January 18, 2010


Hi {!firstname_fix}

This week's article was written five years ago after the tsunami hit. I think it is as compelling today while we are trying to make sense of the earthquake in Haiti. This is a very difficult time. Lots of things are changing and it is hard. Please know that my energy is streaming out to you for healing.

We are making some major changes in the YLD program. They are outlined below.

And I am holding the Getting Ready for Ranch class that I was going to start last week. A number of people said to me that they didn't want to spend the money that they could use for ranch. So here is the thing, anyone who signs up for the class will be able to put that money towards ranch tuition. And also you can make 2 payments. Just make a note on your registration and we will split the payments. It is going to be an extraordinary class, so if you want to find a way to get to ranch, sign up. Also, anyone who has any interest in applying for a scholarship needs to take the class. If you have questions, you can write me directly at kathleen@radiantrecovery.com.

This class will begin Wednesday, January 20, 2010. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Radiant Step 2: Introduction (1 week) 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.

These classes will begin Wednesday, January 27, 2010. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Radiant Step 1(1 week)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.

Depression (2 weeks)is a key class for the Potatotes Not Prozac crowd. Learn in-depth information on the kinds of depression, why drugs will or will not work, how they work and how Doing the Food can help.

The class schedule is online. Click here to see what is planned.

Please wait to sign up for classes until a week or two before, and do not sign up for classes that are not yet scheduled.

A number of you have asked me how the classes work. Check the class list page for more information on this. 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.

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

Warmly,
Kathleen

Radiant Recovery Cookbook

Naomi's Nutritious and Delicious Cookbook

Sheila's Kitchen Recipes

• Healing the addiction by doing the 7 steps. They create biochemical balance and shift the behavior from having to do something or take something to looking at strategic ways to create positive change.
  
  
• Healing the angst of being fat. The three classes called The Obesity Myth, Weight Loss Emotions and The Clothing Class all address this in a very effective way.
  
  
• Learning what you need to do to lose weight. This is in the book and is covered in the Weight Loss in Action Class.
  
  
• Putting it into action. That one is sort of functional.
  
  
• Getting ongoing support. This is done on the main YLD list and in the Weight Loss in Action Class.
  
  Today someone raised the issue of why we make you wait to do the WLIA class and list. That is simply functional and reflects the belief that healing the addiction first is what makes the program different from any other weight-loss program. The idea is not to shut you out, but to provide a healed place for the discussion and refinement of one's weight loss plan. The whole theory of the program is to work on weight loss from stability, not desperation. And if you are feeling that you HAVE TO lose weight NOW, then this is not the right program for you because everything we do is to counter that belief.
  
  Historically, we started chat as part of an add-on to YLD. We didn't have any of the other stuff we have now. And over time, those of us interested in weight loss have found we have less and less charge about it. It just gets more and more functional. You wanna do it, here is the map. And chats have moved to more and more of a dialogue about recovery.
  
  So...I will be formally shifting chats over to a new membership program call Radiant Discovery. The focus of the chats will be a dialogue with me about the things that are the essence of Radiant Recovery. If you are a YLD member, you will be welcome to attend chats.
  
  I will also be adding a half hour prechat orientation for new people (or old people who are nervous about chat). This will be geared to talking about how chat works, what expectations are and how to interact without being scared. It will provide a slower-paced, lower-key introduction to the process. It will also give you a chance to explore those feelings of being the new kid on the block and not knowing anyone.
  
  The actual chats will be focused around a topic that I choose for the day. It will be a surprise. I will post a listing of the range of things we may talk about. Personally, I love the spontaneity that comes with reading the energy and picking a topic based on where you are. The topics will not include weight loss. And yes, people who come to chat may be on step 7 and many of these people know each other because they have been coming to chat for a long time or they have made the effort to attend ranch. You can see this as a unique opportunity to hear how radiance thinks and looks at problems. You will be welcomed and you can drink from the well.
  
  So.... to summarize.
  
  You are welcome at chat.
  If you are new or or shy, come a half hour early to touch base.
  The new membership program will be starting next week.
  
  I will be revising the YLD materials so all expectations are clear and up to date. Let me know if you have questions.
  
  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.
  
  
  What about joining all the folks who are having yummy hot cereal for breakfast right now.
  
  Everyone is raving about these products to support those of you who have decided to do gluten-free browns. Here again are the products we are carrying.
  
