Hi {!firstname_fix}

I see birds heading north. The Sand hill cranes are hanging around the river, waiting, but ready. The sky is blue....and I can feel that the trees are starting to breathe differently.

I love this time of year. Winter is complete in Albuquerque, regardless of the actual weather. We even have dirty snow this year. But I don’t care, that blue sky and the mountains turning pink each night are a winner in my book.

We will be starting these new classes the week of 2/07. I am doing a light schedule because I am doing some major work this week on the revision of Potatoes Not Prozac. I will say more in our feature article. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Doing the Program on a Budget is 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.

We will be starting these new classes the week of 2/14. And remember classes start on WEDNESDAY. I will post in the evening, so don’t get alarmed if you had not heard anything by noon. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Back to Basics 1 is our friendly ole standby for the step 7 folks who hit the wall and wobble around. Come join us if you are concerned about your program. You do not have to be in full-blown relapse. Even if you are just slippin a bit, come join us. This is a very fun sequence. Everyone loves it.

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!

Step 2: Journaling, An 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.

Step 5: Browning Your Family is one of our favorites. Learn the art of whole grains. Get lots of information that you won't find anywhere else. I picked the brains of one of the world's leading *brown* experts for this class.

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.

YLDweightlossinaction is on hold for just a bit. I want to get our freshmen class settled.

I have posted a new class schedule on line. Click here to see what is planned. And if you do not see the class you want to take, don’t sign up for it (smile).

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.

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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February 5, 2006
** Quote From Kathleen **


The more you do the food, the stronger you will get and the more powerful your recovery will be.

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** Testimonial for the Week**


I have to share what a moving and profound experience last night's chat was for me. The whole ambivalence, commitment, fear thing is exactly what I have been working through the last few months as I struggled to figure out why I never got beyond step 2. It happened just like Kathleen said, I got friendly with my ambivalence and I found my fear. I am afraid of where radiance might take me. I cannot imagine me radiant. There are bound to be a lot of changes and that scared me enough to keep me stuck at step one for 2 1/2 years.

But once I found the fear and could name it I was able to commit to healing anyway. I'm a month into my 3 month commitment to post on the forum and Kathleen is right again about it being about my heart wanting to do whatever it takes rather than self-discipline. I post whether I 'feel' like it or not. I eat 3 meals a day whether I 'feel like it or not. And it does not feel like self-discipline, it just feels like 'doing it' because I want healing rather than to hide in my fear. Journaling is even getting easier.

So I sat in front of this computer screen with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes last night because Kathleen was putting my life into words and I could 'see' that I will be radiant one day and I won't be afraid anymore. Until then I will just hang out with my fear and know that my commitment to RR (heart connection) is stronger.

Janice

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**Recipe of the Week**


Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables. If you serve them like this, I bet they will be a family favorite, too.

Sesame Green Beans

  • 2 pounds green beans, stemmed
  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until well blended. Add the green beans and toss to combine well. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper.

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


So we have started our freshman class for weight loss. I started by posting the phases of weight loss and how doing the steps heal addiction and gets you started in your process. After the second lesson, I got an email from someone saying, *so what is the weight loss plan?* I feel as if this is some big mystery. When do I get to *do* it.

I explained that there is a book, so there is no mystery (smile)....and that you have already STARTED your weight loss. The first phase is healing your addiction so you have the patience and tenacity to hang in there and not burn out, or gain it all back.

The process is hard to explain. You have been SO acculturated to DIET, that the idea of a process of learning skills is totally disorienting. And by the way, this is why YLD is so great for everyone. It is day to day, moment by moment support for healing the addiction....and you do not have to be dealing with a weight goal to avail yourself of it.

I hope you will come and join us. We sure have fun.

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.
 


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**David's Corner **



Hello, my name is David. I figured we have so many new people, I better reintroduce myself here.Many of you have talked with me when you have called the Radiant Recovery Store. I am thrilled to be working with my Mom to make the store work for you. This is the best of family business in more ways than one.

