There will be times when members want you to be the expert or have answers for them. Resist their efforts. We don’t offer specific advice; rather, we encourage personal experiments. So if someone asks something like, "How should I eat to reduce anxiety?", you can respond in three ways:
- Respond with “I” statements from personal experience or personal understanding.
- Open it to the group to share personal experiences.
- Refer to Suppers literature like the "How You Feel is Data!" White Paper and ask member to test his/her theories by setting up an experiment.
Have these stock responses on the tip of your tongue:
“Experts disagree on this. It is my understanding that…”
“Let’s ask the group to share their understanding…”
“What’s your hunch and what experiment can we set up for you to test your theory?”
Examples:
Q. “What can I do to get a better night’s sleep?”
A. “Why don’t you try an experiment and see if dehydration is the problem; it’s a very common cause of poor sleep. You can get directions from the Suppers web site…”
Q. “Why can’t I get better control of my blood sugar?”
A. “We are all so individual biologically that there is no way to know for sure except by running personal experiments. You can try the Suppers breakfast challenge and use your test strips to see which foods are most stabilizing in your particular body."
Q. “How can I get my children to eat healthier food?”
A. “Let’s ask the group to share their most successful strategies.”
Q. “How can I reduce my antidepressants?”
A. “Suppers facilitators can’t answer medical questions. Has anyone at the table reduced their antidepressant use?” Or: “Suppers facilitators can’t answer medical questions, but I know a few people in the program who got off their meds once their needs were met for nutritious food and social support.”