SHiFT – Recovery by Acorn

Happy Earth Day! This is such an important day to celebrate the incredible planet we live on and remind ourselves to all be conscious of our decisions every day. Our daily decisions with food, transportation, and more directly impact our sustainable future on this planet and we all must do our part to ensure that is the case.

This week, we asked our staff the question…

“How are you kinder to the earth as a result of your recovery?”

Here’s what they had to say:

Tina:

Before recovery, I really never thought about the “Earth” or my impact on it. In recovery, I want to respect the Earth the same way that I respect my body. I eat healthy, nourishing food and recycle to the best of my ability. I eat low on the food chain and that helps reduce my carbon footprint. I try not to buy a lot of things that I don’t need. And when I see trash on the ground, I bend over, pick it up, and thank my Higher Power that my body still works as well as it does. Bringing grateful energy to the planet can help heal us all!!!!

Calen:

As a result of my recovery I am more aware of and present with nature. 

As a result of my recovery I have the energy and will to take care of my little corner of the world – recycling, limited use of plastics and products with harsh chemicals, changing how I behave as a consumer. When I was in the food none of this mattered to me. 

Mary:

I no longer litter by throwing boxes and bags from my binges out the car window.

I rarely throw away spoiled food – especially fruits and vegetables – because I actually eat the food I buy.

I recycle when before I didn’t care about anything beyond myself.

Recovery allows me to think about the future and the world I inhabit rather than thinking only about my next food fix.

Life used to be all about ME and what I wanted. Since recovery, I am able to look beyond my wants and needs and care about those around me.

Karla:

When I was in active addiction I was constantly consuming. I had several wardrobes because my body size was always changing, I supported the tobacco and alcohol industries through my consumption, I was constantly shopping- looking for external validation that I was OK- everything had to “look right”, and of course I was always seeking more hyperpalatable food.

Now my food is simple and my life is simple. Through recovery I have the space to be more thoughtful about how I use my resources. Instead of being in self-obsession, I am concerned with my impact on others as well as my impact on the bigger picture (including our beautiful world).

My answer to this question may seem broad… I believe that in recovery I am more in alignment with our natural world, including the beings that inhabit it. I am more available to care about something other than myself and my behavior is informed by that love.

Karen:

Because I plan my food ahead of time daily and weekly I use less food.

They say that addiction is a “disease of needing more”. In recovery, I need less, I use less and my life is bigger and more fulfilling.

It is amazing to see all the different perspectives on how their individual experiences help the planet in one way or the other. All this to say, abstinence is a conscious approach to not only eating, but life in general. It is calculated, it is thoughtful, and as a result we are kinder to our beautiful earth.

To learn more, or to see how you can do your part for Earth Day, click the link below:

Earth Day 2021

We love our Alumni! We are so proud of the community we have built together.

The SHiFT community is a thriving network of people recovering from food addiction. Because recovery is a lifelong process, those who have attended our treatment programs consistently ask us “What’s next?”

As the gifts of sober eating appear in our lives, we may uncover new challenges, or areas for growth. During these times, it can be helpful to have extra support from understanding people — even when our recovery from food addiction appears stable. Long-term food addiction recovery depends on working the Twelve Steps, ongoing treatment, support and community. 

We wanted to have a better way of showcasing our Alumni programs and offerings for those who are looking to further their recovery and take it to the next level. This way you have somewhere to go when you have specific needs, and you can match your needs to our offerings more easily.

Introducing our new Alumni Portal!

The Alumni Portal is our way of placing all of our Alumni resources in one simple convenient location for you to refer to. No matter what you are looking for, there are bound to be resources for you here.

Need specific help with 12 step work? We have a program for that.

Need help preventing relapse? We have a program for that too!

And just a reminder, as a SHiFT Alumni, you unlock our Alumni Pricing! You receive 10% off all programs and services as a thank you for being part of our growing community.

Click the link below to check it out and see if there is a program that’s right for you.

https://foodaddiction.com/alumni-portal/

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change.”

– Eckhart Tolle

Awareness April continues, and this week we will be bringing awareness to some key topics in the food addiction realm.

