July 30, 2012

Hi {!firstname_fix}

Well, it has been a week of a lot of learning. Radiant friends here visiting with kids, an extra kid, so much play time. Summer things, mudpies in my dish container, dogs in mud, watching Hotel for Dogs.

Now it is quiet and I am thinking about taking photos and painting and getting ready for Maine in August.

These classes will begin Wednesday, August 1, 2012. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:

Using Radiant Resources (1 week) - 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.

Step 2

 Step 2: Introduction (2 weeks) - will teach you the basics of journaling. The class will give you step-by-step instructions in how to record your food and feelings in a way that gets you excited. Learn the nano steps of step 2, share with others who are wanting to create fun journals, and discover why you might be resistant. This will be a really fun hands-on class.
Diabetes (2 weeks) (CEU Available) - An exploration of how to manage your diabetes while working the seven steps. We will look at the 7 steps for diabetics and talk about how to adapt your program. But even more important, we are going to look at what to do with fear, avoidance, denial, resentment and all those other *feeling* things that come along with a diagnosis. And if you are not diabetic, but have someone in your life who is, come join us. Or if you are a professional and want to learn more about how to include this in your skill set, you will learn a lot.


This class will begin Wednesday, August 8, 2012. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:

Step 1

 Step 1 (1 week) - 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. We are running a special and reducing the price and the time for this class. It will now be a one week intensive. Let's see if it suits you better.


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

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 **


Work to know what you eat and why you eat what you do.

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** Testimonial of the Week **


For example, my 6 1/2 year old's soccer game traditionally ends with different parents bringing snacks & drink. Even though 5 games ago, coach said it would probably be best to bring some kind of chips and juice only..... there have been candy bars, lollipops and the worst kinds of drinks I have ever seen, like those horrible sports drinks made with splenda and also the colored bug juice in those barrel shaped bottles.

Every game, I tell Yuval it is your choice - I have an extra drink in the car for you and you can have a different snack at home. He gets very emotional and says it is his special day and he wants to eat the sweet snack because he never gets anything at home, ate a lot of protein at lunch, promises to behave, will have a shake after, a million good reasons. Agreed he would give up the drink if the snack has sugar too. Last game was doritos and I let him drink 1/3 of the bottle of sugary drink because I didn't want him to cry and he said the chips are not sweet. We ignored the lollipops.

There are only 3 more games this season, but this situation is bound to repeat itself. If it wasn't for the experiences of your families, I would be sure this could only get worse.

Sarit

Sarit - Here's what I have done. Just simply stated - we don't drink that and handed my child a fresh water bottle. They don't complain.. ever, about the drinking water. If Yuval doesn't like water, add a bit of juice to it. Then little by little cut back on the juice.

Or I sometimes make herbal iced tea, combination of red zinger, yellow zinger and some (not much) apple juice.

In the case of the food - I let the chips go, thank the parent any way for the candy and when it's my turn to bring a snack I bring something really spectacular and watch the kids devour it! I've been known to bring fresh strawberries, fruit kabobs, blue chips, cheese and crackers artfully displayed, for all. And I always bring iced water bottles.

My children get that the foods with chemical sweeteners are really awful for their brains. They have practically given my family members including their grandparents, aunts and uncles dissertations on what the chemicals do to their brains!

Show Yuval the pictures of the spider webs in LSA. I bet he will get it.

Of course, we parents always have to choose our battles - those are the ones I've chosen. They seem to be ingrained now. I wouldn't do it any different if I had to do it over again.

Gail


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** Radiant Ambassadors **




A member of the RR community emailed me the other day to recommend the Mamasource.com website. It's a "free, local online Mother's community" which is only available in the US and it allows moms to talk to other moms about all manner of issues in your particular area.

Apparently there is a lot of talk about children acting out and generally displaying nothing more than sugar-sensitive behavior.

What if we were to mention "Little Sugar Addicts" and Radiant Recovery on the site and how it has helped our families?

If moms started talking to moms about Radiant Recovery, imagine what the future would look like (grin)!

