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August 9, 2010 Hi {!firstname_fix} It has been an interesting week. I have been cleaning closets, taking things to goodwill, and discovering old, lost things. I found George's address book. This is the George of George's shake who lost his life to the ravages of alcoholism relapse. I was thinking how very sad it is that our lives might be reduced to one small, black book with some business cards and a few notes in a brown envelope with the notation *address book used to locate NOK*...Next of kin..what would it mean to have no *kin*, to pass on alone feeling unloved and that life was not worth living. George represents why I show up, why I suit up, even when tired or distracted or discouraged, for the George's who could not find their way out of addiction. So we come here, we connect, and we find recovery. It is very simple. Those who do have a different life. George is part of the story for all of us. Everyone who drinks Shake,is a moment for his memory, the idea of the guy who couldn't manage breakfast so put it all in a blender. These classes will begin Wednesday, August 11, 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 - Skillful Use (2 weeks) is the next level of journaling. This is for those of you who know *how* and want to learn what to do with your data. This class shows you how to interpret what you have written in an exciting and pragmatic way. Radiant Store Tour (1 week) 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, and you want to learn about the products we carry and why, come sign up and show your support for the work he does to keep you happy. There will be no classes beginning Wednesday, August 18, 2010. These classes will begin Wednesday, August 25, 2010. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page: Brain Chemistry Serotonin (2 weeks) is the other of our most popular classes. It helps you make sense of why the potato works, why you have a problem in the winter and how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can play into this. If you munch in your mind, if you are depressed or edgy or feel sad, this is the class for you. The Obesity Myth (2 weeks) is the famous class that blasted our myths about being fat from the water. If your doctor, husband, girlfriend is on your case, come join us. If you are shamed about being fat, come. If you feel that being fat is wrecking your health, come. Get the real scoop and then move forward knowing what to do. This class is ALWAYS fun. If you just finished the weight loss class, this is your next in the sequence.  Addiction Amoeba: Work Addiction (2 weeks) is part of a new series on how the Addiction Amoeba can clobber us. Here are some clues about whether this might be a good class for you. This is a class for people who are at least on step 3.
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 **********************************************************************
** Quote From Kathleen ** Don't forget the details. They will point the way to healing. **********************************************************************
** Testimonial of the Week ** 
I need 8-9 hours too, and less is only OK once in a while. It's because we are active.I have a horror of lateness because my dad used to leave me for up to 2 hours after a piano or ballet class before he would pick me up. I was very young and very cross about it but there was nothing I could do, and that feeling that someone couldn't be bothered about me waiting on my own is still with me. I wasn't scared, I was annoyed. We were also always late for school, which was mega embarrassing, especially as my dad was head teacher at the school! Another thing that drove me insane (and I have a brother I have to lie to in this regard all the time even now), was the refusal to go to the airport ahead of time and *hang around*, so we would pitch up such that we had to run through security and across the tarmac as they were trying to take the steps away! So you can see I feel strongly about lateness, and the lack of care and respect it represents to me. On the other hand, I completely understand lateness, it is a pod of mine for sure because it is my nature to pursue the max, but I do have strategies in place to combat it. The first thing for me was to be realistic about how long things take. When I get up there are certain things I must do before I can possibly leave the house. I work out how long each takes. I always need to know where my food is and whether it needs to be assembled in any way. I leave bags and cutlery and everything ready. Then there's pottering and faffing to be factored in. I give journeys longer than they should take too, so as not to be always living on the edge, and I plan and am smart about the sequence of any tasks, trips, visits, appointments etc, always scheduling to best geographical effect wherever possible, and this applies to shopping too. It might sound like my life is a military operation, and it kind of is with the kinds of shifts we both work, but in fact this all frees me up to have actual whole days off, and becomes automatic and easy. What I'm saying is that it didn't just happen, I had to do specific things to change the random *whatever whenever* approach that had me floating unconnected to other people's timetables. This is where the food comes in. We work on Step 3 and get the idea. Then we plan our lives around eating this way and, hey, our life falls in. The rest is detail. Is this making any sense? Mel **********************************************************************
