Dr. Ritamarie's Fresh'n Fun Living Blog

Stress Management for Adrenal Fatigue and Hormone Imbalance

Do you have techniques in place for management of chronic stress, or does your stress manage you?

Are you like I used to be…a stress bunny…always feeling overwhelmed and worrying about this or that?

I have an active mind and I’m always juggling many projects along with my own health rituals.  I learned over 2 decades ago how food adds to the stress burden and I healed myself from chronic fatigue, digestive disorders, chronic sinusitis and debilitating headaches by conquering my stress demons.  My personal demons were related to food and attitude.  Do you know what yours are?

Adopting a plant based mostly raw high green diet, regular detoxification and learning the the attitude of gratitude allowed me to escape the grip of my stress demons and become the healthy, vibrant, energetic and happy person I am today.

Just last week, I was interviewed for the telesummit, “20 Fun, Easy & Effective Ways to Reduce & Manage Stress” and I shared my strategies for transforming stress using cleansing, detoxification and the art of appreciation.  It will be aired on Sunday July 25,  I’m sharing the stage with 19 other top self help professionals, including Dr. Bernie Siegel, best selling author of “Love, Medicine and Miracles”.

I’m really excited about it because all of the life changing talks are at NO COST to you.  Take a look at the lineup and I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s worth the time investment.  You can pick and choose the events you’d like to hear.  Each day between today and next Monday, there will be 3 talks aired and you’ll have 24 hours to listen for free.

There are 3 fabulous meditation digital audios  given away as free bonuses when you signup for the free Stress Reduction Summit. You can play these  in the background while you work to reduce stress.  It’s a great way to reduce adrenal fatigue.

http://www.drritamarie.com/go/StressSummit

It’s amazzing how quickly you can restore your energy by addressing your own stress demons.  I am so excited to be part of the Premier Stress Summit and the gifted authors and healers who are donating their time to sharing their strategies.My interview was filled with valuable tips and I know the others will be too. Conquering the stress demons is a critical part of getting your hormones and neurotransmitters balanced so you can live your life joyfully, youthfully and full of energy.

Love, Health and Joy to you,

Dr. Ritamarie
http://www.drritamarie.com/go/StressSummit

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30 Day Fun and Sleep Challenge: The Importance of Managing Your Stress

Sleep is important.  Fun is important.  Diet is important.  What’s as or  more important than all of these in creating vibrant health?  Giving your adrenals a rest!

Adrenal exhaustion has become an epidemic and it contributes to so many chronic health challenges.

There are lots of techniques for transforming stress and rebuilding your adrenals.  Nothing is as profound as the power of appreciation.  One of my favorites is to start and end each day by thinking about 3 things that I appreciate.  Try it.  Another favorite is to take a few deep breaths before each meal and tune into what I appreciate about the food I am about to consume.

My friend and Book Doula, Dr. Liz Alexander, wrote a fascinating article about walking meditation using labyrinths as a method of transforming stress and supporting your adrenals.

Tune into where you feel stress in your body, and learn to notice early warning signs.  Support yourself, nurture yourself, have fun and eat green.  You’ll soon find yourself with more energy than you know what to do with.

My report card for Monday:

1- bed by midnight.  Yikes – I really Blew it Sunday night…better Monday.  I had a lot of catch up to do and I took time for fun and exercise, so I made the choice to stay up later than I should have ( 3AM /12:30 AM ) .  I could feel the difference Monday morning, although my energy came back pretty quickly

2- finish writing a few projects that are close to completion – Success here!

3- fun time with kids, who are off school for spring break – Spend some time with my 11 year old

4- running in the sun – yeah.  It was warm again today! I love running when it’s warm.

My commitments for Tuesday:

1- bed by midnight.

2- running in the sun

3- 15 minute fun break

4- 2 quarts green smoothie

Commitment for at least one day this week:  Get to bed by 10 PM and see if it is really as good as it’s cracked up to be!

What about you?  What are you committed to?

Post below in the comments section.