This week, it makes sense to remind you of two incredible products that can support your program:

The first is Gammazyme, a specialized enzyme product for people who have problems with their gut. Digestive enzymes are great for sugar sensitive people, but the protease can be a problem if your gut is inflamed. Gammazyme takes care of that and helps digest your food better. Means YOU get more nutrition.
The other product is our famous ProEpa, the best fish oil you can get. Mom spent many months searching for a pure oil. She continues to talk with the research people at Nordic Naturals regularly. I am amazed how thorough she still is. I think some people have no idea what she is doing behind the scenes, LOL. I encourage all my athlete friends to take this product. We think of it as lubrication for *aging* joints. Mom cracks up at the idea of 30 year olds referring to themselves as *aging*, but hey, it works!

Let me know if I can be of any help at all.

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**


Most of us underestimate the importance of breakfast and try to do all the steps in the first week. When that doesn't work, we begin again. We concentrate on Step 1, breakfast, and find our lives begin to change.

The RadiantBreakfast list is a great place to learn the nuances of breakfast, build a strong foundation for the rest of the steps, and find how helpful it is to share our journey with others. It is great for new people and those who have been on the program a long time. Sharing helps everyone.

The awesome thing is we all, Step 1 or Step 7, eat breakfast every single day. How cool is that?

We'd love it for you to Sign up: We love new members!

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


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**Revising Potatoes, or Would That be New Potatoes? **
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.


This week will be a slightly different conversation from what you are used to.

Simon & Shuster in the UK contacted me about the idea of doing a revision of Potatoes Not Prozac. They wanted me to talk some about how things have developed since the book was first written. The request really made my smile. I love the folks in the UK office. They have always been absolutley delightful. And since we have started our European Ranch and chats, I have been feeling very connected to all of you there. So the request stirred some fun reflections. Over the course of a few weeks, the US operation got excited as well, so it seems we will be doing a major update.

I am excited. This means I can correct my errors like a 13 grams of protein in an egg comment. And I can share what we have learned together while doing the program. In 1998 I set out to build a community of healing that would be a resource for all of you. We started with one list (the depression list) and the community forum. A half a million posts later, you have done a lot of healing and a lot of teaching. It is time for that story to be heard as well. So the revised book will have your voices in it. And my voice will have the assurance and joy of all this time dialoguing with you.

Part of the process asks that I fill out a new *author questionnaire*. This asks me about the book and what has been going on. So I have been doing some homework. I have been updating and tidying my database of radio, articles, and web things I have done. Mostly, I have been getting material that is in file boxes sorted out and dusted off. As you might well imagine, most of my energy recently has been in providing you with information to do the program better. And of course, I am WRITING which is my passion. So that feels just fabulous.

For fun, I googled *sugar sensitivity*...I coined that back when I was looking for something to describe what I was seeing. Up came 1.2 MILLION references. Now, you can imagine that set me on my butt, LOL. I knew we were grass roots, but I hadn’t really thought what that meant. Simon & Schuster will be doing all the formal stuff that a publisher does to to sell books. But what I am interested in is how we can leverage this incredible opportunity. Now we have a new chance to get the word out. Now we have a story that is so powerful and so healing, that we stand behind every part of it. We have the science behind us. Sugar Addiction is real. And we are ahead of the curve.

So I am going to ask your help in thinking about how we might do this. Simon will do the formal stuff. I want to do the sharing stuff with all of you. I want to compile your suggestions, your people, your skill, your expertise. If your uncle is the editor at the Bloomington paper, or you write the PTA newsletter, or you head the wellness program in a large HMO, or your sister works at NPR, or your brother is a DJ, or if you are the CEO of a large company, or if if your neighbor is the health writer for your local newspaper or if Sally Jesse Rafael is your sister in law, write me and tell me. This will be OUR event.

The book will be released next January. Magazines have long lead times. I will post materials for you to use in sharing. If you care about the story, if your life has been changed, now is the time to gather and speak. This is not about me or one of you, this is about all of us saying sugar sensitivity is real and we have a solution. And this website, YOUR website, and our leaders here have created something respond to all the people who are seeking healing. Let’s go find them!

I am excited and I know you will be too. Come over to the forum and let’s talk.



©Kathleen DesMaisons 2007.

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.

©2007 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 Patti