do, because we've been playing the same self-abusive message on repeat for decades. We need to take control of our mind, or it will control us.
As you probably know, Robin Williams died this week due to addiction issues. Very, very sad. Not long before that, we lost Phillip Seymour Hoffman. And a couple months prior that, we lost L'wren Scott, Mick Jagger's latest wife. And a couple months before that tragedy, Peaches Geldof, Bob Geldof's 25-year-old gorgeous daughter kissed the dust. Every single one struggled with drug addiction. And died from that. It is not uncommon for those, who struggle with drugs, that they also suffer from different disordered eating behaviors as well, often overlooked and ignored due to drug use. Together they form a fatal combination, heart attack waiting to happen. A heart can only take so much stress before it gives up.
Read MoreWhen we are in pain, we all want to get rid of it. And preferably fast. We are obsessed with shortcuts. Diets. Instant-fix. Instant gratifications. Drugs. Alcohol. Food. Now now now. The thing is, that when we try to speed up recovery for the sake of shortcut, we miss out on the growth that comes only though pain. Our main growth in life happens through pain. That is why we should embrace pain, rather than just try to get rid of it as fast as we can. That, and the fact that what we resist, persists. So the only real shortcut is to embrace that which we fear. Why 95% of all diets fail and most people who are on a diet will gain weight. Being on a diet is the single dominant predicative parameter of future weight gain. Because shortcuts are not the solution to our struggles. Mastery is. And mastery is not something we learn overnight or by fearing failure.
Read MoreToday I want to talk about acceptance as transformation tool in recovery, and basically key for whatever change you are looking for.
As in accepting where you are at this point in time
As in accepting the person you see today in the mirror - yes today, not tomorrow or after some 5 lbs weight loss or whatever.
As in accepting your flaws as a human being in this skin we are in.
As in accepting that life will never be perfect, neither will your body, your family, your friends, your house or your bank account. Always something to tweak, always something we wish were different, than what we have. After every high (whether drug induced or work accomplished), always left with a feeling of a "is that all there is". Bottom line is, the void we seek to fill, will never be filled by anything from this transient time on earth.
Read MoreThat's exactly when is the perfect time to give back. Yes, at the point where you feel, you have hit rock bottom. Everything is against you and possibly everyone left you. This is when you feel that you cannot give anything to anyone. You feel like a used piece of tissue - wet, dirty and useless. The key to get unstuck of your misery, is to start giving in your weakest moment.
Read MoreAmber Valletta, ex-addict and supermodel, speaks out about the things she has found that she needs to do to thrive in recovery.
A key thing for Amber's ability to manage her emotions without drugs is mindfullness - her daily meditation practice. You can watch the video with Amber here.
This week I want to talk about the next step in recovery - and basically one of the most important steps for anyone dealing with wanting to change a behavior: building a daily meditation practice.
Read MoreIt is critical for anyone dealing with an eating disorder or addiction to get their sleep routine down to rebalance biochemically. This is the single most important step before focusing on any other behavior and nutritional steps. Simply because your brain cannot use its frontal lobe aka rational decision-making, nor can your body utilize all the nourishing foods you may be giving it, if you don't allow time for rest and digest. Timing is important because we have an internal clock that sends off specific hormones at specific times, so you want to honor that with your lifestyle to not only survive recovery, but to THRIVE in recovery.
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