Your Body Speaks: The Sugar Addict's Food Diary [Spiral-bound]

Kathleen DesMaisons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 26, 2002

The perfect companion for sugar-sensitive people on the road to recovery

Keeping a journal is a vital step in the seven stages of healing sugar addiction. And it’s simple to do–the more you are able to observe and note your food and your feelings, the easier it will be for you to make changes in the amount and kind of foods you eat and how your body reacts to them. The food journal translates the language of your own body–its symptoms, moods, and cravings–into words you can use to heal your sugar sensitivity.

With this convenient diary, getting started now is much easier! Designed by Kathleen DesMaisons and sugar-sensitive people in the Radiant Recovery Web community, Your Body Speaks features a daily, four-column format, with plenty of room to write for ninety days. Check boxes for water and vitamin intake, helpful hints, motivational quotes, inspirational stories, and guidance for expressing physical and emotional feelings will help keep you on track.

Give voice to your body and benefit from its wisdom and guidance. Discover new ways to feel radiant and energized when Your Body Speaks!

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The perfect companion for sugar-sensitive people on the road to recovery

Keeping a journal is a vital step in the seven stages of healing sugar addiction. And it?s simple to do?the more you are able to observe and note your food and your feelings, the easier it will be for you to make changes in the amount and kind of foods you eat and how your body reacts to them. The food journal translates the language of your own body?its symptoms, moods, and cravings?into words you can use to heal your sugar sensitivity.

With this convenient diary, getting started now is much easier! Designed by Kathleen DesMaisons and sugar-sensitive people in the Radiant Recovery Web community, Your Body Speaks features a daily, four-column format, with plenty of room to write for ninety days. Check boxes for water and vitamin intake, helpful hints, motivational quotes, inspirational stories, and guidance for expressing physical and emotional feelings will help keep you on track.

Give voice to your body and benefit from its wisdom and guidance. Discover new ways to feel radiant and energized when Your Body Speaks!

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

A Message from Kathleen

Welcome to the wonderful power of journaling! This is a key part of healing your sugar sensitivity. The rewards of bringing balance to your sugar-sensitive body are tremendous. They go far beyond the physical benefits of increased energy, sharper concentration, and the weight loss that comes with the freedom from cravings.

Living this way will give you confidence and awareness. Rather than being the victim of your inherited body chemistry, you will find joy and delight in your sensitive and complex system. Your inquiring brain will find that food becomes fun and a powerful tool for feeling better and better.

The ultimate goal of this program is what I call “radiance.” Radiance is a way of being in the world that reflects your core self. Radiance moves you to humor, tenderness, enjoyment, and delight. It urges you to meditate, laugh, dance, pray, sing, paint, read, and run; to seek good food, intimacy, and good company; and to find meaning in all you do.

As you step into your new way of being in the world, you will no longer settle for relief from pain or problems. You will want more than that. And your sugar sensitivity will no longer be in the way of getting it.

I send you my blessings on your journey to wholeness. Seven Easy Steps to Heal Sugar Sensitivity

R

1. Eating breakfast with protein within an hour of getting up creates blood sugar stability, wakes up your brain, and sets the stage for healing.

2. Journaling teaches you how to read your body and adjust the rhythm and pace of your program to your own body and lifestyle.

3. Three meals a day with protein maintains blood sugar stability and helps increase your serotonin level.

4. Having your vitamins and a nightly potato increases your serotonin, the next step to help you “just say no.”

5. Shifting from white to brown foods gives your body the positive effects of carbohydrates without activating cravings.

6. Taking out the sugar reduces cravings by eliminating beta-endorphin priming. NO cravings means no addictive behavior.

7. Getting a life teaches you behaviors that will increase beta-endorphin in a healthy way and help you find radiance.

The steps work by creating balance in your body and brain. It is essential to do them in order and to do them slowly.

The seven steps are simple, but they are not easy. Going through them carefully and attentively can take six to eight months.

As you learn each step, you will learn more about an entirely new way of eating and thinking about your body. And you will feel better and be healthier.

You can do Step 7 from the first day of your program.

Keeping a journal is a key part of your program. I have included some tools and information to help you journal.

