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May 13, 2013 Hi {!firstname_fix} Talked with my neighbor this morning about wells. He is an engineer. We are still talking about the old inactive well in the backward. After ranch, I think I will do another round of problem solving. It is a nice project. Water is a good thing in the desert. It is these deep down in the ground. It just is not in the sky falling down. I have been working on getting ready for Ranch. People have started to come to enjoy New Mexico. I am working on the last of the materials that will be printed up tomorrow. I finished the 2010 Ranch CD last week. It has been duplicated and should be back here on Tuesday. The process was very empowering for me. I learned a lot. I like pushing my brain's edge to understand new things. David took me to Cracker Barrel yesterday for breakfast. We decided to go a day early because today will be crowded, very crowded. We sat and talked about dogs and his siblings and politics and the Marathon bombing and life in general. It was nice to take time to do that. Regular life suits me. This class will begin Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:
This class will begin Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:
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 ** Eating at regular intervals, whether you are hungry or not, will ensure that our blood sugar doesn't drop to a crisis point. **********************************************************************
**Testimonial of the Week ** Doing the food can change things like the "cranky" and the "overwhelm" and the "guilty" and even "being plain old tired" too, I think. Overwhelmed was a word that appeared in my journal so often as I worked from step 3 to 6. Now - on step 7 - doing the food has taken me to a place where I can problem solve rather than simply put up with things that might not be working. Doing the food has given me the ability to see clearly and work solutions out. This week, for example, I've been feeling overwhelmed - but this time it is specific. I can clearly see what I am overwhelmed about and yesterday after meditating, I sat quietly and came up with some solutions. I can remember doing step 3 and thinking and sharing that I would have to give up a contract because it didn't work for me. What happened in fact was that I did the food and found the contract worked really well for me. I don't think I will keep it for good because it is a lot of work, but right now I need the money and I think I'm learning stuff too and so I am sticking with it. For me, one of the fun parts has been working out how to remain really steady on my food given the work challenges. I have learnt it is doable - some of my solutions I've shared here. And the steadier I am with my food, the easier the work is too. So I am thinking - if we focus on the food - a lot of the other stuff will work better too. Karen **********************************************************************
**Radiant Ambassadors **  Did you know that Radiant Recovery has a Facebook presence? And that there are over 950 members of the group? No? You do now! Why not come on over and share your joydots with us! Selena selenas@blueyonder.co.uk Come join us if you are excited about spreading the news. **********************************************************************
**How I Found Radiant Recovery ** I am Irishrose. I am 54 years old. I am just starting with step one though I am journaling as I have for several years now. Breakfast is a huge struggle! I have the last 2 of 8 home schooled children at home, so the first hour goes quickly! My husband lives in a nursing home. I live in Wisconsin but am a Minnesotan by nature having grown up there. I need encouragement/support and I hope to learn how to navigate this website efficiently. I found the website "accidentally" after looking for months for help with emotional eating and sugar addictions. I never found a safe, helpful place until some dear friend, as a joke, gave her journal-hating girlfriend a journal by Kathleen. I looked at the thing thoroughly disgusted with starting another journal and saw the website for radiant resources! So here I am! and you can all tell I am a talker......right? **********************************************************************
** Radiant Recovery® Store ** David manages the Radiant Recovery® Store. He is also Kathleen's oldest son. 
We are moving from *Pre Order* to *Order* for the 2010 Ranch CD. Why would you want this set?Yes, it is a clear discussion of the steps. Then Kathleen talks about the Addiction Amoeba...those other pesky things that grab us along the way. If you have heard the term and wondered what we are talking about, this reflection will give you such a sense about how addiction creeps in, lodges in our hearts and sucks the life out. I listened to this maybe 20 times as we were editing. And I kept thinking, there is so much comfort here. It is biochemical and it can be healed. We don't have to do drama, or get scared or overwhelmed, we can just get things settled. The emotional healing segment is a perfect companion for those of you who use Safe Place to meditate. It explains *why* guided imagery can heal things like nothing else will. Listening over and over was so healing. The words make sense. The words give me tenderness and guidance. It took a long time to get it done, but goodness, is it worth the wait! Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. **********************************************************************
**Radiant Kitchen ** SPICY CHICKEN WRAPS
Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken, and sauté 2 minutes or until chicken is done. Add the sour cream mixture; cover and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Warm the tortillas according to the package directions. Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla, and top each serving with 3/4 cup chopped lettuce and 1/3 cup chopped tomatoes (and 1/2 of a jalapeno pepper, if desired). Roll up wrap. *you can substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream For more great program-friendly recipes, check out our cookbook in the store and visit our online Radiant Recipes site. **********************************************************************
