It’s Time to Step, Bust, and Break Out of Your Comfort Zone!
As I’ve been spending time getting ready to lead a group through my brand new Food Allergy Spy Program, I’ve been reflecting on how it feels to step outside your comfort zone and master a new skill. I’ve been stepping outside my comfort zone recently when it comes to art, and it’s been interesting to note the parallels between art and health.
Have you noticed that when you’re with like minded people and engaged in things you do well, you’re engulfed in a feeling of comfort? You feel accepted, valued, and confident.
Take the same YOU and put yourself in a situation where people don’t really have the same values and goals, or where you’re in a position of being less of an authority about the subject matter at hand and it’s a whole different feeling.
Why I’m Feeling Very Humble…
I recently started taking a pottery class. I’ve done it in the past, but it’s been a long time. I’ve noticed there’s a huge difference between how I present myself at my pottery class versus how I usually am during the day.
During the day, I speak with people from a position of being an authority on the subject matter of nutrition. Usually, I am the teacher or I speak to colleagues who are on a similar level. Socially, I am comfortably surrounded with people who are passionate about being healthy and are familiar with concepts of natural healing modalities. It’s a place of confidence that comes easily to me.
At my pottery class, I am in the company of folks who believe in the western medicine model and have very different ideas about the importance of nutrition when it comes to health.
I am also a beginner on the pottery wheel and am humbled by how difficult even the basic things can be. Whenever my instructor gives a demo that appears to be easy and I confidently sit down to duplicate the process, half the instructions become muddled and I lose track of the order of the steps. I very frequently need to ask for help on very basic steps.
You Won’t Believe What I DIDN’T Say…
In this situation, my old shyness emerges and I start to feel self-conscious and inadequate. This is such a sharp contrast to how I feel when I am guiding my patients and students on complex nutrition and health topics.
Even when I overheard a couple of women talking about nutrition and sharing what I know of as blatantly inaccurate comments, I didn’t feel comfortable enough in that environment to say anything.
When I heard one say to the other that it would be better for a nursing Mom whose baby is allergic to cow’s milk to be switched to a non-dairy formula so she wouldn’t have to restrict her own dairy intake, I so wanted to say something. But I was not in the mood for a possible confrontation, so I ignored it.
What is Your Discomfort Holding YOU Back From?
Perhaps you’re feeling a bit outside your comfort zone as you learn and apply new diet and lifestyle habits in your zeal for restoring your health or reaching your ideal weight.
When you step outside your comfort zone, you set the stage for new doors to open up as you learn and master new techniques.
But it takes time and the process is accelerated by having a good mentor you can turn to for questions and guidance.
Why a Mentor Can Make a Difference…
For several years, when my kids were younger, I took pottery classes. I was just getting started on the wheel when my husband’s travel schedule made it difficult for me to continue the classes. So I found a used kiln and wheel and set up a studio in the garage.
Know what happened?
I only used it two or three times over the past 6 years! Without the mentorship of an experienced teacher to guide me, I found it too difficult. Watching the videos and reading the books was just not cutting it and all of what I had learned before was not helping because I hadn’t been practicing long enough to make it a habit.
Now that I am back in class with a teacher to turn to when I am confused or need help, I am making progress.
I’ve stepped outside my comfort zone in attending this class and so far, I’ve thrown 8 very imperfect pots. The more practice I get and the more guidance I receive, the better my skills will be.
Next week I’ll post photos of my pots in various stages of completion to my blog.
You Don’t Have to Struggle Alone!
It’s hard being at the early stages of learning a new skill. Working with a skilled teacher will accelerate my growth.
In what areas can you step outside your comfort zone?
- Maybe you’ve been tempted to join my Food Allergy Spy Program so you can learn how to eliminate the foods that are hurting you.
- Do you use food for comfort and crave certain food items?
- Perhaps you’re feeling scared about the thought of giving up your comfort foods as part of the process.
- Maybe you’ve been struggling for so long that you don’t believe it could help.
