Venus rising on a deep blue night with the words Radiant Recovery superimposed on it
plate of cut up veggies
Nov 16, 2020,,
 
Hi {!firstname_fix},  
    Here is my radiance plate, LOL. It is so simple and so comforting. What a time the last ten days have been. I remember a week in 1968 when the students were shot at Kent State. That was a week that shaped us in ways we could not imagine. We went through it, we felt things deeply, but we had no idea that 1968 would change us so profoundly. That was 52 years ago. This time has been as powerful.
    I was in the kitchen making dinner when Kamela Harris spoke the first time on the stage. I heard the words.  It made me weep. I realized that  I, as a woman, was being represented. The story that started in 1968 for me, just seemed to  feel like a flower opening. I felt very vulnerable and the depth of it surprised me.  People were dancing in the street, a bell made in Philadelphia was was ringing in Berlin, fireworks were blazing at the Eiffel Tower. Something happened. Some guy, just like like the guys who have claimed that spot all these years said "Come stand with me" and meant it. Women felt it, people of color felt it, I  felt it.  
    When I started Radiant Recovery it was about empowerment. It was about changing our food to create a balance that would take us to empowerment. And all this time, those of us who have stuck with it, or come back to it, have known that it changes us. We no longer settle for less, we remember our birthright and long to be who we were born to be.                           In the last ten days, something shifted. Possibility, hope, reconciliation. It is way too big and too early  to understand it.  I was happy I planned space for a virtual Ranch that allowed us to ireflect on the role of the food in our healing.
    Ranch was wonderful. Seeing faces fro around the globe was breathtaking. Western Australia, Sydney, India, Finland, Ireland the UK and 13 different states in the USA. Jersey girls mingling with someone who walks in the Ganges. Women who walk on the bluffs above the Irish Sea sharing with men who walk on the bluffs above the sea in San Francisco. 
    We talked about breakfast. About psychic fatigue and slipping away from routine or sticking with route that was life saving. It was a profound combination of unbelievable simplicity and depth - at the same time. The story is not new.  I have always said, if you do the program, really do it for a week, your cells will remember. And if you come together with other people you will remember more deeply.
    Look for our new ideas emerging. I will post them here.
      I hope you rest this week, catch your breath, have your breakfast, eat your best comfort food and make quiet time to integrate.
 
 Let me know if you have questions or ideas.
   
Support for Your Program
Journals
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
                                                                                   

People are talking, bring your questions and ideas!.It is nice place to get started if you are new to the community or are coming back and are wondering what to do.  Introduce yourself and ask for help. We will direct you to the right spot for your questions. Someone asked me this week what BE was. That was an interesting question and it was fun to answer it. Join it now.

 

GROUPS
The groups list is up on the web site. Just sign up for the group you would like to join. Read about the group before you ask to join. If you are starting or returning, join the Step One list. Don't join Step One and Step Two and Step Three all at the same time.
 
CLASSES
When a new class is ready, I will post it on the website under the "LEARN" link. I have decided to hold on the Weight Loss Readiness class because I am not convinced that any of us is in a frame of mind to be thinking about weight loss, lol.
 
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK
If you prefer talking on Facebook, come over to one of our three groups there. Radiant Recovery®, Radiant Recovery® International or Radiant Recovery® Germany  
 
WORKING WITH KATHLEEN 
Coaching is a special offering for people who are serious about enhancing their programs and would like to have ongoing coaching. Support is provided in a small group with people who are looking at similar concerns.  Kathleen is part of each coaching group.This is not a class but is a process to support your progress. We have added a special chat for people in coaching. It meets twice a week to accommodate those who are in Greenwich Mean Time and those who are in USA time.  If you are just starting, own the Step lists to learn the basics.
    Coaching includes several options now: Return to Radiance Coaching for those who have done the steps in the past and then drifted and would like to get back on track. This is a good place to plug in if you have gotten wobbly and would like to restart your program.
 