**Radiant YLD ** One of the greatest joys of being a member of 'Your Last Diet' is access to Wednesday night live chats with Kathleen. During chat you get to hear the latest information from Kathleen. Between the aha moments I'm usually laughing out loud. We have a lot of fun :) In the UK chat starts at 8pm. I’m usually sitting on my sofa with my laptop, a cup of peppermint tea and my evening potato to hand. Definitely a highlight of my week! It's so much fun! Steph 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. I think it is the quality of serendipity that I love the most about Conversations. It really is like being in the lounge at the Red Lion Inn having tea and having people chatting. As we grow, the conversation deepens. New people come in, are welcomed and join in. We all come away refreshed... It is a blessing for the week. 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 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 ** Hey guys, we'd like to invite you to join Radiant Men group. It's a great place to learn about the steps, and we focus on issues that are unique to doing the program as males. We also like to have some fun, so stop on by if you would like a special place to learn program skills, how to work your PDA or Blackberry for the program, or want just the facts, LOL! **********************************************************************
**The Neurochemical Control of Crying ** Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
This is an old article, but it remains one of my favorites. In 1979, a group at the University of NC had the idea that there might be a connection between the crying (distress vocalizations or DV) of chicks and narcotic addiction. They made this connection because opiate drugs are very potent in reducing distress vocalizations. This may seem self-evident on one level. Give the little one a painkiller, and they will stop crying. But remember they were not measuring physical pain. This was the emotional pain of separation. Yah, you say, "knock em out," and of course they will feel no pain. Very Low Dosage But they and I were intrigued that the DV reduction occurred at very low dosage of the drugs - long before any sedative effects were observed. And my hunch is when you are talking about "very low dosage", we can infer a similarity with the pain-killing effects of sugar. But let's go on with the experiment. The scientists took 5-day-old chicks and measured the number of times they cried when taken away from mama chick. They gave some chicks saline. The salt-water chicks cried 821 times in 10 minutes. They gave the chicks a low dose of morphine. They cried 115 times in 10 minutes. If they gave the chicks a morphine blocker, the crying went right back up. Their scientific conclusion after a whole number of complex experiments was "the opioid system may have considerable neurochemical specificity in the control of distress vocalizations." Now think about sugar as an opioid drug. Sugar comforts. Sugar stops emotional pain. This is why you are drawn to it. But there is more to the story. Let's keep going. Opioids Block Isolation Distress Opioids block isolation distress. What does this mean for you? Isolation distress means feeling bad about being alone. You feel yourself "outside the circle," "not a part of," "not good enough, valued or wanted." You feel isolated, alone and alien. You feel that the group leader doesn't notice you. These feelings are biochemical. They come from low beta endorphin, the brain chemical that soothes pain. Low beta-endorphin means greater vulnerability to separation pain. Low beta-endorphin means greater vulnerability to isolation distress and feeling less than. Sugar sensitive people have low beta endorphin. Opioids go and sit in beta-endorphin receptor sites. So when you use sugar or alcohol, your beta endorphin is activated. You feel like you belong. You feel connected, loved, a part of the group, and valued. Until the drug effect wears off. Then, it's worse. And you don't generally make the connection to feeling worse in withdrawal from things like sugar. You only know that if you eat sweet stuff, bread or pasta, life is manageable. These foods are called "comfort foods" because the comfort is real. On a cellular level, the beta-endorphin response makes you feel loved, and makes you feel safe. Tolerance Because of your biochemistry, if you use these (alcohol, drugs or sugars) all the time, you will develop tolerance. You will need "more" to feel better. If you stop using for a while and then go back, you get a bigger hit of comfort. Your non-sugar sensitive friends have no clue of the power of that first "comfort" running after warm bread or a hit of fudge sundae. Your food recovery can bring an intriguing dilemma. If you are diligent about staying away from sweet foods and white things, your cravings drop, but your sense of isolation may emerge. Your food is good, but you feel disconnected and out of sorts. It makes no sense. There should be no reason for feeling this way. This is what we call the flat after detox. Beta-Endorphin Needs Cranking Up But there is a reason. Your beta-endorphin needs cranking up. You have to "add in" something to the equation. Exercise, music, meditation, dance, laughter, sex, inspirational talks, yoga all raise beta-endorphin. Raise beta-endorphin and you will feel connected and cared for. Simple chemistry. This is the joy of step 6 and step 7. The Flat becomes The Calm. And this is how recovery unfolds. Panksepp, J et al. The Neurochemical Control of Crying, Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior, Vol. 12, pp.437-443. Panksepp, J et al ., Endogenous opioids and social behavior. Neuroscience Biobehavior Rev. 1980 Winter;4(4):473-87. Panksepp, J et al ., Brain opioids and mother-infant social motivation. Acta Paediatr Suppl. 1994 Jun;397:40-6. Review. Thanks for reading! If you know someone who could benefit from this, feel free to forward it to them. Not a subscriber yet? Like what you have read? Sign up to get future issues delivered straight to you: http://www.radiantrecovery.com Until next time!
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. Steph provides the Your Last Diet column. ©2013 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 |