This week we’re having a contest.  I’m offering a prize to whoever posts the most this week…genuine commitments and report cards.  The prize for the winner is an e-book and audio recording.

Wishing you lots of Love, Health and Joy (and sleep, too)

Dr. Ritamarie

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Walking Meditation: Alternative Support for Adrenal Fatigue

I work a lot with women who are burned out, stressed out and bummed out.  Their adrenals are exhausted from over-stress.  Their thyroids are underactive, their bowels are hyperactive and they can barely make it through the day without their coffee fix.  For these busy women, adding an hour a day of meditation and a yoga class 3 times a week to manage stress was just not realistic.  As a result, I’ve had to seek out alternative methods of keeping my patients stress levels down.  One of the most intriguing methods I’ve come across is walking meditation and labyrinths.

Dr. Liz Alexander, the author of The Magic of Labyrinths: Following Your Path, Finding Your Center is an expert in labyrinths. She’s shared with us a wonderful introduction to the benefits of walking meditation and the power of labyrinths.

An Alternative Means of Meditating:  The Magic of Labyrinths

by Dr. Liz Alexander

You’re probably already aware of the many health benefits associated with meditation, a practice that has become increasingly popular as more yoga studios and spas have helped to promote its physiological, psychological and spiritual effects. From reducing anxiety, depression and stress to alleviating insomnia and pain, from enhancing concentration and self-confidence to boosting the immune system, there appear to be few health issues that regular meditation cannot influence in some positive way. But what if, like me, you find it difficult to sit still? This is where finding—or even building—a labyrinth can be invaluable.

With its history buried in the mists of time and mythology, the labyrinth symbol is found in cultures throughout the ages as a representation of life’s journey. Unlike mazes which were built as challenging puzzles that are hard to navigate successfully, labyrinths have a single pathway that winds in various patterns to the center. From the mouth of the labyrinth, all you have to do is follow the path–the same route that takes you both in and out.

As the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh explains:

“Walking meditation is meditation while walking. We walk slowly, in a relaxed way, keeping a tight smile on our lips. When we practice this way, we feel deeply at ease, and our steps are those of the most secure person on earth. All our sorrows and anxieties drop away, and peace and inner joy fill our hearts. Anyone can do it. It only takes a little time, a little mindfulness, and the wish to be happy.”

In many ways walking a labyrinth, engaging in ritual and going on a secular pilgrimage are one and the same. Many people find that their meditative journey walking a labyrinth provides them with the same calming, reflective, health-boosting benefits as sitting or lying down to meditate. That is undoubtedly why many hospitals, churches, and spas have included labyrinths in their grounds. The beauty of labyrinths is that, unlike more passive forms of meditation, they can inspire you to be totally authentic.

For example, Nicholas Halpin, responsible for the 36 feet diameter Chatres-pattern canvas labyrinth at Dundee University in Scotland, discovered that de-stressing can take different forms–all of which can be accommodated by walking the labyrinth. While most people choose to walk slowly, as described by Thich Nhat Hanh, others will skip, dance or even run around a labyrinth. “After all, a meditative state takes lots of different forms, according to different needs,” says Halpin. While slow, deliberate steps may enhance mindfulness and reflection, navigating the labyrinth in a fast way can help kick-start your creativity or give a much-needed boost to your circulatory system. The choice is yours. Now, doesn’t that sound more appealing than sitting still?

You can find a labyrinth near you by accessing the World-Wide Labyrinth locator, a database of labyrinths around the world.

Dr. Liz Alexander is the author of ten nonfiction books, including The Magic of Labyrinths: Following Your Path, Finding Your Center (written under her former name of Liz Simpson), published by HarperCollins in 2002. Also known as The Book Doula, she works with would-be authors to creatively conceive, grow, and birth books that help them leave a legacy and use this promotional tool to boost their business, service, or subject-matter expertise. www.bookdoula.biz.

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Addressing Adrenal Fatigue and Sluggish thyroid: Start with a Detox

Everyone is always looking for answers that are complicated, sophisticated and sexy.  The truth is, most health issues have simple solutions.  Notice I said simple, not easy.

