Hi {!firstname_fix}

My new kitchen is all done and in working order. I am very excited. It was a big project and I loved every step of the way. Now, I am looking forward to new cooking explorations. I put all my cookbooks back on the shelf. Wahoo!!!

Two of the puppies have gone to their new homes. The last is here waiting for her people. She has decided to be one of the pack. Last night, I was answering emails and all the dogs were sleeping in my office. And there was a tiny one, sacked out just like the big dogs. It was very sweet.

These classes will begin the week of August, 20, 2007. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Step 1: The Art of Breakfast is our foundation class to get you started. Learn all four parts of step 1 in a structured way. Learn how to progress through them with enjoyment. Let us support getting your program off to a fabulous start.

Step 2: Journal: Skillful Use is the next level of journaling. This is for those of you who know *how* and want to learn what to do with your data. This class shows you how to interpret what you have written in an exciting and pragmatic way.

YLD Weight Loss Readiness is the getting started class for YLD members. We are really excited to do this new format. Come learn how Phase One of your program sets the foundation for your entire weight loss plan.

These classes will begin the week of August 27, 2007. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Using the Resources of the Community is our fun free guided tour of the community. If you are new or returning, get on the top deck of the double decker and hear everything.

Step 3: Three Meals is one of our core classes. This is a skilled based class. If you want to learn the baby steps of a successful step 3, come join us. This class is ALWAYS fun.

The class schedule is on line. Click here to see what is planned. Please do not sign up for classes that are not yet scheduled.

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 and you do not have to be at your computer at any set time. It does not matter whether you are in the US, Europe, the Far East or Australia, you simply respond on your own time. And although I advertise that the classes are one or two weeks, sometimes we are a little flexible and they may run longer.

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

**********************************************************************

August 20, 2007
** Quote From Kathleen **


Its clues may not be in words, but your body talks in a consistent and predictable way. You just have to learn its language.

*********************************************************************

** Testimonial for the Week**

Patti, Step 7


Okay, I like the idea that checking in with our physical and emotional feelings is simply listening to what is going on with our body. Hearing negative emotions doesn’t mean my food is off for me, but the tone of it might. For instance, I might write overwhelmed and that might just mean I need to slow down with things I’m doing, but I could also write OVERWHELMED (lol) and have it mean “omg life is too hard I can’t do this get me off the planet” overwhelmed, lol. Interesting that one word can hold different ranges of emotion. I find that if any emotion feels big, like a mountain, then I need to look at my food. Other times a negative emotion might just be something I need to feel, let in, flow through, and out. It’s also when an emotion gets stuck inside my body and doesn’t flow like that, that I need to see what’s-a-goin-on. (smile)

Maybe to differentiate in my journal if an emotion feels huge I’ll write it in all capital letters. Hmmmm.

Here’s another strange thing. Growing up we were not allowed to share any emotions, and my mom would pretend that she was happy and everything was hunky dory – when it wasn’t. I watched her be fake and I told myself I would never be fake like that. So, when I am feeling a more positive emotion like the ones you mentioned (i.e. strong, happy, serene, etc.), it’s hard for it to feel real and I wonder if my body is pretending. Poor body – she’s probably really feeling peaceful and I don’t trust it. Odd.

********************************************************************

**Radiant Kitchen**

By Naomi Muller, Step 7, author of Nutritious and Delicious Cookbook.


I know some kids are back to school or nearing that time. This muffin is one of my kids' favorites and makes a great addition to their lunchbox. If you are avoiding wheat, you could substitute the whole wheat pastry flour for 1/2 cup brown rice flour and 1/2 cup oat flour, although they might be more crumbly.

CORN BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

  • 1 cup blue (or yellow) cornmeal
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 T. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 4 T. apple juice
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups oatmilk
  • 1/4 cup light tasting olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen can also be used)
Preheat oven to 400. In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. In another bowl, combine all the liquid ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Do NOT over mix. Gently fold in blueberries, avoid overmixing. Spray a nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray. Fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

********************************************************************

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

YLDonline is a membership program run directly by Kathleen DesMaisons herself.


If you have been considering YLD, this is a great time to get started. We are just about to begin the latest Readiness Class.

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.
 


********************************************************* ***********

**Radiant Recovery Store **

David manages the Radiant Recovery Store. He is also Kathleen’s oldest son.



