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** Quote From Kathleen ** Resting when you are tired may seem like an outrageous idea, but learning to take care of your body is the focus of your path to recovery. **********************************************************************
** Testimonial of the Week ** I've been looking back to find the question about mastery that I intended to answer 'when I had more time' -- you all know that story, I think. I believe it was from Jenny, but I'm not sure. At any rate, I think the question is a really good one and I want to give you my take on mastery versus perfection. To me, mastery means Aha, I've got it! I can do this! -- and then I can actually follow through and do it. I think I can and I can. Perfection is more like, At last, I did it right! And then there is the pressure of Now I have to do it right every single day. (Dear gawd, that sounds horrid!) Mastery means I feel competent with the step. I wonder if part of the difference is attitude. With mastery, I feel good about what I know and can do; with perfection I feel afraid of failing and tense about what I 'have' to do. With mastery, I might occasionally slip up. Oops -- how did it get to be 12:45, I eat lunch at 12:00! That doesn't happen very often, but when it happens, it does not make me question having the step mastered. I would think I didn't have a step mastered if time after time I messed up on some part of it. I do feel that I've mastered the basic seven steps very well. Still, I look at them and wonder what else I could do, and when I see something, I do it. Mastery doesn't mean I don't look at it anymore. So perfection is really focused on failure, mastery is focused on success. Does that help? Verla **********************************************************************
** Radiant Ambassadors ** I'm always on the look out for references to Radiant Recovery or Sugar Sensitivity online. I spotted an article the other day which included a mention of not only Radiant Recovery but also Kathleen's name. The article was all about the Top 5 Spookiest Halloween ideas. Here's the URL: http://www.kivitv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11307634 And the best bit is that the writer of the article is "a contributing editor at Parents and Prevention magazines. Her work also regularly appears in Family Circle and Good Housekeeping." How great is that! The article was no accident (grin). Kat from the Ambassadors list had responded to a request for information about alternative Halloween ideas. And it worked! So not only did Kathleen get a mention, but we also have a contact for future reference! Selena Come join us if you are excited about spreading the news. **********************************************************************
** Radiant Kitchen ** Cranberry ChutneyIngredients:
For more great program-friendly recipes, check out these great cookbooks in the store.
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** Your Last Diet - More Than What You Think ** I have just been loving how chats are going. I think having a dialogue about the article in the newsletter is super. It truly makes it come alive for me. Thank you so much for bringing your enthusiasm and insights. I love it! If you are not a YLD member, come and join us. Click here if you are ready to change your life or just have some plain ol' fun! **********************************************************************
** Radiant Recovery® Store ** David manages the Radiant Recovery® Store. He is also Kathleen's oldest son.  The BIG truck came with 3 pallets of George's Original Shake. It was a new driver and he was a little confused about delivering 3 pallets of anything to a *house.* But he did his job, Jeff and I did our jobs, and now they are all packed away in the Radiant Shed waiting to go out to you. Original is our core product, the product that started the store. I use it, I love it. Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. **********************************************************************
** Our Online Groups ** The Radiant Eating Disorders list (or RadiantED as we call it) is set up to provide support for those suffering from anorexia and bulimia. We've found amazing success with healing eating disorders with Radiant Recovery, and having a special place to talk about it has made it only better. We talk about things like restricting, perfectionism, body image, and share our woes and successes. If you have tendencies towards anorexia or bulimia we'd love to have you join us and see what a supportive group we are! **********************************************************************
