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September 26, 2016 Hi {!firstname_fix} Gosh what a week it has been. I was so tired this week. I decided to stay off of social media and to turn the TV off. That helped. Then I decided to share with you my thoughts in this week's article. I am also canceling Radiant Living Chat for this Monday night (that would be the US chat) because I think it is a good thing for us to be watching the presidential debate. I have spent a lot of time this week thinking about whether I was going to just come out and say that. In an earlier newsletter, I made a reference to admiring Michelle Obama and I got a number of angry letters about being *political.* It was interesting because in that comment, I actually wasn't being political at all. 
I had an interesting thing happen this week. I was speaking with a friend whose family is German. She told me they had been bankers in Hamburg in the 30s. They were well off. And when Hitler started his program, they said nothing because keeping the status quo was important. She shared what that failure meant to her, how it was imprinted in her DNA. We talked about our feelings about what is happening these days in American politics and that the relationship of the rise of Hitler to the emergence of Donald Trump has enough convergence that it is more than a little disconcerting.I haven't said anything further about the swirl we are in because I am *sensitive* to the people who flounce out, slamming the door as they go. But my friend said, *You know, Kathleen, it is very interesting to me that none of the women I admire and respect have made comment about Trump who is the most anti-woman presidential candidate of our lifetime. Not Oprah, not Bene Brown, not Christiane Northrup, not Ellen DeGeneres, not Julia Cameron, not Marianne Williamson, not Amy Grant. They have all been silent. I thought about that for a couple of days. Where are these voices? I thought about it in the context of what do I do as one woman? Where can my voice be heard? At any rate, I decided that I would write an article on my thoughts about these times (which is that the story is way bigger than a presidential election), and that I would tell you that I believe that Trump is the scariest thing for the future of women I have encountered in my lifetime. And even more scary to me than Trump himself is the collective denial of those who support him despite the factual evidence of who he is and what he stands for. I am standing for my truth. I am standing for what I believe Step 7 and radiance is about - integrity, honesty, courage and grit. And I suspect that some of you may be outraged that I have made this choice to speak about this. And you may leave and give up the healing that resides in Radiant Recovery. And I will be all right with that. But I do not ever want it to be said that I was silent in the face of darkness. it is fitting to me that I had chosen the amygdala class for the docket. It is the class of fear/hope, terror/joy and how we create an energy of healing. Hope you will come join us. This class will begin Wednesday, September 28, 2016. Please Signup and it will take you to the registration page:
These classes will begin Wednesday, October 3, 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**Learning that you can have positive feelings from a thousand things other than food is a wonderful insight. **********************************************************************
**Testimonial of the Week**I had a realization about my journaling tonight as I was reading posts and thinking about my program. I've seen many times others suggest that we substitute "body" for "journal" and I've seen people do that in things like "I hate my journal." But I couldn't ever figure out a way that a statement like that applied to my feelings. But, tonight it came to me. I forget about my journal. Or, in reality, I forget about my body. The blanks in my journal are as powerful as what is written. When I don't journal - I'm forgetting about my body. I'm not taking care of her. I'm not in touch with her. I always journal breakfast - when I eat my breakfast I'm taking care of my body. I tend to want to journal when my food is good and I'm focusing on doing the steps. When things get rough, I have resistance. I think because I don't want to hear that I'm neglecting my body. I think this is also part of why I have such resistance to taking my journal out with me - I tend to be more loose with my food when I'm out and about. This feels like an important connection to me so I wanted to share. Happy journaling, Emily **********************************************************************
**Interesting Bits of Science**The issue of *resistant starch* came up in YLD. I decided it might be helpful for you all as well. http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/resistant-starch-natural-fat-burner That will, of course, activate all your *diet* memories about a magic bullet to make you burn fat. Then go to: Resistant starch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia What you might realize is that a number of the recommendations we make actually are connected to these ideas, LOL....for example, eating whole grain reduces blood sugar spiking. If you want to have fun and are on step 4, eat your potato cold...(smile) If you want to learn all sort of new things, you can go into the bibliography of the Wiki article and read some of those articles. They are pretty interesting. Of course, if you are just starting, all this might take you down what we call a bunny trail, LOL. But I got pretty excited to read all that. Maybe I will do a class on it. kathleen **********************************************************************
**Notes from the Community **We have my cousin and husband to stay this weekend and we're just back from an 6-mile hike up some very big hills not far from home (check out Bennachie range if interested!). In the past I've often struggled with energy levels dropping and feeling horrible with wobbly legs as I run out of energy. Today I really enjoyed it right to the end. Here's what I had today: BF: protein shake, big bowl of porridge Snack: apple, cheese and oatcakes Lunch: 3-egg salad with grated cheese and cold boiled new potatoes and couple cocktail sausages (remembered my fork) Snack at tea room: bowl mushroom soup and oatcakes, cup of Earl Grey tea : ) We're out tonight at my local Indian restaurant which has great programme-friendly food!! No cooking, yippee! I love being outside, and spending nearly all day outside just fills up my tanks. It was blowing a hooley at the top of the hills which makes me laugh like a child. I'll know if I really got it right tomorrow or the next day so will let you know. :) I'm just about to jump in the shower, smelly pits...dh is lying on the bed snoring... ha ha...too much information?? Catherine x **********************************************************************
**Radiant Recovery® Store**
Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. One other quick reminder. We do not have a telemarketing company handle the phone service. If you call at 5 AM our time, you get the voice mail. If you call when I am out doing volleyball practice, and Kathleen is not around, you will get voicemail. You are welcome to leave your order or ask any questions. I will get back to you as soon as possible. **********************************************************************
