Newsletter

May 4, 2015

Hi {!firstname_fix}

We are just finishing up ranch. It was wonderful. I will give you a full report next week. (smile) Tonight I am tired. We loved seeing everyone and loved the content, stay tuned.

This class will begin Wednesday, May 6, 2015. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:

I am reopening the step two class. Come join if you missed signing up. And read today’s article if you are not sure if it is time LOL.

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.

This class will begin Wednesday, May 13, 2015. Please click on the name of the class 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.

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 **

As you learn to handle new situations, as you learn to recover from a slip, you will become smarter and savvier each time.

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**Testimonial of the Week **

A while ago, I invited folks to share their ideas about the special situations you all can face. Here is a wonderful list from Mosaic.

Come over to the forum and share your ideas on any one of these topics. Share what you know about how to handle any of these challenging situations. And then we will compile them all and bring it back here.

A. Work

Meetings that take place at lunch time

At these, filled bread cobs are provided. I say no thanks in advance so it doesn't get wasted, and just open my packed lunch and get on with it. I don't feel the need to explain... had a few raised eyebrows. But I do pack less noisy food and something that I won't slurp..lentil and cooked carrot salad to eat with a spoon, chicken slices to eat with my fingers, that sort of thing.

If food is provided at an outside venue, it's worth looking at their vegetarian option - I had good mozzarella and tomato salad once, where the meat options were all pastry based.
Other work related challenges

Snacks - I had a 10 am snack for months and *not* allowed to eat under any circumstance. I took food I could eat quickly and craftily. Ryvita and peanut butter soaked in. Hiding behind a door usually :-) OK, not ideal.

B. Social Situations

Pot luck dinner

I have phoned ahead and offered a savoury brown rice dish. New potato salad. Take almonds to scatter on salad and a babybel or two in case protein a bit short.
Cocktail party or other non-meal parties

I take Jakimarys Falafels ( see recipes) with mint yogurt dip. Tiny tandoori chicken pieces. Take lots of fizzy water. No one notices, especially if you have a nice glass. I keep it topped up so no one has to offer to get it.
Dinner at someone else's house

All my friends are lovely and helpful, they even cook special food. Haven't done acquaintances yet, but would phone ahead and offer to bring stuff/interrogate the hostess craftily and thoroughly. (only half joking)
Going out to dinner with friends or relatives

No problem, but always take a spare brown. Choose the restaurant well is the trick, engineer them 'round to Chinese not being the favourite idea. Suggest that marvellous place we went last month, etc. If possible ( like when I went to Brighton ). have a look to see if any restaurants have online menus so you are forearmed.
Handling sugar pushers and nosy questions

"No thanks, sugar *does not* agree with me." If pressed, launch into the horrible graphic (*tries to be delicate for the forum*) "tummy" symptoms experienced after last year's marinated kebab in Spain. That stops them in their tracks.
Other social issues

I keep a snack I really like always in my handbag. Then if we are delayed or plans adapted and everyone else is off for coffee and cake somewhere I am always prepared. Luckily I think almonds/walnuts a great treat. That way I am joining in and getting my proper snack as well

Genuine questions - "I've got this great website to recommend"

I've been really lucky so far - specially with friends - we don't have a massive social circle/eat with strangers so I'd love to hear what to do in big social situations, meeting people you don't know very well.

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** Radiant Recovery^® Store **

Summertime allergies? Get some ProEpa and some pycnogenol. I have been hearing wonderful reports from this dynamic duo.

And one other helpful idea....when you first start increasing your protein and veggies, your body might complain a bit. Kathleen explained that sometimes people who are sugar sensitive have lower levels of the enzymes that handle these things. Our digestive enzymes can really help. Try getting Quadrazyme.

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 **

Here is a recipe that I made up last year. We were having a discussion of fish sticks for kids and this is a great alternative. It also works for those off of wheat since you can use Kathleen's famous alternative of brown rice and oat flour mixed together.