Rest assured, the comfort you’ll feel after eliminating the suspect foods is so much greater than the temporary distraction offered by your comfort foods.
And with my support and guidance you’ll get over the confusing parts much more quickly that you would on your own.
In the book, The False Fat Diet by Elson Haas, MD, the connection between food allergies and reluctant fat is explored. In it he describes elimination and provocation. I read many books like this in my years of struggling to regain my health. Finally, I got it all figured out. Yet, had I the opportunity to participate in a program like my Food Allergy Spy Program it would have saved me two years of suffering and countless dollars.
Afraid? Let’s Face Your Food Fears Together.
While the thought of an elimination diet may seem scary for you, it’s well worth stepping outside your comfort zone to do it. The process I have developed for conducting an elimination diet actually has side benefits, too. Most drug approaches to illness have side effects. FAST has side benefits. The elimination phase of the program is also great for strengthening your detox mechanisms and healing your gut.
Just a reminder, the FAST program starts this evening (Tuesday, January 17th, 2012) and it’s filling up fast. I only have a few seats remaining and then it’s filled.
If you can’t make tonight’s live class or decide to wait until tomorrow to register, you can easily “catch up” by listening to the recording, but you run the risk of the class filling up while you’re deciding. Also, the opportunity to get started for just $57 goes away tonight at class time.
There’s No Risk. Only FAST Benefits!
I want your total satisfaction and happiness. You can get started today and participate for a full week. If after next week’s Q&A Coaching call you feel unable to proceed, we’ll refund your money. It’s that easy.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I commit 100% to my program participants. I am invested in your success.
This program is loaded with opportunities to get my personal assistance with the process.
http://www.FoodAllergySpy.com
Since I will be training new coaches to help with the program in the future, this is the ONLY time the program will include so much of my personal attention. So step outside your comfort zone.
You can start with a tiny investment of $57 and there’s no risk.
Magic happens when you step outside your comfort zone. And you’ll be amazed at how much more quickly you’ll make progress with the support of an experienced and caring mentor… me.
I look forward to getting to know you!
http://www.FoodAllergySpy.com
Tags: comfort zone, Dr. Ritamarie, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, FAST, food allergies, food allergy, Food Allergy Spy, food allergy spy training, food allergy test, food cravings, food intolerance, immune system, mentorship
Posted in Chronic Fatigue, Fatigue Treatment, Health Coach, Immune System Support, Leaky Gut, Raw and Living Foods
Pain and Inflammation From Food Allergies: How to Live an “Itis” and “Algia” Free Life
I work with lots of people who suffer from the effects of inflammation in their body. When I work with clients, we work closely to identify and eliminate the causes so they can lead happy and fulfilled, pain-free lives.
Inflammation causes pain, stiffness, heart attacks, ulcers, and all diseases ending in “itis”.
The list of “itis” diseases is long. Here are just a few of the most common ones. You or someone you love just may be suffering from one of these:
- arthritis
- gastritis
- colitis
- thyroiditis
- dermatitis
- sinusitis
- and many more…
Other diseases whose names end in “algia” are also caused by inflammation. “Algia” means pain. Among the most common “algias” are fibromyalgia and neuralgia.
What most people don’t realize is that inflammation can be caused by what you eat.
Oh! Mega Trouble!
Some foods are inherently inflammatory. These include many fats in the omega-6 family.
There’s a particular omega-6 fat that’s especially inflammatory called “arachidonic acid“. It’s found in commercially raised meats, poultry, dairy products, eggs, peanuts, and many hydrogenated oils.
An imbalance in omega-6 to omega-3 fats creates inflammation. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is very imbalanced when it comes to omega-3 and omega-6 fats.
The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats ideally should be 3:1 or less. The average American has a ratio of 12:1 or higher. That’s a big part of why so many of us suffer from inflammatory diseases and why heart disease and cancer affect such a large percentage of the population.
What most people don’t realize is that even most people on a “healthier” diet, including vegans and raw fooders, have an imbalance of fats that sets the stage for inflammatory diseases. The imbalance of fats is due to their widespread use and consumption of vegetable oils, grains, and nuts.
