Newsletter

November 24, 2014

Hi {!firstname_fix}

For those of us here in the US, this is a week of preparing for Thanksgiving. For many of us, it is a time of great joy and connection with family. But for some, it is a time of sorrow. It might be the first year after a loved one’s death, or it might be a time of estrangement, or a time of separation. I think it is important that we remember that sweetness and sadness can come.

Today I went to the grocery store and got two fat chickens. I don’t like turkey. And even though that is what we are *supposed to* do, I have learned that doing what fits rather than what is supposed to works better for me. My granddaughter will be here. My middle son is traveling to his new home in California and planned his trip to go through Albuquerque on Thanksgiving. This will be unusual to have 2 of the 3 siblings here. David will make mashed potatoes, I will do the squash, we will have cranberry chutney. Some of the rescue dogs will get to watch since it has been cold and the crates happen to be in the dining room, LOL.

We may even watch football, something which used to irk me no end, LOL, and now just feels comforting and part of it. Mostly it will be a day of gratitude. And of course all of you are part of what I give thanks for every day. You as miracles are the light of the possibility of recovery.

This class will begin Friday, November 28, 2014. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:

Step 1 (2 weeks) - is our foundation class to get you started. Learn all four parts of step 1 in a structured way. Learn how to progress through them with enjoyment. Let us support getting your program off to a fabulous start.

These classes will begin Wednesday, December 3, 2014. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:

	Using Radiant Resources (1 week) - is a free orientation for those of you who are brand new and would like to find your way around all the things we offer in the community. One of our mentors will show you the ropes. Watch for the welcoming email with a link to join the Yahoo list we use as our classroom.
Step 3	Step 3 (2 weeks) - is one of our core classes. This is a skill-based class. If you want to learn the baby steps of a successful step 3, come join us. This class is ALWAYS fun. I honestly believe that step 3 is the hardest step. If you are getting ready to do it, or are just starting, taking the class will really, really help you.
	Brain Chemistry Beta Endorphin (2 weeks) - Learn how this chemical affects your self-esteem and why your capacity to cope may be directly related to your beta endorphin levels. A fascinating look at the part of the story that is most crucial to sugar sensitivity.

The class schedule is online. Click here to see what is planned.

A number of you have asked me how the classes work. Check the class list page for more information on this. And please go read the questions and answers before you write to me. If you have trouble getting through the process, write the tech forum.

Be sure to visit our Radiant Recovery website and Community Forum regularly.

Warmly,
Kathleen

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**Quote From Kathleen **

You may have feelings of failure or hopelessness attached to the way you eat. Even the idea of a food journal may make you panic.

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**Testimonial of the Week **

I have lost some weight. My clothes are becoming baggy. I hate to clothes shop. (After washing, things never fit as in the store). We went out of town this week to a bigger city. I decided to visit the second-hand stores and consignment/gently-worn clothing stores. I picked out some jeans, a few t-shirts/blouses and a casual suit. I am pretty pleased. I didn't spend more than $25 and have some form-fitting outfits. I have worn one of the blouses and really like it. This is nice and I know the stuff will fit after washing.

Kinda funny as I keep telling myself, "No not size 18 or X-large, you need medium and 14 or 16." All part of healing. Maybe I don't hate to clothes shop after all!

Chloe

Healing is grand

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**Radiant Ambassadors **

Peggy is doing a great job as an ambassador. As you can see from her story below, making a difference in other people's lives is exciting:

I just wanted to report a little success re: getting the word out. I have an art studio and teach adults and children various art media. This school year I made a decision to have a sugar free studio...I provide snacks and drinks for all who come and have always just had stuff that folks would eat and drink along with my healthy stuff. It was interesting to notice which children were upset when I announced that when the sodas, etc. were gone in the fridge there would be no more. Oh my!! I will have "fizzy" water for them to add to juice (no sugar, HF corn syrup, etc.) if they want more than water. I am weaning them from white stuff as well, but this will take a bit longer, I suspect.

This past week I received 10 LSA books and already 2 have gone out the door, along with the cards. A small, but exciting beginning.