Skilled Coaching is for people who are steady on the steps and ready to work on Step 7 life skills.  
 
The fee for these three coaching options is $20 @ week, billed in 2 week intervals. The coaching is done in an email group and assumes active participation by the members. The process includes peer support with guidance and direction by Kathleen.
 
    If you wish to join coaching send an email and say what you are interested in and why.
 
I am interested in coaching
 
    I also provide individual intensive coaching called Signature Coaching.  I can help you step out of the craziness of sugar addiction, return to steadiness and clarity after slipping away, slow down and focus on your recovery, or deepen a steady rhythm of recovery. This particular option is especially helpful if you did the steps a while ago and then kinda meandered away. Or if you are facing some intense times and would. like skillful support.  But I can tell you that it is a good time to do coaching. 
    This is a 3 month process that includes doing an in-depth assessment of where you are in the process, designing an individual plan for you and then talking with me once a week via phone or Zoom to work on your progress. You will learn to do an efficient journal and to identify your strengths and challenges.
     This is the way to step out of feeling overwhelmed with where to start and what to do. Because it is so individualized, we can work on what is right for you at this point in your journey.  People tell me that coaching helps them feel safe and focused. We work with your style, your rhythm. This is a unique opportunity to release your fear and let go of shame.The guidance can shorten and ease your process so that in 3 months you will do what you might take a year to do on your own. Signature coaching is also an excellent way to tackle any special needs you may have. like wanting to get sober, or dealing with insulin resistance, or integrating doing the food with special medical concerns.
    And in fact, we have developed some creative personalized plans especially suited to where people are in the program and what will work best to support them. Call 505-345-3737 if you would like to chat. 
 
Sign up for Signature Coaching
"Food will no longer be your enemy, but your support."
Testimonial of the Week

Last evening we had a big thunderstorm and half an inch of rain. We are in a moderate drought so the storm was a blessing.

 

This morning the dogs and I were taking our morning walk. It was gorgeous out there, the rain was shining off everything in the woods, all the leaves on the trees, the ferns, the flowers, just everything, even shining in the mist when a ray of sun shot through the darkness of the woods.

 

I have Border Collies and a toy poodle. It is nice to walk with the bc's because they just goof around, they aren't hunting dogs, so they don't really use their eyes or nose to look for critters. My poodle caught a scent and reacted just enough to get my attention, but no one else's. I looked up and over where she was looking (by then she was off on something else). That ray of sun was shining off everything.....and as I looked I saw a red gold color...I looked harder and in the wet sunshine and the mist I could finally make out the shape of a doe deer. She was standing so stock still that she looked like a tree. I would never have seen her had I not been really looking.

 

Right away I thought of the yoga tree pose. She gave me a yoga lesson I will always remember when I do that pose. Even I could "feel" the roots she was putting down into the earth to steady her body and breathing and make her invisible to danger. It was just one of those moments in life where as a part of universe I felt so tiny and blessed.

 

Then I thought what a gift this program has given me. In the pre-RR days I would never have had this morning. First of all, I would never have been out there. The reason is because today was a super busy day for me. I had to be ready to leave for the day by 9:00 am. I am usually home all the time and rarely gone anywhere for a whole day.

 

I had to get up, get my breakfast, walk the dogs, pack my lunch and potluck contribution, do all my chores, shower and dress all before 9:00! In the old days, just the idea of doing that would have stressed me out so much I probably wouldn't have gone.

 

But today, I had decided yesterday what I would wear, eat, and had a list of things I had to have done before I left. I promised myself I would not turn on the computer until I came home. I was so well prepared that I didn't get anxious or stressed or angry. AND one of the first things I would have done in the old days was to not take time for a walk because I would have been too busy getting ready. So, not only did I get my walk, but I got a special blessing.

 

Then, after I got back from the walk, my niece called me and needed some help in making a decision that was very serious. I had time because of my planning yesterday to spend 15 minutes on the phone LISTENING to her, not telling her what I thought she should do!

