Hi {!firstname_fix}

This has been a week of reflection. I have been receiving a number of emails with suggestions on things we might do to improve our services. Thank you all for taking the time to write. I always appreciate your thoughtful input and will be using it to improve and enhance how we serve you in the future. I will share with you as we plan changes. And, as always, let me know if you have ideas for improvement.

I will be offering the Creating Restful Sleep class starting this week. Come learn about sleep rhythms, the kinds of insomnia, what contributes to it, and what you can do. I have had a lot of fun preparing for this class and I think you will really enjoy it.

If you are not sure how the class process works, please go read the questions and answers before you write. If it is still not clear, send us an email at admin@radiantrecovery.com.

We will be starting these new classes the week of 11/8. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Creating Restful Sleep is a new class for those of you who having trouble sleeping. I will give you some ways to sort out what might be going on and some up to date science to help find solutions.

Step 2: Journal, Introduction will teach you the basics of journaling. The class will give you step by step instructions in how to record your food and feelings in a way that gets you excited.

Using Radiant Resources of the Community is for those of you who are brand new and would like to find your way around town. Come sit on the top of our double decker bus for a guided tour. And even if you are not brand new, this is a really fun class to reconnect with all the treats of the community.

Brain Chemistry: Serotonin is the other of our most popular classes. It helps you make sense of why the potato works, why you have a problem in the winter and how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can play into this. If you munch in your mind, if you are depressed or edgy or feel sad, this is the class for you.

We will be starting these new classes the week of 11/15. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Step 1: The Art of Breakfast is the first of the core programs for newcomers. If you are just starting off, this is the place to come. Learn the details and get your plan set right from the start.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Our Products is the fun tour of the Store that David does once a month. If you want to know what we have and why, come join this free class.

YLDweightlossinaction is open to YLD members who are on step seven and are ready to begin the process of losing weight.

I have posted a new class schedule on line. 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. The classes are done online with one lesson each day. You do not have to be at your computer at any set time.

Please feel free to pass this week's newsletter on to your friends and family. Don't forget to let me know what you like and would like to see me cover.

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

Warmly,
Kathleen

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November 6, 2006
** Quote From Kathleen **


You are telling your body it is important. You are noticing what you are eating and what you are feeling.

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** Testimonial for the Week**


The round of holidays is upon us--for some of us, it's already begun.

I remember how tentative I felt about my first holidays after detox. I had some fears about all the food, and I was also fearful that my mood, which was soooo much better, might not stand up under all that pressure. Things went great, however. We had our best Christmas in years.

Last year we went out for Thanksgiving and did something simple for Christmas food. Also, I'm going to cook for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think I'll even try a radiant dessert for each holiday--Naomi's cheesecake for one and Kathleen's apple pie with cheddar crust for the other. I am just feeling more secure and steady all around, and I'm looking forward to enjoying some nice, quiet holiday joy. We're going to stay here on the island for at least a few more months, and this is a good opportunity to make new traditions.

Oh, and we're going to try a community choir tonight, and I have spoken with someone about volunteering at the local Holiday Fair. And we are going to the garden club tomorrow. I have killed many innocent plants, so we'll see how this goes.

I will definitely take Kathleen's holiday classes again. The one I took last year helped a lot.

Jeannie

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**Recipe of the Week**


With the weather turning cooler, this recipe caught my eye and I fiddled around with it and took out the sugar and adjusted the apple cider amount and here we have a program friendly and belly warming meal. You can use the yummy wild rice from the store.

Chicken and Apples

  • 12 chicken thighs, bone-in
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 granny smith apples, sliced
  • 1 fennel bulb, sliced
  • 1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped.
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 4 springs fresh thyme
  • 4 bay leaves
  • saffron, generous pinch
  • sea salt, to taste
  • ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups cooked wild rice
Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and brown on skin side only in a hot, large, deep saucepan. Remove and set aside. Sweat* off onion, garlic and fennel in the same pan. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add apple juice and return to a boil. Stir in apples, thyme, bay leaves and saffron. Return chicken to the pan. Simmer, cover and cook until chicken is done ó approximately 20 minutes ó or alternately bake, covered, in a 350ƒF oven until chicken is done. Season to taste. Serve over rice.

*When I altered this recipe to be program friendly I had no idea what "sweat off" meant. So, I looked it up and here is the definition: sweat, to A technique by which ingredients, particularly vegetables, are cooked in a small amount of fat over low heat. The ingredients are covered directly with a piece of foil or parchment paper, then the pot is tightly covered. With this method, the ingredients soften without browning, and cook in their own juices.

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**Your Last Diet: More Than What You Think**


I love it that you all have benn enjoying the *I am....* exercise all week. My oh my, it is powerful, yes. If any of you missed it, check the YLD list archives to read last week's chat. It was a show stopper.

