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January 9, 2012 Hi {!firstname_fix} I am back in New England for *second Christmas*, a tradition started long ago when my ex husband and I were negotiating kids and sharing custody. It lets us all enjoy everyone even though now it is more determined by who is in New Mexico to take care of the assorted dogs, LOL. But I had a lovely day with my second son, his girlfriend, my daughter and their Dad and his family. It was just fun and goofy and then we all went out to dinner. The original commitment we made to retain a cordial and loving engagement with our children has paid off a thousand fold. Now I will travel up to Vermont and down to Massachusetts for a snippet of children's lives. Of course they are well into adulthood, so it is really about just seeing, feeling, touching their home bases in person. And my roots are in these places so that is wonderful as well. This class will begin Friday, January 13, 2012. Please note a change in the start time since I won't be back home until the 11th. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page: First Steps in Losing Weight (2 weeks) - is a class for those of you who want to lose weight and are looking for guidance in getting started with that process. This class shows you how the seven steps get you ready for doing weight loss. These classes will begin Wednesday, January 18, 2012. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page: Step 2 Journal: 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. Step 3 (2 weeks) - is one of our core classes. This is a skill-based class. If you want to learn the baby steps of a successful step 3, come join us. This class is ALWAYS fun. The class schedule is online. 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. 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 ** Nothing is ever lost in your process. Every slip, every derailment is in your service. **********************************************************************
** Testimonial of the Week ** Gosh. How things have changed for me in the last 5 months. I cannot believe it! I never imagined surviving without sugar, let alone being calm, steady, and humorous without it. I am no longer on the outside looking in--I am a living, flowing example of the miracle of RR! Lauren **********************************************************************
** Radiant Ambassadors ** 
You love Kathleen's books, right?Of course you do or you wouldn't be reading this! What about if we could increase the profile of Kathleen’s books? If each of us put a review of Potatoes not Prozac on Amazon it would show the general public and the publishers that we think the book and program are just fantastic! And we might get more people talking about Radiant Recovery too. There are now 52 reviews on the US site and 27 reviews in the UK. Not to mention 10 and 12 'likes' respectively!! Thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to contribute so far. We’re making headway, but it would be great if we could get some more reviews featured. And don’t forget Kathleen’s other books too - Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Program, Your Last Diet and Little Sugar Addicts. So if you’ve been humming and harring about whether or not to put a review on Amazon, I’d say *go for it*. It’s so easy to do and it will make a difference. Selena Selena selenas@blueyonder.co.uk Come join us if you are excited about spreading the news. **********************************************************************
** How I Found Radiant Recovery ** In 1999, a friend heard Kathleen being interviewed on Australian public radio about Potatoes not Prozac and bought the book. She lived on a farm on high ground, and when our town was flooded, she took my family in. We lived with her for a fortnight or more. I had long known that I had reactive hypoglycemia, and ate 6 small meals a day according to the conventional wisdom. Conventional wisdom also told me to avoid sugar and simple carbs, which I could not manage! It did not tell me to avoid sweet things, so (as I now know) in my intention to avoid sugar, I kept priming myself with sweeteners. My friend (well actually a friend of my parents) could also see that I was depressed and ill, and she knew that I had a huge gap between what I knew and what I was able to do. She saw me on each page, she offered me the loan of the book. If it had been nearly anyone else, I would have said, "No thanks, I am not interested." I had seen enough sensationalised snippets in magazines of the latest and greatest fad 'discovery' or 'breakthrough diet.' I did not want anything of the sort. When I began reading, I found things which informed and intrigued me. The information that I recognised did not contradict what I already knew to be true for my body and how it differed from the 'textbook' approach I had learned when studying Nutrition at Uni. In fact this book filled out my own observations, gave me reasons for why I was different, and what I could do about it. And the author invited questions and feedback!! I had to learn how to use email! But oh boy that was so worth it. Reading the book, putting into practice the changes I read there, applying the steps one at a time has changed my health and that of my family. My mental health improved beyond measure too, as did my self-esteem and I began to refresh my nutrition knowledge. I value the ongoing contact with this community both because it keeps my recovery alive, and because it gives me a place to give back, which is vital to my continuing growth. So much more that I could write, but that is chapter two. This is how my recovery began...a friend who listened to the radio, bought a book and loaned it to me. Kath **********************************************************************
** Radiant Recovery® Store ** David manages the Radiant Recovery® Store. He is also Kathleen's oldest son. Just an update on our George’s Supply. We are now fully stocked with Original and Restore. WAHOO!!! Let me know what you need. And tell me if you are ready for a subscription. Many people have asked me about Omega 3 fatty acids and the value of taking fish oil. I asked Kathleen to write something for all of you. Click here to read her suggestions. And, of course, we carry great fish oil options.
