Hi {!firstname_fix}

We have five classes starting up Wednesday. A number of you have asked me about how the classes work. I conduct them via email through Yahoogroups, so it does not matter where you live or what time zone you are in or whether you can get to the computer at a specific time. After you register for payment, you will receive an autoresponder email from me with instructions on how to get to the class. Please be sure to click on the link in the email that will take you to Yahoo to sign up.

If you come right now, sign up, then immediately return the autoresponder email to join the Yahoo group through which the class will be conducted, we can fit you in... Just click on the links below.

The Addiction Amoeba class is going to look at the other addictions that surface after you have taken care of your sugar addiction. Things like debt, gambling, smoking, codependency, work, shoes, and stuff like that. I will show you how your biochemistry affects these things. Please do not sign up for this class if you are just starting the steps.

Using Community Resources is for those of you brand new to the community. I will walk you through what is here and how to use it.

Step 2, An Introduction to Your Journal, is THE class to take if you want to know how to journal correctly and well. Even if you have been journaling, this is a really fun overview.

Restart, Waking Up is for those of you who went through the steps and then crashed (smile). This will get you back on track.

Doing the Steps, An Overview is a way to get a sense of all the steps and how they fit together. If you are starting off and want to see how the steps work, this is for you.

We have posted a schedule of the classes for the next month.

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

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February 28, 2005
** Quote From Kathleen **

The cornerstone of your healing, your food journal, is also the first step in creating a relationship with your body.

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** Testimonial for the Week**


A coworker of mine, who is diabetic, was wandering the halls giving away these 'great' sugar-free cookies to everyone the other day. And everybody was raving about them. Now, most people don't know I don't eat sugar/whites. So he gets to me and offers me one, telling me how 'really, really good' they are. I smiled and said, 'No thank you, I actually don't eat sweeteners or white flour.' So he says, 'oh, but they're sugar free!' And I explained that I don't eat sugar OR sweeteners. He looks at me puzzled and then says, "What?! What the hell do you eat then? Tree bark? Man, you're no fun!' I'm laughing, and he walks away and looks back at me and says, 'You might as well just curl up and die then - you can't be living a fun life.' He's laughing as he says it - he's very loud and always making fun of people in a joking way. I didn't even dignify it with a response because he wouldn't have 'heard' me anyway.

So 20 minutes go by and he comes back. 'Sue! I had to just drink down this entire glass of splenda water because you scared the hell out of me! Life without sugar and sweeteners is just sick! You're scaring me!' He's laughing at this, and I'm laughing, and I can't believe how rattled this guy got by a simple statement about sugar and sweeteners. Days later he's still talking about it!

The longer that I'm off sugar, the more I realize that it really threatens people on some core level when they hear about it. And then comes the part where they think I'm judging them, and they need to justify what they are eating, like 'Oh, I don't eat much sugar either. I haven't eaten it in a while.' I don't think I fully understood the role of sugar/sweeteners in society until I stopped eating it and others did not, and I watch the reactions. One of the fun benefits of radiance!

* Sue *

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**Recipe of the Week**


This recipe comes from the Radiant Recipes cookbook. I was looking for a really yummy comforting brown and I think this definitely does the trick

Georgia Sweets

Topping: Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook at a simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Drain well and set aside. While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 x 12 baking pan with cooking spray. With a hand masher or electric mixer, whip potatoes in a medium-sized bowl. Add remaining ingredients and whip until smooth. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Combine topping ingredients to form a crumbly paste. Spread over top of sweet potatoes. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until golden brown and hot throughout. Makes 6 servings. Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 60 minutes. Learning skill.

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


It has been fun doing the weight loss classes. I think it is getting things more focused and structured. I am thinking I will be sharing some of the tips that the most successful long term members have used in our next few chats.

For those of you who are not yet YLD members, Click here if you are ready to change your life or just plain ole have fun.
 


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**Radiant Ambassadors**


We include these little quotes so you can see all the ways to share the good news.

A couple of weeks ago Carol was interviewed for an article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. She has gotten some great feedback:

I got to talk with someone at the Y today who had read the newspaper article and gave her a business card for RR (I think that I am running low) and she is interested in checking it out. If enough people here in St. Louis were to start doing the program I would consider having some kind of supportive get togethers like I think some of the groups do in areas where many people do the program.

Carol

In case you haven’t had a chance to read the article click here to check it out.

To see if your area has get togethers check out our regional online groups at www.radiantrecovery.com.

In fact, the bigapple group (for those in the New York Metropolitan Area) is having a get together on Sunday, March 13, at noon at Noah's Ark, 399 Grand Street on the lower east side. Come join the bigapple email group through which plans are being made.


If you ever have times when you are telling someone about the program and wished you had something to give them, check out the special cards we have for you. 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. And if you want to share with others the exciting things you are doing, come join the ambassador group.

Come find us among the Online Groups


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**David's Corner **

 


No, we will NOT sell you the puppy from the pacs we announced last week. You all keep trying, LOL. Remember that those pacs are what we do for our semi annual sale.

I got a lot of the water mugs in again so if you want a great way to track your water intake, get a mug.

Spring sports season is coming. I am having the girls I coach use George’s Junior in oatmilk after school. Man, does it make a difference. Send some to school with your child. It will help him or her be a star!