In fact, some of the simplest solutions of all are often the hardest to follow.

1- Fresh food: When you’re running around chasing after deadlines, it’s not always easy to find fresh food.  It’s certainly not in the vending machines or the fast food joints.

2- Fresh, clean water: Unless you carry your own, it’s not generally available, although more and more places carry bottled water.  I was in a restuarant last week with family that didn’t!  What a shock.

3- Fresh air : Our air is filled with chemicals and pollution.  Unless you live in a pristine area far far away form the cities, clean air is hard to find.  And the indoor air is even worse;  it’s polluted with all the chemicals used in building materials, carpets, paint and cleanin supplies.

4 – Exercise : When you’re working 12 hour a day, taking care of kids, and running a mile a minute to keep up with obligations, finding time to exercise can be a challenge, unless you are dedicated and make it an important part of your day.

5- Positive thoughts : If you listen to the news, read the newspaper or watch TV, the constant reporting of terrifying events, ominous predictions and financial gloom are enough to wear your positive thoughts to the bone.

6- Fulfilling Relationships: When you’re working hard just to survive, it’s easy to overlook the kind words and deeds and special touches that keep your relationships flourishing.

7- Sunshine : It’s lovely, abundant in many parts of the world and ellusive to many because we stay cooped up indoors working and taking care of our families.

Your health would improve dramatically if you could incorporate all of the above SIMPLE things into your life on a regular basis.

The hard, cold  reality is, try as you might, you’ll slip up on some of these “simple” health tips more than you’d like.  And when you do, your detoxification pathways suffer and you open yourself for fatigue, lack of focus and illness.

That’s why I developed a variety of cleansing and detoxification strategies that I perform at least 3-4 times a year to detoxify my system.

So just how toxic are you?  Because there are so many genetic and environmental differences between people, the buildup of toxins effects each of us a bit diferently.

I have a test you can take to assess how much your health has been effected by toxicity.  The test has ben around for a long time, and was originally developed by a mentor of mine , Dr. Jeffrey Bland, back in the 1980s.

My webmaster computerized it so that you can take it and get instant feedback.

Here’s the link.

http://www.drritamarie.com/sixweekdetox/toxicity-signup.php

It takes about 2 minutes.  Invest 2 minutes in yourself today to determine how toxic you are and get a personalized email with tips for improving your health.

http://www.drritamarie.com/sixweekdetox/toxicity-signup.php

To your health and Vibrance

Dr. Ritamarie Losclazo

www.FreshnFunLiving.com

www.sixweekdetox.com

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Overcoming Chronic Fatigue and Adrenal Exhaustion with Pleasure!

I work with a lot of people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Adrenal Exhaustion.   There are a few strategies I teach right up front that are almost guaranteed to improve energy metabolism.  The beauty of the approach I’m about to share is that it’s a pleasure to incorporate into your daily health rituals.

Much of what I learn about health and healing, I learn form my kids.  They have an uncanny way of opening my eyes.  I  learned a lot of lessons this week.  It started last Sunday when I had an unexpected day of unplanned connection and fun.  I’d had a particuarly busy week the week before…3 coaching programs running at the same time, and each with specific tasks to do…emails, private consultations, teleseminars, group coaching calls, and materials creation.

My bad habit, when it comes to my health, is staying up too late.  Because of the intensity of the workload I had been going to bed at 3AM or later for 2 weeks.  I decided to sleep in on Sunday.  After getting up at 10, the plan was to go for a run, then have a green smoothie and do some writing and editing.  I’m working on completing 2 books… the most complete book about dehydation on the market today with my coauthor Chef Alicia Ojeda (www.ezrawfoods101.com) and a complete holiday recipe and health guide.  They both needed edits.

As fate would have it, my run was delayed until very late…when I went into the kitchen to get some water before running, my teenage son Eric was there, and in the mood to talk.

If you’ve ever raised a teenager, you know that when they’re in the mood to talk, you drop everything and listen.  It’s a rare and incredible experience.

