beautiful apricots in orange and red
Welcome to Radiant Recovery®
Aug 12 2018,

Hi {!firstname_fix},

Apricot bounty is flowing at the Coop. I got some that looked just like this. I only eat apricots in the summer. And they grow really well here. We have great apricots and green chili. And goatheads. If you do not know what a goathead is, Google. They look sweet with tiny yellow flowers. But they make little stickers that look like starwars ballistics. Their other name is puncture vine. Andrew was thinking he wanted to farm. He went away for a weekend to play in the annual family August volleyball fest. It rained here while he was gone...and now there is a 1/4 acre of smiling goatheads. His farming passion has dimmed.
I, on the other hand went online to learn that goatheads are actually used as an herbal medicine to develop muscle mass. I will learn more. I wrote the professor and NM State University. I told him that I asked Google what goathead's purpose was.

I think I have been reading too much about mu opioid receptors. Goatheads seem a little refreshing. But the newbies are flourishing and exploring great breakfast and the people in YLD are having fun exploring Fat Terror. Many people are away, taking last play times.

I ended up with 7 dogs this weekend. I am babysitting for two little black ones. Brody and Sparky were fine with that. Then I got a new beautiful boy who is darling but he has a nasty tick disease so he has to be quarantined and doesn't understand why. Then I got a call pleading for me to take 2 Goldens left in Pecos. The mom died 2 years ago, the dad is struggling with substance abuse and the dogs have to be rehomed. DID I say, *send me pictures?* LOL...this is like how many leashes does it take to learn a lesson. The two dogs showed up, one huge one (tall) and one huge one (fat). neither are Goldens. Their names are Finn and Gracie. I would say their breed is *rez dog.*

I took them to the vet to make sure neither had heart worm or assorted tick diseases. They don't. We will go back next week for the wellness check. But I was watching them play yesterday and realized that the giant one I thought was the boy is actually the girl. She and Miss Sparky spent the day lifting their lips at one another. I have established who is in charge, LOL and we don't do that here.

Tomorrow I will be writing at 4 am. Nothing like a deadline. The dogs will be sleeping so it is nice time for it. The screen addiction class is waiting patiently while Yahoo does its random disassociation. This should be solved tomorrow. Thank you for your patience. if any of you felt remorse about ambivalence and didn't sign up, you have a 12 hour window to do so now.

Screen addiction is an interesting addiction. You cannot just *stop* it any more than you can just stop eating to heal sugar addiction. Screens can be lifesaving portals or deadly black holes that suck you into darkness. I don't think most people in the addiction field have figured this out. I am excited to GET STARTED!!!!

Sign up for Healing Screen Addiction.


Remember if you have ideas or input for us on what you would like to have available, share them on the Community Forum. We do listen and are very interested in your ideas.

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Learn the steps, get fit safely, learn creative program cooking, learn about depression, learn with parents, share in local areas. There is no charge for groups.
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CLASSES

Classes are either done on the step lists, in YLD or by Kathleen in special classrooms. Classes are done by email, so there are no specific time constraints to be present.


WORKING WITH KATHLEEN

I got another email saying, *I love your books, I love what you re doing, but I just can't afford it right now.*. I am thinking, whatever are you reading to get that impression? Ninety percent of what we do costs nothing at all. If you want help, ask :)

I feel very strongly about offering you a way to work with me directly. I have set up a whole range of options for you to do that - going from private coaching to being involved in small groups. This link will show you all the choices.

Coaching Apprentice is open to people on steps 1-3 who are starting their program. Coaching Skilled is for people who are on step 7 and want to look at other issues more in-depth.
Coaching Return to Radiance is for people who have worked the program successfully and left for whatever reason and decided to come back
Signature Coaching is for those who want to work individually with Kathleen in a 90-day process. Signature is the top of the line. All who have done it talk about their lives being changed.

Another option is setting up a one hour assessment and then making a decision based on that conversation. And you can always call 505-345-3737 and ask me about how each one works.

Sign up​​​​​​​

"Your molecules will yearn for balance, care, and healing. Instead of cravings for sugar, there will come a longing for wholeness."
Testimonial of the Week

I was totally focused on weight to the exclusion of all else for many years. I was also a diet expert, but the diets didn't work too well for me.

Also I sort of raced through to step seven, hoping to get to a magic step seven place … ended up repeating everything from step one - which was surprisingly settling...…….. and then I learned in a YLD class actually, that everything starts from step one.

