May 10, 2010

Hi {!firstname_fix}

Well, it's Mother's Day. David came over this morning to make breakfast. It started a whole unfolding day of enjoyment. And I have 5 yelling puppies in the back yard who think I should replace their mother. Doing rescue is always a surprise. We go from no dogs to 6 in a day. I will have to round up the volunteers to scrub and play with 'em.

Ranch is upon us. The first person arrives on Tuesday. I have been having fun getting my presentations all set. Tomorrow, I practice and practice running the projector, LOL.

I love, love, love ranch..community is such a joy for me.

These classes will begin Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Using Radiant Resources (4 weeks) is a free orientation for those of you who are brand new and would like to find your way around town. Come sit on the top of our double-decker bus for a guided tour. And even if you are not brand new, this is a really fun class to reconnect with all the treats of the community.

These classes will begin Wednesday, May 19, 2010. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Radiant Step 1 (2 weeks) 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.

Radiant Step 3 (2 weeks) is one of our core classes. This is a skill-based class. If you want to learn the baby steps of a successful step 3, come join us. This class is ALWAYS fun. Step 3 is a pivotal part of a solid program. Come for a tuneup.

YLD Weight Loss in Action (2 weeks)is the *let's do it!* class for YLD members who are ready to rock on losing weight in a healthy and focused way. You have to be on step 7 to sign up for this class. It is not for the feint of heart. This is a how-to class.

The class schedule is online. Click here to see what is planned.

Please wait to sign up for classes until a week or two before, and 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. 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.

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

Warmly,
Kathleen

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** 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.

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** Testimonial of the Week **


Yes, that was when I sang the song I had written titled The Beauty I Behold and I added a special verse for Kathleen just for that ranch. I don't have that verse anywhere; it may have just been for that occasion. I love the vision you had of Kathleen. What spurred me on with that was that Kathleen gave up everything for this dream and vision she had of building this community. That touched something really deep inside me.

Jan, I'm having a few tears at this remembrance. Right now I have this vision of myself, that I have been lost out in the fog (like out in the ocean) for the past 3 years or so. And I can see the lighthouse ahead, and it is beckoning me, come, come. And I am moving toward it.

I think we each have a gift, just unique to ourselves. And if we just continue to do the food, then the food can lead us into the real person we are meant to be. So much of my life has been spent on trying so hard to keep safe, or keep people from leaving me. With my divorce, it took that part of me and broke it all into little bits. Now that I'm doing the food, just doing it, it seems the food is picking up the bits and re-building them for me, into a beautiful thing.

Thank you for sharing this Jan. It means a lot.

Patti

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** Radiant Ambassadors **


Inspired by a friend stepping out of their comfort zone, I put my name down for a public speaking course last week.

I was nervous about going, but I went anyway LOL! The man who ran the course was incredibly charismatic and comfortable with being in front of us - I wanted what he had! There were 7 of us in all - I found it easy to talk to everyone from my seated position, but when standing it was a totally different matter!

First things first, we had to stand in front of the class and introduce ourselves, say what we were feeling physically and emotionally about being the centre of attention and explain why we had come on the course. We had two minutes each to do this. I found it excruciating. I couldn't look anyone in the eye, I didn't know what to do with my hands, I went red and became flustered. I just wanted to run and hide.

Listening to everyone else's introductions, it sounded as though they were so together and I even wondered what a couple of them were doing on the course! But when we discussed it afterwards it became apparent that we all had a lot of baggage we carried around about public speaking. We apologised for taking up space in the world, we thought we were useless, we compared ourselves unfavourably to everyone else, etc, etc. The instructor described this as the 'wobbly tea-tray' that we carry around with us. Added to that was the fact that you were staring at a sea of blank faces with no feedback (shudder).

He then went on to explain that we've been looking at public speaking in the wrong way. What if we could make it easy? What if we could connect with the audience and the words would come? What if we could feel comfortable shining our lights and being our big selves without being self-conscious or beating ourselves up? He said that the most important part was being seen and looking at the audience - not the content. Crikey! I hadn't even thought about that aspect of it before!

After a break we had to get used to being looked at. We paired up and then sat facing our partner and had to look them in the eyes for just 15 seconds - that must have been the longest 15 seconds in the world! I found it really uncomfortable - I was reading so much into my partner's face - almost trying to read his thoughts! Then we were told to use a light gaze rather than the Paddington Bear Hard Stare that we'd all been using, so that we could broaden out our view and look at the room as well as our partner's eyes. Oh my, that was so much easier! I was still looking at his face, but I was also looking over his shoulder and counting the cars going past outside!

Just before we closed, we had to stand in front of the class again. This time we just had to stand there and look at each audience member in turn, being aware of them looking at us. We could say something if we liked, but the most important thing was the connection. I still cannot believe that I stood up there, connected with the audience and felt comfortable - yep, you read it right - COMFORTABLE! I said a few words about how much easier this was and that I was glad I had come. It was a real miracle LOL!

I am really looking forward to my next class!

Selena

Come join us if you are excited about spreading the news.

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** How I Found Radiant Recovery **


A friend on the FlyLady UK forum mentioned the RR website to me. I checked it out, cried buckets and my then boyfriend went out and bought me Potatoes not Prozac the next day. That was 6 years ago - and it's been totally life changing!

Cat

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** Radiant Kitchen **


We have pizza every Friday night. My family will not let me slide, even when the weather gets unbearably hot here. In fact, this summer I will probably "bite the bullet" and experiment on the grill with wood chips. (smile)

Last week we had salami/pepperoni deep dish (I usually skip this) and my favorite mozzarella/fresh basil/tomato and I experimented with a chicken, bacon, onion, ranch (homemade ranch dressing). I make 4 pizzas each week so there are leftovers...funny to watch teenagers get up early on a Saturday morning for "first dibs", lol.