Balanced Physical Feelings

Able to concentrateHungry

AlertInvigorated

AwakeLight

Breathing freelyRelaxed

ComfortableRested

EnergizedSexy

EnthusedSharp

FitSteady

FlexibleStrong

FluidStretched

FocusedThin

Free of pain

Balanced Emotional Feelings

AbleCleanGladReal

AlertClearGroundedRefreshed

AnimatedCleverHappyResilient

BeautifulConfidentHonoredResponsible

BoldContentedHumorousResponsive

BlissfulDelightedImpressedSatisfied

BraveDesirableInspiredSecure

BrilliantDeterminedJoyousSerene

BubblyEagerLovingSettled

BuoyantEnchantedOpenSexy

CalmEnergeticPatientShining

CapableEnergizedPeacefulSpiritual

CarefreeExcitedPlayfulSpontaneous

CaringExhilaratedPleasantStable

CenteredFreePleasedTenacious

ChallengedFullPowerfulThrilled

CheerfulFunProudVital

CherishedGenerousRadiant

Unbalanced Physical Feelings

AchyJoint painShaky

BloatedLethargicSleepy

DehydratedListlessSlow

DisconnectedMuscle crampsStiff

DizzyMuscle sorenessStomach pain

Eyes stingNeed to eatStomach unsettled

FatigueNervous stomachStuffy nose

Foot painNot hungryTense

HeadachePallorTired

HeavyPoor concentrationWeak

InsomniaQueasy

ItchingRestlessness

Unbalanced Emotional Feelings

AfraidDistraughtImpatientSad

AmbivalentExasperatedImposed uponScared

AngryExhaustedInadequateSelfish

AnnoyedExplosiveJealousShocked

AnxiousFearfulJumpyShut down

BlueFlightyLonelySilent

BoredFoolishLongingSkeptical

BurdenedForgottenMadSleepy

CheatedFranticMiserableStrange

ChildishFrazzledNervousStupid

CombativeFrightenedObsessedTeary

ConfusedFrustratedOutragedTempted

DefeatedGrief-strickenOverwhelmedTense

DestructiveGuiltyPanickedTerrible

DisappointedHelplessPetrifiedUnclear

DiscontentedHighPressured

DisorganizedHorribleRejected

DistractedHurtRestless

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 176 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (November 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034545085X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345450852
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #883,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. is the best selling author of Potatoes Not Prozac, The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program, Your Last Diet, Little Sugar Addicts and Your Body Speaks. She is both a compassionate coach and a social commentator, who has taken the concept of sugar sensitivity and transformed the way of looking at the relationship of addiction and food as a healing agent. Kathleen is a cultural visionary, understanding the essence of addiction in a compassionate and revolutionary way.

In 1988, Kathleen started a small addiction treatment center in Northern California. Seeking new alternatives to enhance the success rate of her center, she initiated a nutritional protocol with her clients that caused the sobriety rate to skyrocket to 92%. Following her deep commitment to understanding the biochemistry of her clinical success, she returned to school to obtain a Ph.D. She chose to attend The Union Institute, the country's oldest and most prestigious interdisciplinary university committed to connecting scholarship and social action. The nature of her work was so revolutionary that she graduated with the first degree awarded in the field of Addictive Nutrition. That work chronicled her efforts in seeing Drunk Driving as an issue of alcoholism rather than criminal action and resulted in a dissertation of the impact of her nutritional intervention on a group of multiple offender drunk drivers which was associated with a 30% drop in offense during the time her program was in place.

As the biochemical understanding of sugar sensitivity and sugar addiction have evolved, so has Kathleen's mission, transforming from a lone voice on the cutting edge of addiction treatment to a cultural leader and life guide, inspiring hope in hundreds of thousands world wide who have suffered from alcoholism, sugar addiction, depression, eating disorders, and the complexities of parenting. Kathleen's voice is caring, skilled and clear in a realm where fog, blame and dysfunction abound. She provides not only hope, but also practical skills for profound life change.

