Raw Food Gluten Free Recipes for the Holidays

At this time of year, you might spend lots of time shopping for just the right gift for everyone on your list. But what about you?

Have you ever considered giving yourself a gift? Today’s post has the perfect plan for giving back to the only person who will be with you at every moment and can support you best of all. And it’s not one of those store bought gifts, either. It’s one from your heart.

A Special Gift to Give Yourself

1. Purchase of make a pretty card for yourself.
2. Address the inside of the card to yourself by name.
3. In the white space, write ” My gift to you is” followed by one self care thing you plan to include in your life on a regular basis. Pick something you have not already managed to make routine. It could be taking a daily walk, making a green drink, meditating, taking a yoga class, doing daily stretching. The sky’s the limit. Make it something you know would benefit your health and well being and just hasn’t been given the priority it deserves.
4. Sign the card from you.
5. Put the card in an envelope and address it to YOU.
6. Put the card with the gifts you plan to give away and open it at the appropriate time.
7. Surprise!!! Follow Through with Joy!

You deserve to be healthy, happy and whole.

Make a commitment to do it NOW.

Holiday Recipes for You

If you haven’t already decided on your holiday menu, consider adding these recipes. Perhaps instead of being tempted by the traditional mashed potatoes and gravy loaded with gluten, dairy and processed fats you’ll enjoy my mashed potato recipe made with cauliflower and loaded with cancer fighting and hormone balancing phytochemicals and mushroom gravy made with immune boosting mushrooms.

These recipes variations of recipes in my eBook Healthy Holiday Traditions, which is loaded with recipes for the holidays including the familiar holiday favorites like gingerbread cookies, latkes and “egg” nog, apple pie, Christmas cookies, pumpkin pie and so much more

Herbed Mashed “Potatoes”

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, cashews, or a combination of both
• 1/2 lemon, juice of
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups corn (fresh, or frozen and thawed) or 1 1/2 cups zucchini, peeled
• 1 scallion, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or amount to taste

Directions:

1. Break cauliflower into 2-inch chunks and chop in food processor with “S” blade until grainy.
2. Put corn or zucchini in blender and process until smooth. Add water if necessary, but only enough to result in a smooth, creamy blend. It should be relatively thick.
3. Add nuts and lemon juice to blender and process until smooth. Add water only if necessary. This mixture should be thick and creamy.
4. Add the blender mixture to the cauliflower in the food processor and process until well combined, but not completely smooth. It should have a bit of texture, like mashed potatoes.
5. Place in serving bowl and serve as-is (mixture should be warm from the processing) or put entire mixture into baking dish and place in dehydrator for 2 hours to warm through.
6. Serve right away. The taste is best if served shortly after preparing (it changes after refrigeration).
7. Optional: Add flax oil, salt and pepper to taste, and minced herbs just before serving. Top with mushroom gravy.

Personal Note: This is a slightly modified version of the recipe on page 24 of Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo.

Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup Brazil nuts or almonds, soaked for 6 hours, rinsed and drained
• 1 shallot, or 1 clove garlic
• 2 teaspoons dried mushrooms, ground to a powder, or 1/2 cup fresh brown mushrooms
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
3. Make this just before serving so that it’s warm.

Personal Note: This recipe is from page 25 of Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo.

Gluten Free Raw Foods Recipes to the Rescue: Healthy Habits Lead to Happy Hormones

Gluten free diets have been lauded for every thing from autism to eczema, asthma to ADD.  But have you ever considered that gluten may be wrecking your sex life?

Can such a tiny little protein as gluten, found in all your favorite breads, pastas, desserts and breakfast cereals really create havoc in so many parts of your body?

The research overwhelmingly says YES!By destroying your hormones and the glands that produce them, gluten leaves no body part unscathed, even if your symptoms are confined to a few select areas.  The problem is, much of the damage caused by gluten is silent, until you reach a critical threshold, them fall apart.

Magic Moments Candies

This is especially true of gluten induced osteoporosis.I’ve seen it happen over and over again.So what’s the solution?  Is there a magic drug or herb or procedure you can do to cure the damage gluten creates in your body?

The good news is, the answer doesn’t require any drugs, radiation or special surgical procedure,it’s not dependent on hormone replacement or herbal remedies.

It’s not something that acupuncture or chiropractic can cure either, although both can be helpful in repairing the damage.

In fact the solution is absolutely free.

The answer is at the tip of your fork, your most powerful healing tool.

Drum roll please.

The solution is to stop eating gluten, which means no more bread, pie, cookies, crackers, bagels, croissants, breakfast cereal….

YIKES.   So, what’s left to eat?

Asian Salad on a Bed of Sprouted Lentils

Enter the wonderful world of raw foods.

You think all that processed CR_P is good, what until you taste the real thing.

And no, I don’t mean connect to the awesomeness of a carrot and make love with romaine lettuce – although eating food straight from nature is in fact the ideal.