You CAN have pizza on program...just with a little bit of effort. Sorry, folks, you were just all making me laugh...can you tell I love, love, love to cook RR meals???

PE

For more great program-friendly recipes, check out these great cookbooks in the store.


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


This week on YLD we have been talking about everything program-related; food, journals, fun, family, just sharing everyday life. This is simply the best part of being in this community: being connected to other people who understand, rather than trying to do it on our own, feeling isolated and weird. And chats are an incredible extension of that, because you get to learn and laugh and share in REAL TIME, it is so much fun as well as inspiring and motivating!

You don't have to be interested in weight loss to join YLD, but if you are, we do that too! (smile)

If you are not a YLD member, come and join us. Click here if you are ready to change your life or just have some plain ol' fun!

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** Radiant Recovery® Store **


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

Since this week's article is on omega 3 fatty acids, I thought I would feature them as well. Here is a list of four of our best sellers, but come check out what else we have in the store.

ProEPA is the basic fish oil formulation we all take. The recommended dosage is 2 caps a day. The oil is certified to be free of heavy metals and does not create an aftertaste.

Pro DHA is the formulation recommended for pregnant and nursing moms. It gives you a higher percentage of the fatty acid used to make baby brains.

Cod Liver Oil is the way our grandmothers got fish oil The new version we carry does not taste fishy and is an easy way to get omegas. Just put a tsp in your shake. It has a mild orange flavor.
Pycnogenol is a wonderful adjunct to increasing your oil intake.


And watch for our new RR mugs and water bottles. We expect them this week and I will put them up in the store immediately.

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

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** Our Online Groups **


The Movement list is for people who want to start moving again and to baby step into a regular exercise program. If you can remember how much fun it was to move when you were a child and you've lost that, the Movement list is the perfect place for you. And, if you don't remember, we'll help you rediscover it. There are some wonderful people on the list who will share their stories and help you explore different options to form a movement plan that works for you.. We are enthusiastic about our own exercise, but we also understand first hand how hard it was to start and to baby step into regular movement. It's a great list; come join us.

Or come to the group page to find the one that will best support your program: http://www.radiantrecovery.com/list_serves.htm


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**Omega 3 Fatty Acids **
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.



Omega 3 fatty acids are really important for your health. They do many wonderful things. Here are just a few:
  • They make your brain work really well. This is especially important for children, people who are in recovery from substance abuse, sugar addiction and depression.
  • They reduce inflammation so improve:
    • Allergies like hay fever
    • Food allergies
    • Skin problems
    • Irritable bowel disorder
    • Coronary Heart Disease
    • Asthma
    • Rheumatoid arthritis
    • Lupus
  • They protect against cancer and especially against cancer metastasis
  • They are critical for baby formation in pregnancy and nursing.
Omega 3 fatty acids come from cold water fish and flax oil. Learning how much to take is sort of an art. Finding your dose requires looking at a number of variables. These include:
  1. Your age. If you are a child under the age of 5, you need a lot of a particular kind of omega 3 called DHA to make your brain. If you are over 50, you need more omega 3 to keep your brain at its best.
  2. If you are pregnant or nursing you are making baby brain and need more.
  3. If you have a history of substance abuse, particularly alcoholism, you have been using a solvent that melts brain cells. You need omega 3 to help restore your brain.
  4. If you have any of the inflammatory diseases listed above, you will need a therapeutic dose for a few months. Those diseases are a clue that you are low in omega 3 fatty acids.
  5. If you have a family history of cancer or are recovering from cancer, you need more.
  6. Your weight affects the dose. In order to bathe your cells in fatty acids, the amount needs to be proportionate.
  7. The amount of other fats you eat. Omega 6 fatty acids (the ones that cause problems and inflammation) are found in saturated fats like meat, eggs, cheese and hydrogenated fats in margarine and processed foods like bread, crackers, and snack foods. The more white things you eat, the more you will need omega 3s to balance the other fats.
Here is how you sort out how much to take. A 150-pound person needs about 1000 mg. of EPA/DHA per day for healthy maintenance. A child under the age of 5 needs about 150 mg of DHA per day and 100 EPA. DHA is the best omega 3 for brain growth.

A therapeutic dose is 3-4 times that amount. If you need a therapeutic dose, work up to it over 3-4 weeks, increasing your dose by 1000 mg per week. generally you would use a therapeutic dose for a month or so and then go down to a maintenance dose. Your body will guide you. If you are taking a therapeutic dose, it is better to use a distilled source such as ProEPA because straight cod liver oil may give you too much vitamin A.

The final consideration in taking fish oil is to insure that you get oil that comes from a source that is free of heavy metals, tastes ok and does not make you burp fish taste. Those three reasons are why I have chosen the brand we carry in our store. They are certified to be free of heavy metals, they have a very nice flavor and they do not create an aftertaste.

Finally, taking fish oil thins your blood, which for the most part is a very good thing. It makes your blood flow more freely and be less sticky. There is disagreement in the scientific community about whether taking fish oils can make you have a faster bleeding time. I have personally observed that taking fish oil makes me more vulnerable to bruising more easily. However, pycnogenol, which is pine bark extract and an excellent anti-oxidant strengthens the capillary walls. Since I have started taking it, I have no problem with bruising.


Here are the folks who are helping put the newsletter together:

Gretel, our webmaster, puts it all together.
David runs the Radiant Recovery® Store.
Selena provides the weekly Ambassadors column.


©2010 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://www. radiantrecovery.com/