ELEMENTS OF RECOVERY

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

How To Get Bikini Ready

July 08, 2015 by Christina Santini in Body Image, Eating Disorders, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

We get so worried about being pretty. Let's be pretty KIND. Pretty FUNNY. Pretty SMART. Pretty STRONG. When we suppress our freedom of being due to external ideals, we sell ourselves short, in addition to sending off a message to others, that love is conditional. An illusion that somehow love is dependent on our physique, that we as humans need to look a certain way to earn love - to be lovable. There is nothing less attractive - and unfortunately also difficult to love ironically - than those of us, who try and try and try to fit in to be loved. The vibration of desperation is something we pick up unconsciously - why we are drawn to some people and repelled by others. Bikini season is the most obvious season to pick up on how body obsessed we have become.

What Are We Trying To Fit Into?

July 01, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Body Image, Eating Disorders, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

Do you know what you are trying to fit into? Everyday we make choices and trade-offs based on what we want to fit into - or not - jeans size aside. Whenever we feel lost, disconnected and lonely, it can be traced back to a lack of congruency between our values and actions. When our actions are a reflection of external pressure points; that we simply react based on trying to fit in to a shell-focused society, then we sell our soul. This makes us feel hollow. Never good enough. We fell fake.

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.

What are your TRUE needs?

June 17, 2015 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

Every addiction, every act we do that inflicts self-hate and suffering is a desperate cry for love at the bottom of all the dysfunction. Addiction is love hunger. A hunger to be accepted for what we are at our very core. Every tale of addiction and self-destruction tells the same story of trying to fit in. Sacrificing who we are at our core: hoping to be worthy of love in some shape or form. When we don't express our needs, we stay stuck, disconnected and stagnant in our addiction.

How do we move past our trauma?

June 10, 2015 by Christina Santini in Transformation Keys, Self-Worth, Addictions

Trauma is a fact of life. What differs is how we cope with trauma. Trauma doesn't have to be our destiny. Most of us find it very difficult to separate what happens to us from what we are. We often base our belief system and worth around factors that happen to us. This makes us very vulnerable in this skin we are in. We are not our trauma. Only when we realize that, can we move past it. Only when we let go and decide to rewrite our story every new day, will we move past our past. The key to master our destiny is......

How To Detox Your Mind

May 14, 2015 by Christina Santini in Emotional Management, Meditation, Self-Worth, Yoga Tools, Transformation Keys

An untamed mind runs like wild horses. As scenic and romantic as that might sound, I can assure you that is not so, when it comes to our internal mind chatter. Quite the contrary. So we know that our mind controls our emotions, and that our emotions affect our physical state of wellbeing and organ health. The logical question then is: what controls the mind? Breathing. Breathing is the king of the mind. Breathing instantly takes us from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic nervous system response. Our reptilian brain is in charge of our response to life when we are in the sympathetic nervous system. Our reptilian mind is like a snake. It's sneaky and wants to attack and react. That's why many of us get lost in running after things like power, sex, binge behaviors and money.... always more, more more.

Transcending our limiting beliefs.

April 30, 2015 by Christina Santini in Depression, Addictions, Transformation Keys, Self-Worth, Emotional Management

I was at The Longevity Conference in Anaheim, California last week with a bunch of health nuts like Dr. Mercola, Ron Teeguarden, Dave Asprey and David Avocado Wolfe - as charismatic as they are, not much health nut news there. However, what really stood out was this guy whom I happened to stumble upon. He is absolutely brilliant in the field of transformation and transcending limiting belief systems. Check out below video where Kute Blackson talks about the importance of dyeing once before we die. This is crucial for anyone who is in recovery - we must let go of all the mental blocks that have held us chained to our past limiting beliefs.

Addiction in Hollywood is a reflection of world wide soul hunger.

April 22, 2015 by Christina Santini in Emotional Management, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

Each one of us has a battle, that we fight in this lifetime. That is why it makes no sense to compare us to each other. The battles are different, yet our perception is what makes for the pain experience. And that is what matters: our perception. We all hurt the same and go through the same pain, yet the triggers and the way we deal with it differs greatly. What may trigger pain in one person, may seem like a piece of cake to another. And for some, the piece of cake is the trigger. The bottomline here is not the cake, although I do love cake. The point is, that it doesn't matter what the trigger is. The only thing that matters is our filter. In other words, our resilience and ability to deal with what is our unique weakness. Our willingness to be excruciatingly honest with where we are right now, in order to determine the next step to progress at a soul level.

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?

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.

What Are You Running From?

January 20, 2015 by Christina Santini in Binge Eating, Body Image, Depression, Emotional Management, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

Everyday we are either running towards something or away from something. Think about it for a moment. What drives your actions.... even in the small every day behavior. Why do you buy diet pills, why do you drink alcohol, why do you obsess about diets, why do you avoid talking to those you are most attracted to, why do you avoid taking up a new sport, why do you always have to spend hours getting ready - and yes, this goes for men too, cos God knows vanity knows no gender. Most of us have centered our lives around our very fears. We are busy running away from something - using our energy and power to focus on what it is we do NOT want in our life. I.e. we don't want to be fat, we don't want to be shamed while speaking our mind in public, we don't want to feel unloved, we don't want to be rejected, we don't want to be alone, we don't want to feel stupid, we don't want to feel insufficient etc. etc.What do you think you get when you busy yourself with your fears? Drumroll please....

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 make 2015 AWESOME.

December 30, 2014 by Christina Santini in Emotional Management, Faith, Transformation Keys, Self-Worth

Life is not easy, and that's why the most important thing we can do is to begin mastering our thoughts and our perception. This way we become more resilient and can just go with the flow instead of fight, scream and in vain hang on to toxic things, that are not working for us, even if we feel that we NEED that person, that habit, that food, that drug etc. Sometimes we need to let go of things we love too.

You will never go any higher than you THINK.

December 16, 2014 by Christina Santini in Emotional Management, Faith, Transformation Keys, Self-Worth

Most of us tend to have these beliefs that we repeat over and over again - in our own heads and in conversations with others. Repeating like a mantra that we want to come true. Well, it just so happens that whatever we think - whether we can or not - we are right.

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.

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.

Acceptance Comes Before Change

July 29, 2014 by Christina Santini in Transformation Keys, Self-Worth, Emotional Management

Today 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.

When You Feel Like You Have Nothing To Give

July 22, 2014 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Eating Disorders, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

That'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.