** Radiant Ambassadors ** 
Did you know that Radiant Recovery has a couple of videos on YouTube? Not only that, but people are also showing Kathleen’s books and talking about them on YouTube.I received an email from Jeff recently telling me about one such video. After a minute and a half of the video, Potatoes not Prozac is flashed in front of the camera and recommended - yay! Shortly afterwards, Kathleen is quoted - double yay! It does tend to meander a bit after that, but look at the coverage we‘re getting! Here’s the link if you want to take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11IQYaHAONs I'll be adding a comment to it, especially as it seems to be recommending an immediate detox - does anyone else want to join me? Oh, and the video has been viewed about 32,000 times so far - so that‘s 32,000 more people who have heard of Potatoes not Prozac :). Selena selenas@blueyonder.co.uk Come join us if you are excited about spreading the news. **********************************************************************
** How I Found Radiant Recovery ** I am an alcoholic and have loved sweets and sugar since forever (birth, really!). I have memories of eating sugar packets at the diner, while my friends/family would get disgusted looks on their faces. During college, I started eating less food and more sweets, such as ice cream and cake for breakfast, coffee or hot chai and a sweet before class, a shot of hard liquor once home again, etc. I was also getting monthly massages from a dear friend who mentioned Sugar Busters and sugar cravings. My favorite class was Physiology Psychology, which was about neurotransmitters and biochemical functions and how it affected moods and memories. Then I graduated, got married, and moved to Sweden in 2000, far away from my friends and family and my support network. To my delight, sweets were even tastier in Sweden than the USA! After four months or so, I found myself consuming at least 100 SEK ($15.00 by the exchange rate back then) a day on sweets, as well as venturing into sweet syrupy mixed alcoholic drinks. I couldn’t stop nor eat “in moderation” as my step-mother is fond of saying. I had gained 10 kg / 22 lbs. I was depressed and feeling hopeless and stuck. I had had enough. I googled the term “sugar addiction” and found Potatoes Not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons. I skimmed the Radiant Recovery webpage first and read the excerpt about her book and knew I found what I was looking for when I read her scientific explanation. I did not bother with looking at the other books and websites I had found on Google, because I knew that her science was sound and that this would work! I ordered the book and started reading the online forum every day. I felt very re-assured that Kathleen was active on her site, that she did her best to keep it a safe place, and that she was open to further development to her plan. That is what has kept me here the past nine and a half years – knowing that her program was not static, it was ever-evolving as she and the community changed and discovered new things or cemented what she had already explained. The past nine and half years for me have seen a lot of ups and downs to put it mildly. I continue to work the steps and not give up on the program nor myself. Here I am now seven months on step 6 and committing to making sure my planning and food stays solid, no matter what. Yvonne in Sweden **********************************************************************
** Radiant Kitchen ** 
I have thought about what foods to add to my collection of what I already keep in the car. I think I will put a box in the car with some of the following foods, but I will still keep my pretty small bag with nuts and crackers in it which I often take to restaurants. Who else has ideas of "emergency foods" to keep in the car? Do you think all of these foods will do okay with the heat in the trunk of the car?Proteins:
I have a picnic basket in the trunk of my car, with the standards of paper plates, utensils, napkins - the usual. It also has:
What I don't have, is any veggies. That is smart thinking! Would you share more about the individual cartons of almond milk please? Brand? I have had a difficult time finding them..maybe I can online? Diane For more great program-friendly recipes, check out our cookbook in the store. **********************************************************************
** Radiant Conversations ** We are doing the weight loss readiness class and have been talking about all the messages we get from our cultural messages. It is intense... 1) If I'm not thin, I'm not good enough. I deserved to be deprived and loved less than others who are thin. The only way to earn that love and recognition is to go to extremes to lose the weight. 2) If I can't stick to a diet, it's my fault. Everything is laid out in front of me. I just need to follow. Willpower is everything, and I am solely to blame if I don't have enough. 3) The only way to lose weight is through some sort of deprivation. Restrict calories, restrict carbs, restrict something. Otherwise I won't lose the weight. 4) If I can still breathe after exercising, it wasn't a good enough workout (I didn't really mention this in my list, but it was something I believed for a long time). 5) I will never meet someone/fall in love/get married if I'm not thin (this is one my mother would always harp on). No one would want to be around me as I am. 6) I am unhappy because I am overweight. If I just lost the weight, everything would be right with the world (again, something my mother would harp on). 7) I have to eat sugar in secret, where no one else can see, otherwise they will be angry or annoyed. I also have to eat in large quantities at once because who knows when I'd be alone again. (I'm only just getting over this one...). 