**Healing Addiction ** Susan S.
I have heard the word 'addiction' defined as a person's inability to take responsibility for his or her own actions. When I read the journal topic regarding my favorite or most despised responsibility, I immediately thought of that quote. As someone who is addicted to sugar, I have struggled mightily with the issue of personal responsibility. Although in the past I lived in deep denial regarding my choices in life, the process of healing my numerous addictions is allowing me to see my responsibilities and to face them with joy and confidence. Healing addiction through nutrition has impacted my life in profound ways, bringing positive changes to all aspects of my life. Addiction's power over me changed dramatically two years ago when I found the book, `The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program,' by Kathleen DesMaisons. Through the Radiant Recovery program outlined in her books and in a vibrant online community, I learned about the theory of sugar sensitivity. Thankfully, I also learned how to heal my brain chemistry by 'doing the food' as DesMaisons refers to her program's steps. Now the responsibilities that I contended with before (from trying to follow my doctor's advice to 'eat well, exercise, and get enough rest' to maintaining integrity in of all my relationships) no longer feel difficult. I have reframed my thoughts and now consider that I `get to' take care of myself, not that I `have to.' In other words, healing my brain chemistry has affected all areas of my life, including the physical, mental, and emotional. As the first and most important physical aspect of recovery, my diet has undergone major adjustments. In the past, I regularly inhaled chocolate by the pound and drank Diet Pepsi like it was water. I usually ate one healthy meal and supplemented with junk food for the rest of the day. Since Radiant Recovery, I now shop for, prepare, and eat foods that are fresh, wholesome, and tasty. I can't tell you how relieved I am to have stopped shoveling sugar, refined flour, and fat into my body. As outlined in the program, I began eating a breakfast with enough protein for my body and a complex carbohydrate within one hour of waking every day. That simple adjustment started a transformation which continues as I work the seven steps of Radiant Recovery. Doing the food stabilizes my volatile blood sugar and it regulates and balances the serotonin and beta-endorphin in my brain. Incidentally, while on the program, I have also uncovered food allergies and other sensitivities through the process of journaling. Another physical aspect of my recovery is that it has motivated me to get into a structured fitness routine that actually challenges me and improves my cardiovascular health. Previously, I had the obligatory membership at Curves where I dutifully worked out three times per week; however, after a while I felt like I was just going through the motions. Once the fog in my brain started to clear, I joined the YMCA and began working with a personal trainer. Imagine my surprise when I heard myself agree to try jogging for the first time at age fifty-two! Subsequently, I have been even more shocked to find that I really enjoy my regular work-outs at the gym. Week by week, I have developed motivation and stamina which I never had before; in fact, I am proud to say that I am now focusing on running an eleven minute mile! Similarly, recovery has also positively affected my sleep patterns. My body clock has been naturally regulated so that now I have a sane and sensible schedule which allows for restorative sleep. I used to be a night-owl; moreover, combining lack of sleep with my tendencies toward perfectionism and over-working caused me to live in a constant state of frustration and angst. Since I am consistently eating the right fuel for my body at the right time, I am able to calmly choose how I budget the hours in my day. I no longer feel driven by a force over which I have no control. At last I sleep soundly for eight hours most nights and wake refreshed to greet each new day. The changes to my mental, emotional, and spiritual health may be less visible than the physical, yet are certainly no less striking. I always knew that sugar in food and alcohol was highly addictive for me, but what I did not clearly see was my addiction to other people and `fixing' them, which is called co-dependency. I spent the first fifty years of my life living for other people and trying to make sure that everyone got what I thought they needed. Almost every choice I ever made was decided with the following criteria in mind: it had to make someone else happy and make them love me more. Now that I can claim the radiance that was promised in this recovery, I determine how I feel about something by looking at my own soul. I make conscious choices that are in my own best interest. My moods have become stable; consequently, my relationships with family and friends have flourished. Had I not experienced it first-hand, I would not have believed that my life could be enhanced to this degree simply by eating the appropriate food for my sugar-sensitive body. Healing my brain chemistry by doing the food as outlined in Radiant Recovery has also allowed me to face my feelings of shame and my fear of failure. I no longer worry incessantly about what other people think, nor am I asking advice before every move I make. I am much more inclined to do what the spirit moves me to do. I trust that God will guide and protect me. In spite of the fact that I am a novice, I am excited about participating in new activities. I'm putting notches in my belt for things like traveling solo, taking the hot air balloon rides I had fantasized about for years, and even ordinary walks on the beach. In addition to the myriad changes in my life which I have already mentioned, I now find myself pointed in a new direction toward healthy independence. I have had some therapy recently to deal with abuse in my past. At my last session, the counselor asked me how my life would have been different if I had not been abused and then become addicted. The very first thing that came to my mind was that I would have attended college right after high school. I happily spent my adult life as a working wife and mother; nevertheless, I always had a curiosity about what I would have been able to accomplish if I'd had more education. So here I am, enrolled in college, and looking forward to the future in an entirely new way. Until I started to heal my addictions and learned to make new choices, I didn't have the vision or courage to take this leap. With more education, at some point in the future I hope to be in a position to share with other sugar-sensitive people that there is a way out of their addictions. I have a tentative goal to build a career in the field of addiction recovery; furthermore, I hope to become completely financially responsible for myself at the same time. I spent a good part of my life obsessing about why I couldn't control myself and in trying to figure out how to stop all my addictive behaviors. I prayed and prayed for the answer to my dilemma. Since finding Radiant Recovery, most aspects of my life have become nearly unrecognizable. I honestly can't imagine where the process of my addiction recovery will take me. Less than two years ago I was an actively-using addict; however, I now look forward to the future with confidence and hope. My prayers have been answered. By the grace of God and through the work of Dr. Kathleen DesMaisons, I am now an addict in recovery. Here are the folks who are helping put the newsletter together:
Gretel, our webmaster, puts it all together. David runs the Radiant Recovery® Store. Selena provides the weekly Ambassadors column. The banner photograph is by Patti Holden. ©2009 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, use this attribution: "By Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. of Radiant Recovery®", and notify kathleen@radiantrecovery.com of the location. Please visit the Radiant Recovery® website at http://www.radiantrecovery.com for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction. 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. |