Here is a nice little recommendation for theRanch CD. People sure seem to love it. Our production keeps asking me why I need more copies.

JJ, I highly recommend the Ranch CD> as well. I bought it several weeks ago and was blown away by the information on it. I just listened to it again tonight and took notes this time. I've been around here for a number of years now, but I found a lot of info on the CD that was new to me and I had some new insights into my own program. That's one thing I love about this program... it's constantly evolving as we all do it and discuss things and as Kathleen continues to research and brings us that info. And she has a great way of explaining things so they're understandable.


Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better.

 
********************************************************* ***********

**Our Online Groups**


One of our very specialized groups is RadiantDiabetes where we talk about the different aspects of managing diabetes while following the guidelines of the RR program. As you might imagine, it is a little more difficult to keep our BS levels in a good range than it is for people who don't have diabetes. We do this with humor and lots of sharing. If you have diabetes, pre-diabetes, or someone you love has them and you would like to get more information, as well as support and encouragement, please come join us.

Or come to the group page to see all our groups. http://www.radiantrecovery.com/list_serves.htm


********************************************************************

**Moderation**
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.


We have been having some interesting conversations on a couple of our lists. Things got a little hot and so we turned on the moderation switch. In some cases, that of course activated the old, “You can’t do this to me. You are taking away my constitutional right to freedom of speech.” As I have been reflecting on this, I thought it would be helpful to give you a little context…

Let's talk a little about why we moderate people.
b We have a number of reasons for turning on our moderation function. We always moderate new people until we have a sense of who they are. This protects us from spam.

If some one is off the wall, we moderate them. If someone is posting all sorts of information about an affair with the milkman, we moderate them. If someone posts about suicide, we write them privately and check in. We say that these lists are not therapeutic lists and that conversations about suicide are not appropriate. We check to make sure the person has good care. And we ask them not to continue posting on the subject. If a person ignores this request and continues to do so, or goes to another list and posts about suicide, then we moderate them.

Moderation is how we keep things focused and safe on the lists. I consider it basic healthy boundaries.

And as I am sure that many of you realize, part of being sugar sensitive is feeling criticized if someone looks at you and feeling devastated if someone asks you to hold a boundary. In some cases , we have had many, many conversations about what the lists are for and we will keep someone moderated until that person is able to accept the boundary we have asked her or him to respect.

I am aware that some of you may feel this is *harsh* or uncaring. Those of you who know me know that I am a very loving person. And I am also unmovable in my commitment to maintain the quality of these lists. And sometimes, if someone blasts in with a very negative or inappropriate post, we take action very quickly. This is why every list has at least one liaison, and many have a whole team.

As we have been working some of this through on the diabetes list, I posted some of these ideas. Diane responded in a very thoughtful way. A few years ago, Diane and I butted heads in a big way. Lots of sparks happened. Diane kept doing the program. And here is her reflection today. It speaks volumes to what doing the food creates:

Thank you Kathleen, this is very helpful and clear.

I can really relate to what you said about feeling criticized if singled out, or devastated when asked to respect and hold a boundary, as I've experienced that myself. At the time, I read much more into it than what you had said, rewrote a dramatic story around it for myself, cast you in the role of the bad guy and then felt attacked by the scenario that my unhealed sugar sensitive self had created. I sure made that hard on myself. Phew!

The community and the lists are a very important part of my recovery, and I very much appreciate your values and the care that is taken to maintain a safe place for us all to share such a personal part of ourselves as sugar sensitivity and addiction.

I do know that if I give my energy to what's hard for me or how awful I feel, it breathes life into it and I spin around and stay stuck there. I think if people were posting about things like suicide, trauma or binge details and things like that it could be triggering to me and prompt my brain back towards places I'm working hard to heal forward. I do care about other peoples pain - I'd just really rather support them in what will heal it so they don't have it anymore. With that, I can especially appreciate how and why the focus is on the positive, what we *can* do, and how to heal..giving energy to that instead.

I think that is in the same realm of how when we put energy into worrying the Diabetes, we stay scared and feeling powerless, but if we put it into doing the food instead, the Diabetes can heal right along with the addiction.

Thanks again,

Diane




©Kathleen DesMaisons 2007.

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 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.

©2007 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 Patti Holden, Step 7