Hi {!firstname_fix}

As we start into this week, I hope you all find ways to the concept of light coming into the darkness. Take 10 minutes of quiet time every night for the next 5 days. Even if you feel stress with too much to do, or your relatives arriving, or things not being finished. And then during the day I want you to just think some on the things you are grateful for. If you feel bad or are grumpy, see about focusing on the grateful things.

We will not begin any new classes this week, but...

We will be starting these classes the week of 12/27. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Step 3: Three Meals 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. And if things got a little wonky in the last few weeks, this is a great way to get steady again.

Brain Chemistry: Beta Endorphin is one of our most popular classes. It will teach you the core of the science behind the program. This is the outline for a critical part of sugar sensitivity, why you act the way you do and what you can do to change it. I love this class and so do all the people who have taken it. Somehow BE rocks!

What Else is Embedded in the Steps is a great class to learn about what the steps really do. The program is way more than just the food. This class takes you to the heart of the process.

YLDweightlossreadiness is the getting started class for YLD members. Come learn how Phase One of your program sets the foundation for your entire weight loss plan.

We will be starting these classes the week of 1/3. 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 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.

Doing the Program on a Budget is a special free class for those of you with limited funding who are trying to make do. Come hear some fun ideas to maintain your humor and find tasty and inexpensive solutions.

Using the 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.

Back to Basics 1 is the class for those who have been on Step 7 and got lost. If you are wobbling around, have relapsed or need a tune up, come connect. We are kind, funny and have a great get back on track process.

Learning About Depression is the perfect antidote to mid winter, dark skies, freezing rain, and feeling crappy. Come discover why you feel this way and what you can do about it.

Don’t forget to check out the new class called The Obesity Myth. We will be a doing a focused study of this book and how it relates to losing weight. It is a fascinating concept and I think it will really help you.

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.

A quick note for those of you who plan ahead. We have settled on dates for ranch for 07. And we have changed it to be on a weekend and shorter to make it more accessible for you. Click here to check out the preliminary sign up page. There will be lots more on it to come. But this will let you save the dates.

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.

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 Recovery® website and Community Forum regularly.

Warmly,
Kathleen

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December 18, 2006
** Quote From Kathleen **


One of the markers for your own progress is the respect you command from those around you about your food habits.

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** Testimonial for the Week**


Thanks so much for taking the time to travel, chat, and have lunch together. I enjoyed your company!

This was my second lunch with the group. After my first lunch with folks I knew I wanted to make it a priority to attend the next one. I always learn so much from everyone's experience in doing the program at the same time I get to learn a little bit about everyones lives. Initially I was a bit surprised that we could eat at an Italian restaurant (because I'm thinking that it's off limits). Just being there for lunch helped me to see that I could eat at other places and still make the program work. Seeing it in action helped to give me permission to try making it work at restaurants that I've been avoiding. They made it look easy. The food was great!

I recently relapsed and shared this during our lunch. Everyone was so supportive, they helped me figure out what might had started the relapse, and offered their suggestions. So I'm in the Step One list now and am focusing on getting solid with breakfast. Thanks again. I too was still floating after our meeting. I felt really good afterwards. I'm so glad I went to lunch.

Sincerely,
Jeff

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**Recipe of the Week**


Here are two delicious latke recipes from our very own Gail. Even if you don't celebrate Chanukah, these would make great browns for your meals!

Traditional Latkes

  • 4 medium potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 T flour ( any kind, I use Kathleen's baking mix)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • 1 tsp baking powder ( omit with Kathleen's baking mix)
  • Oil for frying
Grate potatoes, skin and all. I usually use a lighter skin potato like red bliss and I sometimes throw them in the food processor. Grate the onion. Squeeze the extra moisture out of the potato and onion. Combine all other ingredients, mix well. Heat oil in medium frying pan, drop by tablespoons, and fry until bottom is golden brown. Flip and brown other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve with applesauce or sour cream.

Sweet Potato Latkes

These are Gail's notes, "This recipe I have played with some. They don't usually come out as crispy."

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 T flour (any kind)
  • Cinnamon to taste
  • Dash of salt
Peel and shred the potatoes. I guess you could leave the skin on, but we don't. Squeeze the extra liquid out. Combine all other ingredients, mix well. Heat oil in medium frying pan, drop by tablespoons, and fry until bottom is golden brown. Flip and brown other side. Drain on paper towels.

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


I wanted to give you a heads up about how YLD is emerging. I talked earlier about the concept of a *fast track* option. That was a royal disaster. Never use that concept with addicts, heh heh. But it did get me thinking. We have the most incredible weight loss program. And we spend a lot of time saying, work on the steps, get steady, then do weight loss. For someone who is fat, this message, even though right, can be pretty frustrating. Steady is nice, but you are still fat.

