ELEMENTS OF RECOVERY

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

The most addictive prescription medication (AVOID)

April 26, 2017 by Christina Santini in Addictions

Addiction affects about 26 percent of those using opioids for chronic non-cancer pain; 1 in 550 patients on opioid therapy dies from opioid-related causes within 2.5 years of their first prescription. In 2014, prescription drug overdoses, a majority of which involved some type of opioid, killed more Americans than car crashes (49,714 compared to 32,675). There are safer ways to tackle pain. It is simply due to uneducated health care that we are using opioids as our primary painkiller. Opioids should never be used for anyone who has a history with addiction, as it is one of the most difficult meds to wean off of and super deadly at that. Reference: Forbes 2016: Drugs Are Killing More Americans Than Road Crashes

It is not our duty to be attractive to society.

April 19, 2017 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Transformation Keys, Emotional Management

Often we think of addiction as if there is something wrong with us. As if somehow we are just not made for this life. As if somehow we have not been equipped to deal with the pain, the hurt, the losses and whatever else, we inevitably will encounter through a lifetime in this fragile, paper-thin skin we are in. I don't think that's the case. People who struggle with addiction are not broken. Those of us who struggle with addiction are simply reacting to the many facades and masks, that we tend to wear to fit into a sick society.

Please like me.

April 13, 2017 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Emotional Management, Eating Disorders, Intimacy, Transformation Keys

One of the most freeing things in life is to be able to discover other people for what they are, without worrying about whether they like us. However, few of us are willing to like someone without there being a clear indication that the other party will like us back. That's risk-avoidance behaviour and ultimately not very satisfactory - because we hold back how we feel to avoid rejection.

All the small things.

April 05, 2017 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Emotional Management, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

I was grabbing the metro the other day. And as it so often happens, everyone makes their way in one big mass and stops right in front of the metro doors, not really allowing people to get out, before they push their own way in. One of the truly most mind-boggling behaviors. And I swear, it must be the same people who never pick up their dog shit either, so the streets now look more like a public restroom for the four-legged than anything fit for humans.

Feeling irritable? Try Roman chamomile.

March 29, 2017 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Biochemistry Balancing, Emotional Management, Natural Medicine

I am a big fan of Roman chamomile. Not just chamomile tea, but the actual essential oil Roman chamomile. The essential oil is much more powerful than the tea of it. It has a soothing effect on the body and mind and is scientifically shown to target apigenin that binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain which makes for a calming sensation without any side-effects. This makes it especially valuable for those dealing with irritation, impatience and feeling disagreeable aka moody.

Insatiable.

March 23, 2017 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Anorexia, Binge Eating, Bulimia, Eating Disorders, Emotional Management, Transformation Keys

"I am afraid of my own desire. That I am insatiable," she said. "There is a part of me that is always hungry. And I feel I must keep it hidden, so that it does not unleash all of a sudden". This quote is taken from a client suffering from Anorexia. I think quite a few of us can relate to being scared of showing our needs.

The 6 Sensing Aspects of Food

March 15, 2017 by Christina Santini in Biochemistry Balancing, Emotional Management, Intuitive Eating, Superfoods In Recovery, Stress Tools

Sweetness helps to cool the system. Sweet natural foods generally help to rebuild tissue and nourish us. These foods feel calming when we are stressed or feeling "fire". The key here is to choose blood sugar balancing meals that are rich in fats yet contain the sweet flavor to provide the cooling sensation. When we eat isolated sweetness in the form of carbs, we experience a quick relief that may feel like it is cooling, but because it is not sustainable due to fluctuating blood sugar, we quickly gain more fire once our blood sugar drops once again.

Changing lanes.

March 08, 2017 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Anorexia, Binge Eating, Bulimia, Body Image, Depression, Eating Disorders, Self-Worth, Transformation Keys

We tend to shape our future by constantly looking in rear mirror. This, essentially means that our past keeps running on repeat - just in different shapes and forms. When we are battling any type of addiction, we will want to understand a couple things in order to prevent dabbling between different self-destructive patterns.

Depression might be due to inflammation

March 02, 2017 by Christina Santini in Biochemistry Balancing, Depression, Superfoods In Recovery, Natural Medicine

More and more research is pointing in the direction that depression might be associated with chronic inflammation. And thus explaining why an anti-inflammatory nutrition strategy like including plenty of fish oil, turmeric, broccoli etc. has shown to be valuable in treating depression.