The rebalancing, the adjustment to a *permanent* weight loss
somehow that information that on step one, I was doing the right thing for down the line, even though weight loss wasn't happening - it gave me a hope
I learnt how to maintain on the steps.
That was just me, many people do lose weight. But the information I gained ( Journal !!!) was invaluable. First time in my life I wasn't stuck in a yo yo pattern, up a stone down a bit, up two stones Etc
started to learn about what suits Me.
I cant say enough good things about journal. Don't worry about not having got past step two before, or having a simple journal in step two. Mine only had two words in it at that time. Anxious and Uneasy but it developed as I did, and by step seven it was a real mine of information and support to me.
so Ive been my ideal weight now for six and a half years. No yo yo because I found out what caused my own yo yo during steps and found my steady. Learning how to do steady made everything else so much easier. Its different when the anxiety has gone.
come and share breakfast with us Donna Are you choosing something nice? how are you feeling about the four parts of breakfast? I found some much easier than others.
it took me a bit of time to get going because on step seven I couldn't be bothered with it I just wanted a rest. So I sat and learnt for a bit. And nowadays yes I do have to be attentive. But its not effort, just rather fun\.
Mosaic
David smiling
This is David DesMaisons, your Radiant Recovery® Concierge

Come visit our STORE. Call 505-345-3737 if you have questions.
David, the store manager, is always happy to help.

Here is an article that Kathleen did a while ago. I thought you would like to read it again.


I want to continue the reflection about George's Restore. I got a phone call a while ago from one of our community members asking me about *heavy metals* in our shake. She said her daughter, who is a dietetics student, had referenced an article that reported finding such things as cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic in protein powder products.


Well, this was pretty startling to me, so I decided to go check it out. First I learned that the original discussion happened in Consumer Reports in 7/10 edition. I started reading. I read the USP guidelines for safety, I read the international codex for acceptable heavy metal levels in food products, and I read the FDA guidelines as well. I also read the California Prop 65 guidelines which requires manufacturers to report levels of just about anything toxic, LOL.


That was all very interesting. I found out that alcohol is considered carcinogenic which did intrigue me. Then I read the certifications our suppliers send. We actually have a report that shows where our cows eat (in New Mexico which I love), what they eat, and how the milk is cared for from cow to production to shipment. The flow chart shows how the raw milk is transformed into whey protein isolate. And everything is tested for bacteria and impurities before it is shipped. The certifications did not reference heavy metal.


I called. Yes, they test regularly. And they sent me certificates of guarantees that the levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are under 0.5 parts per million and that under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act may not be adulterated or misbranded. So Restore is clear (smile). I asked the quality control Manger how milk products could be contaminated for something like arsenic. He said, "can be the grass they eat, or the grain they are fed, the the standards at the production plant." This actually made me smile because David and I had made the decision not to buy *cheaper,* i.e. produced in China, and to continue to use the highest quality products we could find. So, you can trust that clean, happy, grass-eating New Mexico cows are producing our favorite protein powder!



Jar of George's® Restore
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Anytime, Anywhere
Head of Broccoli on white background


On the "eating the rainbow" veggies...if I am eating them raw I find that if I prep them so I can grab and go it works better for me. I also tried Diane's idea of pouring boiling water over broccoli and cauliflower and it works really well :) not cooked, not quite raw.


Enjoy your rainbow!


Linda


I just love your term *eating rainbow*!


I met a fellow radiant today at a local and very lovely cafe constructed from materials salvaged from the old paper mill that the building used to be...that serves primarily white artisan (and fairly exotic) panini's and salads (and sweet things). I said, "Let's see what we can build," surveying the various ingredients in their dishes. I ordered a baby spinach salad with bacon, and feta and asked them to add kalamata olives, turkey and cashews. I had a box of aunt gussies spelt flats crackers in my bag - so I knew I was all set there. When they brought my meal is was in a big giant pile on a wooden board. And it was sooo delicious. I couldnt stop eating the spinach! I kept thinking ..I can't wait to tell Linda! LOL. And that is another new veggie for me. :) And as I was eating, I got to watch a bald eagle exploring the river. That was soo cool.


Diane


Come over to our recipe blog for more ideas
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Visit the Recipe Page
Radiant Living
Radiant Living is geared to looking at Step 7 issues. I am in the process of the revision of Potatoes not Prozac and am adding a fair amount of information on *radiant living* which is really Step 7. This is where we are looking at a Step 7 life with all its quirks. This means feelings, healing old trauma and remodeling our bodies.
Find Radiant Living here
Your Last Diet!
Your Last Diet Book Cover


I just want to lose weight. Is this the right place for me?
It is the best place in the world for you. You won't get this information anywhere else, I guarantee. Make sure to come to chat. I am going to expand what we are doing in chat and will outline it in the article section below.