So I wanted to come up with something that would support you right from the gate with your taking action to lose weight. We are getting a new forum set up. It will be just for weight loss and will be open just to YLD members. I am going to set up a daily blog sort of posting to share my own journey with weight loss. This year is the year of my commitment. So you can hear what I am eating, what I am feeling, how I am exercising and what I am meditating about, LOL.

The YLD forum will also be a place for you to share your own commitment and action with weight loss, even if you are on step one. It will be a whine-free/desperation-free zone. This means, if you get wonky, your posts do not go through (smile). It also means that if you commit, you will have an incredible support network.

In addition, you can hear about our new mascot, Spencer. He is a HUGE golden rescue that showed up while I was traveling. He is the biggest golden I have ever seen. He weighs 151 pounds, should weigh maybe 70. Spencer will blog along with me. He is going to stay here as a foster in weight rehab. LOL, maybe we are shifting YLD to weight rehab.

Part of what I will also be doing is sharing the theory of YLD. What is it that makes so much sense? Why is it so important? Why does it work so well? Why do we have so much fun? What is happening that makes this plan so successful? Stuff like that. I am working out the overview and will be posting more on the YLD list. I surely appreciate how you all have been so patient as we have woven a better way of doing this.

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 **



As you start planning for the new year and getting focused, think about getting a new cookbook, a new journal and settling in. People are loving Naomi’s new cookbook. If you want to see pictures to go with all those yummy things she keeps posting in the newsletter, order the cookbook.
Don’t forget to have some fish oil capsules on hand for your children. Winter is a time when lots of colds and flu goes around. Omega 3 oils build immunity. My daughter loves the oil we have. I bet you kids will love it as well.


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**


Radiant Men is a group that we have restarted based on what you have asked for. It used to be called Radiant Guys, but that name is now taken. This group is designed to respond to the special and unique issues of being sugar sensitive as a male. We will look at style and tips for making your program work better.

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


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**The Time of Light**
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.


Last night I was with friends learning about Chanukah. We lit the candles, said the prayers. I love the idea of the light lasting for eight days. I love the whole story. If you don’t know about it, you can go to the aish.com website and read. It is really important to know the story.

Saturday was hard. My Christmas tree fell over and some of my ornaments broke. I couldn’t just put it back up, so had to take all the ornaments off and the lights off. I went to Home Depot and got a new stand. The tree is out on the front porch. I was feeling grumpy about this. Sometimes living alone is wonderful. At Christmas it can be hard. Little things have made me sad. I have been pouting about not having a stocking.

Tonight, I put on the TV. I rarely watch regular TV. Usually my diet is National Geographic and Animal Planet. Tonight was just giant lizards so I did a little channel surfing and came upon some special about Santa. It is hard to explain, but the magic of Christmas and Santa kinda crept in. The gratitude reflections from our Holy Night Class wafted into my heart. So I want to write a little about special gratitudes:

Tonight the Southwest Group held a little reception at my office. Three if us were there knitting, wondering if anyone would come. We asked Allison if she would sing the solo she did last week. You can read that story on the forum. She said *no*....but after a while, Cece started singing the lyrics to Godspell and then Allison started singing. I have known this woman for eight years. I never have heard her sing. Until last week, I didn’t even know she sings. She has an incredible voice. This is Christmas.

Cece is learning to knit. She bought some beautiful multicolored yarn a couple of weeks ago. We, the knitters, suggested that she practice with some string first. She made a perfect string dishcloth and yesterday graduated to the real yarn. This afternoon, she had 4 inches. Every few rows she would pick up a stitch wrong and then get flustered and ask me to show her. After the fourth time, I said, *watch this...you can see what you are doing*. A little later, I heard her talking to herself under her breath, *oh, wait, just pick it up.* This is Christmas.

Elizabeth came by to visit. She said she knew how to knit but didn’t have any knitting needles. Allison pulled some out of her bag and gave her some yarn. She starting knitting something, nothing. Just knitting in beautiful ribs. And she started to tell us her father was a knitting needle manufacturer. She told us the whole story and she was just knitting. After about 15 minutes, she said, *wait, these needles are from my father’s factory....* We were laughing. This is Christmas.

Patti called and said she was finished with the theater and were will still there. She came over with her holiday Starbucks cup and just told us the story of her day. Music at Church, lunch with some of the congregation and the theater. She was dressed up. Usually the Albuquerque crew hangs out in jeans and sweaters. There was Patti in her theater clothes talking about doing new things. This is Christmas.

I came home, watered my HUGE poinsettia and put it where the Christmas tree had been. The dogs settled into their places. I turned on my little ceramic tree that is covered with Golden Retrievers. And I watched the Santa story. The magic comes from inside. Tonight, I will do the reflections I have been writing about...I will connect with each of you all over the globe and think about what it means that we have committed to our healing. This is the essence of this time of year. Light in the darkness.


©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 Recovery® Store talks about what new products we have.

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.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 Recovery®. 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