Hi {!firstname_fix}

Well, I think everyone is home from Ranch but Kath who is wending her way on home to Australia. I think it was a life-changing experience for many of us. And I will be writing lots over the next few months. It takes a while for it to sift down into my heart, roll around and then sift back up to my brain. But I always LOVE meeting people in person. It just makes community come alive.

Special thanks to all of you who contributed to the scholarship fund. Our scholarship people were thrilled to be there and we were thrilled to have them.

We will be starting these new classes this week (5/14). 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 are 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.

Radiant Store Tour is a free guided tour of the store. David will be leading this class so if you want to get to know the guy that makes it all work, come sign up. This is his first teaching experience, so you can show your support for the work he does to keep you happy.

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

We will be starting these new classes the week of 5/21. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Dopamine is the newest addition to the brain chemistry series. Learn about the mighty cousin to serotonin and beta endorphin. Learn how he sparkles and seduces and what to do to have him as an aly rather than a dragon

Step One: 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.

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.

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.

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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May 14, 2007
** Quote From Kathleen **


The relationship between your food and your quality of life is powerful.

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** Testimonial for the Week**


Last newsletter, I invited folks to share their ideas about the special situations you all can face. Here is a wonderful list from Mosaic.

Come over to the forum and share your ideas on any one of these topics. Share what you know about how to handle any of these challenging situations. And then we will compile them all and bring it back here.

A. Work

  • Meetings that take place at lunch time

    At these, filled bread cobs are provided. I say no thanks in advance so it doesn't get wasted, and just open my packed lunch and get on with it. I don't feel the need to explain... had a few raised eyebrows. But I do pack less noisy food and something that I won't slurp..lentil and cooked carrot salad to eat with a spoon, chicken slices to eat with my fingers, that sort of thing

    If food is provided at an outside venue, it's worth looking at their vegetarian option - I had good mozzarella and tomato salad once, where the meat options were all pastry based.

  • Other work related challenges

    Snacks - I had a 10 am snack for months and *not* allowed to eat under any circumstance. I took food I could eat quickly and craftily. Ryvita and peanut butter soaked in. Hiding behind a door usually :-) OK, not ideal.

B. Social Situations

  • Pot luck dinner

    I have phoned ahead and offered a savoury brown rice dish. New potato salad. Take almonds to scatter on salad and a babybel or two in case protein a bit short.

  • Cocktail party or other non-meal parties

    I take Jakimarys Falafels ( see recipes) with mint yogurt dip. Tiny tandoori chicken pieces. Take lots of fizzy water. No-one notices especially if you have a nice glass. I keep it topped up so no one has to offer to get it.

  • Dinner at someone else's house

    All my friends are lovely and helpful, they even cook special food. Haven't done acquaintainces yet, but would phone ahead and offer to bring stuff/ interrogate the hostess craftily and thoroughly (only half joking)

  • Going out to dinner with friends or relatives

    No problem, but always take a spare brown. Choose the restaurant well is the trick, engineer them round to Chinese not being the favourite idea. Suggest that marvellous place we went last month etc. If possible ( like when I went to Brighton ) have a look to see if any restaurants have online menus so you are forearmed.

  • Handling sugar pushers and nosy questions

    "No thanks, sugar *does not* agree with me." If pressed, launch into the horrible graphic(*tries to be delicate for the forum*) "tummy" symptoms experienced after last year's marinated kebab in Spain. That stops them in their tracks.

    Genuine questions "Ive got this great website to recommend"

  • Other social issues

    I keep a snack I really like always in my handbag. Then if we are delayed or plans adapted and everyone else is off for coffee and cake somewhere I am always prepared. Luckily I think almonds/walnuts a great treat. that way I am joining in and getting my proper snack as well

    I've been really lucky so far - specially with friends - we don't have a massive social circle/eat with strangers so I'd love to hear what to do in big social situations, meeting people you don't know very well.

    ********************************************************************

    **Recipe of the Week**

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


    This is the easiest chicken recipe I know of. I think you all will enjoy it as much as my family and I do :)

    SIMPLE CHICKEN
    • 4 chicken leg quarters, cleaned
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
    • 2 T. paprika
    • sea salt to taste (optional)
    • 1 T. water
    Heat frying pan. Add onion and garlic and saute 2 minutes. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with paprika and salt. Add chicken to onion and garlic, skin side down. Add about 1 T. of water to the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly and lower flame to a simmer. Cook chicken for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Optional: At the end of cooking, you can remove the cover and turn the flame to high. Watch the chicken carefully as it can easily burn. Remove the chicken from the heat when the sauce is reduced by half. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

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

    YLDonline is a membership program run directly by Kathleen DesMaisons herself.


    I know you know that the heart of YLD is the famous chats we do. This week, after ranch, six of us went up to Santa Fe to play. Our group included Patti [forum], Kath [downunder, budget], TL [Geos] , Stacey [parents, IBD], and Heather [ED and Joy in Movement]. We had a fabulous lunch at a place called Pasquals. And yes, it really looks just like the picture at the website.