**Radiant Kitchen**For those celebrating Rosh Hashanah, carrots play an important part. Here is my program-friendly version for "sweet" carrots. And for those of you not celebrating, they are yummy for any time. MAPLE ORANGE GLAZED CARROTS
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**Radiant Your Last Diet**Here is what one of our members shared with us this week: Hi! I haven't checked in for a while, either. I joined YLD a few weeks ago, and am very happy with it. I go to Wednesday night chat with Kathleen. I was really worried about going to chats because I have been in chat rooms where everyone is talking at once, and many topics to try and follow. In Kathleen's chats, there is order, and the screen doesn't scroll fast. I have time to read everything. There is a topic, chosen by Kathleen, and all is orderly. It is a little overwhelming to realize that you can read all the books, and join the email lists, but in YLD you have direct access to Kathleen and information that is personalized just for us. Each week, I am taking home something that helps me do better. I'm also on the YLD email list.. There is a benefit to YLD that I did not expect. That's radiance. Not my radiance, but everyone else's. It has been said that you become like the people you associate with. Well, there are so many in YLD that are on step seven, and their attitudes are infectious! They lift me up, and I so look forward to having that kind of radiance within me instead of just surrounding me! I struggle sometimes with not wanting to follow a step, or looking for a shorter route, or wanting it all, now! I believe it was Kathleen who said that if you want what we have, do what we do - or something similar! When you are interacting with others who are steady, laughing, losing weight, and reaching their personal goals, it really helps me to set my mind to follow the steps. It also helps to know that they are not perfect, either, and make mistakes. They just recover better and faster. My journey is more solid, and more do-able because of YLD. So what about all of us here? We are a very special group of people who can work this program together, and become radiant together. I know I can't do it alone. Looking forward to baby stepping with more of you. Therese If you would like to join us in YLD, come find us here **********************************************************************
**Radiant Living**No Radiant Living Chat in the US evening this week. A historical event. Other times when I have wanted or needed to be away, I would just ask someone to cover the lead. This time, I thought, "Let's go on record about why." If you would like to join us in Radiant Living, come find us here **********************************************************************
**An Extraordinary Time**Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
For many of us, the last few months have been a time of great change. It has felt as if time is speeding up. At the same time, it has seemed as if our connection to life has been deepening. Many have been struggling with their “food.” Even old timers have been startled with what feels like wobble. I have been touched by this as well. I certainly haven’t ever experienced anything quite like it. At first I thought it was because this summer I had started reading the NY Times in Maine with my brother and SIL. I made a new ritual of my morning decaf and the paper. Then, with their example, I subscribed to The Guardian that I now read on Sunday mornings. Instead of reading about the politics of New Mexico and who paid off which cousin, I am reading about the rising sea in the Marshall Islands, Brexit, and Allepo and bombings in NYC, to say nothing of an unending wash of reports of starvation and immigration. This has been demanding and disorienting. And it feels different from regular life in the past. In the quiet of the very early morning, after I meditate, I reflect on what is the bigger story here. How do we find meaning in all of this? My sense is that we are collectively going through a profound shift. In order for this shift to happen, there has to be a loosening. If things are tightly woven, habituated and “set," they have to loosen before they can be rearranged. Part of this shift is about choice. Which side will we stand with? Will we choose addiction, anesthesia and amnesia, or will we choose recovery? Doing the food, and doing the food well, creates stability. It quiets chaos. It replaces fears with confidence. It shifts hopelessness and paralysis into intentional action. We know this. But being assaulted by the enormity of cultural events and demands, things get harder. We get tired, or just not willing to do what steady food takes. So a little sloppy creeps in, and then what might be a few short cuts becomes a forgetting. Some 85% dark chocolate slips in, a late lunch or two, a cutting back on amounts, things that by themselves seem tiny. But they start to stack. Amnesia builds, anesthesia grows, and what seems like suddenly, we get tired, irritated, cranky. And we start “needing” a “lift” from something, anything. A bit of sweet, some computer games, more screen time, perhaps a stop at the casino, another lost hour on FB. And in the forgetting state, the external pressures seem bigger. And if the external pressures actually grow, we can get a little overwhelmed. And we think it is personal. From where I sit, I know this is not a “personal” journey. I truly believe that a shift is happening, or certainly trying to happen. All these forces have been here, they have just been buried in darkness. As light is gathering, we see things in a way we have never seen them. And for many of us, it is our recovery that allows, demands this. Recovery means healing. And Radiance means light. Now, I realize this all sounds bigger than I usually talk about. Staying in the solution means something very simple...doing the food. On time, enough, veggies, strawberries and cream, farmer’s markets, meatloaf with an extra potato for bedtime, oatmeal/porridge for breakfast and, dear god, some carbs. Staying in the solution means staying connected, laughing, trusting and knowing that grace is unfolding and we are not alone. **********************************************************************
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. 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/ |
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