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


 
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**Our Online Groups**


Hello. My name is Janie. I'm the volunteer liaison for RadiantParents. I have four children, three of them are teenagers, yikes! I have suffered from depression since my early twenties but it wasn't until I had children that my depression really got worse. I went to all different doctors and tried all sorts of medications and remedies but nothing ever worked for me. It wasn't until I found Potatoes not Prozac that I finally found the answer to what was wrong with me. I started doing the steps and have never looked back. Then when I read The Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Program and discovered that there was an on-line community, I was in heaven!

After I had been on step 7 for awhile I decided to turn my attention to helping my children. I definitely noticed that my twins were sugar sensitive. They were just like me, overly emotional, sensitive, dramatic and absolutely adored sugar. It took me a little bit longer to figure it out with my oldest daughter, Alexa, and my youngest daughter, Grace. I think Grace has had the most dramatic turnaround. She used to get so enraged she would bare her teeth and growl at me. Now, she is just an angel.

I really love helping other parents with their sugar sensitive kids. I can really empathize with parents who are new to the program and they come seeking help. I want to be able to help them create the life with their kids that I now have with mine, thanks to Kathleen. On the list we discuss ways to get our children to buy into the program which I must admit has been a hurdle for me but it's fun to get advice and hear about all the things the other parents are doing. We also share recipes and success stories. It's a great list and I feel honored to be a part of such a caring and wonderful group of parents. Come join us!

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** Featured Topic**
A Review
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

I know you all love the newsletter a lot. But I imagine that you forget what topics we have covered. How about a review? Go back and pick your favorite 3 articles. Send me an email and I will compile the scores. And if you have some suggestions for topics, include that as well. I will love to hear from you.

#1 - November 3, 2003 - Learned Helplessness
#2 - November 10, 2003 - Take Some Time With Your Program
#3 - November 17, 2003 - What About Those Other Food Plans
#4 - November 24, 2003 - Our Sugar Sensitive Children
#5 - December 1, 2003 - The C57 Story
#6 - December 8, 2003 - Fats and Cancer
#7 - December 15, 2003 - You Can Say No
#8 - December 22, 2003 - Seasons Greetings From Kathleen
#9 - December 29, 2003 - Law of Threes
#10 - January 5, 2004 - No More Drinking
#11 - January 12, 2004 - Insulin Resistance: Part 1
#12 - January 19, 2004 - Insulin Resistance: Part 2
#13 - January 26, 2004 - Insulin Resistance: Part 3
#14 - February 2, 2004 - Insulin Resistance: Part 4
#15 - February 9, 2004 - Problems of the Gut - Part 1
#16 - February 16, 2004 - Problems of the Gut - Part 2
#17 - February 23, 2004 - Doing the Program on a Limited Budget?
#18 - March 1, 2004 - Take Some Time With Your Program
#19 - March 8, 2004 - The Power of Our People
#20 - March 15, 2004 - Recovery Rocks
#21 - March 22, 2004 - Q & A About Pregnancy and Nursing
#22 - March 29, 2004 - A YLD Chat
#23 - April 5, 2004 - Little Sugar Addicts
#24 - April 19, 2004 - Sugar Sensitivity and Abuse
#25 - April 26, 2004 - After the Abuse
#26 - May 3, 2004 - Trying Step 2 For Two Years
#27 - May 10, 2004 - Making Change
#28 - May 17, 2004 - What This Community is Really About
#29 - May 31, 2004 - Caffeine
#30 - June 7, 2004 - Kids and Discipline
#31 - June 14, 2004 - Restoring Your Brain and Body After Stimulant Use
#32 - June 21, 2004 - Sometimes it is the Little Things
#33 - June 28, 2004 - Following the Rules
#34 - July 5, 2004 - More About Little Sugar Addicts
#35 - July 12, 2004 - On Being An Ambassador
#36 - July 19, 2004 - On Gastric By-Pass Surgery for Seniors
#37 - July 26, 2004 - A New Look at Meditation and Prayer
#38 - August 2, 2004 - Problem Solving for Sugar Sensitive Dilemmas
#39 - August 9, 2004 - The Sugar Sensitive Abuser
#40 - August 16, 2004 - What is Radiant Ranch Anyway
#41 - August 22, 2004 - Entitlement and Blame
#42 - August 29, 2004 - On the Art of Journaling
#43 - September 5, 2004 - Step 3 Musings
#44 - September 12, 2004 - Fats and Cancer
#45 - September 19, 2004 - Thyroid Function
#46 - September 26, 2004 - Finding the Program
#47 - October 4, 2004 - The Values of Radiant Recovery®
#48 - October 11, 2004 - A Small Roadmap for Your Process
#49 - October 18, 2004 - Climbing a Mountain
#50 - October 25, 2004 - A New Look At Halloween
#51 - November 1, 2004 - So What About Cravings
#52 - November 8, 2004 - An Overview of our Resources
#53 - November 15, 2004 - Gretel's Story
#54 - November 22, 2004 - Val's Story
#55 - November 29, 2004 - Joy Lynn's Story
#56 - December 6, 2004 - Marie's Story
#57 - December 13, 2004 - A Celebration of Light
December 20, 2004 - Merry Christmas Message
#58 - December 27, 2004 - The Law of Threes
#59 - January 3, 2005 - George's Jr.
#60 - January 10, 2005 - Tsunami
#61 - January 17, 2005 - Restoring Your Brain and Body after Stimulant Use
#62 - January 24, 2005 - Why You Are Having a Hard Time
#63 - January 31, 2005 - Ann's Story
#64 - February 7, 2005 - How Shame Drives Your Program
#65 - February 14, 2005 - Healing Phases
#66 - February 21, 2005 - Some Thoughts on Step 7


©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.