Put a Fork in the Road of Inflammation!
Your fork can be a powerful weapon or a mighty healing tool. It all depends on what you put on the end of it.
In coming issues and blog posts, I’ll explore how to balance the fats in your diet to heal inflammation and protect yourself from inflammatory diseases.
In the meantime, you can’t go wrong by eating a fresh diet loaded with green vegetables, sea vegetables, and omega-3 rich chia, flax, and hemp seeds.
What many people don’t realize though is that even healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds can cause inflammation WHEN you develop an allergy to them.
Food Allergies: Potholes on the Path to Healing Inflammation
On the Vibrant Health Solutions Radio show “The Pain of Undiagnosed Food Allergies,” I reviewed one of the very important AND controllable causes of inflammation – Food Allergies!
If you’re suffering from chronic health symptoms in spite of all your attempts to control them naturally and/or using Western medical approaches, I suggest you listen to the replay for a wealth of information.
On the radio show, I explored the relationship between pain and food allergies and discussed ways you can identify and eliminate triggers AND heal the underlying causes so that “innocent” foods no longer hurt you. If you’ve been suffering from chronic pain; digestive upset; weight that just won’t go away; or other vague symptoms like depression, brain fog, or fatigue, you owe it to yourself to listen in.
http://www.drritamarie.com/radio/2012/01/the-pain-of-undiagnosed-food-allergies/
Not Sure if You Have Food Allergies?
I recently hosted a teleclass where I shared the details about an exciting new program I’m offering to guide you to identify and eliminate food allergies that may be causing inflammation in YOU. You’ll learn how to heal the underlying dysfunctions in your gut and immune system that caused you to become allergic to what you eat.
If you missed the teleclass you can register for the free recording here:
http://www.drritamarie.com/go/TurnFoodAllergiesInsideOut
If the teleclass message resonates, you just may consider joining me for my brand new, fully coached “Food Allergy Spy Training” program. I’ll guide you to identify all your trigger foods, heal the underlying immune and digestive issues that are likely at the core of your problems, and help you start to feel really good again.
The FAST Way to Heal Allergies and Inflammation
The Food Allergy Spy Training (FAST) program is one of a kind. Up until now, identification of food allergens was expensive, time consuming, and confusing. I’m eliminating a lot of the confusion and guiding you through the Gold Standard for identification of food allergens – the Food Elimination Provocation Process (FEPP).
The FAST program will guide you to become a super sleuth detective by training you to carefully observe changes in your body around food choices.
http://www.FoodAllergySpy.com
Food allergy tests are fraught with error and are very expensive. For a fraction of the cost of a comprehensive food allergy test, you can reliably determine what foods may be triggering you to feel unwell.
The FAST program starts next Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 and the dozens of people who’ve jumped onboard have already gotten a head start on the first two assignments designed to help you identify potential food triggers.
I would love the opportunity to get to know you and guide you to start the new year on a great path to new-found wellness of a magnitude you could only imagine before now. Because this is the first offering of the Food Allergy Spy Training program, it’s very affordable to participate in this live group program!
For a limited time only I’ve slashed the price by $100 to make it easy and affordable.
http://www.FoodAllergySpy.com
Imagine an “Itis” and “Algia” Free Life!
Imagine how it would feel to know you’re handling the cause of your ill health rather than trying to treat the symptoms.
- Think about how it would feel to know that the food you eat will no longer mistakenly trigger and over-activate your immune system.
- Step into how it will feel to experience freedom from food allergy associated conditions like depression, headaches, poor digestion, fibromyalgia, or fatigue.
If you’d like to stop imagining how it would feel to be well again and make vitality a reality for yourself through a 30-day process, I hope you’ll join me.
Let’s balance your omega fats, identify your trigger foods, and turn your fork into a powerful tool for healing and health so that you can enjoy a life of vibrant living!