I am just starting the steps. Does it make sense to join now?

Yes, it does. We have found that the people who come to chats do the best with the steps. The connection in chat is awesome. You get a chance to talk with the old timers, you can ask questions and I am right there to guide you, It really is an incredible opportunity.


Here are the topics for YLD chat in August


AUGUST: Fat Terror


August 1st: Definition of Fat Terror

Aug 8th: How Fat Terror affects you

Aug 15th: Healing Fat Terror

August 22nd: Restriction and how it connects to Fat Terror

August 29th: Cellular Fat Terror


If you are not a member yet, come and join us. If you are a current member and want to join us in the new chat room, come to the landing page. We will send you the pass words after you join.


If you would like to join us in YLD, come find us here. ​​​​​​​
Picture of a stone with the word Joy on it
Sugar Sensitivity and Sex

Kathleen DesMaisons, PhD

Someone on our Facebook page wondered why she sometimes felt really low after having sex. I promised that I would share some thoughts here. Obviously, the whole biochemistry of sexuality is a huge topic. But this is a little peek at one part of the story.

  • Understanding how sex and sexuality fit into the sugar sensitive equation.
  • How untreated (or unconscious) sugar-sensitive sexuality can affect you and drive your behavior.
  • How sugar-sensitive sexual physiology can affect your capacity for intimacy (for both men and women).
  • How your sexuality can enhance your recovery.
  • How your recovery can enhance your sexuality.

The Role Of Beta-Endorphin In Sexuality


I started thinking about this subject when I was asked to give a talk to a singles group. The title was Sugar and Sex: Is There a Connection? Of course I knew there was but I was a little short on scientific facts to back up what my own experience had told me. I went back to the on-line Library of Congress to ask some questions. Most of what I found was published about rat studies rather than people studies, but it sure was a fascinating way to begin to think about the role of beta-endorphin in sexuality. Let me share some of the things I found.

  • The beta-endorphin system contributes to sexual motivation. Sexual motivation (which means the desire to copulate - remember these are rats ;-) ) is heightened with higher levels of beta-endorphin. Lower beta-endorphin and the sexual motivation decreased.
  • Beta-endorphin increases sexual appetite but diminishes sexual performance in males.
  • Ejaculation leads to a release of beta-endorphin.
  • Vaginal stimulation causes a release of beta-endorphin.
  • Semen contains high levels of beta-endorphin.
  • There are beta-endorphin receptors in mucosa.
  • Sexual receptivity in females is reduced by beta-endorphins. After the male rats had ejaculated, the females were no longer interested.

What These Might Mean


Let's start by putting a few caveats on what I am going to say. We know there is a big leap between laboratory findings with rats and complex human interactions. But I think some of this material is both instructive and helpful in making sense of some of the behaviors I have lived and have seen in my own clinical practice. Let's first look at the lab findings and then talk about the interactive implications.


The beta-endorphin system contributes to sexual motivation. Lower beta-endorphin and the sexual motivation decreased.


As you know, sugar- sensitive people have a heightened BE response to alcohol and sugar. They will also have a heightened response to sexual cues. If BE is activated, sexual interest goes up. This explains why wine with dinner may make people more interested in sex later. It can also explain why the marketing promise of chocolate being a turn on has some truth to it.


Women have the highest levels of BE at ovulation. Sexual interest often peaks mid cycle and then drops proportionately as BE levels plummet towards menstruation. As the beta-endorphin levels drops, the woman will crave chocolate, feel inadequate and experience isolation distress. When you think of this, it makes sense to think of the female body being wired to maximize the potential for pregnancy.


Beta-endorphin increases sexual appetite but diminishes sexual performance in males.


This may account for the gap between the promise and the action in sugar-sensitive men plied with wine and dessert. Laboratories equate “performance” with the ability to maintain an erection. Real people may measure “intimacy” rather than erection, so we may not have really helpful data from the lab on this one. But this finding offers some wonderful insight on the high confidence/cold feet syndrome. It can also explain why a meal of pasta, wine and dessert leads to a huge sense of feeling safe but trouble in sexual connection, while a meal of protein and veggies with sex for dessert leads to euphoria.


Ejaculation leads to a release of beta-endorphin. Vaginal stimulation causes a release of beta-endorphin. Semen contains high levels of beta-endorphin. There are beta-endorphin receptors in mucosa.


No surprise that it appears that sexual activity between men and women is deigned to be an experience of biochemical “connection.” Each part of heterosexual sexual activity seems to heighten the BE effect. In many ways, the system is biochemically designed to be an elegant way to encourage people to connect on a sexual level.