What I mean is the magic that happens when someone who really had a knack for flavors and textures and bringing out the delicate essence of fresh whole food turns the ordinary into the extraordinaire.

Take for example the photos sprinkled throughout this article.  They are the foods we make in Eating for Hormone Balance.  Let’s face it! your hormones need and want lots of produce…cruciferous vegetables, sea vegetables, sprouts, high quality fats,   They’re thrown off by white flour, white sugar, processed fats, preservatives and hormones in your foods.

Happy Hormone Collard Wraps

We’ve figured out how to take the best of science in terms of hormone research and blend it with the best foods and herbs that nature has to offer.

By using all whole, raw and living foods, completely gluten and dairy free, we create masterful hormone boosting and balancing dishes that taste great.

We leave out all the top 5 allergens, so people with food allergies have a safe haven for clean food.

Here’s what we’re making

There’s still time to register for Eating for Hormone Balance.

Attend in person and get to eat the foods or attend online and get to watch real-time and get your questions answered.  In either case you get a video after class…fully indexed by recipe plus a recipe guide, all digital documents!

Learning to make delicious foods that nourish and protect is worth the investment at any price.

Register for Eating For Hormone Balance Live class or Web cast and get videos FREE

Dr. Lindsey Berkson, author of Safe Hormone, Smart Women  and 14 other books on hormones and health, believes that nutrition is the first line of defense in keeping your hormones safe and balanced.  Watch as she makes a hormone balancing green drink.

Creamy and Filling Green Drink with Dr. Lindsey Berkson

Learn a full range of delicious hormone balancing recipes from Dr. Ritamarie and Team

Eating for Hormone Balance

Chipolte Orange Mango Kale Chips

Gluten-Free Fast Raw Food: Collard Green Roll-ups with Sauerkraut and Mango Filling

One of the laments I hear all the time is that “there just isn’t enough time”  to eat wholesome foods.

In my world, I don’t have enough time to NOT eat healthy meals.  The cost of  eating processed food containing all that gluten, dairy and sugar  instead of  healthy meals is far too great for me to even consider. Let me explain.

The Cost of NOT taking time for Healthy Meals

If eating healthfully DID mean spending a lot of time in the kitchen, as most people believe, it still would save me time in the long run.  The cost of eating processed food is feeling sluggish, getting sick and performing below my ability.  The result is I accomplish less and lose out on all the fun of having lots of energy and feeling great.

If I were to eat fast food instead of whole food, I’d spend more time sleeping, feeling unfocused and unproductive and going to doctors or seeking answers to my myriad of health challenges.

When I eat whole fresh plant foods, my body is filled with energy, my mind is sharp and clear and illness stays far away.  I have more time for fun, exercise, family and work.

I’ve posted many recipes, videos and even entire articles on how to eat healthfully even when you’re super busy.

A couple of my favorites are tomato slices with “cheese:” and herbs, pineapple chipolte salad and green soups.

The recipe I made tonight was brimming with nutrition, easy to make and tasted delicious.  Unfortunately I ate it all before I remembered that I should have taken a picture.

Collard Green Roll-ups with Sauerkraut and Mango Filling

Ingredients

• 2 large collard green leaves
• 4 cups mache salad mix
• 2 handfuls broccoli sporuts
• 3 handful of sunflower sprouts
• 4 tablespoons Creamy Nut Cheese
• 4 tablespoons guacamole
• 4 tablespoons sauerkraut
• 1/2 large mango, cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning

Directions

1. Rinse collard leaves and lay on plate
2. Pile the half of the remaining ingredients on each of the collard  leaves, ending with the guacamole or creamy nut cheese
3. Roll collard leaf tightly around filling.  Slice and serve.I made this recipe up on the fly.  Use whatever ingredients you have on hand.  If you make up some dips and dressings at the beginning of the week, you’ll have them hand to put together a quick meal.

In our classes, hosted by Raw Foods University, we demonstrate how to make foods quickly and easily.

It’s a skill worth learning.  That way you can have lots of pare time and energy for FUN!

Gluten-Free Fast Food For Health Resources

1. Deliciously Quick Lunch and Dinner Ideas for Healthy Meals on the Run e-book
2. Quick Meals Video Class with Recipe Guide
3. One Dish Meals Video Class with Recipe Guide
4. Quick Soups e-book
5. Kids in the Kitchen Video Class with Recipe Guide

QUESTION of the DAY: 

Post your answer below:  What’s your favorite fast food?

Let’s see if we can come up with healthier alternatives to your favs.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

One Dish Raw Food Meals for Summer: Pineapple Chipotle Salad

- by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

If your summer is keeping you busy and you want to include more raw food meals without spending hours in the kitchen, then all you need to do is find a few one dish meal recipes that deliver exciting and satisfying tastes.   I made this salad the other night after a busy day of work and rushing kids around to appointments.  It was quick, easy to prepare, and very delicious and satisfying.