Tags: arachidonic acid, arthritis, colitis, depression, dermatitis, digestion, Dr. Ritamarie, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, elimination provocation, FAST program, fatigue, fibromyalgia, food allergies, food allergy, food allergy spy training, food allergy test, food elimination, food elimination provocation, food intolerance, gastritis, immune system, inflammation, Leaky Gut, neuralgia, omega 3, omega-6, pain, ritamarie loscalzo, sinusitis, thyroiditis
Posted in Autoimmune, Chronic Fatigue, Exhaustion, Fatigue Treatment, Health Coach, Immune System Support, Leaky Gut, Reduce Belly Fat
The Five Most Useful Lab Tests for Measuring Your Health
As a new year approaches, it’s good idea to assess your health status and make informed decisions about what you need to do next to get your body in the best health ever.
While I feel that oft times, practitioners over-rely on lab testing and use it instead of applying clinical detective tools, like a good interview and exam, still there are many lab tests that I believe are super important to guide you to making informed decisions about what to eat, how to move, and what supplements might be needed.
The basic lab tests performed as part of the “annual physical”contain a tremendous amount of information about your nutritional status and your health…far more than most conventionally trained practitioners know to look for.
The Basic Lab Test: Understanding what “Normal” Means
The ranges used by most doctors are those calculated by the lab. Sadly, for most tests the way they decide if a value is normal or abnormal is based on the average values of all the lab tests done by that lab. So when you’re told you are “normal” what It really means is that you’re average.
I, for one, fail to feel encouraged to be told I’m average in a land where close to 50% of the people get cancer, autoimmune disease is epidemic, hormone imbalance is rampant, and heart disease and diabetes kill millions each year.
As a functional medicine practitioner, I look at optimal ranges calculated from studying healthy populations.
The List of Five Lab Tests that are Helpful Guides to Optimal Health
The following list is not meant to be comprehensive. Check with your doctor to determine the best tests for you.If you don’t have a primary care doctor or do but don’t have insurance coverage for lab tests, I suggest you check out one of the direct access labs that allow you to order your own blood tests.
The one I use is called Direct Labs – http://www.directlabs.com.
These panels are unfortunately only available in the continental U.S. excluding New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island due to state laws in these localities. If you live outside the U.S. or in one of these states, speak to your local health practitioner or seek a functional medicine doctor in your area to get help with ordering tests.
1. Comprehensive Wellness Profile (CWP)
I like to start with a comprehensive blood chemistry panel and Complete Blood Count (CBC). Direct Labs calls this the Comprehensive Wellness Profile, aka CWP. It’s a panel of over 50 tests that assesses your thyroid, kidneys, liver, cholesterol and other blood lipids (fats), minerals, fluids and electrolytes, and blood sugar.
The CWP also includes the aforementioned Complete Blood Count test, which assesses your immune system and determines if you have anemia and what kind of anemia if so.
Direct Labs usually runs a sale on this test in December. Until the end of the month, you can order this complete panel for only $59.
Click HERE for details.
Even if you’re outside the region that can Direct Labs to run the test for you, you can see what’s covered and be better informed when you speak to your local practitioner about ordering the equivalent for you.
2. Vitamin D
Next, I add Vitamin D.This is a very important test to run, as Vitamin D deficiency is very widespread due to the fear of the sun propagated by the media.Vitamin D is made by your body upon exposure to UV sunlight.Deficiency of Vitamin D can lead to widespread problems, including altered immune system function, including autoimmune disease, leaky gut, depression, hormone imbalance and much more.
3. Thyroid
If you’re tired, overweight, have dry skin, depression or constipation, your thyroid might be off.While the CWP tests thyroid, it’s not always enough.The most common cause of low thyroid function is an autoimmune condition.For this, I suggest you add to the mix 2 tests for thyroid antibodies: Thyroid Peroxidase and Antithyroglobulin.
