Hi {!firstname_fix}

Well, I hope you are all embracing and enjoying the gift of the new year. This is always a special time. New hope. Many of you are reeling from wobbly holidays but now is a wonderful time to get centered and back on track. Don’t forget we have three classes starting up Monday. If you come right now, we can fit you in...

Relapse: Waking Up
Relapse: Getting Motivated
Step Four: More Intriguing than You Thought

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 me cover.

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

**********************************************************************

January 3, 2005

** Quote From Gretel **

The thing is to not get spooked, just open the door to possibilities and the idea of letting yourself live into them.

*********************************************************************

** Testimonial for the Week**

We were having a funny conversation about doing the steps as they are written. So many people say, *Oh Kathleen, I have been doing Atkins for years. I know the drill.* I laugh and say there is more to the steps than meets the eye. Here is a fun post I wrote to one of the people who was SURE that her way was ideal.

And, of course, there is a reason for the way I suggest, LOL.

There is more to the program than just the food. There is a process of healing as well. There are many, many other things embedded in each step.

learning to listen
learning to follow directions
learning to think that someone other than you might know better how to heal your body
giving up control
gaining control
going slowly and assimilating the change
learning how to do sequential and thoughtful rather than all or nothing
learning to savor rather than gulp

and a thousand more (smile).

Gee, I talked on this topic for 90 minutes at ranch, LOL. We even have a CD of it. Getting off of sugar is a tiny part of healing sugar sensitivity (smile).

Warmly,
Kathleen

********************************************************************

**Recipe of the Week**

I just love warm and comforting foods during the winter. This one takes a bit of time for preparation, but is so worth the effort!

STUFFED CABBAGE

1 large head of cabbage
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 T. oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 beaten egg
3 T. oil
2 T. whole wheat flour or brown rice flour
1 46 oz can tomato juice*
4 T. tomato paste*
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 T. sea salt* 2 large turkey necks (optional - but worth using since it really flavors the sauce)

(*note - for those trying to reduce the sodium, you can omit the sea salt and purchase salt free tomato juice and paste - you might have to adjust the other seasonings to compensate for the lower sodium content.)

Freeze cabbage head. Once defrosted, the leaves will come off very easily and the large leaves will be intact. Remove the 3 outermost layers of cabbage and discard or chop up and use it to season the sauce.

Combine turkey, rice, oil, onion, garlic and egg. Place 1 T. mixture on each leaf and roll up (place meat on end towards stem, turn stem over meat, fold in sides and then roll up). Heat oil in pot, stir in flour to make a roux. Add rest of ingredients, you can add the left over cabbage, too. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Add stuffed cabbage rolls one by one. Cook over low flame for 2 hours.

********************************************************************

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

We have a whole group of people who did not miss a beat over the holidays. In fact they even LOST weight! Now, how kewl is that! I love YLD. It’s so funny. Every week before chat I reread sections of it and I think, my, my is that ever interesting.

Click here if you are ready to change your life.

********************************************************* ***********

**Radiant Ambassadors**

I got a new purse recently. I put my potato keychain on the strap as kind of a decoration (got that idea from Barbara at Ranch (smile)). I can’t believe how many people have commented on it. People ask me, “is that a potato?” and they usually want to touch it. LOL It’s really the perfect way to introduce them to Radiant Recovery, because they want to know what the significance is. I tell them a little about the program and then I give them a business card — which this purse just happens to have a slot for. So, I’ve decided that this purse is my ambassador purse. And the reason I bought it in the first place was I needed a purse big enough to put my journal in when I travel.

Terri

If you love the program and want to learn to share the word more effectively, consider joining the ambassador group. We are having some much fun learning from one another.

If you haven't gotten any cards to pass out yet, order them now. They are free! It is a great way to spread the word.

Come find us among the Online Groups

********************************************************* ***********

**David's Corner **

Well, since the main article is about George’s Junior, I guess we will feature our new *baby* in the store. I have been getting great feedback from all of you. I am pleased you like it so much. And we have been doing some creative things. Some folks asked about an alternating subscription... one month Junior, one month original. Remember that we are here to serve you. If you want something special, ask.

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

Thanks
David

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

********************************************************* ***********

**Our Online Groups**

Hi, I’m Martha, the liaison for the RadiantStep3 group. Like the name says, this group is all about our very favorite Step 3: Eating three protein meals a day at regular intervals. This was a tough step for me when I started the program nearly 6 years ago -- I was a major all-day grazer! But now, three meals a day is a snap to me, very natural… I never dreamed I would ever say that in my lifetime! (smile).

My teammate for this list is Vicki G, who told me she also found this to be the hardest step for her. So I figured, we have “been there, done that,” and perhaps we can help support others who find this to be a challenging step.