Kathleen's books have a worldwide audience from all over the U.S. and Canada, Europe, Australia and into the Far East including Mongolia, Japan and Thailand. Her books have been best sellers in the UK and the U.S. and have reached close to a half a million people. She has taught animated and informative workshops, seminars and retreats since 1988 across the country and the UK.

Kathleen's name has become synonymous with the healing of sugar addiction through nutrition. The genuineness of her vision and the depth at which people have bonded with her message have powered the development of her website at www.radiantrecovery.com into a leading voice of hope and healing throughout the world. In 1998, she set out to build a worldwide community of supportive sharing, previsioning the social networking of today. She has empowered hundreds of women and men to collaborate with her in providing support to thousands daily. The members of her community respect her as a trusted servant of truth and an embodiment of authenticity. Her unique style and vision flows out into a vibrant and empowered collective voice of recovery.

Kathleen lives with her three Golden Retrievers in Albuquerque New Mexico. She also serves as the President of the statewide Golden Retriever Rescue. She can be reached at [e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Complete Food Diary, October 8, 2005

By 

Juliana Woodward - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Your Body Speaks: The Sugar Addict's Food Diary (Spiral-bound)

This food diary is designed for anyone working the seven steps towards radiance (i.e. living a sugar-free life). It is full of inspiring quotes, helpful lists, and lots of room to track all of your food, water, and exercise.

The most important part of this is tracking what you eat and how you feel (physically and emotionally). If that's what you're looking for, this is excellent, if not then this might not be for you.

It works wonderfully for me (i've already used up 2) and I'm sure I will continue to use them for a long time.

If you are unfamiliar with Kathleen Desmaisons work, I recommend the Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Guide before starting this food journal.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Food Journal, March 5, 2008

By 

John S. Wilson "radiantjw" (brunswick, maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Your Body Speaks: The Sugar Addict's Food Diary (Spiral-bound)

Before starting Kathleen DesMaisons food plan I was depressed and withdrawn. But once I got the hang of her seven step program I found myself a happier more social person. This food journal is part of the process Dr.DesMaisons lays out and has helped me immeasurably in keeping track of what I eat and how I feel. Part of her program is geared toward encouraging people to connect what they eat with how they feel. This journal is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to make that connection and start feeling better about themselves. I highly recommend purchasing this book.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Did not work for me, October 25, 2011

By 

C. Mathieu "waldenpond88" (Worcester, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Body Speaks: The Sugar Addict's Food Diary (Spiral-bound)

I tried Kathleen Des Maison's diet for months last year after reading her 3 books first. I did not lose any weight and it did not help with my insomnia at all.
Moreover I was pretty frustrated with her website. They claim that you get support when you write to them, but whenever I sent them an e-mail with 5 questions, they answered one or two of my questions the most. I had to write back with my 3 unanswered questions and got maybe one more question answered and so on and so on :). Get it?

Update: in the meantime we found a much much better diet which is giving the body enough nutrients AND make you lose a lot of weight without the usual hunger feelings/cravings. Check out Joe Cross' documentary "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead". I know, the title does not sound very appealing, but the documentary is great (you can watch it for $4 on amazon Instant) and there is a free website (Reboot) where you find all the recipes. Joe Cross did this diet under the supervision of Dr. Joel Fuhrman and a nutritionist. So this is NOT some questionable, odd miracle diet.

We did juice fast for 16 days in August/September, I finally got rid of my frequent headaches and we both got rid of our insomnia AND lost more weight with the Reboot juice fast than with any other diet before plus we were never hungry once we overcame the first two days.
This is the one diet that actually works!

One more fact that I found out about years ago when I learned how to do fasting the proper way: obese people have enough protein stored in their body to live with little protein for up to 90 days without causing any damage to their heart as long as they take in 400 mg of magnesium per day and drink at least 2 to 2 1/2 liters of water per day (for people with heart problems that's not possible as they should not drink too much). And I agree that 1/2 gram of protein per pound of body weight is way too much, especially for anybody who is overweight. Ask your primary care physician.

Joe Cross was taking in about 30 grams of protein per day while he did his juice fast for 60 days. Then he continued to live mostly on fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds (eating, not fasting).
I made much better experiences with writing to the Reboot website and getting clear answers to ALL my questions, not just one or two.