Selena
selenas@blueyonder.co.uk

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

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** How I Found Radiant Recovery **


Hi, I'm Molly from Nevada City, CA. I've known about Kathleen's work since the early '90s, when I saw her give a talk and have been in and out of RR circles but never have successfully gotten past step 4. I think it's really 3 that's been the stumbling block. I'm coming back with some better tools now, and hoping that I can stay the course. Have been eating breakfast for two weeks, and just joined the Step 1 class that begins next week.

I know the on-line process has changed since I was here last, so wanted to find out more about it. (I'm also YLD but haven't participated in a few years.)

Looking forward to spending the week with you!

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** Radiant Recovery® Store **


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

Well, I went and did a literature search on my beloved bud, pycnogenol. I was stunned at the research that has been done and plan to do a whole article for you about it. This week I am including it because drinking alcohol reduces immune function and pycnogenol reverses that effect. Pycnogenol also helps keep extra fat out of the fat stores. I like this idea. Wait til you read about what else it does. I decided to carry it in our store because I had heard about its great anti-oxidant effects. I had NO idea of the range of what it can do. Good stuff!

Here are a couple of science articles. First one says Pycnogenol heals. Second one says Pycnogenol stops fat storage in fat cells.

Life Sci. 1996;58(5):PL 87-96.

Immunomodulation by pycnogenol in retrovirus-infected or ethanol-fed mice.

Cheshier JE, Ardestani-Kaboudanian S, Liang B, Araghiniknam M, Chung S, Lane L, Castro A, Watson RR.

Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724, USA.

Pycnogenol is a commercial mixture of bioflavonoids that exhibits antioxidative activity. The effects of dietary pycnogenol on immune dysfunction in normal mice as well as those fed ethanol or infected with the LP-BM5 murine retrovirus were determined. The ethanol consumption and retrovirus infection caused abnormalities in the function and/or structure of a broad array of cells involved in humoral and cellular immunity. Pycnogenol enhanced in vitro IL-2 production by mitogen-stimulated splenocytes if its production was suppressed in ethanol-fed or retrovirus-infected mice. Mitogenesis of splenocytes did not show a significant change in mice treated with pycnogenol. It reduced the elevated levels of interleukin-6 produced in vitro by cells from retrovirus infected mice and IL-10 secreted by spleen cells from mice consuming ethanol. Natural killer cell cytotoxicity was increased with pycnogenol treatment.

Phytother Res. 2000 Sep;14(6):472-3.

Inhibition of lipogenesis by pycnogenol.

Hasegawa N.

Department of Food and Nutrition, Nagoya Bunri College, Nagoya, Japan. hsgwn@nagoya-bunri.ac.jp

The influence of pycnogenol on the adipose conversion of 3T3-L1 cells by insulin was studied. In week 3 of culture with insulin, pycnogenol was found to inhibit significantly the expression of glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (p 0.01). This finding suggests that pycnogenol inhibits the accumulation of lipid droplets in adipose tissue. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


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

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** Radiant Kitchen **


STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

  • 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms
  • 1/2 lb. fresh spinach
  • T. olive oil
  • 1/2 c. chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed oregano leaves
  • pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tsp. salt (optional)
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
Rinse, pat dry and chop mushrooms. Set aside. Wash spinach. Place in a saucepan. Cook covered, only with the water clinging to the leaves until barely wilted. Drain well, squeezing out excess water. Chop (should make about 1/2 cup). Set aside. In a large skillet, heat 2 T. of the oil until hot. Add onions and mushrooms. Saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, pepper, salt and spinach. Cook and stir well for 1 minute. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, flatten each chicken breast by placing them between 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pounding them with a mallet until about 1/4 inch thick. Spoon 1/4 of the mushroom/spinach mixture onto the center of each chicken breast. Roll lengthwise. Secure with toothpicks.

Place rolled chicken breasts into a 9 inch square pan. Combine chicken broth with remaining 2 T. of olive oil. Spoon over chicken. Bake uncovered, basting frequently, until chicken is tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving (optional).

Note: You can make the mushroom/spinach mixture the night before and refrigerate it. Let it come to room temperature before using. Then just start with pounding the chicken and filling, rolling and baking.

For more great program-friendly recipes, check out our cookbook in the store and visit our online Radiant Recipes site.