Don't forget that I can set up on a subscription for any of these products. Get it delivered without having to remember to order. Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. **********************************************************************
** Radiant Kitchen ** 1 package dices butternut squash 1 whole head of garlic with the top cut off 2 Tablespoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon salt 1 3oz package of goat cheese Drizzle olive oil on the squash. Roast squash and garlic in 400 degree oven Until soft (30-45 minutes). After veggies are cool, squeeze garlic out, discard skins. Pulse garlic, squash, goat cheese, lemon juice and salt in blender or food processor until smooth. Serve with crackers, toasted pita, or corn chips. When you eat this you will not believe a vegetable is involved! For more great program-friendly recipes, check out our cookbook in the store and visit our online Radiant Recipes site. **********************************************************************
** Radiant YLD ** We will be starting the YLD book study on Wednesday. Make sure you have your book ready. We will go over the process of how we will do the logistics. Then read the introduction and the first couple of pages of Chapter One through the assessment part. I am very excited about this historical event. And it will be nice that it is corresponding with the Getting Started with Weight Loss class. If you would like to join, come find us here **********************************************************************
** Radiant Conversations ** We have a new portal for the Conversations program. Come check it out here. We are trying an experiment in conversations and will be using the article in the newsletter as the topic of our discussions. We did that last week and whew, was it fun. And the neat thing is having the transcripts to follow up on it. I am printing them out and highlighting the treasures that emerge in the discussion. I love watching how the ideas start, flow, develop and burst into being through this process. If you would like to join us, you can do that below. Join YLD Weight Loss Now: click here - $99 Join Conversations 2011 Now: click here - $99 Join Both YLD and Conversations Now: click here - $149 Current YLD members wish to Upgrade to Both, click here - $49 Current YLD members who wish to Transfer to Conversations 2011 Only can do so for a $14.99 admin fee: click here If you are not a member, come and join us if you want to be a part of the latest and greatest or just have some plain ol' fun! **********************************************************************
** Our Online Groups ** The Radiantdepression group is all about support for the person who is depressed and trying to work the 7-step program of recovery from sugar addiction. Many of us have struggled with severe depression for years without any hope of finding an end to it. But through doing the food we have found that hope returning and have found light where before there was only darkness. Some of us are taking anti-depressants while doing the food, so we talk about how the two are compatible and we also share about getting through the tough spots together, with support from each other. If you are feeling depressed please come join us. There is hope. **********************************************************************
**What To Expect Down the Road ** Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
I thought it would be helpful to have a sense of the developmental process in reaching your goals of healing and weight loss. Let’s take a look at how it goes. Regularity and Structure Stability Detox Practice Success Chaos is the starting place for most of you. You may be way out there, or you may be high functioning chaos artists. But the tone is always the same. You feel hopeless, out of control, desperate, inadequate, and impatient. You can’t remember instructions, you want to get started and people don’t understand what is going on for you. You feel the “problem” is the sugar. Or the problem is your weight. And the feelings are so bad, you have to do something RIGHT NOW!!!! You are a true drama pup and feel like you can’t start, can’t stop, and you are crazy. You eat irregular meals, lots of sugars and carbohydrates, you may binge, drink little water and either exercise rarely or exercise compulsively. You have tried a thousand diets. You have lost weight and gained it back – a lot. You are tired and terrified. You hold your breath at even the idea something might work. You want to do it all, and you keep putting it off. You are in the right place. The program can help you. Regularity and Structure You start the program. You work on breakfast. Breakfast becomes habitual. You like the feelings it brings. You write your journal. Sometimes you