August 23, 2010


Hi {!firstname_fix}

I am just finishing up my time in Maine. Today we went out on my cousin's boat, anchored in a small cove and had a picnic. The sky was blue, the water was deep blue, it smelled of the sea and the food was delicious. Tonight the fog is rolling in, the two seagulls have come by for dinner. We have been reading in the quiet. The whole time has been restful and restorative.

These classes will begin Wednesday, August 25, 2010. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page:

Brain Chemistry Serotonin (2 weeks) is the other of our most popular classes. It helps you make sense of why the potato works, why you have a problem in the winter and how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can play into this. If you munch in your mind, if you are depressed or edgy or feel sad, this is the class for you.

Addiction Amoeba: Work Addiction (2 weeks) is part of a new series on how the Addiction Amoeba can clobber us. This class will be one of those you will not want to miss. Start the Fall with insight and focus.

Here are some clues about whether this might be a good class for you. This is a class for people who are at least on step 3.

  • Even when we are not working, we are thinking of our next task. Most of our activities are work-related. We deny ourselves the enjoyment of a balanced and varied life.

  • We use work as a way to deal with the uncertainties of life. We lie awake worrying; we over-plan and over-organize. By being unwilling to surrender control, we lose our spontaneity, creativity and flexibility.

  • Many of us grew up in chaotic homes. Stress and intensity feel normal to us. We seek out these conditions in the workplace. We create crises and get adrenaline highs by overworking to resolve them. Then we suffer withdrawals and become anxious and depressed. Such mood swings destroy our peace of mind.
This class will begin Wednesday, September 1, 2010. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:

The Obesity Myth (2 weeks) is the famous class that blasted our myths about being fat from the water. If your doctor, husband, girlfriend is on your case, come join us. If you are shamed about being fat, come. If you feel that being fat is wrecking your health, come. Get the real scoop and then move forward knowing what to do. This class is ALWAYS fun.

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 **


The power of your radiance will affect all those around you. In both big and subtle ways, everything will change.

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** Testimonial of the Week **


Sitting in the backyard, having my breakfast, looking at our apple tree, the tree just looks more vibrant and alive than it used to. It's like I wasn't quite here to see it before. This is really beautiful, thank you for writing it.

Golly I could not resist writing about this.....doing the program in step by step order and keeping on day by day has given me a LIFE that I only have dreamt about. NEVER did I think I could have daily reprieve from depression up and down moods/decisions every 2 hours and yes I sleep completely thru the night, discovering WHO I really am is awesome, and being present and living in today not yesterday or tomorrow......then the biggest surprise for me has been food being FUN! What in the world? I would not have guessed that ever. It has ALWAYS been a drag, a real pain...... There really are many other things happening but for now....these are on my top list....

Rebecca


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** Radiant Ambassadors **


Have you always fancied having a go at Twitter but were too afraid to ask?

Perhaps you thought that it’s just for teens and what would I want to be doing there anyway?

Or perhaps you want to tip toe over there but aren’t sure about how to go about it?

Well, the ambassadors list might just be the place for you! There are some Twitter instructions in the files section if you want to come on over and have a look.

Twitter can be fun. It can also a great way of talking about Radiant Recovery if that’s what you want to talk about. I talk about real life and Radiant Recovery too.

Why don’t you try it? You might like it!

Selena

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


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** How I Found Radiant Recovery **


I’m Lannette, I’ll be 55 in a few days and live in Twin Mountain, NH. I’m grinning like a fool and waving to Liz because I can’t believe what a small world it is. I found Potatoes not Prozac a few weeks ago. I initially got the first version and then almost immediately ordered the newer version. I’m about halfway through the new book. I’m on step 1 and enjoying the freedom of just working on one thing at a time. I’m normally a multitasker with a vengeance.

I read the first PNP with my mouth more often hanging open than closed. As I read it I could picture my family, paternal and maternal, my siblings, my son and yes, ME! I kept finding myself reading passages aloud and my husband kept commenting just how “on the money” they were.

When I started to eat breakfast I realized just how out of touch with hunger my eating had become. I also realize that instinctively I’ve been trying to find the “right” way to eat to help even out the ups and downs and I’ve done some really good things but never quite “got it.”

If this works it will be a miracle. My husband and other son are “normal” eaters. They can take food or leave it. They like sweets but can walk away. My son and I are like my family. I’ve not overdone it with sweets other than on occasion for years now, but every day I live with incredible cravings and a sense that I was just never full, never satisfied, always left wanting something more.

I, too, am looking forward to learning more about the website and I’m also looking forward to doing other classes. My son hasn’t signed up for any groups but he is eating breakfast with protein within an hour of waking up. I hope he’ll continue to do the steps.

Lannette

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** Radiant Kitchen **


Oh, Emily, they sound gooooooood. Let us know how you get on with the biscuit (which I think we'd called a scone in the UK)!