BATTER-FRIED FISH

1 1/3 c. whole wheat or whole spelt flour (or 2/3 c. brown rice flour and 2/3 c. oat flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 tsp. salt
10 tsp. butter
1 lb. sole or flounder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 large egg, beaten
1 c. club soda or seltzer

Mix together flour(s), baking powder, salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until it resembles fine crumbs. Set aside. Heat oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees. Rinse fish and pat dry. Mix flour mixture together with pepper and add in egg and club soda to make a thick batter. Dip fish into the batter. Deep fry fish, a few pieces at a time for about 5 minutes or until it is deep golden brown and the fish flakes easily. Drain on paper towels.

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

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**Radiant YLD **

We had the most incredible discussions about fat terror and weight loss at ranch. Look for the information to come streaming down into chats soon

If you would like to join us in YLD, come find us here

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**Radiant Living **

Same goes for Joy Dots...it was just fabulous!! We will share it shortly.

If you would like to join us in Radiant Living, come find us here

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**I Have Been Trying Step 2 for Two Years **

Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

As you know, I sometimes reissue certain articles in the newsletter.. This is one of my favorites.

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We have had a number of conversations in the community about how long the steps should take. People were sharing about not being able to move beyond journaling. As usual, there was a lot of encouragement and support. As a group, we are kind. We care about one another; we listen and hold one another up.

But, today, I am going to add another perspective. I am going to challenge you. If you want to be healed, you need to take action. Nodding at the idea but not acting will never heal you. Addiction has you by the throat. It has its icy hands around your heart. It is stealing your life.

Support will help. But sometimes kindness helps to keep you stuck. Sometimes a greater kindness will say, “If you want what we have, do what we do.” Feeling miserable about your life and doing nothing means that things will not change.

Sugar sensitives have a hard time committing. Usually we wait until it is really, really bad to take action. This is natural. Our unbalanced biochemistry tilts us in the direction of spinning and being stuck. Sugar makes us immobile. Sugar saps our spark and dilutes our motivation. It deflects intention. And if we just “wait” for it to get better, we will wait a lifetime.

At some point, healing requires commitment. It demands saying, “I will do what it takes to get well.” It means that our intention overrides the sugar effect. It means that we actually “do” the journal... even though it is hard and requires paying attention. We stop flapping and we start focusing. We stop saying, “You know, I have ADD, this is too hard for me.” And we ask, “What do I need in order for this to work?”

When you make this commitment, you come to the lists, to the forum with a different frame of reference. What is there to learn? Who can guide you? This community has the most extraordinary people in it. People who are skilled and competent with the program. People who have been where you are and are not there now.

Ask for help. Rather than staying stuck, commit. If you do not know what to do, say so. And then LISTEN. Here is an example…

Someone comes to me and says, “Kathleen, my life is overwhelming, my sugar is out of control, I cannot find my way, I am in pain, I don’t know what to do. Will you help?”

I say, “Eat breakfast.”

“Oh, I do that already. I have been doing Atkins for 5 years. I just can’t get the journal down.”

“Do you eat within a hour of getting up?”

“Well, most days. Well, some days. But I am really busy. I have 4 kids and it is a rush to get everyone off to school.”

“Are you getting enough protein?”

“Well, of course. I have 2 eggs every morning.”

So I wait. I figure this is a person who is not ready. She goes on the forum and starts talking about the kids and the stress and her life and not being able to journal. She gets suggestions about the journal and for every one there is a reason why that can’t work for her.

I have been called “harsh” because I am demanding. I have been called insensitive because I do not get caught in the swirl of the kids and time and the job and the “stuff.” I have been told I do not understand how hard it is. I have been accused of being curt because I don’t get into a long discussion about how hard it is.

How hard it is does not matter. Of course it is hard. If it were easy, we would have all healed many years ago. Sugar addiction is nasty. It takes commitment and courage. It takes willingness. But you do not have to do it alone, or by white knuckling it. Ask for help and then listen. Follow instructions. Do the steps. One at a time. In order. With enough time for your body to integrate the pattern. Accept that there is a reason, a very powerful one, that they are in the order they are. Consider that someone might know something more than you do about how to heal this nasty stuff. Be outrageous and consider that the people who have gone before you really, truly do have something to offer you.

Ask for guidance rather than hugs. And then commit. Whatever it takes. And watch the miracle unfold. Your body will change. Your spirit will change. Your life will change. Beyond anything you could ever have imagined.

But it won’t happen if you stay stuck for 2 years.

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

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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.
mosaic contributes to the Notes from the Forum column.

©2015 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.

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