4. Blood Sugar
If you have a history of blood sugar imbalance, hard to get rid of belly fat, fatigue, or a family history of diabetes, I also recommend additional tests to assess your blood sugar status and determine if you have a tendency towards insulin resistance or diabetes. The CWP includes fasting blood glucose, but often this is not enough to give the true blood sugar balance picture.
I recommend also running fasting insulin and hemoglobin a1C. In addition, you can purchase an inexpensive blood sugar meter at your local pharmacy or online and really get the complete picture.
5. Heart
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Sadly, for about 50% of people with heart disease the first symptom is dropping dead of a heart attack. This happened to BOTH my parents. Wouldn’t you like to know if you are at risk BEFORE a fatal event so you can take the steps to reduce your risk?
If you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, or find that your cholesterol tends to be higher than ideal, there are a couple of really useful tests. C-Reeactive Protein (CRP-hs) is a marker of inflammation in your blood vessels and homocysteine is an amino acid that plays a role in destroying the lining of your artery walls, promoting the formation of blood clots, and also accelerates the buildup of scar tissue. High levels may increase the chance of heart disease and stroke, especially if you have other risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, or family history.
I suggest you run CRP-hs and homocysteine tests if you feel you are at risk. There are also much more detailed and sophisticated cardiac risk tests, including one called VAP, that I order when appropriate.
Extra Tests
Extra tests I often run when indicted by symptoms and health history are the adrenal stress index and a fatty acid test to determine the balance between the oh-so-important omega 3 and 6 fats and risk for inflammatory disease.
How to Determine Which Tests You Need
When I’m working with someone one on one, I do a complete history and determine which tests would be helpful.
My Assess Your Own Body Chemistry class was designed to empower you to take charge of your own health. The program teaches you how to read your own lab work, as well as physical signs and symptoms.
We’ll be releasing the self-study version of the course in early 2012.It’s an excellent way to learn how to read your own body.
Finally, if you are overweight, crave sugar or carbs, and feel like you need to eat frequently to maintain your energy, you most likely have a blood sugar imbalance. In this case, I recommend you get yourself a glucose meter and start to track your response to foods.
The participants in my recent B4 Be Gone System learned how use a glucose meter to track their blood sugar in response to their foods and realized the tremendous value in knowing just how each food affected them. Knowing YOUR response to particular foods guides you in designing a diet that keeps your belly flat, your mind sharp and focused, and your energy high. The B4 Be Gone System will be available again for a live group setting in February 2012.
Before you get yourself tested, make a commitment to take good care of yourself. Get the white stuff out and the green stuff in.
If you’ve been feeling off or overweight in spite of a good diet, it’s time to do some testing and see what’s out of balance.
Measuring your health is the best way I know to really determine how your habits are serving you.
Watch here for more information and resources for lab testing over the next couple of months.
Tags: blood count, blood sugar, blood sugar imbalance, direct labs, heart disease, immune system, lab test, lab testing, thyroid, Vitamin D
Posted in Health Coach, Lab Testing, Vibrant Health
The Power of Appreciation to Transform Your Health: Dr. Ritamarie’s Gratitude Journal Day 1
Consistently evoking positive emotion and carrying an attitude of gratitude is right up there with fresh whole food and exercise in importance when it comes to restoring your energy, focus, and fitness. Yet it’s often set aside as a “nice to do when I have time” activity.
According to researchers at the Institute of Heart Math, published in a paper called “The Appreciative Heart: The Psychophysiology of Positive Emotions and Optimal Functioning” by Rollin McCraty and Doc Childre, “Positive emotions have been demonstrated to improve health and increase longevity, increase cognitive flexibility and creativity, facilitate “broad-minded coping” and innovative problem solving, and promote helpfulness, generosity, and effective cooperation.”
Wow.
In recent years, their research has concentrated on studying the effects appreciation has on your heart rhythms and understanding how heart-brain interactions affect your body, mind, and emotions.
And the message is really clear. Positive emotions, especially appreciation, trigger health enhancing changes in your body involving your hormones, enzymes, digestion, detoxification pathways, immune system and cardiovascular system.