I have had a weekend in the kitchen. My cousin came over for dinner on Saturday and so I made my world-famous guacamole, which we had with blue and yellow tortillas. Then we had quinoa and roasted mediterranean veges with a chargrilled chicken breast. This came out soooo good. I think it's cos I cooked the quinoa in chicken stock and added lemon zest and black pepper. The chicken I marinaded in OO, lemon juice and zest and garlic, and it was so moist. Delicious.

For dessert we had Vicki's no-bake cheesecake, which came out ok, but last time I made it with toasted coconut in the base and that was better. I also liked it a little gooier (last time I didn't use enough gelatin!) So this was fine, but not as good as the last.

While she was here we also had a go at making a batch of muffins together. And they turned out the best GF I've made yet....pity I didn't pay that much attention whilst I was making them, but here's roughly what I did:
  • 1 C Brown Rice flour
  • 1/2 C sorghum Flour
  • 3/4C oat flour
  • 2 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1 t xanthan gum
Mix these together. I also added some cinnamon, and next time I would add more, as well as other spices, maybe mixed spice, nutmeg, etc.

In sep bowl mix together:
  • 1/4C canola oil
  • 1/2C milk (I used regular cow milk, and I needed added more later too cos the consistency was too dry)
  • 1/4C pineapple juice. I had this leftover from the cheesecake, so I was experimenting. I just poured some in, I would guess it was about
  • 2 egg yolks
Set the egg whites aside and beat til soft peaks. Then add wet mix to the dry mix, and lol, mix. I then added more liquid to get a wetter mix.

Then I added 2 bananas blitzed with hand blender til they were babyfood-like....some walnuts (half a cup, ish), and some blueberries. I just threw them in. Then I folded in the egg whites.

Baked for about 20 mins in a regular baking heat oven. To me that is 180 deg Celsius. :o)

The texture is really good. They are still heavier than a white flour muffin, but not like the rock cakes I usually turn out.

Tonight I am making Chicken Pot Pie and I Don't Care, a la Heidi. And I've also made mini-frittatas for my lunch at work tomorrow. that's a whole lotta cooking!

Milly

For more great program-friendly recipes, check out our cookbook in the store.



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** Radiant Conversations **


Well, now, wasn't that chat about Bentos something else..of course if you take a group that loves office supply stores, we know yah just gonna love BOXES for food, LOL. I just love the creativity of our cooks and organizers. I loved reading the chat. I printed it and will reread it many times. And the pictures were fabulous! I am getting my bento out and making stuff!

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.

I have had some newly pregnant women ask me about which fish oil to get so I thought it would be good to say a little about the different oils we carry.

proepa ProEPA - Nordic Naturals ProEPA, one of the industry's highest concentrations of EPA from fish,is enhanced with natural lemon oil in both the soft gel capsule and oil for great lemon taste. ProEPA is molecularly distilled for purity and concentration, and has added rosemary extract for superior freshness. This high concentrate formula provides excellent nutritional support for the body to manufacture vital series 3 prostaglandins, and is 'repeat' and 'odor free.
prodha ProDHA - DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, and is an essential building block of brain and nerve tissue. DHA can not be synthesized by the body, and therefore must be obtained by a diet high in deep-sea cold water fish.

DHA, which constitutes approximately 40% of the brain, supports brain development during the last trimester of pregnancy when the unborn child's demand for neurological growth increases greatly. If added to the mother's diet, it can help prevent the depletion of the mother's store of DHA, and support the developing baby's essential fatty acid needs. Currently, the proposed Adequate Intake of DHA for pregnant and lactating women is 300 mg. per day. (ISSFAL)
proomegad ProOmegaD - ProOmega Liquid offers a high concentration of both EPA and DHA, along with 100% daily value of vitamin D. This is perfect for those of you who live in areas with not a lot of sunlight.
children's dha Children's DHA -Nordic Naturals Children's DHA is a small, chewable cod liver oil supplement flavored with strawberry essence. Children's DHA is a delicious way for children to supplement their diet with the essential brain nutrient, DHA. Molecularly distilled for purity, Children's DHA contains only naturally existing.

For children three years and older.
proefajr ProEFA Junior - Everyone needs Omega fatty acids, especially young, developing minds! Nordic Naturals ProEFA Junior provides a full spectrum of Omega fatty acids necessary for brain and eye development and maintenance, as well as mood, focus, learning ability, and overall well-being. Taste-tested by kids and teens, these lemon-flavored chewable capsules are perfect for ages five through teens. This one is great for kids who have a hard time paying attention.

pycnogenol And if you are taking fish oil, Kathleen recommends also taking Pycnogenol to strengthen capillaries and protect you from bruising.


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 Creative Cooking list is all about joy in the kitchen. A dash of kitchen know-how and a scoop of fun and exploration is a recipe for a fantastic program-friendly cook. We love to play while nourishing our bodies with great, program-friendly food. Perhaps you have some favorite recipes you’d like to transform. Nearly everything can be made program friendly! Perhaps you are in need of some inspiration in your kitchen. Perhaps you are bursting with creative ideas and would like to share. Please come and 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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**What to Expect Down the Road **
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.