So we chatted, and I made him breakfast.  We chatted some more and I made him lunch.  In cleaning up after the meals, I realized some of my spice jars needed refilling.  As I filled the spice jars, I realized that I needed to do some reorganizing.  When I brought something to my bedroom to put away, I noticed that my painting table needed to be cleaned off…it had become a collection spot for miscellaneous items without a home.

I decided to set the table up so all my water color painting supplies were ready so I could paint at any time.  With that set up, I could sneak in a few minutes here and there and maybe finally finish the painting I started a year and a half ago.  Realizing that now was as good a time as any to start, I decided to do 10 minutes of painting before my run.  10 minutes lead to 40!  It felt great.

It was 4PM by the time I started my run.  When I returned, Eric asked me to drive him to the store for some needed toiletry items.  I agreed and again spent some enjoyable time with him.

This very pleasant Sunday put me in touch with the realization that I love having unscheduled time.  I realized how much I miss just hanging out, and I decided that I need to schedule a day a week off email and work related activities.  It was a great day.

A very important part of your health plan is schedled time for fun. I teach it all the time and sometimes I get caught in the time trap and ignore my own advice.

Since then I’ve scheudeld time almost every day this week for fun.  And my painting is coming along nicely.

Do it.  When you’re having fun, your biochemistry changes.  You become more relaxed and your digestion improves.  Your hormones are more balanced.  Your neurotransmitters become more balanced and as a result your mood improves.  Your fatigue disappears.  Your adrenals repair.

I’m planning to schedule at least 5 minutes of fun every day.  My life and my health depend on it.

How about you?  What will you do to get your daily dose of fun?   Post your reply in the comments box below.

Love and Health and FUN,

Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

http://www.drritamarie.com

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Cleansing and Detoxification – What Does I Love Lucy Have in Common with Your Liver?

I’m always asked questions like, “What’s the best way to cure Chronic Fatigue“  or  “How can I get my hormones in balance?”  The strategies for both are amazingly similar.  In fact, when it comes right down to it, adrenal exhaustion, irritable bowel, eczema, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, thyroid problems, arthritis , depression and just about any condition you can name all have at least one thing in common.  All of these conditions can be traced back to a body overloaded by toxicity.

In our modern world with its modern conveniences, we are constantly inundated by “modern” toxins.  There are chemicals in the air, plastics in the food, pesticides and drugs in the water and toxic emotions spurred by watching the news.  Then there’s all the processing that takes what once was a real food and leaves it filled with empty calories, oxidized fats and enough  free radicals to cause a revolution!

I recorded a video clip on cleansing to  answer the questions I get all the time.  Cleansing is something your body knows how to do, as long as it doesn’t get overloaded.  And when it does, it’s time to take a break and allow healing and cleansing to take place.  Listen in for some tips and tricks.  Then afterward, have a look at my favorite I Love Lucy clip.

Dr. Ritamarie Discusses Cleansing and Detoxification Strategies.  For support in cleansing, visit www.GreenSmoothieCleanse.com

” I Love Lucy”  – Lucy and Ethel show what happens when the liver gets overloaded with toxins.  It gets caught up when you do a Green Smoothie Cleanse or a Juice Cleanse

When I first learned about toxins and how to eat, breath, think and feel to eliminate them, (almost 25 years ago) I did my very first cleanse.  It changed my life.  I now do mini cleanses at least 4 times a year.

Give cleansing a try.  It will change your life.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

www.FreshnFunLiving.com

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5 Ways to Boost Your Sex Drive Naturally

A woman I met on a recent airplane flight told me that her gynecologist mentioned to her that all of her patients over 40 complained of lack of sex drive. The doctor said loss of sex drive was the most common complaint she heard a daily basis and she had no solutions to offer.

Causes of diminished sex drive include anemia, depression, alcohol, certain medications, hormone imbalances, in particular low testosterone, thyroid and estrogen, stress and adrenal exhaustion and relationship problems.