Not All Food Addicts Are Made The Same

Every food addict has a unique and complex situation in their lives that led them to where they are today.

The common image of food addicts is that they are overweight. A majority of those for whom the disease of food addiction has progressed certainly are obese – and/or morbidly (i.e., life threateningly) obese. Yet there are many food addicts who are a normal weight. Some of these healthy looking food addicts are bulimic. Others just have a metabolic system that keeps them appearing “normal,” even when they are bingeing abnormally. There is also a small but important group of food addicts who are dangerously thin. Most of these are food addicted and anorexic. Even some overly thin folks who are unable or unwilling to eat enough to come up to a healthy weight are also chemically dependent on food and have a history of progressive food addiction which must be addressed before they can have a full, healing long-term recovery.

Read More

© Phil Werdell, M.A.

Cross Addictions Are Real

A very common issue of cross-addiction that is usually not talked about in these terms is “shifting” from nicotine to food as a drug of choice. We see it all the time. Someone works hard to put down cigarettes. It might take more that one, maybe as many as a dozen attempts. As soon as there is a period of abstinence from cigarettes, though, the prior smoker starts to gain weight. Some go back to smoking to keep cigarettes as a part of their weight control regime. If they have a commitment to their health that moves them to stop smoking again, then their weight becomes a problem again.

While there was still an argument about whether or not cigarettes were addictive – much less dangerous to your health, almost no one noticed the cross addiction “shift” from nicotine to food. With the major changes in consciousness and in public health policies about smoking, there are more and more people getting the support they need to stop smoking. Health professionals working in chemical dependency treatment are more likely to be conversant with the addictive nature of nicotine. We can now see that the weight gain that sometimes follows abstinence from cigarettes may be a cross addiction.

Did you know… One small fact that is seldom mentioned is that tobacco is often cured in sugar. This makes it a natural entry-level drug for sugar addiction.

Read More

© Phil Werdell, M.A.

Common Foods With Added Sugar

• Applesauce contains 11 g
• Peanut Butter contains 18g
• Flavored Yogurt contains 23g
• Fruit drinks contain 40g

A single can of soda contains 12 teaspoons of added sugar. That’s 120 percent of the USDA’s recommended daily intake of sugar.

In 1973, the per capita consumption of sugar and other highly refined sweeteners (such as high-fructose corn syrup) was 126 pounds a year. Today, it’s 158 pounds – an increase of 26 percent. During the same time period, the percent of overweight Americans increased by nearly 20 percent.

Sugar is rapidly converted in the blood to fat (triglycerides), which increases obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. It is devoid of vitamins, minerals, or fiber; it is an empty food. Its main purpose in the food industry is a stabilizer, flavor enhancer and appetite stimulant.

Read More

© Phil Werdell, M.A.

These are all key topics that we have written about in the past more in-depth. If you would like to further explore any or all of these topics, please follow the “Read More” links below them, and make sure you stay up to date with our blogs for more!

Welcome to Awareness April.

Awareness April is our month to highlight important issues or topics that are meaningful to us within the food addiction world. From Abstinence to Earth day and much more!

For this week’s blog, we will begin to address some of these topics.

We want to be aware that our food, and what is in it, is a huge issue.

There is a general lack of awareness of the effect of food and its contents on our brain. Please take a couple minutes to read this New York Times article on this topic: https://nyti.ms/39yX880

We also want to be aware that weight isn’t the main problem. It is a product of deeper issues that must be addressed with professional help. This leads us to another issue – asking for help.

For those who are new to recovery, asking for help can be a truly frightening experience. Some grew up in homes where asking for help was not okay. Others were yelled at or called weak when they requested assistance. A few were even punished.

Many who are food dependent believe that they “should” be able to get into and stay in recovery without any help at all. Some think that if they just try harder, they will be able to figure things out. Almost all doubt that they even need help. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Every single food dependent person I have worked with has needed help.  In fact, every food dependent person I have ever known has needed help to get and stay in recovery.  It is just not possible to work a recovery program alone.

We want to be aware about myths in our industry. The idea that a food addict can simply begin and follow a diet without addressing the physiological addiction to food is a myth. It’s just not possible. Food addiction doesn’t work that way. Simply cutting back on calories will not help a food addict to recover.

