Puppies are gone, house is quiet. I know that last week I made that great announcement about our new timetable for classes. It was a royal bust. It gives me no latitude to adjust for the rhythm of a given class. So let’s scrap it and try again. Generally speaking the classes run about a week. I try to get started with introductions on Monday night. If the class is very large, or if there are a lot of new people who do not understand the logistics of getting into a class, it may take a little more to get everyone in and then we start a little later. If the class is very large or very talkative, it is not possible to just get through one lesson a day. Then I let it get a little looser. Now, I know if you are really into knowing exactly what is going to happen when, or if you are leaving on vacation or something else, this level of flexibility may be hard for you. But it works for me and it has been working for the classes. All the class lessons are posted on the web, so if you want to read the material after you go away for the weekend, it will be there for you. Hope this makes sense. Sorry for the working out way to solutions by trying different things. We will be starting these new classes this week of June 12: Step 3: Three Meals gives you a way to learn about the core transition to 3 meals. Step 3 is complex and difficult. Having a road map really, really helps. Using Community Resources is the regular guided tour we do for new people. I will be at the front of the bus and take you through how Radiant Recovery works. This class is free and you may take it as many times as you like. Back to Basics 2 is the second in the series of returning to sanity for seven steppers who flounder. There will be no classes the week of June 19, I will be consulting in Northern Arizona. These classes will be scheduled for the week of June 26: Brain Chemistry: Beta Endorphin - Week 1 is our famous learn the basics of your brain. This class is fabulous for anyone who is sugar sensitive. It will help you make sense of why you feel the way you do. Step 4: More Intriguing Than You Think is a great way to learn everything you ever wanted to know about potatoes and program vitamins. Step 6: Planning Your Detox is the OK, now it’s time class, LOL. Plan your detox in a thoughtful and informed way. Make it easy on your self. Working With Clients is for people in the helping professions who want to help their clients learn to do the food. I have posted a new class schedule on line. 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. The classes are done online with one lesson each day. You do not have to be at your computer at any set time. 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. 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 me cover. Be sure to visit our Radiant Recovery® website and Community Forum regularly. Warmly, Kathleen **********************************************************************
June 12, 2006 ** Quote From Kathleen **
The relationship between your food and your life is powerful. *********************************************************************
** Testimonial for the Week**
Grace's class had their end of the school year party. Of course, the moms I was working with are all super duper into sugar. They think the more sugar the better. So they came up with having the kids decorate their ice-cream cones with candy. They didn't like my decorate fruit idea, lol. Oh well. So I came to the party armed with stuff for Grace. I sat her down last night and explained that Daddy was going to make her sugar free ice-cream that she can decorate with berries and she was fine with that. Then I told her that she had to eat some protein first, again no problem. I reminded her again this morning after breakfast. She actually was excited about decorating "her" ice-cream. So I get to the school with all Grace's stuff. I made her some tacquitos and I also brought a cheese stick. My husband made ice-cream out of the chocolate almond milk. I had her berries and I put about 5 unsweetened carob chips in there too. I told her she had to eat her protein first. She was fine. She ate her tacquitos but didn't want the cheese stick. No problem. Then I showed her her ice-cream and she was just thrilled. I was so proud of her. All the other kids were decorating their sugary ice-cream cones and Grace did hers with the berries and the carob chips. She was so happy and it didn't bother her a bit. The one little girl next to Grace asks me, "Is your whole family allergic to sugar?" I smiled at her and said, "Yes", LOL. Too funny. BTW Grace loved the chocolate almond milk ice-cream! Janie ********************************************************************
**Recipe of the Week**
I took a traditional Jewish recipe and made it program friendly. My family really loves these! CHEESE BLINTZES
Mix together all filling ingredients. With each blintz, put about 2 T. of filling in the middle of the golden brown side (so that the lightly cooked side is outside). To roll up, fold up the bottom over the filling, then fold in the left and right sides and continue to roll up from the bottom to the top. These can be eaten cold or fried in a little butter and served warm. ********************************************************************