forget, but mostly you remember. You don’t yet use the journal as a detective, but you are gathering the information and resisting the idea less. You manage to eat three meals a day. You have protein at each meal. You have a potato every night. You take the three vitamins every day. You are still having sweets, but eat them with your meals. You eat whatever fruits you list but notice them and write them down. You have started increasing your water and find you rather like it. You are thinking about the idea of exercising. Stability You have started to feel the routine of regular meals. You have breakfast every day and find that if you miss it, you notice right away. You like how you are feeling. You are sleeping better. You are resisting the idea of the program less. Things start working. You notice how much caffeine and/or aspartame you use. You begin to reduce them slowly without being impulsive or reactive along the way. You are still writing diligently in your journal. You are now getting interested in what your journal says. What can it teach you? What is the connection between food and feelings, anyway? You start eating brown things rather than white refined flour products. Whole grains, brown rice and oatmeal creep in and you find you actually like them. You still have fruit, but find it is becoming more and more a normal part of your diet rather than a desperate alternative to the sweets you think you should be eating. While you haven’t really focused on the sugars, you find that the bag of M&M’s you used to have instead of lunch doesn’t have the same charm when eaten after dinner. You are less frantic about searching for your stash in the evening. Mr. Spud is a friend by now. And you are starting to think that the idea of going off sugar may not be so scary after all. Detox You pick a date and know that you are ready to just go for it. The day arrives and you don’t have sugar, you don’t have alcohol. You feel excited. You feel that maybe this time you can do it. You still have breakfast; you guard yourself a little more tightly. You are using your food journal as a valuable aid in your process. It alerts you to danger or slipping. But your focus is on the SUGAR. Finally, the bogey man is going to go. Day four comes; you are cranky but intrigued. It’s a day and you are ready. And then, and then day five. You wake up and realize you just passed through the sugar barrier. You are on your way. You hold this place now for a while. Part of you is itching to go with losing weight. You actually may have started losing. Or you may have gained some. This makes you a little nervous, but you trust the process. Something is happening here. You aren’t quite sure what or how it is working so powerfully, but you are hooked. Your food is steady. Your energy is up. Your sleep is working. You are pleased and excited. And if you are not, you know what to do. Back to the journal. Back to the forum. Let’s figure it out. It’s not overwhelming; it’s just functional. You are in charge and you know what to do. You have been sugar free for a few weeks. Yes, yes, that is weeks, not days. And now you are ready to start your diet plan. But you are willing to listen. Wait for six months on steady we say. You no longer fret. You know it makes sense. Get skill, get stable. You are no longer frantic and are starting to enjoy this. You have some goals. You have a sense that you can start the things to get you ready for weight loss. Practice You are reducing the amount of fruit you have. Browns are steady. You start increasing the greens. Veggies become your friend – and if not your friend, at least you have learned how to cook them. You eat them regularly. You have increased your water to the ounces that equal 1/2 your body weight. The potato is a regular part of your routine. Steady, you are steady. And you have started exploring your other options from that steady place. You go into the support modules regularly and work on the “extras” like defining your style, reflecting on feelings, getting your support network refined, exercising, and looking at what will help you hold the diet. A funny thing is happening. You kinda like this process. You are less impatient. You like how things are unfolding. You are ready now for the weight loss. Success After all this time, you are ready. Not frantic, but ready. At the base, you understand what you are doing. This is not hit or miss or desperate. It is informed and intentional. You understand the biochemistry of it all. You don’t throw away the spud because it is too glycemic. You aren’t counting calories. You have a good relationship to your scale. You are doing some exercise every day. You are on your way! 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. ©2011 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/ |
