ELEMENTS OF RECOVERY

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

What does healthy LOOK like?

June 24, 2015 by Christina Santini in Body Image, Eating Disorders, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

Size is not a reflection of health, only our vanity obsession. Thus each one of us is responsible for asking whether our lifestyle is centered around vanity and disconnectedness, rather than wholeness, happiness and acceptance... savoring the flavors of life vs. depriving ourselves. Deprivation always leads to soul hunger and most of us will binge later to compensate anyway. Or just grow emotionally unstable as we suppress our true needs. Living a life that is centered on nourishment and acceptance is health - in whatever shape, form or size that may be.

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.

Are you Relaxed or Relapsed? +FREE Chemical Calorie Guide

May 06, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Biochemistry Balancing, Eating Disorders, Transformation Keys, Intuitive Eating

In recovery we reach a point, where we want to relax a bit more. We get tired of structure and the rigidness of treatment, accountability and showing up everyday without numbing out via our preferred drug of choice. Many books talk about intuitive eating and "just listening to your body". And while I agree with this concept at large, the crucial issue here is, that timing matters for this concept to work in reality. It is far to easy to go from relaxed to relapsed - especially when it concerns disordered eating behaviors. Simply because every day we make choices surrounding foods, whereas with drugs and alcohol it is cold-turkey for a recovering addict. There are especially 3 things that can make it difficult to "listen to your body"...

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.

Raw vs. Cooked Food

April 01, 2015 by Christina Santini in Biochemistry Balancing, Addictions, Eating Disorders, Superfoods In Recovery

In response to last week's article on the energetics of food, I want to answer a question I get all the time from clients, "should I be eating raw, isn't that superior in nutrient contents to cooked foods?'. The answer is it depends - on your body's current state of health. You need to determine the vessel in which the fuel goes into, before mindlessly thinking that one-size-fits-all fuel will automatically be the best. Energetically, raw foods are very airy, energizing and "elevating". They are NOT nurturing, grounding or calming. This means, if you are sluggish, heavy and toxic as many of us are, who have been living off to much chemical laden take-away stuff, then going raw can be a God's sent to restore energy and vibrancy. However, through an addiction lens, raw foods is not ideal for making out the majority of your meals in nutrition in recovery. The very essence of anyone struggling with an addiction or disordered eating is that the air element is out of whack. In Western science terms, the air element refers to our central nervous system. This means, you want to eat to feel more grounded, calm and connected - not eat to feel even more airy and disconnected, which is what living off a raw diet will do, if your air element is out of balance.

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?

Sleep timing for optimal recovery.

February 24, 2015 by Christina Santini in Biochemistry Balancing, Sleep, Addictions, Eating Disorders

You might know that 8 - 9 hrs sleep is recommended for general health. However, what you might not know is that WHEN you sleep is absolutely vital during recovery. We know that physical recovery and healing takes place from 10 PM - 2 AM. What is the science behind this time you might ask? Well, approximately 3 hrs after dark the output of ACTH of the pituitary decrease, allowing the cortisol to come down. Elevated cortisol is an inhibitor of Human Growth Hormone (early adrenal stage insufficiency where cortisol is chronically elevated). This puts your body naturally in the perfect biochemical state for cellular repair mode. Only if you are sleeping, though.

Beyond Yoga: Bridging The Body-Mind-Soul Gap.

February 10, 2015 by Christina Santini in Body Image, Eating Disorders, Meditation, Yoga Tools, Transformation Keys, Addictions

Feeling, sensing, embracing are all essential skills for living creatures to survive in this world. Dancers, actors, musicians, race car drivers, surfers and athletes usually have incredible kinesthetic awareness. This body awareness is something that most of us had as kids. Everyone who goes down a path of self-destruction disconnects from this awareness - and feels, well, disconnected, lost and without any sense of inner guidance; thus spiraling out of control.

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.

Our relationship with food is a gateway drug.

January 13, 2015 by Christina Santini in Binge Eating, Body Image, Eating Disorders, Emotional Management, Self-Worth

One thing that remains constant for every human being is our need for food. The act of eating. Of nourishing ourselves and those we love. Yes, food is an extension of love. How we eat is an expression of nourishment for our body and soul. If we can't master the art of feeding ourselves in a loving manner that meets our individual and ever-changing needs, every other relationship will reflect this dysfunction to some degree. Whether it is overly rigid, controlling and obsessive - or we binge and suppress our needs and emotions.

