Better Living Through Chemistry

A Welcome By Dor

Sometimes I can’t believe I said what I said. Who is this person who prizes non-judgment and biological individuality above her own way of being? It’s me.

Lindsey is one of the earliest members of Suppers, a seasoned member of the twelve-step community and an assiduous avoider of sugar and flour in all of their forms. What I needed to hear and didn’t want to hear when I was at the height of my campaign to save the world with whole food was that some people simply need their medications and nothing else will do.

Here is an early trail blazer on the path to non-judgment from which I aspire to never swerve. 

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Lindsey’s Story: Better Living Through Chemistry

I was relying on the Suppers proscription against judging others the day I told my story. Most of the people in our meeting had had trouble with depression on top of all they were juggling because of sugar issues. For the most part, they wanted to get off their antidepressants, or at least reduce the dose.

My fear that the cycle of compulsion might start again is much greater than my desire for a particular food. 

Not me. There are few things in my life that rival the gratitude I feel for the doctor and medications that brought normalcy into my life. My body gives me few options. There are several things I have to get right simultaneously in order to be okay. My fear that the cycle of compulsion might start again is much greater than my desire for a particular food. If there’s a speck of sugar in the food, I won’t touch it. I am also a recovering alcoholic, and life is better when I’m as consistent about sugar as I am about alcohol. Zero is zero, the clearest, easiest amount for me to deal with. I went through withdrawal twice and I don’t ever want to go there again. I know that if I waver, the committee in my head will start telling me it’s OK to have just a little. The last time I used that logic, it was ten years, 50 pounds, and a diagnosis of pre-diabetes before I snapped out of it. 

A few years later I got another blow.

Among my relatives are a mother and two siblings with serious mental health problems. One of my brothers developed schizophrenia as a young man. My mother was in denial until the day she died. My sister has never been diagnosed but it is evident something is wrong. She moved to California and doesn’t maintain contact. In the meantime, about 15 years ago a situation in my life caused me to experience severe depression. I was adamant about not taking medication; I was alcohol and drug free. The night I seriously considered suicide to relieve the pain, one look at my 11-year-old daughter’s face brought me back to reality. I saw my therapist the next morning and she referred me to a doctor who prescribed an antidepressant. Through therapy and a good shrink, I got through that horrible time. Because I finally felt freedom from those outbursts, I kept taking the antidepressants. A few years later I got another blow. In between jobs and setting up my own business (my life dream), I suddenly couldn’t get out of bed.

It was an ordeal just driving my daughter to school every morning in my pajamas. I lay on the couch from 9 a.m. on, wondering how in the world I would find the energy to pick her up at 2 p.m. I couldn’t muster the energy to go outside and feed my rabbit and clean her cage, so I gave her away. My dog was very old and sickly and needed to go in and out all the time, so I let the vet put her down, and to this day I feel horrible. I was really scared. My doctor told me I was bi-polar. No way! My brother and sister were the ones with the mental illness, not me. I had a successful career, was raising a great daughter, managed our household, and was active in the community. “Was” turned out to be the key word. I couldn’t believe I had ever led that life. I felt like an imposter.

My formula for success has four parts…

Reluctantly I began medication – and slowly, very slowly, I improved. Mental illness is not easily treated and it took almost two years of various medications until we arrived at my current “cocktail.” I keep in close contact with my psychiatrist and have maintained good health for five years. I have learned that mental illness is a disease of the brain and not a disgrace. Until society accepts that, I only tell my story when I think someone can be helped and I’m in a safe environment for sharing. So my formula for success has four parts: absolute adherence to a whole food diet, abstinence from alcohol, my medications, and the support of family and friends who love me and never judge the path I’ve chosen.

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Lavender Lemonade for Lindsey, By Allie

Last week we discussed nutritionally packed ingredients and how to use them to our advantage when trying to avoid cravings and brain/blood sugar disruption. This week we will continue a discussion to honor herbs. Herbs. The Rocky Balboa of healthy foods. (Cause he was very small but extraordinarily fierce and relentless.)

Now, when it comes to serious issues like mental illnesses which require medication, there may be no recourse besides a routine including therapy and prescriptions recommended and provided by your doctor. However. It’s also true that there are specific ingredients which may help to reduce anxiety – calming, cooling herbs, fruits, and vegetables to help soothe the nerves and, when combined with meditation exercises and deep breathing you may find that’s the only cocktail that you need.

The simple act of removing the top of my vial of Lavender essential oil…can calm me down instantly…

Speaking of cocktails, there’s this one I happen to really adore. Now that it’s summertime and the living is “easy” (not for me, for me the living is insanely more difficult) I’ll share with you a way to make it even easier.

Lavender is one of the most powerfully soothing, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety herbs that grow on the planet. The simple act of removing the top of my vial of Lavender essential oil and slowly taking in a noseful of its heavy soft scent can calm me down instantly, help me clear my head and focus on the solution to whatever problem is causing me anxiety. 

Essential oils are not just for your skin or your nose – some of them can be consumed. You need to be careful with essential oils because they are extremely concentrated. Two drops in a recipe is one drop too many. You should never, ever consume undiluted essential oils. They can burn your mouth and esophagus.

That said, with a light and steady hand, essential oils can take your recipes to the next level. My favorite way to use them is in beverages and my favorite of those special beverages is Lavender Lemonade. It’s the perfect way to relax in the shade or even to begin a day in which you expect to encounter stress.

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Step One: Heat up 3 quarts of water and stir in honey to dissolve. Add water to a big glass pitcher and set aside. *If you are like Lindsey and can’t do honey you can use stevia instead. 

Do you guys see that I got my pegboard? Ned caved. It was inevitable.

Step Two: Slice Meyer Lemons and try to remove as many seeds as possible with the point of a knife. Squeeeeeeeeeeeze those lemons into the pitcher of warm sweetened water and stir again.

Step Three: Add ONE DROP of Lavender essential oil while water is still warm and stir. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes so that ingredients can mesh and then cover and place in a refrigerator or pour into glasses over ice and enjoy immediately. If you have Lavender sprigs and guests coming for a dinner party, those might be nice to use as a garnish.

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Lavender Lemonade

3 quarts filtered water
1/2 cup honey (*optional, you can use a few drops of Stevia instead or a combination of your favorite sweeteners)
6 large Meyer lemons, sliced and de-seeded
1 drop Lavender essential oil

1. Warm water in a saucepan over a medium flame or in a microwave until steamy but not simmering. Remove from any heat and add honey. Stir to dissolve completely and add to a large glass pitcher.
2. Squeeze and drop Meyer lemon slices directly into pitcher and stir/press down with a wooden spoon to incorporate juice and warm up the peels.
3. Add one drop of Lavender essential oil into the pitcher and stir. Let mixture sit 5 minutes to steep and cover and refrigerate until cold enough to drink or pour over ice and serve. Garnish with Lavender blossoms if you like.

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Enjoy sipping on your calming Lavender Lemonade and don’t forget to breathe! For the month of July we are focusing on Brain Health in The Purple Apron. 

Suppers is a brain-based recovery program for preventing and reversing health problems with food. If you want to submit a story about how you achieved a clearer mind focusing on a diet of whole foods, please send in a story to Dor!

As always, head to our website for recipes, tips, stories, meeting schedules, registration for workshops, and more! The Suppers Programs is dedicated to helping YOU make your own personal transition towards a healthier life. Join us and discover your path towards vibrant health, seated next to a caring Suppers member, enjoying a divine meal together!

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