Many food addicts come to us believing that eating “diet” foods low in fat will help them to lose weight when it’s exactly the opposite. Most low-fat foods contain even more sugar than normal fat ones, which means that for food addicts these so-called “diet” foods are even more addictive.

The more “diet” foods that a food addict eats, the more food they crave. These “diet” foods cause the exact opposite effect in food addicts and result in even stronger physical cravings than some normal fat foods. The only way to eliminate physical cravings for certain foods is to stop eating them.

If you want to find out more, or you are unsure what kind of treatment is right for you, please book a Free Consultation with one of our trained facilitators using the link below:

Book Here

A year ago, the pandemic began shutting events down one by one. We knew that we were going to have to significantly pivot our business. Focusing on in-person events would no longer be an option for the foreseeable future. Just because the world goes on pause, doesn’t mean that people stop struggling with food dependency issues. We have been providing leading-edge food dependency treatment programs for over 25 years, and we were not going to stop now – enter the Virtual Program!

Spawned out of necessity, our Virtual Intensive Program is the virtual version of our flagship program, the Acorn Intensive. We have also converted our other Alumni Programs into the virtual format.

While at first we were all a bit unsure of how these programs would operate in a virtual setting, we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback for attendees.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of feedback we’ve received on the benefits of the virtual format: 

No Travel Expenses / Affordability

Who doesn’t like saving money? The virtual intensive provides a significant cost savings without the travel expenses one would typically have to pay to attend in-person. Cost savings with no reduction in the value you get out of the program? Score!

Structure & Flexibility

Being able to attend from the comfort of your own home coupled with the structure laid out during the program can be a powerful combo! We have heard remarks about how being around family who are supportive is a huge benefit to attendees. It also helps the attendee implement the teachings in their home from the start which helps normalize the newly learned behaviour in the long run.

Expanded community

We have seen an expansion in the locations that attendees can access the program from. Before, with the travel expenses for an individual to fly from any location outside of North America being very high, it was much less common to have people fly from too far away. We have now seen an increase of people from all over the globe who have been able to attend our virtual program and receive the treatment they need! This truly excites us and illustrates the demand for such a program in the future. Food Addiction is not exclusively a North American issue, and we are thrilled to be able to help those in need globally.

All of this to say, our Virtual Programs have been a larger success than we originally anticipated! 

If you or someone you know could potentially benefit from our Virtual Intensive Program, please consider booking a FREE Consultation with one of our professional counsellors. Chatting with someone who understands your situation can be game-changing.

If you know what you need, and are ready to make the jump – click below to register!

Register Here

As our “March Madness” theme rolls on, we explore a different angle of madness:

From an outsider’s perspective, the world of addiction/recovery can seem mad.

It’s not hard to empathize with someone we know who is going through addiction/recovery, but for someone who has never been an addict, it can be difficult to relate.

When food obsession fills our lives, we are not able to think past getting the next “fix.” Getting, making and hiding food become our obsessions. There is no room to think about anything else. And, if we have not yet hit a bottom, and can focus for small periods on other things, our heads are not clear enough to make responsible, informed decisions. While those around us can offer up advice and We need professional help to guide us at this point. 

Achieving abstinence from food addiction is a massive step, one often completed during our ACORN Intensive program. Maintaining abstinence from food addiction in our regular day-to-day lives can be another challenge. From shopping and cooking, to attending 12 step meetings and dealing with the emotions of life, abstinence takes practice and dedication. It demands so much of us and yet it provides a reward beyond comprehension.

To those outside our “world” of abstinence, the thought and effort that goes into our daily lives seems like madness, but they don’t have to overcome the same obstacles that we do. This can feel extremely isolating.

Those close to us can offer a level of support to us that can help with some aspects of recovery, however the support of a community of individuals who are all working on recovery day in and day out is priceless. If you have not already, please consider attending our FREE 3x Weekly SHiFT Strong calls for support. 

Talking to people who understand is an incredibly powerful thing. We hope to see you on future support calls and look forward to helping each other on our recovery journey, however mad it may seem.