Hi {!firstname_fix}

This is the week of Radiant Ranch. Folks have already started to arrive in Albuquerque. It is always an incredibly exciting time for us. I am going to write more about it and our community in this week's feature. Please note, there will NOT be a newsletter a week from now.

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.

A copy of this newsletter may also be found posted on the web at http://www.radiantrecovery.com/weeklynewsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, use the link at the bottom of the page. Do not email me, do not get mad at me, just click on the linkand you will be forever removed.

And be sure to visit our Radiant Recovery website and Community Forum regularly.

Warmly,
Kathleen

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May 17, 2004
** Quote From Kathleen **


Think about what radiant recovery might mean for you. It is real, it is possible and you can have it.

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** Testimonial for the Week**

I recently bought The Best of Wild Rice Recipes cookbook by Beatrice Ojakangas, which Kathleen is selling in her store, along with some of the wild rice (I love this rice!). There is a recipe in the book, Herbed Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole, which ended up being the inspiration for what I threw together last night for dinner. It was a huge success, and I regret that I don't have exact measurements to share of what I tossed in there. But I think it's one of those meals that would work no matter what you threw into it. This is also a very large recipe because of the quantities I was using.

I cooked a 1 pound package of wild rice separately on the stove. I chopped 2 medium onions and about 6 cloves of garlic and fried them up in olive oil until limp. Then I cut up 5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thigh cutlets and added to the onions and stirred until outside of chicken was white. While cooking this, I started adding these spices: parsley, basil, oregano, sage and black pepper. (I don't have any measurements - I just started tossing in there generously.) After this I added 1 can of chicken broth, covered the pan and let it boil until the chicken was cooked through. Then I added some cornstarch to thicken it a bit into more of a gravy, followed by 2 cans of mushrooms (drained) and a bag of frozen red/yellow/green peppers strips, and covered again until the peppers were heated, then served over wild rice. I would definitely make this again (or try the actual recipe in the cookbook (which has 5 other things added to it and is baked - that looks good too!).

* Sue *

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

My oh my have our chats been fun. I am always thrilled by the dynamic of all of us creating a new program. What started as an alternative to the old diet plans has become a living, breathing dialogue about long term, successful weight loss. And of course, about the best of radiance, LOL. To hear folks talk about the strategies they have developed to break through being stuck just thrills me.

Come join us and hear about this success!

http://www.radiantrecovery.com/YLD_signup.htm


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** Radiant Recovery Seminars **

We are starting Radiant Ranch this week. Don't have any other seminars on the docket yet, but I bet we will soon. If you would like me to come do a ranch in your community, let me know and we can talk.



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** David's Corner **

Well, this week, I am working, working to get our store set up at Ranch. It is always fun to see everyone and to try out new products. I have some surprises that we will test market and let you know about next week.

And the kids' shake is getting ready.

Sue's note about wild rice was so exciting, I ordered more for all of us. Have you tried it yet? It is awesome!

Please send questions and suggestions for items you might like to see in our store. YOU are building our store. Tell me what you want and we will sort it out.

Thanks
David

And of course, we have something for everybody in our store


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** Featured Topic**
What This Community is Really About
by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

Six years ago, Potatoes not Prozac was being published and I was committed to setting up a web site which would provide a way for sugar sensitive people to come together and share their paths to healing. I spent a long time finding a marketing group to help me set up the site. they asked me my goals. How much money did I want to make? What sort of income stream was I looking for? They were confused by the plan. You want to build *community?* they asked. I explained that I wanted to create a healing web. I wanted to provide a way for people to learn new things and to share their journeys. I wanted people to connect and know the power in working together. Sugar sensitivity and addiction flourish in isolation. Healing comes with connection.

So we started. A web site with 20 pages. Mostly informational. A few months later, we put up the community forum and people started talking. You asked for ways to share on specialized topics. We set up an elist for depression. You asked for more and the resources grew. I answered every email and listened to your concerns and struggles and dreams.

As the mail poured in and the lists grew, I wanted to make sure the tone was clean and we stayed on focus. I formed a leadership team and invited a few folks who were further along in the process to help. The volunteer service base of the community was born. We named this team the Radiant Council, Rad for short. Each person had responsibility for an elist and was willing to meet with me online once a week to talk about how things were going. We learned to do team. We learned to trust one another and to work through style differences. We started the first Ranch and I invited the Rad to come and meet one another in person. I think we got hooked on the joy of working together.

The lists increased and 15 people could no longer do it all. We expanded the leadership team to include more volunteers. A liaison for each list. And then we doubled up. We met once a week, diligently showing up for work and play. We shared our programs, we critiqued ourselves and matured along with the community. People coming in were given a warm welcome. Connections were made. Boundaries were defined about the style of communication. No flaming was allowed and we created a safe place. This was hard work. Sugar sensitive people are notoriously sensitive and reactive when they are starting out.

I started Your Last Diet Online because the marketing guys thought it would be a good experiment. We started chatting and the original idea of *weight loss* expanded to include discovery and exploration about what weight loss might really mean. This was and still is so exciting that I look forward to Wednesday night with a smile. Talk about connection!!

Now we have more than 8,000 people talking every day. Close to a half a million letters have been posted to the web site. That be a lot of talking and a lot of healing. I have learned that the web is the perfect way to connect people. Doesn't matter who you are or where you live. If you can get on line, you can be part of the miracle of community. We laugh about issues in Perth or Oslo or Atlanta or San Diego. We are so much alike, sometimes it is scary. Our differences make us grow.

I LOVE this community. I feel blessed by your energy, wisdom and care. Thank you!!!

ŠKathleen DesMaisons 2004.