Like many people, I was so excited about the program in the beginning that I pretty much overwhelmed my family with my talk of it and they finally asked me to just drop the topic.

But they are also lovely supportive people, so they started trying to figure out how to make meals that I could eat. And that required asking me some questions, which I learned to answer briefly, rather than giving a synopsis of the entire 'Potatoes Not Prozac' book.

Over time I have learned to say just a little -- simply that I don't eat sugar or white flour when it's offered to me, otherwise I don't say anything. And if someone asks why not, I tell them because I don't feel good if I eat it. Then I drop it unless they ask more questions. If they ask enough questions, I send them to radiantrecovery.com and sometimes they show up here.

Joy S

Hi all...I'm very much at the start
: of the RR journey, just reading
: the book. I was wondering whether
: you 'explain' your sugar
: sensitivity to others and what the
: reactions are?

: I know on one level it doesn't matter
: what people think but I worry
: about the reaction I will get. I
: worry that people will think I am
: making up some 'disorder' or a
: faddy diet or that I'm being
: really attention seeking by saying
: I have a 'food sensitivity'.

: I've been on a 'diet' previously (I
: know this isn't a diet) and it's
: amazing how different people's
: reactions can be. Part of me wants
: to be really up front and just say
: 'I don't have sugar'. I'm also
: wanting to stop drinking, I don't
: drink much at all so it won't be
: an issue, but instantly people
: think you're really odd if you
: don't drink.

: I really want to be able to talk to
: my parents about this (I'm 37 and
: so no longer live there or
: anything) but I know they are both
: in a lot of denial about their own
: habits and that they will be
: dismissive. They are lovely great
: parents don't get me wrong but my
: mum is just so old-school. To me
: this lifestyle change/abstinence
: is as important as if I was a
: smack addict trying to ditch the
: heroin. I guess I just don't know
: how to get people to take me
: seriously.

: Sorry, massive ramble there...hope it
: makes some sense. I'm really keen
: to know how other people have
: talked to friends and family about
: this? I can't just say 'I'm on a
: diet'...

: x