The YLD emotions class has been another mind boggling journey. I started off with the regular curriculum. About a week in, I realized that we needed something different for the class based on what people were sharing. I did a revision and have been floored by the energy and enthusiasm. Something is happening with all of you. *Diet head* is leaving, leaving and your energy is electrifying. Thank you so much for your sharing and enthusiasm.

I have had a number of emails from people asking me if they had to be on step 7 to join YLD. And the answer is absolutely NOT. Come join anytime. Get heightened personal support. And most of all come to the wonderful, fabulous chats.

If you are not a YLD member, come and join us. Click here if you are ready to change your life or just plain ole have fun. It is not too late to get into the classes if you come right now.
 


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**David's Corner **



I know a lot of you are making travel plans for the holidays. Here are two great suggestions:

Get a little travel mixing bottle. We have been getting awesome reports back from the people who have them. You don¹t need batteries, they really mix well and are very light weight.


And if you are going on a plane, make sure to take pycnogenol. One of the things it is most noted is its protective effect on DVT (deep vein thrombosis - blood clots from sitting in a plane for a long time). This effect has been tested in a number of peer reviewed studies in major journals. Kathleen highly recommends it for that purpose.


And a quick update on our Restore/Junior saga. We have a new producer. The labels have been redesigned and will be printed this week. We are on the production schedule, although we have not been given a specific date. We ask for your thoughts and intentions for their slipping us in sooner rather than later. It is a big company and our little run is tiny compared to most of what they do. Once it is blended and put in the jars, the labels go on, the pallets are made and the big truck brings it to us.

The good news is that we are adding a large jar of Restore. If you are waiting, waiting for it to come, go ahead and preorder by clicking here. We won't charge you till we ship, but you will be on the top of the list for delivery.

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

 
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**Our Online Groups**


Come check out our local geographic lists, We call them geo groups. These are social lists for getting to know people in your local area.

Or come to the group page to see all our groups. http://www.radiantrecovery.com/list_serves.htm


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**Feature Article**

Coming Back to Gratitude

Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

It is early November. I am sitting on my bed reading. The mountains sit with their purple shimmering in the early light. The cottonwoods have gone from bright yellow to dusky yellow-brown. I hear the Sand Hill cranes overhead. The Halloween pumpkins are sitting with wilted smiles.

This time of year can bring conflicted feelings. Thanksgiving is a funny time. It is shaped by Norman Rockwell and memories from Grandma's house. Inside we hold pictures of what we think Thanksgiving should be. But often there is a gap between our imagined ideal and what really happens. It's funny, but most people do not speak about what really happens on Thanksgiving. Uncle George gets drunk or Mom makes one of those comments like *um, gained a little this year, yes?* Or stress overcomes enjoyment. All the old *have to* messages start singing.

I have learned that we can change the stress and create something that comes very close to the ideal in our heart. Let me share this system:

  1. Write out all the stressors you have about Thanksgiving. List every one. Be very detailed and concrete. Write everything, every detail. Set this list aside for a day.

  2. Write out all the wishes, hopes and dreams you have for a perfect Thanksgiving. List everything you want regardless of time, money or distance. Be very concrete and specific. Set this list aside for a day.

  3. Go back to your ideal list and pick out what it is that is embedded in those items. See if you can find the themes, particularly the emotional themes that have the most meaning for you. What is it that you are really, really wanting? You might be surprised. I love having a day to use my grandmother's silver, to have a day of sharing and reflecting on gratitude. I love ritual and cooking. I love the smells and having candles. I love chicken and love our cranberry chutney (in the recipes section).
Now, I want you to imagine that you can reframe your day into a day that perfectly suits you. You do not *have to* do anything defined by anyone else. No matter how it has been in the past, no matter what kind of comments anyone makes, you can change the day to work for you. It is true that you cannot control Uncle George, and your Mom may comment on your weight again, but you can choose to not go. You can be alone, you can invite your own friends, you can go to a shelter, you can skip the whole thing and go to a movie, you can eat pizza and watch the game. You are not a victim, but you are a person with a clear sense of self. You can choose your gratitude.

And I want to invite you to come over to the forum and talk about this. We have been doing it in the Thanksgiving class. It is a profound thing to start imagining that you do have a choice...It opens up so many possibilities, Come play with us on this.



©Kathleen DesMaisons 2006.

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

Gretel, the liaison for the recovery list and the webmaster puts it all together
Naomi gathers the recipes.
David, who runs the Radiant RecoveryÆ Store talks about what new products we have.

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

©2006 by 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 and use this attribution: "By Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. of Radiant RecoveryÆ. Please visit Kathleen's website at http://www.radiantrecovery.com for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction." Please notify me at kathleen@radiantrecovery.com to let me know where the material will appear.

Banner Photograph by Geraint Smith