Social media linked to rise in prescription drug abuse

February 22, 2017 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Stress Tools

A 2017 study revealed a correlation between the popularity of social media and the rise of non-medical prescription drug use. The plethora of online social media sites are incredibly prominent and influential platforms that can be as much a nuisance as they are an asset.

An exercise in letting go.

February 15, 2017 by Christina Santini in Transformation Keys, Emotional Management

This is an exercise inspired from native Indians and their fire ceremony - it is a sacred ceremony for growth to happen, and just very helpful in identifying what we need to let go of and making a conscious decision to do so.

Letting go of what doesn't serve us anymore.

February 08, 2017 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Emotional Management, Transformation Keys

With addiction there is always this inability to let go of our own past issues, traumas, personal hang-ups, lack of self-confidence and things that no longer serve us. In other words: addiction is the attachment to our current place of pain. The pain of change stems from our fear of losing something - our attachment to stuff, perceptions and excuses. How do we let go of stuff?

Eating Disorders have the highest mortality of any mental disorder.

February 01, 2017 by Christina Santini in Anorexia, Binge Eating, Eating Disorders, Bulimia

A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) reported the following eating disorder statistics: 5-10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease and 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years. 20-50% of people with anorexia will develop bulimia over time, according to a meta-analysis of studies in mortality and eating disorders.

Binge Eating Disorder doesn't necessarily look fat

January 25, 2017 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Binge Eating, Biochemistry Balancing

Binge Eating Disorder is one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed eating disorders. Yes, you can have Binge Eating Disorder without being fat. And yes, you can struggle with a weight problem without having Binge Eating Disorder or any eating disorder for that matter. It is expected to occur in approx. 30% of obese individuals, but some people do indeed have Binge Eating Disorder without being technically obese. Food addiction is the main driver in Binge Eating Disorder. Animal studies have shown that rats can become addicted to natural food substances like sugar. Hoebel et al. maintained rats on a schedule of 12-hour food restriction followed by 12-hour access to a 25% glucose or 10% sucrose solution and rodent chow.

Saffron for depression

January 18, 2017 by Christina Santini in Biochemistry Balancing, Depression

By 2020, depression is expected to be the world’s second-leading cause of disability according to Center for Disease Control. New research has shown that the yellow spice saffron is likely THE MOST effective remedy against depression (if not caused by heavy metal toxicity though - then you need to rid your brain of heavy metals first!). Saffron works for serotonin imbalance related depression.

The biology of starvation

January 11, 2017 by Christina Santini in Anorexia, Binge Eating, Biochemistry Balancing, Eating Disorders

The Minnesota experiment that was led by Ancel Keys, focused on how hunger and starvation affect humans. It is pretty interesting and worth a read to fully understand why humans tend to gain back more weight when they diet excessively. Many in the study reported eating excessively after they left Minnesota; Jasper Garner described it as a “year-long cavity” that needed to be filled.

3 ways Ashwagandha work for stress

December 28, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Biochemistry Balancing, Stress Tools, Superfoods In Recovery, Sleep

Ashwagandha has been shown to positively affect the neural receptors responsible for receiving GABA, an important neurotransmitter in reducing anxiety and worry.

An ayurvedic perspective on addiction

December 21, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions, Digestion, Eating Disorders, Superfoods In Recovery, Sleep

Ayurveda is the Eastern philosophy of holistic health that deals with body constitutions and what we should eat to thrive according to our body constitution and what imbalances we might be experiencing at the moment. When it comes to addiction, we are dealing with two core issues: too much fire aka pitta and too much vata aka air element. When these elements get out of balance, we need more grounding aka the earth element.

Painkiller addiction continues to worsen

December 14, 2016 by Christina Santini in Addictions

“The number of deaths from overdoses of illicit opioids rose sharply again in 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. “The epidemic of deaths involving opioids continues to worsen,” said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said. “Prescription opioid misuse and use of heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl are intertwined and deeply troubling problems.”

How do we manage anxiety?

December 07, 2016 by Christina Santini in Binge Eating, Addictions, Depression, Eating Disorders, Emotional Management, Transformation Keys

In the Noonday Demon Andrew Soloman writes, " Depression is a response to past loss, anxiety is a response to future loss". However, the two states often feel similar. This is because anxiety and depression share a single set of genes. This set of genes lies close to the genes involved in alcoholism and certain eating disorders.