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May 23, 2016 Hi {!firstname_fix} I spent much of the week after ranch going to Arizona for my granddaughter's graduation. Now back home and reflecting on how wonderful ranch was for all of us. This year we had about 30 people, a mixture of brand new folks and long term returnees. Yes, we had a new coloring book and we had an absolutely spectacular time sharing it. The rhythm of moving between learning new concepts and sharing was pleasant and helped everyone integrate the material. Each ranch is a unique experience. This one gave us a chance to learn about the *big picture* of the program. We talked about concepts that are not in the books and have not yet been specifically written about. It was a collecting of many ideas we have learned over the years. We learned about how we grow up as sugar sensitives, how it shapes our personalities and the how sugar use and eventually sugar addiction takes over and we lose our connection to the *happy baby* self we once were. Now we are back to regular life with wonderful memories, lots to think about and a LONG *to do* list to add new resources for the community. This class will begin Wednesday, May 25, 2016. Please Signup and it will take you to the registration page:
This class will begin Wednesday, June 1, 2016. Please Signup and it will take you to the registration page:
Check the class list page for more information on how the classes work. See the the Class Schedule here. Be sure to visit our Radiant Recovery website and Community Forum regularly. Warmly, Kathleen **********************************************************************
**Quote From Kathleen**Remember that sugar-sensitive people tend to be people of extremes. You may feel either totally awash in feelings or totally disconnected. **********************************************************************
**Testimonial of the Week**For example, my 6 1/2 year old's soccer game traditionally ends with different parents bringing snacks and drink. Even though 5 games ago coach said it would probably be best to bring some kind of chips and juice only... there have been candy bars, lollipops and the worst kinds of drinks I have ever seen, like those horrible sports drinks made with splenda and also the colored bug juice in those barrel-shaped bottles. Every game I tell Yuval it is your choice - I have an extra drink in the car for you and you can have a different snack at home. He gets very emotional and says it is his special day and he wants to eat the sweet snack because he never gets anything at home, ate a lot of protein at lunch, promises to behave, will have a shake after, a million good reasons. Agreed he would give up the drink if the snack has sugar too. Last game was doritos and I let him drink 1/3 of the bottle of sugary drink because I didn't want him to cry and he said the chips are not sweet. We ignored the lollipops. There are only 3 more games this season, but this situation is bound to repeat itself. If it wasn't for the experiences of your families, I would be sure this could only get worse. Sarit Sarit - Here's what I have done. Just simply stated - we don't drink that and handed my child a fresh water bottle. They don't complain... ever, about the drinking water. If Yuval doesn't like water, add a bit of juice to it. Then little by little cut back on the juice. Or I sometimes make herbal iced tea, combination of red zinger, yellow zinger and some (not much) apple juice. In the case of the food - I let the chips go, thank the parent any way for the candy and when it's my turn to bring a snack I bring something really spectacular and watch the kids devour it! I've been known to bring fresh strawberries, fruit kabobs, blue chips, cheese and crackers artfully displayed, for all. And I always bring iced water bottles. My children get that the foods with chemical sweeteners are really awful for their brains. They have practically given my family members, including their grandparents, aunts and uncles dissertations on what the chemicals do to their brains! Show Yuval the pictures of the spider webs in LSA. I bet he will get it. Of course, we parents always have to choose our battles - those are the ones I've chosen. They seem to be ingrained now. I wouldn't do it any different if I had to do it over again. Gail **********************************************************************
**Notes from the Forum **Janette posted this question on the community forum last year. It certainly sums up the deepest fears of newcomers. It lead to a great conversation. Hi, A couple of quick questions: Is the idea of this program to never touch sugar again? Will I have to get used to the idea that I can never, ever enjoy a piece of birthday cake, Valentine's chocolate, Christmas cookies, homemade pie, or wedding cake ever again? I just discovered this website and the books yesterday. Thank you so much! Come check out the answers. **********************************************************************
**Radiant Recovery® Store**If you don't have our cookbook yet, you are missing out on a terrific resource. It includes lots more than the 120 program friendly recipes.
Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. **********************************************************************
**Radiant Kitchen**Sweet Potato Waffles (or Pancakes)
Directions: Preheat waffle iron. Combine the cooked sweet potato, oil, egg white and milk in a large bowl and beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt and beat until smooth. Spray hot waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions using 3/4 c mix per waffle. Serve with yogurt, fresh fruit, fruit compote or unsweetened applesauce. If making pancakes, heat griddle until a sprinkle of water dances on griddle. Drop 1/4 cup batter on griddle. Cook until bubbles form on surface (about 3 minutes). Flip and cook on other side until golden brown. Both waffles and pancakes can be frozen and reheated later.
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**Radiant Your Last Diet**One of the joys of YLD has certainly been the discovery of my love of veggies. The veggie class sparked something in me! I used to avoid prepping them as it was really too much like hard work, but now I find chopping veggies very calming and enjoyable. Getting a sharp knife played a big part, it makes the job so much easier and fun! This week we have been talking about blending and juicing veggies :) It's been so interesting working out which ones go well together in a smoothie and creating my own personal favourites! Delicious and soooo easy! If you would like to join us in YLD, come find us here **********************************************************************
**Radiant Living**We are going to be talking about the spirituality of recovery - why doing the food has such an impact on us. If you would like to join us in Radiant Living, come find us here **********************************************************************
** What if None of This is Hard**Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
As many of you know, we often talk about addiction to misery and always believing that things have to be *hard*. Here is the original reflection that started this dialogue in our community.. What if none of it has to be hard? This is the radical thought that has followed me home from Ranch. Kathleen had been talking about addiction to misery and how it seems to be one of the easier pieces of our sug sen puzzle to fix - it doesn't have to be hard. And then she blurts out what if none of it has to be hard? I think most everyone's instant reaction was "huh? I don't think so," me included. But the hair on the back of my neck stood up when she said that. And I have not been able to get this idea out of my mind. I was listening to a (country) CD in the car and it seemed every song was about some kind of "hard." And a voice in my head is saying "What if it doesn't have to be hard?" I looked at my shoes that have been by my bed for weeks now patiently waiting for me to wake, shake, walk. And the voice again, "What if it doesn't have to be hard?" I came home to what could have felt like an overwhelm of laundry, no groceries, starting the potato and the need to gain weight. But what if it doesn't have to be hard? And the laundry and groceries got done. The potatoes are ready in the fridge. I'm remembering to eat a little more than usual. These are, I realize, simple things, easy to not be hard. But what if none of it has to be hard? I've been thinking about why I am so invested in things being "hard." I was brought up in a culture that taught 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps', 'nothing worth having is easy,' 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger,' 'true beauty lies in struggle and pain' and so on. And I am very attached to the idea of having been "brave" in my recovery journey. I think the dopamine boosting reward factor is in play, too, when I feel I've done something "hard." So what happens if I let go of the idea of doing what's hard=worthy accomplishment. If it's easy will there be that sense of accomplishment? Will the act of letting go of "hard" be the accomplishment? Maybe it is all in the re-framing. What if instead of "hard" and "how can I possibly do what seems impossible and just too difficult and where in the world do I start?" the "hard" thing becomes a challenge and the doing of it an adventure? The feeling/idea of my life being an adventure instead of a struggle is something I have been becoming aware of as I've done my post detour work. If I stop and look at the past 7 months, what started out as hard became easy. Not easy as in it being a piece of cake, (sorry) but easy as in being a joy to do. I have come to think of my regular life as a grand adventure, too. It still has it's moments of scary-as-all-get-out, but it doesn't spook me any more. And I think maybe that is another key - seeing "easy" as joyous instead of just easy and not really valuable. So if "hard" becomes an adventure and "easy" becomes a joyous thing to do, then "what if none of it has to be hard" becomes pursuing the business of life as a joyous adventure. This idea feels incredibly real and true to me. Would I have been ready for it at the beginning of recovery? I honestly don't know. I think I might have said "this is nuts, I'm outta here." It's hard (no make that it's a joyous adventure ;-) ) to turn our long-held, deeply-embedded, highly-invested way of being in the world upside down with such a radical thought. I am ready to give it a go. By the way, I got up and put my shoes on and walked for 20 min. this morning :-D Turns out it didn't have to be hard. I'd love to hear other's thoughts on this idea of it doesn't have to be hard. Thanks as always for listening to my long ramble. Janice in Maryland **********************************************************************
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Here are the folks who are helping put the newsletter together:
Gretel, our webmaster, puts it all together. David runs the Radiant Recovery® Store. Mosaic contributes to the Notes from the Forum column. ©2016 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://radiantrecovery.com/learn/newsletter/ |