  

  The famous Creamy Buckwheat hot cereal. Kathleen is having this every morning along with some of the vanilla flavoring.

  Brown Rice Farina, which is a another yummy hot cereal.

  Millet Grits that you can have hot for breakfast or as your brown for dinner.

  Almond Meal/Flour. Kathleen uses this to bread chicken cutlets and I can tell you they are fabulous.!

  
  
  
  
  Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better.
  
  
  **********************************************************************
  
  ** Our Online Groups **
  
  
  Hi I'm Karen the liaison for the RadiantStep3 group. Like the name says, this group is all about our very favorite Step 3. This was a tough step for me when I started the programme and it was definitely the hardest! I either forgot to eat meals, ate the most inappropriate sugar-laden stuff or just grazed my way through the day. It took me ages to master this step, but now I happily eat three meals a day. It's easy and very natural and I never dreamed I would ever say that in my lifetime!
  
  The Step 3 list is a great place to stop by for those who are finding this a challenging step, or who are starting out or who would just like some extra support. We talk a lot about things like: What is a meal, exactly? How do I get my body to cooperate with eating "just" three meals a day? What are some tips to help me with consistent timing? And all sorts of other aspects of this step. We try to make it fun, because... well why not make it fun?? Since being the liaison for this list, I've been thrilled to see so many people come through and "graduate" to the next steps! It's a great place of support... come and join us! (And it matters not if you are new to the step, totally re-doing the step or just shoring up your Step 3 after being further along in the program.)
  
  Or come to the group page to find the one that will best support your program: http://www.radiantrecovery.com/list_serves.htm
  
  
  **********************************************************************
  
  ** Why You Are Having a Hard Time **
  Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
  
  
  
  The past couple of weeks have been difficult. I went to Florida for a family crisis. Big depression clobbered someone I love very much. I came back and found that a whole number of folks on my leadership team were having a really hard time. At first blush it seemed as if it were simply coincidental... timing maybe, post Christmas stress, or winter fatigue or something like that.
  
  But as I sat and thought about it, I realized that this is way deeper than personal stumbling. I began to hear the same story, spoken in different ways and the more I listened the more I began to sense that something bigger is happening.
  
  The tsunami was caused by an earthquake. But really it was a huge shift in the surface of the earth - a planetary shift that actually changed the earth's axis. This was a monumental event. The energy flooded, literally, and wiped away everything that had been. You held on for dear life or you were swept away.
  
  Now, it is funny, but this is the same theme I have been hearing over and over. Nothing that was makes sense. It all feels pointless. Everything I counted on no longer fits. I don't know who I am, I don't know where I belong, I cannot find my center. Too much, too fast and I feel like I am being sucked into a dark hole.
  
  Now a medical model will diagnose these feelings as clinical depression. And that same model will prescribe medication. It will identify the situations that precipitated these feelings of darkness. Of course there will be "situations" - a lost job, a move, a promotion, stress at work, no sleep from a new baby, the death of a mother, a son at war, an abusive husband, a lost relationship or all of the above. But we have all had these things all our lives. Why are we stumbling so now?
  
  I think the energy shift of the world discombobulated us on a cellular level. Things as they were actually do not exist any longer. Literally, our 'magnetic north' changed and we can't get our bearings. And if we stumble and then our food gets off, we cannot sort it out. It feels so personal. We do not experience it as a major spiritual crisis, it just feels horrible and we feel lost.
  
  In last week's chat, I talked about this. I talked about this as a time of awakening. When things no longer fit, we have an opportunity to clear out that stuff, to throw away the stuff that does not fit and to make room for something new. We don't know what that will be yet, it has not emerged. So we have to endure this time of "in between" where the old is gone and the new has not emerged. However can we make sense of this? At the first level, comfort comes with doing the food, doing the program. Not just taking out sugar, that is a tiny part of it. But following instructions, being connected, being patient. Rebuilding a solid foundation that cannot be swept away are all part of creating a way to hold what is emerging.
  
  This is the time to go back to basics. Literally. Rather than getting caught in how horrible it is, ask for help. Get connected. Trust that this is not just a personal stumble, but that you are part of a great shift. You got thrown off kilter and you can get steady. Get back on track with your food and program. Don't beat yourself up.
  
  Last week, I said "If you are going to be with a person in a dark hole, take a ladder and a lantern." (Smile)..the steps are the ladder and our humor and perspective is the lantern. You are not alone. Grace is unfolding.
  
  
  
  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.