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** Our Online Groups **


Come join us on the Recovery List. Here is the place that people in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction hang out together. We talk about doing the food, going to AA and learning how to put all your supports together in a package for healing.

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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**Do You Have a Problem With Alcohol? **
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.



I am posting this again because I have heard from so many folks about this issue this past week.

Be tender with yourself when you look at this. If you have a problem with alcohol, you probably have had all sorts of people who have been far from tender with you. No doubt you have been criticized, shamed, fought with, talked to, cajoled, bargained with or argued with. In fact, if someone around you criticizes your drinking, it is one of the most reliable indicators that you have a problem with alcohol. People who do not have a problem with alcohol do not evoke pain, frustration or concern about drinking in the people around them.

Take a quiet look at your alcohol use. You don't have to admit you have a problem, you don't have to surrender anything. Your own commitment and experience will guide you in this process. Honesty about your relationship to alcohol is hard because the very nature of the disease of alcoholism is denial. Do this review in the privacy of your own home or office and give yourself absolute discretion over whether you share your findings with anyone at this time. If privacy supports your honesty, embrace it. If sharing serves you better, find a trusted friend to help you ask these questions. The very best alternative is a friend in recovery.

What is very surprising is that people who do not have a problem with drinking don't feel bad about it. They don't feel guilty. We talk a lot about the 'denial' of alcoholism. I believe denial is the response that emerges when the person is made to feel defensive about their behaviors. When there is no reason to be defensive, people are remarkably on target about what is going on for them. Take away the shame or the judgment and you can assess your problems pretty clearly.

'Oh, come on,' you say. 'Everyone does that!' Everyone doesn't do this.

People who don't have a problem with alcohol are not inclined to want more when they feel bad. Having a problem with alcohol or alcoholism is defined as 'continued use of alcohol despite adverse consequences.' When a non-problem drinker has an adverse consequence from drinking, she stops. She will make the connection between feeling bad and alcohol. A problem drinker doesn't see this connection.

Not making the connection is not about being stubborn or stupid or even about willful 'denial.' Not making the connection between drinking and feeling bad is about chemical changes in the brain that alter the parts of the brain that form judgment by making a connection between cause and effect. The parts of the brain that are responsible for saying, 'Hey, this made me feel bad, I don't think I want more,' don't work properly.

Not making the connection creates a vicious cycle. In the problem drinker's mind, the alcohol actually makes her feel better, so she drinks more. Her opinion is confirmed when the alcohol triggers a beta endorphin release of euphoric feelings. This reaction is why everyone drinks - the effect is nice. The sugar-sensitive person feels especially good because alcohol causes a even greater beta endorphin response in her brain. She feels far better than other people do when they drink. But the next morning, she is hung over, a feeling that comes from withdrawal. All the beta endorphin receptors that were stimulated, or primed, by yesterday's alcohol use are screaming for more.

That morning-after feeling of wanting to do anything to feel better is so easily taken care of by having a drink. So she does. Relief comes. Blessed, sweet relief. And with her "adverse consequences" switch turned off, the problem drinker's natural response is to feel that having a quick one is a reasonable and logical way to take care of bad feelings.

So CAGE stands for:

C - CRITICIZED
A - ANNOYED
G - GUILTY
E - EYE-OPENER

Now, let's go back to each question individually.

Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking? Not a hard one. People usually know the answer to this right away. Yes or no. No cheating, or fudging. If cutting down is even a passing thought, answer this one 'Yes.'

Have people ever annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? Okay, be honest now. Ever? Think about those times when you have held your tongue, or wanted to smack someone for making a comment about your drinking. Think of the fights you have had with your spouse about it. Answer honestly.

Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking? This question is pretty straight forward.

Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning (an "eye-opener") to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

A score of ONE is a warning sign.

Remember the meaning of CAGE. Let yourself think about this for a while. One of two things will happen. You might begin working very hard to say, 'Naw, I don't really feel guilty about my drinking.' This is an example of denial creeping in and wrapping its deadly little body around your neck. Just pay attention. Consider whether you are getting farther away from relationship to your body and your own inner wisdom.

