Hi {!firstname_fix}

I have spent this last weekend up with Dr. Bill Ferril and his wife, Brenda, in Northern Montana taking a look at hormonal questions for sugar sensitive folks. Bill has a unique understanding of the hormonal symphony and how it can get ruffled. This information is going to further our understanding about why some of us are so resistant to weight loss. I am excited about what I learned and will look forward to sharing it. And, of course, Montana is spectacular!!!!

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.

A copy of this newsletter may also be found posted on the web at http://www. radiantrecovery.com/weeklynewsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, use the link at the bottom of the page. Do not email me, do not get mad at me, just click on the link and you will be forever removed.

And be sure to visit our Radiant Recovery® website and Community Forum regularly.

Warmly,
Kathleen

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October 11, 2004

** Quote From Kathleen **

You get funny, you set boundaries. Your ambivalence melts. Being on board ripples out from your kids to your spouse and partner to your parents and friends. It is not forced or angry, it is clear and consistent. Your kids actually say no to the things that make them crazy.

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** Testimonial for the Week**

We were having a conversation on the parents list about a boy whose parent is strict about no sugar now.

What is going to happen when he goes to a birthday party when he is older?

Here's what's gonna happen: He will be a leader not a follower. He will bring his own snacks and water to the birthday parties. The other kids will want what he has. He will be the only one who isn't melting down at the end of the party.

I have been where you are. My kids are now where I just described. It does happen. Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.

You are doing GREAT. If it's any consolation, it often takes the hubbies longer to get on board....take it from one who knows. In fact, lots of us here have had that experience.

Hang in there...keep posting....baby steps....you're doing it!

Cheers,
Jennifer M.

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

Last week we talked about just doing the *gist* of the program. I am loving our chats these days!

(Kathleen DesMaisons) ok, what do you think that would mean
(Ann H) steps are not steady
(Elaine) the general idea
(Val L.) having a "basic" idea but missing most of the details?
(Lucy) that you understand it intellectually?
(Joan) broad sweeping commitment
(Dori) for me, the "gist" is about knowing, in my head, but not living it
(gail) loosely following the program, the basics?
(Nancy) To me -- understanding
(and implementing) the steps but not necessarily feeling it.
(Maureen) but maybe not enuf protein, maybe skipping veggies
(Maureen) blipping around w/timing
(carrie) not making the connection?
(Maureen) maybe not doing such a great job of journaling
(Jennifer M.) Following all the steps, but not necessarily doing them well.
(gretel) understanding the principles, but not feeling the radiance
(Maureen) but not eating sugar and not feeling like crap - feeling okay
(KittyMorel) getting the gist could also mean really doing your own program
(KittyMorel) your "interpretation"
(Maureen) it's like 'good enough" -- sort of like doing what you need to pull a B -
(Nancy) Going through the motions -- good one.
(Kathleen DesMaisons) yes, good enough without the spirit
(Kathleen DesMaisons) ok, so there are two parts...sloppy around the edges
(Kathleen DesMaisons) and not getting the spirit
(Kathleen DesMaisons) it is kinda like showing up for a job but not really caring about it
(gretel) great analogy
(Kathleen DesMaisons) and doing just the gist means you get flat rather than sparkly

http://www.radiantrecovery.com/YLD_signup.htm

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**Radiant Ambassadors**

This morning when I was dropping my grandson off at pre-school, one of his good friends was obviously having a tough morning. His mom was leaving the same time I was, and I spoke to her about Little Sugar Addicts, gave her a business card and she thanked me profusely. As I was picking Billy up after school, she stopped me to say she had purchased the book and couldn't wait to read it. This just made my little heart sing.

Vicki G

If you love the program, consider joining the ambassador group. We are having a blast!

Come find us among the Online Groups

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**David's Corner **

I have been talking with the folks who make our soy milk maker. They have done a nice little add-on to our soy milk package. Anyone who orders one of the makers will also get a free tofu maker and the starter that makes the tofu coagulate. We and our distributor have rolled back the price of the sturdier unit (it has a 2 year warranty). We are also offer another unit which costs less (and does not have the same warranty). I want to give you some choices. Go here to see what you can save by getting your own milk maker. And, as Allison suggests, run through the numbers using oat or almond milk as well. But apart from the numbers, having your own maker means you have complete control over what you use to make your milk. Kathleen is getting organic, non GMO beans for hers. She is having a cup of hot soy milk every morning. She claims it will replace her Starbucks run, but I am not convinced, LOL.

Here is Allison's experience with the soy milk maker. And I KNOW Kathleen loves that warm milk smell too!

This spring, after talking with others who have the soy milk maker, I decided to bite the bullet and buy one. With the amount of almond milk I go through in a week, I knew it wouldn't take long to pay for itself (not to mention how much lighter my groceries from Whole Foods are every week.)

When I got the machine, I discovered that not only does it make soy and almond milk, but also rice milk. And it also includes packets of stuff to make tofu out of the soy milk. I haven't tried making rice milk or tofu yet, but probably will in the future.

So, I measured out the amount of almonds specified in the instructions, and set them aside to soak for my first batch. Unfortunately, my plans didn't work out the way I expected that weekend, and the almonds soaked too long and got huge. As a result, they took up too much space and didn't get ground up enough, and my first batch of almond milk was rather watery. Since it was my first batch, I didn't know if this was the way it always was, or if I had made a mistake. When I tried again, I weighed the almonds instead of measuring by volume, and made sure not to soak them too long. This time, I ended up with thick, foamy almond milk. And because I added coconut with the almonds, it smelled really yummy.

The almond milk separates, so you have to shake it up before using. Because it doesn't have the gums they use in the commercial milk, it isn't as thick. So I made some adjustments to my shake. I added 1/3 of a banana (a nice firm one, still slightly green on the ends) and a generous amount of the almond pulp left over from making the milk.

Recently, I decided to add some soy to my diet to see if it would help with some sleep problems I suspect are hormonal. What better way than to use soy milk in my shake. I have to say that, nice as the almond milk is, the soy milk is even nicer. I soak 100 grams of soybeans, put them in the basket with 2 tsp of dried coconut and a tiny bit of vanilla bean, and turn on the soymilk maker. When it beeps that it's done, I have a carafe full of golden, foamy, fragrant milk. It's an instant BE raiser. I like to just smell it for a bit before putting it in the refrigerator. The soy milk doesn't separate like the almond milk, and the soymilk foam is much easier to clean off the machine than the almond foam. I miss the almond pulp, though. To make up for losing that in my shake, I'm now adding 2 T of oats.

If you are considering the soy milk maker, I highly recommend it. The end product is much more appealing than the commercial ones, in my opinion. It's cheaper, and there is something really satisfying about making it myself. Plus it smells really nice, and the foam when it's first made is gorgeous. (The foam settles down and mixes into the milk very nicely.) One warning: if you are sitting next to the machine while it's running, be advised that the grinder starts very suddenly and is loud. It has startled my older dog several times, and it startles me. It's not bad to listen to, it's just that it starts suddenly. Kind of like those alarm clocks in Dark Side of the Moon. You know they are coming, they aren't that loud, but they startle you anyway.

Please send questions and suggestions for items you might like to see in our store. YOU are building our store. Tell me what you want and we will sort it out.

Thanks
David

And of course, we have something for everybody in our store

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**Featured Topic**
A Small Roadmap for Your Process
by Kathleen DesMaisons

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.

Chaos
Regularity and Structure
Stability
Detox
Practice
Success

Chaos

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 of 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 search 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!

©Kathleen DesMaisons 2004.