I thought it would be helpful to have a sense of the developmental process in reaching your goals of healing and weight loss. Let’s take a look at how it goes.

Chaos
Regularity and Structure
Stability
Detox
Practice
Success

Chaos

Chaos is the starting place for most of you. You may be way out there, or you may be high functioning chaos artists. But the tone is always the same. You feel hopeless, out of control, desperate, inadequate, and impatient. You can’t remember instructions, you want to get started and people don’t understand what is going on for you.

You feel the “problem” is the sugar. Or the problem is your weight. And the feelings are so bad, you have to do something RIGHT NOW!!!! You are a true drama pup and feel like you can’t start, can’t stop, and you are crazy.

You eat irregular meals, lots of sugars and carbohydrates, you may binge, drink little water and either exercise rarely or exercise compulsively.

You have tried a thousand diets. You have lost weight and gained it back – a lot. You are tired and terrified. You hold your breath at even the idea something might work. You want to do it all, and you keep putting it off.

You are in the right place. The program can help you.

Regularity and Structure

You start the program. You work on breakfast. Breakfast becomes habitual. You like the feelings it brings. You write your journal. Sometimes you forget, but mostly you remember. You don’t yet use the journal as a detective, but you are gathering the information and resisting the idea less. You manage to eat three meals a day. You have protein at each meal. You have a potato every night. You take the three vitamins every day. You are still having sweets, but eat them with your meals. You eat whatever fruits you list but notice them and write them down. You have started increasing your water and find you rather like it. You are thinking about the idea of exercising.

Stability

You have started to feel the routine of regular meals. You have breakfast every day and find that if you miss it, you notice right away. You like how you are feeling. You are sleeping better. You are resisting the idea of the program less. Things start working. You notice how much caffeine and/or aspartame you use. You begin to reduce them slowly without being impulsive or reactive along the way. You are still writing diligently in your journal. You are now getting interested in what your journal says. What can it teach you? What is the connection between food and feelings, anyway? You start eating brown things rather than white refined flour products. Whole grains, brown rice and oatmeal creep in and you find you actually like them.

You still have fruit, but find it is becoming more and more a normal part of your diet rather than a desperate alternative to the sweets you think you should be eating. While you haven’t really focused on the sugars, you find that the bag of M&M’s you used to have instead of lunch doesn’t have the same charm when eaten after dinner. You are less frantic about searching for your stash in the evening. Mr. Spud is a friend by now.

And you are starting to think that the idea of going off sugar may not be so scary after all.

Detox

You pick a date and know that you are ready to just go for it. The day arrives and you don’t have sugar, you don’t have alcohol. You feel excited. You feel that maybe this time you can do it. You still have breakfast; you guard yourself a little more tightly. You are using your food journal as a valuable aid in your process. It alerts you to danger or slipping. But your focus is on the SUGAR. Finally, the bogey man is going to go. Day four comes; you are cranky but intrigued. It’s a day and you are ready. And then, and then day five. You wake up and realize you just passed through the sugar barrier. You are on your way.

You hold this place now for a while. Part of you is itching to go with losing weight. You actually may have started losing. Or you may have gained some. This makes you a little nervous, but you trust the process. Something is happening here. You aren’t quite sure what or how it is working so powerfully, but you are hooked.

Your food is steady. Your energy is up. Your sleep is working. You are pleased and excited. And if you are not, you know what to do. Back to the journal. Back to the forum. Let’s figure it out. It’s not overwhelming; it’s just functional. You are in charge and you know what to do.

You have been sugar free for a few weeks. Yes, yes, that is weeks, not days. And now you are ready to start your diet plan. But you are willing to listen. Wait for six months on steady we say. You no longer fret. You know it makes sense. Get skill, get stable.

You are no longer frantic and are starting to enjoy this. You have some goals. You have a sense that you can start the things to get you ready for weight loss.

Practice

You are reducing the amount of fruit you have. Browns are steady. You start increasing the greens. Veggies become your friend – and if not your friend, at least you have learned how to cook them. You eat them regularly. You have increased your water to the ounces that equal 1/2 your body weight. The potato is a regular part of your routine. Steady, you are steady. And you have started exploring your other options from that steady place.

You go into the support modules regularly and work on the “extras” like defining your style, reflecting on feelings, getting your support network refined, exercising, and looking at what will help you hold the diet.

A funny thing is happening. You kinda like this process. You are less impatient. You like how things are unfolding. You are ready now for the weight loss.

Success

After all this time, you are ready. Not frantic, but ready. At the base, you understand what you are doing. This is not hit or miss or desperate. It is informed and intentional. You understand the biochemistry of it all. You don’t throw away the spud because it is too glycemic. You aren’t counting calories. You have a good relationship to your scale. You are doing some exercise every day. You are on your way!




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/