Hi {!firstname_fix}
I heard from a lot of you that you missed us while we we at Radiant Ranch. I am happy that we have such a connection! This week I will give you a flavor of ranch from a different perspective. You will hear Carrie's thoughts on it and I will share some of the info I shared there.
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 link and 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 31, 2004
** Quote From Kathleen **
There are two solutions to being stuck. Rest and Movement. Move and then rest or rest and then move.
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** Testimonial for the Week**
And so to Ranch. Each one is different - different attendees, different format, different topics. Some of us, depending on the Step we are on and our finances, bring food from home for the days before or after Ranch. I did. Most of the liaisons bring shake mix for breakfast because we KNOW the importance of timing.
I went to Albuquerque on Monday. I ate a chicken sausage sandwich and raw vegetables on the plane for lunch. My seat mate kept eyeing it and I shared some of my supply of string cheese and almonds, but the rest of my food was mine!
I got to the hotel close to dinner time, registered and took my luggage to my room and tossed everything on the bed so I could hurry to the bathroom. I decided to eat dinner, so I sat on the bed and found out I'm a princess. Though they are not pea sized, I clearly felt the bows snap off my prescription glasses, LOL.
I got out the pair of drugstore reading glasses I'd put in at the last minute and ate cold fried chicken, a salad with veggies, and black beans. All the rooms have refrigerators, which is especially nice for us ranchers.
Most of us arrived on Tuesday, the day before, because it helps a lot to rest after traveling and lets our bodies begin to adjust to Albuquerque's high altitude (5000 feet). We drink *huge* amounts of water to avoid altitude sickness. The first couple of days, we don't use the bathroom much - our bodies just absorb the water.
Several liaisons and ranchers sit in the lobby to welcome people as they arrive. We remind everyone to eat (it's easy to forget when we're excited, away from home, and in a different time zone). Many ranchers drop their bags in their rooms, and hit the restaurant.
That's one of the nicest things about Ranch. The restaurant's food is very good and program friendly. There's always a tableful of ranchers and everyone is welcome to join in. It's a bit confusing for the wait staff - we rotate in and out - but they take it with good grace. It doesn't take long before they start setting pitchers of ice water on the tables everytime we sit down, LOL.
Albuquerque has several inexpensive and very good places to eat. Some of us drive to Ranch or get a rental car, so everyone can join in. The hotel has tables with umbrellas outside, near the pool, for those who want to eat there.
Ranch began Wednesday afternoon - registration and dinner. All the meals are in a separate building, so it is just ranchers and the wait staff. After our dinner, Kathleen gave a talk. It is awesome to hear this woman speak. She is very soft spoken, funny, interesting, warm.
Every morning before breakfast there was a group doing meditation or a 12 step meeting for those wanting to attend. I managed to drag myself out of bed for the meditation Friday morning and it was wonderful. Kitty, one of Kathleen's liaisons, teaches meditation. I felt very fortunate she did this at Ranch. I haven't been able to meditate yet - but wanted to add this to my program - and Kitty was very encouraging.
After that, we had breakfast. The hotel provided the food and there was something for everyone: sausage, bacon, eggs, cottage cheese, Rye Vita and Finn Crisp crackers, oatmeal, whole wheat bagels, cream cheese, sliced tomatoes, fresh fruit, coffee, orange juice, water.
Then Kathleen spoke about the program. We were very quiet because no one wanted to miss anything she said. Later we broke into groups and discussed meal planning, addiction amoebas, and how to do the program
under any circumstances. The groups were led by different liaisons and it was a pleasure for all of us to interact with them.
We had other sessions, including how to successfully parent a SS child, getting around the cyber community, and seeing the radiance in our lives on all the steps. One afternoon we had a lession on CST (circular strength training). That was very interesting and several of us noticed positive benefits the next morning.
There were kids at Ranch this year. It was awesome to be around these youngsters. They are open, bright, savvy. They get the program. It is something I feel deep in my heart, that their lives will be so much
better because they found this way of living so early. We were ethnically diverse this year, which was really cool. One of the Indian tribe ladies gave me a great recipe for cooking hand-gathered wild rice, which I bought at the RR store.
Friday night we had a party. Several attendees, including the children, did something special: sang, played the piano keyboard or flute. There were original compositions and violin music. One of the men led us in a fun song, having something to do with underwear, LOL, and then we had a mardi gras style parade, which went outdoors and through the local Starbucks.
By Saturday we were all tired but there was a huge amount of positive energy flowing. After breakfast, Kathleen talked about the program and we had a question and answer period. We talked about making the
transition from Ranch to home and then it was time to say goodbye. Ranch was over.
That is the nitty gritty of Ranch, but I cannot begin to describe what really happens to us when we are at Ranch. It is impossible to describe the feelings we get. Last year I cried most of the time. This year I didn't. But the feelings of joy and understanding were there both times. It was wonderful to meet people I know from the
lists and visit with last year's ranchers again.
Last year an enormous burden lifted from me and was set aside. This year, because that pain was gone, I could be a part of it all. I belonged. I loved it.
Carrie
NB: we will have tapes of the ranch sessions soon. We also did a recipe CD with program friendly recipes from ranchers. All the proceeds go to the scholarship fund.