Because sugar-sensitive people have materially lower levels of BE, they will experience a heightened response to the effects of BE release. Not only will you like sugar and alcohol; you are also likely to like sex. You may have experientially learned that sexual interaction and orgasm not only creates euphoria, but also stimulates a sense of being valued, connected and feeling wanted. This is BE levels going up.


Why Sex May be Really Important to You


Vaginal stimulation creates a significant release of beta-endorphin. It affects a more than 100% increase in the pain threshold (mediated by beta-endorphin). In fact, because many of you may feel inadequate, less than, isolated and disconnected much of the time, the call of sexual activity may be even more compelling. Sexual encounters may be a critical contributor to your feeling okay. Sexual encounters may create an opportunity for powerful connection and intimacy.


However, there is a risk involved. If your sugar-sensitive biochemistry remains imbalanced, sugar or alcohol priming may trigger your desire for sex. Or your sexual activity may prime you to binge on sugars. Or either may activate a huge spike in BE and create a major withdrawal as the effects wear off. Beta-endorphin withdrawal can account for why women look for chocolate after her partner leaves. Withdrawal will effect loss of euphoria, separation anxiety and isolation distress. Euphoria crashes into loneliness and the quest for the perfect night goes on.


Sexual Addiction


The sugar-sensitive person may struggle with sexual addiction without understanding the power of BE reactivity that is operating. This draw and reliance on the BE effects may be masked as a commitment to find the perfect partner. New encounters can heighten the BE effect of the sexual interaction by adding the component of novelty. New situations and risk both heighten the BE impact of a sexual encounter.


Sexual addiction for the sugar-sensitive person may also manifest in masturbation. Many of you may take care of the feelings of isolation and inadequacy by using self-stimulation to provide solace and comfort.


The Spike Effect


Much of the BE risk inherent in sexual activity of any sort comes with the “spike” effect - a large flash, followed by a concomitant drop and BE withdrawal. Sexual beta-endorphin is no different from any other kind of endorphin action. A rush will set you up; a warm and flooding cascade will heal you. Sexual encounters that evoke a long, slow infusion of beta-endorphin can be a part of an overall BE raising recovery program. Relational intimacy does not carry the same associated risk behavior. This type of sexual encounter seems to flow from recovery. As your sugar-sensitive biochemistry becomes more and more stable, you will be drawn to those activities which reinforce living in a heightened state of BE. Activities such as yoga, meditation, and tai chi evoke flexibility, endurance, stability, groundedness and compassion.


Relational intimacy seems to evoke the same cumulative effect. Emotional stability fosters the interest in such activities. And the activity reinforces emotional stability. By shifting the BE effect from spike to flow, you move from priming to healing.

Here is the Annie Lane column that brought so many of you here.


Dear Annie: I read with interest the letter from "Weird, Stupid or Selfish?" – whose husband eats all the decorative candy she puts out. His inability to resist sugar resonated with me, as I have sugar sensitivity and have engaged in exactly the same behaviors. I simply could not resist sugar.


After years of struggling and dieting and sitting in work meetings obsessing about the doughnuts instead of the topic at hand, I discovered the book "Potatoes Not Prozac," by Kathleen DesMaisons. Her theory is that people who are sugar sensitive have brains that respond differently to sugar, alcohol and refined carbs and that what they eat and when they eat it have a huge effect on them. She shows how to rebalance blood sugar levels, serotonin and beta-endorphins through small lifestyle changes and offers the latest research, free online support and seven steps to change your life. It is not about willpower; it’s about biochemistry, which her program can slowly improve, just one tiny step at a time, with amazing results.


I have been sugar-free for six years now, lost 25 pounds and never gained any of it back. I can go to dinner with family and don’t even think twice when someone orders dessert. I don’t have cravings, and sugar is no longer on my radar. I am more focused and more tolerant, and the daily mood swings are gone. The woman who wrote to you could suggest to her husband that he check out http:// radiantrecovery.com to see whether he does have sugar sensitivity. At the very least, she would be better informed about this condition. – Happy Without Sugar


Dear Happy Without Sugar: I hadn’t considered that health issues might explain

her husband’s behavior. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of sugar sensitivity.

Thanks for opening my eyes to the condition! I’d like to encourage all readers to talk to their doctors if they find themselves compulsively eating sugary snacks.

—Email questions to dearannie@creators.com


ANNIE LANE
©2018 Kathleen DesMaisons. All rights reserved. You are free to use or transmit this article to your blog 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 for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction.

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