And the good news is that you can invest just a minute a day to your “appreciation practice” and still reap the rewards.
So every day for the next 30, I’ll be publicly posting my appreciations for the day.
Join Me for 30 Days of Gratitude!
Try it!
Simply go down below to the comments box and post your appreciations for the day.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the changes in your “energy, vim, and vigor.”
Evoke appreciation before each meal, and you’ll soon find your digestion is humming and your energy is rising.
Dr. Ritamarie’s Appreciations for Today – Day 1
- My once rebellious teenage son, Eric, now 17, is a joy to be with and is studying for SAT’s and applying to college.
- My husband, Scott, who cleans up the messy kitchen after my many food experiments and is following along with my B4 Be Gone Program and dropping some stubborn weight.
- My new to teenager-hood son, Kevin, who hasn’t hit the rebellious “I don’t want to be around you anymore” state, still asks me to cuddle with him at night before he goes to sleep.
It feels really good to write these things rather than just think them.
I feel like my inner radiance has tripled by writing them rather than just thinking them. The emotional state these thought evoke are powerful and invigorating.
Go ahead, give it a try and discover the magic for yourself. Write your appreciations below.
Tags: appreciation, appreciation journal, doc childre, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, emotional health, gratitude journal, heart math, HeartMath, Vibrant Health
Posted in Appreciation for Health, Health Coach, Vibrant Health
Metabolism Boosting Blunder: Why Eating Smaller, Frequent Meals May Make You Fat!
- by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo
I want to share one of my favorite tips for keeping the extra pounds from creeping in around your waistline, and it has to do with how far apart you space your meals.
One of my Bye-Bye Belly Fat, Brain Fog, and Burnout video subscribers wrote and asked me why I was advising only 3 meals a day spaced 5-6 hours apart when she had at least 5 books on her shelf written by respected health educators telling her to eat frequent, small meals.
All too often, “so called experts” tell you to eat many small meals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar steady. What they don’t tell you is that constant feeding means you have a steady stream of insulin in your bloodstream.
Whatever sugar insulin can’t manage to get inside your cells, it stores away as fat… around your belly!
So, while eating every couple of hours keeps your blood sugar from getting too low, it never allows for the rhythmic ebb and flow of insulin. It also causes your leptin and growth hormone levels to go down.
Since these hormones are involved in feeling satiated after meals and in fat burning, you’re shooting yourself in the foot when you eat every few hours. The ideal meal spacing appears to be somewhere between 5 and 6 hours.
You might be thinking, “I can’t go 5 hours without eating.”
Of course you can’t NOW. You have faulty metabolic pathways that need to be repaired before you can space your meals optimally.
Eating every couple of hours may appear to “solve” your problem and keep your blood sugar even, but it’s really just masking the underlying issue. A balanced body can go 6 hours or longer without feeling faint or irritable.
My B4 Be Gone System gives you the steps to repair the underlying imbalances so you can keep your blood sugar nice and steady without the damaging effects of high insulin all day long.
And I show you exactly how to gradually increase the length of time between meals so your energy remains steady. My system is designed to guide you to find the right timing for YOU and gradually optimize it as your cells repair. This can happen rather quickly.
One of my clients went from having to eat every hour to easily going 5 hours between meals…within less than two weeks! And she finally dropped 12 of the pounds she’d been struggling to let go for years. In my B4 Be Gone Program, I show you exactly how to restore the sensitivity of your cells to insulin so you can space your meals, burn more fat, lay down more muscle, and keep your energy and focus nice and steady all day long.
You owe it to the world to get out from under the veil of an under-focused mind, low energy, and lack of confidence in your appearance. It’s your time to shine. Join us for the incredible B4 Be Gone Journey and unleash your greatness.
You really are unstoppable!
You’re going to step into your passion and potential as soon as you step out of the fog.
Tags: achieving your ideal weight, belly fat, blood sugar, insulin, insulin sensitivity, metabolism, weightloss
Posted in Fatigue Treatment, Health Coach, Reduce Belly Fat