8) When I am losing weight, all of my self-worth hinges on the number of pounds I've lost. If the numbers start to creep up, my self esteem crumbles. This is really all I can come up with right now. Mind you, it's quite a list. What's really funny is that, seeing them all written, down, I can kind of see how ridiculous they are. If one of my friends were to come to me and tell me they believed all of this, I would tell them that they're being crazy, unreasonable, and far too hard on themselves. But toward myself, I believe they're (almost) all true. Why in the world do I hold onto these horrible beliefs with such fervor? The chats have been following the articles in the newsletter. The last two chats have been about abuse. I was deeply moved by your openness and sharing. It is astounding how much so many of us hold in our hearts. I am excited that YLD is truly transformed into *conversations* and strangely enough, we seem to be doing more about weight loss in depth. 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.  If you are thinking about giving someone a way to learn more about the program, think about the CD collection we have. It is truly a remarkable discussion Kathleen recorded live. It captures the essence of the steps, and what is woven into the process. This is an ideal gift for folks who learn best by listening. Put this on your ipod, go to the gym, go walking, and love the program. Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. **********************************************************************
** Our Online Groups ** 
On the Radiant Step 5 list we talk about the importance of browns, about the different grains available - how to choose, how to cook, how to serve. We explore why for some of us wheat may not be the best alternative or not a good one. Step 5 can be exciting and you can learn how to introduce new things to resistant family members. We also call it the 'coming out' step since it's at this step that when we 'eat out' we may seem different to those not familiar with our program. And we are discussing how to be gluten free on the program. All are welcome to join, no matter what other step you are on! Ann Margaret **********************************************************************
**Refining Your Program ** Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
Use that Journal The value of your journal comes in using it. When you really understand that your journal is the way your body talks with you, everything changes. If you only see your journal as a 'log' to record how well (or how poorly) you are doing, it will get really old fast. If you work with your journal as a living dialogue with your body, it will truly be a joy. You will want to write in it. Even more important, you will want to read it and use it to understand what your body needs. You may feel that the steps I have outlined are too simple. You may drift towards counting calories, towards recording grams. You may focus on tracking every little detail, but forget the relationship part. Remember Relationship Your body wants to be in relationship with you. It will show you the way by how you feel. If you are feeling better, things are working. If you aren’t, then you simply need to adjust your process and your food. But you can’t know the adjustments without your journal. If you came to my office for a private session, I would ask you to bring your journal. Here are the things we would look at together:
I was recently working with someone who is a little person. She weighs 118 and wants to weigh 110 (stay with me. I know at first glance you may think you should have such problems — but the story is the same for all of us!). She is sugar sensitive and is doing YLD. She started having 3 cups of veggies at each meal. She felt she didn’t lose weight quickly enough (a clue — she is still in the numbers game ;-) ), so she added another cup of veggies. Her body is very smart. It said, 'I don’t think so!' She stopped losing weight and started feeling de-energized and off kilter. I blessed her body. It is so smart. It was talking to her! Her body wanted her to listen. She needed to do her food in a way that suited her body. We sorted it out. Less was better. And the plan started working again.
Yes, Yes, the potato is important And, I know you know that the potato is important. Or you may not. I am still getting mail from people who ask me, 'Are you sure you really want me to eat this?' 'It’s high glycemic!' 'Sugar Busters says that potatoes are BAD!' 'But, you aren’t supposed to eat before sleeping!' 'It’s more calories. I am going to gain weight!' Remember, we are changing your basic thinking about losing weight. We are up against years and years of conditioning here. Read the weekly newsletter. Check on the forum. Talk about it with others doing the program. It’s important. Have your potato. Redefining the Focus I am sure you are connecting with my reasoning. You notice, at no time have I said, 'So how much do you weigh today?' If you are still focused on the scale, you aren’t focused on the relationship to your body. You will lose weight, I promise. But what I want most is for you to know, and most of all, to love your body. I want you to come to love that body — even while it is still fat, even when it is wrinkly and saggy (my apologies to you who are younger ;-) ), even when it is still learning about exercise. This body has served you diligently. Through all those years of abuse, being forgotten, living in shame, being hidden, your body has waited and wanted to talk with you. And I guarantee, if you come home to it, it will respond with a degree of cooperation which will shock you. Your body loves you. Even if you haven’t loved it — it adores you and wants to serve you. Spend time, listen to it. The journal is your body’s voice. Literally, think of that when you write in your journal. Think of that when you read your journal. Your body’s voice. Relationship! Finally. If You Listen, Your Body Will Speak. 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. ©2010 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/ |