Fortunately, there are natural ways to improve your sex drive.
1. Learn to manage stress.  Cortisol, the hormone produced by your adrenal glands when you’re under stress interferes with libido.  Cortisol has the same precursors as do estrogen and testosterone, and when you’re under stress and in the fight-flight mode, most of the precursors are used to make Cortisol.  Over time, the excess Cortisol production will lead to deficiencies of testosterone and estrogen.  Low testosterone decreases your sex drive.  Low estrogen inhibits your sexual pleasure.

My favorite stress management tool is from the Institute of HeartMath ®.  Using a combination of breath and appreciation, you can transform your stress to positive emotions within minutes.

2.  Eat a diet high in green leafy vegetables. This will correct anemia, improve neurotransmitter function and provide the nutrients needed for your body to rebuild your adrenal glands.   Add sea vegetables to support your thyroid gland, since it’s an important player in overall hormone health.

3. Avoid processed foods, caffeine and alcohol since these stress the system further and contribute to hormone imbalances. Use licorice and ginseng instead of caffeinated beverages to start your day, because they support your adrenal glands.  (Regular use of Licorice may increase your blood pressure, so be careful if you have a tendency towards hypertension).

4- Take time every day for nurturing and supporting yourself, even if it’s only 10 minutes.  By getting enough sleep, exercising, engaging in artistic pursuits, and having fun on a daily basis, you are resetting your body to a calm state that’s conducive to hormone balance and increased sex drive.

5- Discover the wonderful world of herbs. There are herbs that balance hormone levels and below are a list of a few herbs that can help with libido

• Maca Root: Improves both male and female hormone balance, supports the adrenals, increases stamina, helps with erectile dysfunction and increases sex-drive and fertility! Start with a teaspoon a day in a smoothie and increase up to 4 teaspoons a day.
• Cardamom: It is viewed by some cultures as a powerful aphrodisiac and as a treatment for impotence.  It works well with Maca. It tastes great in smoothies, sauces and nut milk.
• Basil: increases circulation, stimulates the sex drive and boosts fertility! Basil oil was once used by Mediterranean prostitutes as a perfume to attract customers!
• Saw Palmetto. This herb can be used to treat both male and female low libido conditions. It works by triggering the body to produce the right hormones to aid in sexual drive.

Pumpkin Seeds are also good for boosting sex drive because they’re high in zinc, which is important in testosterone production. They’re also a good source of omega 3 fats, which aid in balancing hormones.

If you’re one of the millions of women whose relationship has lost its sizzle due to diminished sex drive, now’s the time to take charge of your health.  By reducing stress, eating a balanced diet of whole natural plant based foods, taking time for self care, and including a few herbs, you are on the road to regaining the sizzle!

Learn more about balancing women’s hormones at www.renegadehealth.com/womanshealth

Learn more about improving your energy at the 3 Myths About fatigue That Every Woman Should Know workshop

Use the comment box below   if you’re willing to share your own experience with diminished sex drive.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

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Comfort Foods Raw Vegan Style: Foods that Nourish and Energize

Being tired is one of those emotional triggers that can lead you down a path of poor food choices,  emotional alienation and lack of joy.

Turning to diet as part of the solution is definitely worth consideration, especially since the most common foods in America and the Western World are energy depleting and contribute to chronic fatigue and degenerative disease.

If you’re like most people, you desire the outcome that a healthy lifestyle offers, yet you crave the comfort foods of your past.

My most successful patients, students and clients are the ones who learn to recreate their favorite comfort foods in new ways…ways that support their health rather than deplete it.

As part of the Fatigue Freedom Formula that I teach, I recommend creating your healthy living toolkit.  One of the “tools” in the kit is a collection of delicious and satisfying recipes.  My  e-books contain  such recipes and many of my patients and students report that using these gluten free raw and living foods recipes has helped them to make healthier choices on a more consistent basis, and as a result overcome the fatigue issues that prevent them from fully living their lives.

Even more powerful than reading and following recipes is attending a live workshop.  During my classes, participants not only watch and taste the delicious foods created right before their eyes, but they also get to participate and make foods of their own.