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**Your Last Diet: More Than What You Think**
While we were at Ranch some of the new people wanted to know why we were not all fixed. That meant thin. It touched us in a new way. We always get asked that. As if being *thin* is the single criteria for being fixed. This year we are looking at the depth of the healing we have done. Inner healing doesn't show yet. But it transforms, profoundly. From living in shame and waiting 'til I am thin, to feeling strong, powerful and optimistic. Yah, we will do all that hard work that it takes to shed the pounds, but we are doing it from a base of humor, freedom and flexibility. In a few weeks, you can hear my talk on this on tape. It is one of the most exciting talks I have given. And..(smile)..it is very much like what we do on the YLD chats. If you want to get in on the action, and be a part of the emerging process live, join YLD online. Something is happening there.
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** Radiant Recovery Seminars **
No more seminars for a while. We may be doing booksignings for Little Sugar Addicts. If your bookstore wants me, have them contact
Melissa Kaplan
Associate Publicist
Crown Publishing Group/Random House, Inc.
1745 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
Ph: 212.572.2098
Fax: 212.940.7868
mkaplan@randomhouse.com
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**
David's Corner **
George's Shake. The cornerstone of our programs. Breakfast. This past week, ranch was hectic. Shake saved me. I love shake. I love sending you shake. If you haven't tried it, now is the time. If you tried it and didn't like it, write me and I will tell you the magic. in the next few weeks we are going to set up an affiliate program. YOU will be able to see shake too. You will not only get the benefit of the great taste and the awesome nutrition, but you can partner with us in a new way.
And look for a change next week. A NEW picture of me is on the way.
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**
Caffeine
by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
This week I want to raise the issue of caffeine with you. I am going to include a section from the new book, Little Sugar Addicts.It will be less scary if I am talking about your children than about you. (smile)
I think the most compelling evidence about the impact of caffeine on your child’s brain comes from the work of Peter DeWitt who gave a group of spiders different drugs in the late 60s. DeWitt found the spiders that make what is called an orb web. It is beautiful, highly regular and predictable and can be easily photographed.
 |
Here is a picture of a normal happy orb spider web with no drugs. The soda industry has not found this little spider yet. |
 |
Now take a look at the picture of the spider on caffeine |
Sort of stops you cold, doesn’t it? Think about the implications of this for your child’s brain. Think of the impact on his ability to function in school. Sure made me think some.
The key part of the caffeine story is the level of the “dose” based on your child’s weight. A can of soda for you is not the same as a can of soda for your child. A 12 oz. can of Coke has 35 mg of caffeine (Diet Coke has 45). If you put 35 mg of caffeine into a body that weigh 180 pounds, it diffuses a whole lot more than if you put it into a body that weighs 60 or 40 pounds. Basically, the same size can of soda can have 3 times more effect on your child than it does on you. Think about that spider web picture when you think about the dose impact on your child.
As you think about caffeine, remember that it is found not just in coffee and soda. Here is a list that gives you a sense of the relative value of caffeine in foods and drinks I am going to include some things like Starbucks drinks because I have noticed so many children now drinking Starbucks specialty drinks.
|
Product
|
Caffeine
|
|
Coffee, Grande
(16 oz), Starbucks
|
550
|
|
Cafe
Americano, short (8 oz) Starbucks
|
35
|
|
Coffee, tall
(12 oz) Starbucks
|
375
|
|
Cafe Mocha,
tall (12 oz) Starbucks
|
35
|
|
7-eleven big
gulp cola (64 oz)
|
190
|
|
Cola (12 oz)
|
35
|
|
Mountain Dew
(12 oz)
|
55
|
|
Diet Coke
|
45
|
|
Mello Yello
|
51
|
|
Nestea sweet
|
26
|
|
A & W
creme soda
|
29
|
|
Dr. Pepper
|
41
|
|
Sun Drop
regular
|
63
|
|
Sun drop Diet
|
69
|
|
Sunkist orange
soda
|
41
|
|
Pepsi
|
38
|
|
Pepsi 1
|
55
|
|
Royal Crown
Cola
|
43
|
|
RC edge
|
70
|
|
Snapple (16
oz)
|
48
|
|
Arizona Iced
Tea (16 oz
|
15-30
|
|
Java Water
(1/2 liter)
|
125
|
|
Juiced
|
60
|
|
Haagen Dazs
Coffee Ice cream (1 cup)
|
58
|
|
Dannon Coffee
yogurt
|
45
|
|
Hershey special
dark chocolate
|
31
|
As you look at these, you can begin to see that yes, they can have a real impact on your child. If caffeine is a drug that peaks in 3-7 hours, it is reasonable to assume that your child will experience drug withdrawal at the earlier end of that scale. So you may have a child in caffeine withdrawal who is edgy, irritable, cranky and with a headache. So he can’t sit still and is whining. You think he is a bad boy. He gets the message he is bad boy and begins to think of himself that way. And the real thing that is going on is a biochemical reaction to the drug.
I strongly encourage parents to get their children off of caffeine. Do not give your children drinks and foods with caffeine in them. If your child is currently using caffeine, do not stop it abruptly. Going off of the drug should be done through what we call a taper process. This means cutting down over time. The first task is knowing the current level of using it. Figure out how much caffeine your child is getting. Use the same process you have been using all along. Do this with your child. Cut down over a 2 week period. If you child has caffeine soda intermittently, you can simply stop and say we aren’t doing that kind any more. Start with this before you think about the rest of the program for your kids. And come join the parents list if you would like to learn more.
©Kathleen DesMaisons 2004.