**Your Last Diet: More Than What You Think**
I have had 6 people ask me about joining YLD if they don't need to lose weight. I tell them that attending chat is so much fun and so illuminating that the program is worth that no matter what. For less than $2 a week if it were an annual fee , you get to come have *coffee* with the source of what we are building, LOL. Gee, that is less than a latte at Starbucks.But since this is a LIFETIME membership, it is probably pennies per chat. Of course that depends on how old you are. Maybe I should be advertising coffee hours with Kathleen and not even call this weight loss.....hmmm...now you got me thinking, LOL. If you are not a YLD member, come and join us. Click here if you are ready to change your life or just plain ole have fun. It is not too late to get into the classes if you come right now. ********************************************************* ***********
**David's Corner **
And I didn’t even ask her, LOL. If you are on step 2 or if you are wanting to make your journaling really fun, get a journal. Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. ********************************************************* ***********
**Our Online Groups**
Hi I am Ann the geo coach for the Radiant Big Apple group. We are a fun group of people from the New York and New Jersey area who are following the steps to a radiant recovery. Sometimes we actually can coordinate our busy schedules and have a meeting at a local restaurant. At those meetings it is always fun to meet face to face and discuss food, recipes and our life. We would love to have you to join us. Living in New York or New Jersey is not a requirement. ********************************************************************
**BE Hunger** Martha Carnahan I have something to share on this topic, something I learned from Kathleen at ranch several years ago, and it has helped me immensely with cravings. It has to do with two kinds of hunger: BE hunger and Real hunger. BE Hunger = you have that sort of itch, a hunger for something, you don't necessarily know what, but you know that food has cured this feeling in the past. You eat, and immediately feel better. BE Hunger happens when our beta endorphin receptor sites (which are all over our body, inside and out) are open, empty and screaming. When we eat, especially sugar or something that gives a nice BE hit, the chemistry flows pretty quickly and those screaming BE sites are happy and content and quiet down (for a while, until they starve again and start all over!) Real Hunger = it's a similar feeling, but also might have an empty stomach feeling, or a feeling like the growlies inside. When we eat, we still feel not-so-great for a bit -- it takes about 10-15 or so minutes for the food to make our empty stomachs feel okay when we have true hunger. With real hunger, only food will satisfy it. With BE hunger, we have a lot of options. True, food/sugar will satisfy it. But so will a nice gentle BE raiser like taking a walk, picking up the phone and calling a good friend who will make you laugh, snuggling with puppies and kittens, getting a massage, etc. (ooooh, can't forget my fave, a nice relaxing soak in a hot tub!) Those BE-raising activities satisfy those empty screaming BE receptors just as the sugar does, only in a more gentle way so that it's not some big hit, and there is less of a big crash afterward. When I stay mindful of this, it's enormously helpful. If I have a craving or itchy feeling between meals, I can check in and see if I am having BE hunger or real hunger. Hint: BE hunger is more of a heart hunger. Real hunger is stomach hunger. If it's stomach hunger, I check my journal and see if maybe I just didn't have enough at the last meal. Or maybe I've been doing some strenuous physical activity that is out of the norm for me... I check in and figure that out. If it's stomach hunger, I have a protein/slow carb snack. If it's BE hunger, I do one of my BE raising activities. Even if I'm working or in some awkward situation, there is almost always something I can do! Even if it's to sneak off to the bathroom to meditate for 10 minutes, LOL. Bottom line is, when you are aware of the difference, you have more options when the cravings come upon you. I don't know about you, but when I clicked with this idea, I was able to relax about my sugar with meals, because I knew that I'd be okay, that I have an arsenal of options to get me through to the next meal. Hope this is helpful! Martha Martha has been an active member of the Radiant Recovery Community and gave us some of the more exciting reference tools we use. She started her own Coaching company and receives rave reviews from her clients. You can contact Martha through her website at www.yourbrilliantlife.com. Here is one review from one of our own members who used Martha’s skill to make some major changes. It was coaching that made all the difference "I've gone through a lot of challenges in the past year. I was able to treat those as stepping stones instead of road blocks, and it was coaching that made all the difference. Martha has a wonderful ability to bring fresh ideas to a situation, which continually helps you look at things in a new way. She is fun to work with, she makes me feel comfortable and challenges me all at the same time." ©Kathleen DesMaisons 2006. Here are the folks who are helping put the newsletter together: Gretel, the liaison for the recovery list and the webmaster puts it all together Naomi, liaison for step 4 gathers the recipes David, who runs the Radiant Recovery® Store talks about what new products we have. 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.htm. ©2006 by 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 and use this attribution: "By Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. of Radiant Recovery®. Please visit Kathleen's website at http://www.radiantrecovery.com for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction." Please notify me at kathleen@radiantrecovery.com to let me know where the material will appear. Banner Photograph by Geraint Smith |