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**Notes from the Forum **

In Response To: At war with myself

I can relate a bit. I did two "don't want to!!" episodes. One was pushing the part of breakfast that said, on time, every day. I wanted erratic. It was much more dramatic. Then I was NOT going to be told what to do on step three. I didn't realise that no one was telling me to do anything.

I was making up the drama of internal conflict when I didn't have to have any there at all,

when really all the choosing was entirely up to me.

Kathleen had posted something that I always remember. It was something like - there's so much energy there. All that energy going into the conflict and drama. (And I much preferred the beta-endorphin kick from drama to actually doing breakfast as written.) Just think how amazing it would be if I could harness all THAT energy onto breakfast itself.

So that is what I keep in mind. Where to choose to direct my energy. And doing the food helps my choice/which helps me doing the food. yay!! I still stamp my foot occasionally and don't wanna, LOL, but I recognise now where that's biochemical and can smile at it a bit and know what to do.

So I really like your healing voice ! and love how you are listening to that one.

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** Radiant Recovery^® Store **

David manages the Radiant Recovery^® Store. He is also Kathleen's oldest son.

I heard about Kathleen's "Finding a Safe Place" CD and when the budget allowed it, I made a point of ordering it. It couldn't have come at a better time. It arrived at a time when I was really concerned about one of my grown sons. A couple of lapses in judgment could lead to some very serious long-term consequences.

I had not been sleeping well that week, so I was pretty off-balance when all this happened. I'd been searching my food journal for clues, keeping my sleep journal stats carefully, and I suspect the change of seasons plus my husband's and my different temperature preferences were part of it.

At the height of my distress, here comes my package from Radiant Recovery! I started using that CD that very day. I liked the fact that it didn't ask me to imagine my ideal life, or make any particular demands of me. All I needed to do was imagine myself feeling safe. The second time I listened to it, it was soothing to the point of tears. I was a much calmer person when we went to see our son than I would have otherwise been.

The best part of all is that I slept all the way through the night for two nights now! I will add "meditation CD" to my sleep journal as part of my routine for good sleep.

In my unhealed days a challenge like this would have sent me straight to chocolate. Even more recently I would have started snacking on cheese and whole grain products. This time my Step 3 is steady and I'm getting good sleep, so I'm sending this out to YLD.

I would encourage anyone to get this CD and see what it does for their program. If I feel this good after only two days, imagine what 30 days will bring!

Lora

Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better.

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**Radiant Kitchen **

By Naomi Muller, Step 7, author of Nutritious and Delicious Cookbook.

This is from my cookbook:

PECAN TOPPED YAMS

4 medium Jewel or Garnet yams
2 Tbsp. light tasting olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice, optional
1 cup chopped pecans
1 Tbsp. alcohol-free maple extract
1 Tbsp. orange or apple juice concentrate
2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake yams for about one hour, or until soft. The skins should peel off easily when they are still warm. Mash yams well and mix with oil and juice. Place yams in a 8” square glass baking dish. Spread evenly and flatten the top. Toss pecans with maple extract, juice concentrate, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Spread evenly over the top of the yams. Bake until pecans are toasted and the yams are hot and bubbly (start checking after 10 minutes).

For more great program-friendly recipes, check out our cookbook in the store and visit our online Radiant Recipes site.

Radiant Recovery
Cookbook

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**Radiant YLD **

I will be adding some special holiday chats for YLD members. I think it will be nice to check in on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. So those of you who are alone can connect with a *family* of supportive program people. We will also be sharing how to hold the program during the holidays. It does not have to be the time of everything falling apart.

If you would like to join, come find us here - $99 annually

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**Radiant Living **

We have a new portal for the Radiant Living program. Come check it out here.

Oh, we are going to talk about gratitude again (smile)...Sorry, I just cannot help myself.

If you would like to join us, you can do that directly below.

Join Radiant Living Now: click here - $99 annually

If you are not a member, come and join us if you want to be a part of the latest and greatest or just have some plain ol' fun!