We talk a lot about things like: What is a meal, exactly? How do I get my body to cooperate with eating “just” three meals a day? What are some tips to help me with consistent timing? And all sorts of other aspects of this Step. We try to make it fun, because… why not make it fun?? In the past two years of being the liaison for this list, I’ve been thrilled to see so many people come through and “graduate” to the next steps! It’s a great place of support… come and join us! (And it matters not if you are new to the step, totally re-doing the step or just shoring up your Step 3 after being further along in the program.)

********************************************************************

** Featured Topic**
George's Junior
Kathleen Des Maisons, Ph.D.

By now you all have hear that George's Junior is here. I thought you might enjoy learning about what it took to get it ready for you. I started the process almost 2 years ago by hiring a consultant to get me started on learning about whey options. Whey protein isolate is made in a number of different ways. Sweet whey comes as a by product of cheese making. It can be further distilled through either an ion exchange process or through ultra-filtration. Ion exchange processing increases the sodium content because a buffer soda is used in the proceeding. This process also looses the glycomacropeptides and immune boosters that are naturally found in whey. The processes that use hypdrolysation can make the product bitter. So I learned that we wanted an ultra filtered product.

We then attended the national whole foods trade show to meet with suppliers and learn more about whey manufacturing. We found the experts and started talking to them. Whey Protein Isolate is made up of 5 basic parts: beta lactalbumin, alpha lactalbumin, BSA, glycomacropeptides (GMP) and proteose. I learned that ultra-filtered whey does great things. It improves calcium absorption, has antibacterial properties, suppresses cravings, binds microbial toxin and enhances immune function. I spent about 6 months doing a literature search and reading everything I could about WPI and why certain kinds were better. Whey Protein Isolate is a wonder food. The more I read, the more impressed I was with the impact it has on health. I decided which one would work best for our sugar sensitive biochemistry.

Now I needed to decide what source to use. I talked with the whey experts at the University of MN. I spoke with several people they referred me to about developing a special formula. Mostly these folks were busy and less excited about what is called short run production. So I decided that I knew what I wanted and I could figure out the formulation myself. Then I spoke with a whole number of whey producers to learn who would work with small production runs. I also wanted to find someone who did kosher processing. A ton of phone calls later, I found a company I liked. Then we began the sampling process. I would give them a set of specs, they would make it up and I would taste. I found that using straight whey protein isolate was not so tasty. So I put together a mixed formula and really liked how it tasted.

At the same time, I was deciding whether to put the complex carb in the mix. I knew that kids would not be wild about the oats we have in regular George's. I found some little oat flakes in a natural baby food. I thought this would be prefect. Then I spent 3 months trying to find a supplier. Hains, the folks who make the baby food, would not sell to me. The oats distributor would only sell in 10,000 pound lots. I decided to leave it out and let the parents work with their kids about what do do for the morning carb.

Now I had a company to make it and a formula that works. Next we had to deal with the right jar, the color lids, the production time. And, no small effort, the label. The label had to be designed. The manufacturer had to send nutritional specs and we would go from there. The artist who did the original George's Shake has disappeared and I did not have the art file. So now I had to find the G in the label. Off I went to fonts.com. I finally sent them a sample and they identified the font and we were on our way. I went back and forth with the artist for weeks while we got what I wanted. And we had to look at many little mouse samples to choose the little mouse there. And there are a thousand tones of blue so it took a while to choose the right configuration. Finally the label got off to the label printer. Then there were decisions about which direction the spool had to unwind from. New manufacturer, new specs.

Now we are close. I am assured that we are on track and production is ready. This is the point at which I tell all of you it is coming. Then the sales person at the manufacturer goes off to a trade show and cannot be reached. He has not left specs for production. Then he goes on vacation. Then he is back. I think we are set. Production is ready, but I get a fax saying, it will be delayed to Dec 27 because they do not have the lids because they do not have the color we decided upon. I call and say what color do you have in stock. Use those. Another week goes by. They call and say they do not have the right size boxes for shipment. I refrain from saying what I am thinking. At the kindest, I am thinking this guy must be an untreated sugar sensitive. Next time we will have a check list. Have you ordered the product? Do you have jars on hand? Do you have lids? Do you have the labels on hand? How many labels are there? Are the labels left spool run labels? Have you contacted a shipper?

At any rate, one morning a HUGE semi truck pulls up and says where is your loading dock. I laugh and say *I told the manufacturer to tell you, no loading dock, bring a truck with a lift.* But there we were. David and I and the truck driver got creative and now the shake is in the Radiant Recovery shed. And I announce the product.

Next time will be easier. The fun thing is that this is *our* shake. Your input, the kids' comments, your request, personally formulated and delivered to my door and yours. Not like dealing with a big anonymous corporation.

©Kathleen DesMaisons 2004.

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

Gretel, the liaison for the recovery list and the webmaster puts it all together
JoAnna, the liaison for vegetarians gathers the testimonials
Naomi, the liaison for Yisroel gathers the recipes
Terri, the liaison for Ambassadors sends over the ambassadors quote
Marie, the liaison for diabetes gathers the info on the online lists
David, who runs the Radiant Recovery® Store talks about what new products we have.