The unusual combination of pineapple and sesame for the dressing is a delight to the taste buds.

Not only is this one dish meal for summer refreshing, light, and tangy, it’s a nutritional winner as it’s high in calcium and vitamin C!

Pineapple Chipotle Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 cups mixed greens
• 1 tomato, finely diced
• 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup pineapple, cut into tiny cubes
• 1 cup pineapple plus core (for dressing)
• ¼ cup sesame tahini
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• Water to desired consistency

Directions:

Place all vegetables in a bowl.  Put pineapple core and 1 cup pineapple in blender with tahini, chipotle, and salt.  Blend and pour over salad.

It’s so much fun to put together the ingredients on hand and create a masterpiece.

We did something similar in the One Dish Meals Class on Sunday.  I challenged Karen to go through my refrigerator, choose some ingredients and make a recipe on the fly in front of the entire class.  The pressure was on!!!

She made an amazing Arugula Salad containing fresh mango slices, heirloom tomatoes, sunflower sprouts and a few other ingredients.  The videos from this raw food class will be up in a few days so you can watch Karen create on the fly and learn to make an array of taste tantalizing one dish meals.  I loved the Curried Cauliflower, Caribbean Mung Beans and Sweet and Sour Broccoli.  You can enjoy these delicious recipes and more here! 

Looking for even more recipes? 

•  Delicious
• nutritious
• quick and easy
• sugar-free
• dairy-free
• gluten-free
• trans-fat free 

Discover Deliciously Quick Lunch and Dinner Ideas!  Find out more! 

Healthy Meals in a Hurry: A 3-Step Guide for Busy People

- by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

“What can I eat that supports my health, tastes great, and is quick and easy to get on the table?”

I get asked this question all the time.  People wonder how I manage to eat so healthfully when I am so busy.  This is an actual comment, taken from a recent consultation form:

“One of my challenges is making food for myself – I would love to have someone else do it. I don’t want to be taking time at lunchtime to do that – so I tend to nibble and then get hungry in the afternoon – then work too late, so I’m really hungry at dinner time – and need to eat right away.”

I have hundreds more just like it!

My friend and colleague, Chef Karen Osborne, is one of the busiest people I know, besides me of course.  As a home schooling Mom, choir member, volunteer at church, personal chef, instructor and Fresh ‘n Fun co-op manager she’s constantly juggling this activity and that. Yet she always manages to eat high green, delicious, nutrient-dense meals.

How does she do it?

She’ll be sharing her secrets in our One Dish Meals raw food class, but I thought I would give you a few hints and tips today to help you put healthy meals on the table in less than the time it takes to order pizza.

Step 1: Stock Your Brain with Purpose

Consistently choosing healthy foods to consume, despite time pressures requires a mindset shift.  It starts by focusing on what’s most important to you–making the connection between what you value most and healthy meal choices. Then, you must simply act from that place of knowing what you value most.

It sounds simple, and it is.  Implementation takes dedication and truly connecting to your core values.  One thing Karen and I have in common is a framework of reference that we get what we most want in life when we feel strong and energetic.  We feel strong and energetic when we eat lots of green foods and avoid the energy zappers like gluten, dairy, sugar and processed foods.

If we’re rushed or out and the food choices don’t support our ultimate goal, we hold true to our values and don’t eat the foods that will tire or weaken us.

Step 2: Stock Your Kitchen with Essentials

The next step is more practical.  Make sure to keep your house stocked with lots of whole foods.  With a little forethought and careful shopping, you can have foods around that you can prepare in a hurry.

Here’s a list of recommended food items to always have around:

• Tomatoes
• Avocados
• Sprouts
• Lemons
• A variety of dried herbs and spices
• Seeds, like sunflower, pumpkin, chia or hemp
• Raw nuts
• Greens
• Sea vegetables
• Powdered sea veggies, like kelp.
• A variety of vegetables like cucumber, celery, carrots, and peppers

Step 3: Stock Your Meals with Creativity

I was in a hurry to get something to eat for dinner tonight, so here’s an example of throwing a healthy meal together in only 5 steps:

1. I went down to the kitchen and found an avocado, a tomato and a jar of sauerkraut.
2. I sliced the tomato in rounds and placed them on a plate.
3. I sliced the avocado and placed the slices on top of the tomato (sometimes instead of avocado, I spoon nut or seed cheese on top).
4. I put a dollop of sauerkraut on each tomato slice.
5. I sprinkled the works with Italian seasoning and kelp powder

I had a delicious meal in less than 5 minutes!

In our One Dish Meals class we’ll be sharing how to whip up a one dish meal using whatever you have around.  Again, the key to quick and easy meals is having an open mind, having the ingredients on hand, and tuning in to your creativity.  Think outside the box.  Learn from people who have been there, done that.

Use your imagination.

Join us for Delicious One Dish Raw Food Meals! It’s guaranteed to be a winner!