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**Our Online Groups **

Come join us on the Recovery List. We are going to be looking at how to move the promises to a new level by doing the food. I am going to be working with the group directly and I think it will be really fun.

Or come to the group page to find the one that will best support your program: http://www.radiantrecovery.com/list_serves.htm

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**Planning Ahead **

Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

Here is a post made by Camille a number of years ago. I want you to read it again and then I am going to talk a bit about this.

Last week I went to a five-day conference. And I have just been dreading it for months, partly because I don't like to travel or be away from home, and mostly because I kept telling myself my food plan would go straight to h*ll and it would take weeks if not months to get back on track. (The last time I went to a conference I just freaked and PnP went right out the window.)

But a day or two before the conference I thought, "Okay, you certainly aren't going to be able to stick to your plan perfectly. Can you do ANYTHING? Is there ANY step you can commit to and keep up while you're there?" (Whoa--starting to get beyond "all or nothing" thinking!)

So I thought,"Okay, I can keep my journal. No matter what I eat or when or what I'm feeling, I can write it down." And then I thought, "Okay, I can take my vitamins, and I can have Triscuits three hours after dinner." So there were three things I could do, so that even though I wouldn't be working on Steps 3/4 the way I would at home, at least it wasn't all going to fall apart.

While I was at the grocery store getting the Triscuits, I "just happened" to look through the health food section and noticed that, for the first time in months, they had oat milk without added sugar. And I knew right then that I could ALSO commit to breakfast with protein every morning within an hour of waking up. Breakfast (George's Shake with oat milk and my hand blender), Journal, Triscuits 3 hours after dinner--I could keep up Steps 1, 2 and 4 no matter what. It felt easy.

And I DID IT !! And in fact, I did more. I kept to Step 3--I didn't eat between meals even when there was FABULOUS 5:00 buffet with shrimp cocktail and all kinds of tempting stuff (I was the only one, I think, of 150 people, who just drank mineral water), and I ate as close as possible to my usual times, making sure that I had a nuts-and-Triscuit snack if I knew I'd have to eat late.

And I exercised! There was a fabulous health club in the hotel and I walked on the treadmill for half an hour every morning. Can't believe it! I'm just so proud! And the thing is, I KNOW that if I had started out bound and determined that I was going to keep doing all the steps perfectly and being at a conference wasn't going to make any difference ... I wouldn't have been able to do it. But starting with baby steps and committing to those made it possible for me to do a lot more than I'd planned, or even dreamed, possible!

I feel as if I've reached a new level in the program, and that my commitment (and "self-discipline"--whatever that is ) is much deeper and stronger than I'd thought. And I know now, even better than before, the value of Little Steps for Little Feet! Just wanted to share!

One of the really key issues of planning ahead is to do it (smile)....especially starting this week. Where will you be on what days. Get your calendar out. Look at every day. Think about every meal. What are you doing each day? Who will you be with? What will your timing be? Will you be traveling? What do you need to take care of? Where will you wake up the day after you travel? What will you have for breakfast?

Make a chart, do a list, and come over to the forum and share.

And have a wonderful week.

Thanks for reading! If you know someone who could benefit from this, feel free to forward it to them.

Not a subscriber yet? Like what you have read? Sign up to get future issues delivered straight to you:

http://www.radiantrecovery.com

Until next time!

Here are the folks who are helping put the newsletter together:

Gretel, our webmaster, puts it all together.
David runs the Radiant Recovery^® Store.
mosaic contributes to the Notes from the Forum column.

©2014 Kathleen DesMaisons. All rights reserved. You are free to use or transmit this article to your ezine or website as long as you leave the content unaltered, use this attribution: "By Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. of Radiant Recovery^®", and notify kathleen@radiantrecovery.com of the location. Please visit the Radiant Recovery^® website at http://www.radiantrecovery.com for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction.

You are getting the weekly newsletter from Radiant Recovery^® in response to your signup. A copy of this newsletter may also be found posted on the web at http://www. radiantrecovery.com/weeklynewsletter