One of the most important food groups is greens.  Including them as a large part of your daily diet not only enhances your energy and can help reverse adrenal fatigue, but protects you from cancer as well.  Greens can be incorporated into a variety of comfort foods, from chips to desserts.  Have you ever tried Kale Spirulina Brownies?

I am excited to be hosting a class on Tuesday June 2, 2009 with Jackie and Gideon Graff of Georgia.  They’ll be preparing a 6 course meal of Country Barbecue style fare.  The class will be live in Austin, Texas and will be also webcast, so you can participate from around the globe!

If you come to the live class, you’ll be rewarded with a 6 course meal!  I’m excited to be hosting the Graffs.  The were the owners of the Sprout Cafe in Atlanta, until they decided to take their show on the road and teach their delicious cuisine while travelling in their RV.

You can find out more about the class and the Graffs at my website on the Classes page. I’m looking forward to the experience of the Country Barbecue Living Foods Class with Gideon and Jackie Graff
.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

www.drritamarie.com

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Emotional Stress and Your Health: Techniques to Transform Your Stress to Fuel

I’m sharing this announcement with you because the Heart Math techniques have transformed my life. I’ve been using them for the past 5 years or so myself, and I’ve taught them to hundreds of patients and clients. I became a certified Heart Math Coach about 5 years ago. and have taught teleseminars on  Transforming Stress whichhave guided many people to overcoming the debilitating symptoms that chronic stress leads to.

Adrenal fatigue, chronic exhaustinon and degenerative diseases all stem from chronic stress.  When combined with  a diet high in raw and living foods, the heart math techniques have the ability to transform your life and magnify your energy. They has changed my life for the better. If you can fit this teleseminar into your schedule, I highly recommend it. I’ve already put it on my calendar.

A special HeartMath MicroTraining in May to benefit the nation’s service men and women will feature HeartMath medical director and author, Dr. Bruce Wilson, a prominent Wisconsin cardiologist. Dr. Wilson’s presentation is especially timely. Emotional Stress and Your Health, a one-hour Teleseminar presented by Wilson and psychologist Dr. Deborah Rozman, takes on added importance in light of a recent Gallup Poll. Representing 95% of the world’s population from 140 countries, the poll shows that positive emotions were a reliable predictor of better health and negative emotions were a reliable predictor of worse health, even when basic needs of food, shelter and safety were met.

Dr. Wilson, author of The HeartMath Approach to Managing Hypertension, has lectured about and taught HeartMath’s emotion refocusing and self-management tools for over a decade in hospitals, companies, school systems and with his own patients. He will share his story of why he got involved with HeartMath and address the beneficial effects that HeartMath methods and emotional management tools have on people with chronic diseases. Dr. Rozman, author of HeartMath’s Transforming Series books, will discuss practical ways you can reduce stress, anxiety, anger and other negative emotions in these difficult times.

Among those most in need of HeartMath’s scientifically developed tools and technology are returning combat troops and the nation’s veterans, and the Institute of HeartMath is offering this MicroTraining in their behalf.

HeartMath already has assisted a great number of military personnel and hopes to expand access to its tools to thousands more, especially those coping with the personal impact of war. All donations from those attending this May 30 Teleseminar will go directly toward the Military Appreciation Service Fund. (So we ask that if you find value in this event, please consider a contribution of $10, $25 or $35 to this fund.)

Wilson, formerly acute cardiac care director at the University of Minnesota and director of the University of Pittsburgh Heart Institute, has a private practice in Milwaukee, Wis. He is a clinical associate professor of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin and serves as the medical director for IHM sister company, HeartMath LLC.

Co-presenter Rozman, co-CEO of Quantum InTech Inc., is a psychologist and author of numerous books, with over 30 years of experience as a business executive, educator and researcher in the psychology of consciousness. She serves on the Institute of HeartMath’s Scientific Advisory Board and is a key spokesperson for the HeartMath System.

Date: Saturday, May 30, 2009
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (PST)

Register for This Life Changing Teleseminar

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