 

Oh, it was just such a special morning, I am so grateful. Talk about BE raisers--first the deer and then the dear (my niece)!

 

Plus I had a wonderful time at my day outing! Yep, this program is soooo much more than removing sugar! Cause I haven't even done that yet!

 

Thank you all for helping me to have this wonderful life.

 

Carol

 
Rosie's Corner
Kathleen and Rosie
Ah, our blessed puppy is a beast. She is in a ripping stage. I left a magazine on the floor of the back seat of the car. She chewed through her seat belt (Brody taught her that trick) and then scrunch down on the floor and ripped, bless her little heart. Today, I picked up every little piece and then asked David to use the little green machine on the mats just on principle. Restoring order. He watched the football game and cleaned the mats. Rosie meanwhile spent the afternoon searching for trouble.
We have a white dog and a teeny, tiny chihuahua in rescue. Rosie is fascinated by the chewy. She doesn't know what it is. And she has no impulse control and no sense, which means her athletic sturdy use of her paws could actually hurt this little 4 pound large mouse type dog. So off Rosie goes searching for trouble, lets rip envelopes, let's grab cds and crack the cases, let's run with shoes and hide them under the bushes, and then let's be darling and cuddle. Clicker training is on the docket.
 
Radiant Recovery Store
David Smiling
David, my oldest son, runs our store. He makes sure your orders go out quickly and works with you to find the best things suited to where you are in your process. 

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

 

Come visit our STORE. Call 505-345-3737.
Vitamin B Complex

This is the best protein powder on the market. The taste is pretty amazing. I would call it "fresh" - a funny thing to think about protein powder. The cows live in New Mexico, eat grass, do not get hormones and are very, very happy. We just don't those claims on the label because if we do, we have to pay more, LOL. And yes, it is more expensive that what you can get at Trader Joe's or Walmart, but this is an artisanal product made in small batches which means it is FRESH and you know exactly where the cows live.And they live in fields of grass and look at New Mexico blue sky. You may not think any of that matter, but taste it and you will understand. And now we do not have sample size packets because they require a run of 50,000 to do that and we simply do not have the cash flow to do it.

 

Order George's® Restore
Your Last Diet: More Than What You Think
Your Last Diet Book Cover

We often gather on Zoom to talk about things related to weight loss.

Sometimes we have a "bad hair day" and we just stay in the regular chat room and have fun. Last week, Kath was taking measurements for a sewing project and wasn't fully dressed so we held on zoom. It was fun anyway.

 

Come to Chat. It is nice, it is comforting and we like it.

 

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

Upgrading Your Program

Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

 

 

Here is a nice note from a community member who has "upgraded" her plan.

 

I have recently changed my program in a dramatic way, I decided it was time to lose the pounds that crept in with menopause. I had the *data* but needed to think through a plan of action. Here are the things that really helped me:

  1. I was really clear about what I wanted. I stopped pussyfooting around and made a definitive commitment. A goal, a time, an outcome.
  2. I wrote down the way I would get to my goal - a process that suits me, my lifestyle and my rhythm. Some of this came out of our weight loss class. I actually did the exercises the class was doing.
  3. I committed to keep on even when I get discouraged. When my personal power runs out, I might say, *ah, enough already, I am tired.* This time, I want the outcome and I am willing to push through the wall and I am finding the beginning of something new, a new understanding, a new power and sense of possibility. I like it.
  4. When I get stuck and mad and think I want a life like everyone else's....I just sit in my quiet awareness and wait. I stop pouting and remember I am choosing these changes because I want the outcome. No one is making me, I am choosing. And then I feel just fine.

The most important thing is that I am willing to put into practice what I know on a different level. This means I do it, just do it over and over. And *it*? That would be doing the food. Doing the food as it works for weight loss.

    
©2020 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. 

You are getting the weekly newsletter from Radiant Recovery® in response to your signup. A copy of this newsletter will also be found posted on the web.