    Then half of our entourage went over to the cathedral to sit and walk the labyrinthe. Kath and Terri Louise and I headed off to Starbucks. I plugged in my computer, hooked up the tether to my cell phone and was online in a flash. We did Eurochat in Starbucks. I was so sleepy, I kept yawning, LOL. Ranch is intense.

    Then we went off to play. Decided we would get back to Albuquerque to pick up Allison for dinner. She had to work during the day so couldn’t come on the expedition. So we plugged the computer into the cigarette lighter, the tether to the cell phone and I went online for chat while the van was going down the highway. Now, the techonology was not as hard as trying to pay attention to chat while there were 3 conversations going on in the van, LOL.

    But you can know I am dedicated to chat. It is the highlight of the YLD week.

    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 **

    David manages the Radiant Recovery Store. He is also Kathleen’s oldest son.



    Well, we have three very exciting new products. I am going to tell you about them even though we don’t have the pictures for them yet. This is because so many of you have been asking. And I even made sure that the locusts at ranch did not grab all the product for *you*, LOL.

    First, the Ranch 2007 CD. We asked the person who produces our other CDs if she could record and duplicate for us. She had the CDs back to Kathleen before ranch was over! - this was an historic event. This is a 2-CD product that contains the contents of the two seminars Kathleen did. The first is An Exciting Look At The Big Picture Of The Steps: How Content And Process Interweave To Create The Depth Of Healing We Know. The second is on brain chemistry from a little different perspective. I know that Kathleen presented new material. She was working on it for many weeks beforehand. I am very, very excited to offer this recording to you.

    Second, we finally, finally have a studio-produced recording of the Safe Place Meditation that is Kathleen’s hallmark. We have been waiting for 10 years. Patti did the music, and what a nice combination of the two of them.

    And of course, the cookbook Sheila did has arrived. It is just wonderful. I might even try something!!! It is called From Sheila’s Kitchen and I think it is a 10.

    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**


    A "BigOne" is a person who has 100 or more pounds to lose. The Radiant Bigones list is unique in that we don't just focus on food challenges -- although getting 42 grams of protein at a meal can certainly be a challenge! -- but we also share information and support for issues that non-BigOnes may not even realize are an issue in day-to-day life. I love the interaction on this list because everyone is so supportive of everyone else and we learn so much from each other. We have people on the list who are in various stages of the 7 Steps, so if you're a BigOne, you'll fit right in!

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


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    **A Ranch Report**
    Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.


    This is a ranch report from Colette who is delightful about concrete, specific....I will add some of my comments as well.

    I’m back from Ranch, and am glad to be home and look forward to settling into home routines!

    Ranch was wonderful...it is just so much fun getting to be with other ss people, and spending time together with people I have only *seen* on the Radiant Recovery lists. I now have faces, voices, mannerisms, etc. which I see when others post on the lists. And, I think I am sore from laughing so hard!

    Yes, this is one of the most exciting parts....having real faces and personalities to match with emails. Then when we go home, we are talking with *people*.
    Since it is so hard to describe Ranch, I will give you some of the *concrete* highlights which I personally enjoyed:

    Ann Margaret introduced Chi Walking to a bunch of us. On the last day of class, we were all walking around this fountain, and it should have been a video moment. We all had this very serious look on our faces because we were concentrating so hard...and at first we looked like a bunch of robots walking about. It did get better, and I am excited about incorporating this way of movement into my life!

    Chi Walking is a wonderful new exercise resource we are adding to our community repetoire. Ann Margaret has been certified to teach it. It helps you realign your body so that energy flows differently. Jim told me that he was not really able to walk too far because his back would start hurting. After learning the chi walking process from Ann Margaret, he was able to go on a walk that Allison led in the bosque (the woods along the river) to see birds and animals.

    Kathleen’s new guided meditation CD is out, with the background music played by Patti...and I would recommend it to everyone! It is called *Finding A Safe Place*, and we actually participated as a group in experiencing it for the first time. I am excited about incorporating this into my life!

    This is a little tool folks have been waiting for for a very long time. Patti finally provided some wonderful original music. It is designed to simply help you quiet and rest. It walks you through a process to identify a place in which you feel safe, and then go back and back to it.

    A bunch of us went horseback riding, and the group I was with had a blast! Our wrangler asked if we would like to canter. Well, having never cantered before, I was a little nervous, but decided that I would like to try it. Well, it was great fun, and I would do it again. I’m also a bit sore from this experience, having used muscles that I didn’t know existed!

    Yes, this was one of ranch’s unexpected delights. Lucinda was the master organizer. Plans changed a number of times because of the weather. But 12 or so adeventurous souls went out and had a great time.

    Sheila put out a new Radiant cookbook, and the story that goes along with this cookbook touched me. Sheila had a hard time in the kitchen when she first began the program, and Marie supported her and cheered her on. The cookbook is dedicated to Marie, and there are several of Marie’s recipes in the book.

    And the cookbook is designed for those of you who are looking at weight loss. All the recipes are high in potassium and low in sodium. Sheila is an awesome cook and these recipes are simply yummy.

    Well, that is just a quickie of some of the things that I experienced. Most of it is just hard for me to put into words and touches deep places inside of me.

    It’s great to be back!

    Colette




    ©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 Holden, Step 7