The other thing that might happen is you may be jostled into realizing that you do have a problem with alcohol. If you decide that you would like to stop drinking, there are a number of factors to take into consideration before you do. First, you will need to estimate how severe a withdrawal you will have based on the frequency and volume of your drinking. You will need to honestly and accurately figure out how much alcohol you consume in a week. You can do this by recording your alcohol consumption right in your food journal. Do this for a week and then take an honest look at the frequency and amount of your drinking. Calculate the number of drinks you have in a day or a week. A drink is 4 oz. of wine, one beer or 1 oz. of hard liquor. So if you have three 6 oz. glasses of wine (18 oz.), this would be the equivalent of 4.5 drinks.

After you know where you now stand, you can start to plan your detox process. Just as in your detox from sugars, you will want to determine your style for making change. You can either taper down and then stop or you can stop all at once. Most people find it much easier to go for sobriety all at once. You don't have to be making decisions about how much, when, where, with whom all of the time. You can focus on one decision only - the decision not to drink.

It will be important for you to have some sort of support as you make the change. Do not stop drinking without telling anyone what you are doing. Work with us on the recovery list. And find someone locally who has been through alcohol detox. Talk to that person. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can be a wonderful support because everyone in AA has been through this process. The only requirement for going to AA is a desire to stop drinking. You don't have to be an alcoholic. You don't have to sign up, you don't have to agree with the program, you don't have to do it any particular way. You don't even have to talk in the meeting. You can sit quietly in the back and slip out quickly any time you want.

AA can give you a lifeline to others who know about recovery. They can provide you with a road map and concrete suggestions about how to handle what you are feeling. If you go to a meeting and don't like it, don't assume that you won't like a different meeting. Some meetings are boring, some are abusive and most are profoundly supportive and life-giving.

If you are not comfortable in meetings, find at least one person to support you in your alcohol detox. Do not expect your spouse or partner, your daughter or your son to be your primary support. They are too closely involved. Find at least one person who has been there. Talk about what you are doing. Tell your story. Get books about recovery. Go to a treatment professional.

If you plan to stop drinking all at once, you must have medical supervision for your detox if any of the following are true for you:

  1. If you have a history of blood pressure that is higher than 140/90.
  2. If you have used more than a six pack of beer daily, more than six 4 oz. glasses of wine or more than eight ounces (half a pint) of liquor per day for over a year.
  3. If you have had prior withdrawal symptoms, such as depression or agitation.
  4. If you have ever had seizures for any reason, and in particular if you have had alcohol DT's.
  5. If you are using any other (either illegal or prescription) drugs in combination with the alcohol. This particularly includes benzodiazipines such as Valium, Librium or Xanex.
Withdrawal from significant or long standing alcohol use can be a serious process. Keep yourself safe as you make this change. You are taking a very important and brave step. Withdrawal symptoms can include depression, insomnia, sweating, tremulousness, agitation, irritability, and brain "fog." In fact, go to the sidebar which lists the withdrawal symptoms for nicotine. You may experience may of these same things since alcohol and nicotine do share some neurochemical pathways.

Withdrawal usually starts 4-6 hours after the time you usually have your alcohol. If you drink every day at 6:00 PM, you will begin to experience discomfort that evening. If you have been a heavy drinker, your doctor may prescribe short term medication which will minimize the possibility of having seizures during detox.

Making the food changes in preparation for going off of alcohol will greatly enhance the likelihood that you can achieve and maintain long term sobriety.

When you actually start your detox, increase your vitamins and increase your fruit intake the first week you stop drinking. If you feel edgy during the day, have an additional 1/2 teaspoon of the B-complex liquid. (Don't have it in the evening, though, it will keep you up.) We encourage our clients to have 2-3 bananas a day for that first week. You can add one to your power shake and then use them as a snack later in the day. Make sure you have a baked potato before you go to bed. It will help your serotonin function and will support the normalization of your sleep patterns.

The people in our community cannot believe what a difference it makes to have done the food plan first. They have fewer withdrawal symptoms, very little craving and feel better than they have in years. This food plan can support the power of your commitment.

Thanks for reading! If you know someone who could benefit from this, feel free to forward it to them.

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http://www.radiantrecovery.com

Until next time!
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.



©2012 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/weeklynewsletter