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Maine continues to fill me. We have had a lot of fog and rain. This morning, little Ronan went out to pee. He is a desert puppy, not real experienced with the rain. His ruff went up. BARK! BARK! What are these things falling on me? I was laughing so hard, I almost forgot to bring him back inside.

Classes are continuing this week. I am giving a brand new class on money. This is NOT about how to budget and I think we be a new way of looking at an old topic.

Money: Time for a New Frontier is a class that is designed to move your recovery to a new level when you have mastered the steps, are steady on Step 7 and want to start cleaning up the stuff from the past. This class is about abundance and clarity.

Brain Chemistry: Beta Endorphin is one of our most fun talks about the brain chemical central to sugar sensitivity and central to healing.

Depression which is a wonderful resource for those of you on medication or considering it. This will give you a sense of the biochemistry of depression and an intro to pharmacology.

Restart: Waking Up is a class to getting you back on track if you have gotten to step 7 and then got in trouble. This is not for those of you who are bumpy along the way. (smile) Step 7 drop outs only please. You will love this class.

We have posted a schedule of the classes for the rest of the month. So you can go ahead and sign up for what you want to join. Please note that I will be doing a money recovery class next week.

A number of you have asked me about how the classes work. Check the class list page for more information on this.

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 RecoveryŽ website and Community Forum regularly.

Warmly,
Kathleen

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July 11, 2005
** Quote From Kathleen **

Rather than responding to problems or roadblocks with tears, you will start anticipating and solving problems.

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** Testimonial for the Week**


Everyone is different. When I was a brand-new liaison on the binge list I thought it would be fun to have a "definitive definition" of what a binge is and then we could know when it stopped, so I asked everyone what a binge was.

What a naive idea that was for me. Binges are as unique as the individual, and they stop when the imbalance *for that individual* is stopped.

If the imbalance is with blood sugar, the binges can stop after step 3.

If the imbalance is with serotonin, they can stop after step 5.

If the imbalance is with BE, they can stop after step 7.

Why do I say "step 7" for BE instead of step 6? Because with BE, there are two issues - "priming" with intense sweet, and raising the baseline. Step 6 stops the priming. But in step 7 you do proactive BE raising activities.

When I see people past step 6 and still struggling, it's almost always because life has changed and the first 6 steps are no longer "spot on," or the person is not proactive about BE raisers. I have personally done both so I know how it goes. Then you hear things like "life hit me with BE and I wobbled." But if the BE baseline is raised, then the life hit does not do as much damage, if you get my meaning.

Connie

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**Recipe of the Week**


It's grilling time and I thought it would be great to share some great marinades from the Radiant Recipes cookbook.

Marinate small pieces of whatever you are grilling for 1 - 24 hours. The longer the marinating time, the more intense the flavor. Remove meat, fish or tofu from the marinade and cook as desired. Brush a little marinade onto the protein as it cooks for greater flavor. Do not use the leftover marinade without boiling it first. Boil the marinade until slightly thickened and then you can use it as sauce.

Lime Ginger Marinade In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Makes 4 servings.

Teriyaki Marinade In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Makes 4 servings.

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


As I am sure most of you know by now, last week's chat touched on some pretty core issues - that deeply embedded message that we are not ok if we are fat. I was really moved by your openness at chat and even more moved by what you have been sharing since. It is funny, isn't it, we think we are talking about losing weight, and we end up talking about our core identity. What a joy you are for me!

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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**David's Corner **



           
Before I left for Maine, I asked David to give me some of those traveling fish oil thingies. In each little motel, I popped a pac of it into my shake. I was using my trusty mixer from the store, and adding the almond milk I chilled in the ice bucket. The dogs started to wag their tails and say, 'me too, me too!' They love that fish oil. Of course they love rooting at low tide for mussels as well. Dogs aside, if you are going to travel, these are perfect tools to take.

I always love it when Kathleen shares how she is using our products.

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**


Hi, I'm Carrie, the moderator of the RadiantBinge group on Yahoo. We talk about doing Radiant Recovery food in the context of binge eating. Anyone who has struggled with bingeing knows that the sufferer can become scared, ashamed, and mystified and think that the problem is bingeing. However, as we talk about the biochemistry of sugar addiction, and how imbalance can show up as bingeing, all of a sudden it is clear and understandable. Voila, no more scared, ashamed, or mystified. As a side benefit - as we talk, we learn a lot about eating disorders in general, and how they are really just on a continuum of balanced/imbalanced sugar sensitivity. It is very freeing and fun to "talk real" about the challenges of a clean food program, with other people who have "been there." I know my poor friends on the binge list have been very patient with me as I learn to include veggies! Feel free to join us.

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** Featured Topic**
WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.


It is very still in Maine on this island. It is rainy and foggy today. I am sitting looking at the trees. I can hear gulls and a lobster boat going across the cove. I have been doing a lot of reflection. Why is it that some folks come to the program, do the food and find their lives changed? And others play with it, poke around, do a little here and there, and then go away and say it doesn't work? Or do step one for two years and wonder why life is not better? Why do some decide to rewrite it, adapt it, take only what they like and throw the rest away?

What makes the difference? I am thinking that there are three key things:
  • You have to trust it
  • You have to commit to it
  • You have to persist in doing it
When you are out of control and desperate, trusting, committing and doing seem really, really far away and really hard. You are likely to argue, question and want answers to every possible concern before starting. You want to see if it will work, try it out, have a money-back guarantee. You want to play without obligation. You might be too busy, too committed to other things, you might not want someone to see your journal or know your life is out of control.

When you find it takes time, you get bored, frustrated, angry, inattentive or sloppy. You blame the program for not meeting your needs. Or it is too confusing so you stop and say that didn't work. And you go do a real diet.

But there are others who say, 'Yes, this is for me' and they believe it, they do it and it works. What is that about? What happens? Where does that first trust and commitment come from? It is funny to think this, but I think ultimately, it is an act of faith. With a regular diet, you can pick or choose. There are thousands of them. If one doesn't work, you just try another. This silly program is different. It's so simple, it is so deceptive. It asks you to put aside what you have been taught. It asks you to do maintenance first. No glamor, no quick results, no hype. It says what you need to heal is here. If you want to use it, you can. Doesn't have to cost anything. You don't need a doc or to pay thousands of dollars. Doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, or smart or not, or living in a family. If you do it, your life will change.

As I wrote this in the morning fog, I started to laugh because the simplicity of this message goes way beyond the food. I have a spiritual guide. Every morning I meditate and read from her work. This was yesterday's reading:

If however, instead of being desires, they are aspirations for spiritual things, and one continues her life with regular progress, then one is absolutely sure to one day obtain what she has imagined.

I think that the struggle with 'doing the food' mirrors the struggle for a spiritual life. Trusting, committing, doing. Somehow this makes me laugh. I work so hard to complicate things. I thrash around, question, argue, insist that I know better and then I say the 'program' doesn't work.

This time in Maine is about quieting, living into the stillness, letting simplicity help me trust, help me recommit. It makes me remember the 'absolute trust in the supreme wisdom of the divine that it knows better than we do what is good for me.'

ŠKathleen DesMaisons 2005.

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
Naomi gathers the recipes
JoAnna, the liaison for Rolling Hills gathers the testimonials
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 RecoveryŽ Store talks about what new products we have.