How To Create A New Habit

December 23, 2014 by Christina Santini in Binge Eating, Eating Disorders, Emotional Management, Transformation Keys, Addictions

The biggest downfall when trying to break bad habits is to rely on willpower to carry you through the storms and emotional turmoil that comes with every change. Simply because willpower is fragile and emotions change with the wind. It's only human to give into pleasure as we are hedonistic creatures baseline. You want to understand the WHYs of what it is that is driving your current self-destruction and then create a constructive habit to take over the former destructive - this is the science of neuroplasticity in action.

What is your weakness trying to teach you?

December 09, 2014 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Eating Disorders, Transformation Keys, Self-Worth, Emotional Management

Recovery often feels like two steps forward and one step back - and sometimes one step forward and two steps back. Again and again. We often feel like the world is against us. that we have no willpower. That we are the victim. We just can't go on anymore. We have tried every possible way. We feel weak, exhausted and full of self-pity --- and self-hate. And we often look for something or someone to save us. Someone to save us from ourselves before we drown. Drowning in the rivers we have created with our tears, blood and sweat.

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

December 03, 2014 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Eating Disorders, Depression, Faith, Transformation Keys, Self-Worth

One of the reasons why we don't change, let go of addictions, stop disordered eating behaviors and just being self-destructive, is that we simply don't believe we can. And whatever we believe, we will act upon. Our actions are a reflection of what we think - the things we tell ourselves day in and day out. If we tell ourselves that we can't, we won't even try - and if we try, we will self-sabotage.

Why We Thrive on Different Diets

November 12, 2014 by Christina Santini in Biochemistry Balancing, Superfoods In Recovery, Eating Disorders

The debate of whether raw, vegan, paleo, high fat-low carb, low fat-high carb, Atkin’s, fruititarian, macrobiotic etc. is better, is a complete waste of time at best. Our body is constantly evolving and changing depending on our phase in life, environmental triggers, toxic exposure, stress levels, age – and obviously also our gender.

The Biochemistry of Violence

November 04, 2014 by Christina Santini in Depression, Biochemistry Balancing, Addictions, Eating Disorders, Emotional Management

Did you know that violent behavior whether leading to destruction against others or one-self, such as in addictions, is tied to specific nutrient imbalances that can be traced already in kids? We used to think that violent behavior, addictions, eating disorders and general social dysfunctional behaviors were a result of lack of supportive parental guidance and a good upbringing. Well, it has long been known in nutritional psychiatry, that terrible childhood actually has little to do with where people end up later in life. We are not our trauma, and we can transcend pain of the past, when we are resilient on a biological level.

What does it mean to be recovered from an Eating Disorder?

October 28, 2014 by Christina Santini in Binge Eating, Eating Disorders, Transformation Keys, Body Image

Any type of eating disorder takes your identity. The more you have an eating disorder, the more you lose your identity. There is a fundamental essence of you that is the same, but apart from that eating disordered people are very much alike during their illness.

The No. 1 Reason People Fail In Breaking Addictions

September 16, 2014 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Transformation Keys, Eating Disorders, Self-Worth

Do you know WHY you want to change your behavior? This may seem like a ridiculous question. "Of course I know why", you might be thinking, and if so - great. What is your main reason for wanting to change now? Think about it and list your reasons, because if you can't be to-the-point of WHY you want change, you are not going to do what it takes to get there - a lot of us have wishes, but without action, nothing. And if our actions are not driven by emotions, that we can FEEL in our heart, there will be a dissonance between our heart and brain. This means that we will constantly struggle to move forward.

Strategies To Prevent Binge Eating

September 09, 2014 by Christina Santini in Eating Disorders, Transformation Keys, Binge Eating

When we struggle with eating, we experience a disconnect from our body-mind-soul at its most core. Not being able to trust our basic ability to feed ourselves, when we are hungry, and stop when we are not, makes for a deeply painful experience of not being able to trust in ourselves and in life - and this distrust reflects onto every relationship we have in life.