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.

Food Allergies: Taming the Health Stealing Holiday Grinch

As the mashed potatoes and gravy call to you and the apple pie and pretty cookies lure you, I ask you to stop and consider the dangers in those foods and explore healthy alternatives like the delicious and festive cookie recipes I’m sharing with you today.

In addition to the blood destabilizing effects of the sugar and flour, these typical holiday foods cause havoc in your immune system.

When your immune system reacts to food as if it were a dangerous bacteria or virus, you experience discomfort and inflammation. We generally refer to these types of reactions as food allergies or hyper-sensitivities.

Hidden food allergies cause many serious health challenges that often puzzle doctors and patients alike. That’s why I am offering a FREE teleseminar:

Turning Food Allergies Inside Out:
The Causes, Culprits, and Cures
Tuesday, January 3rd, 7:30 p.m. Central

Register HERE:
http://www.drritamarie.com/go/TurnFoodAllergiesInsideOut

Are the Foods You Eat Naughty or Nice?

At the top of the list of common food allergens are gluten and dairy.  All your favorite holiday goodies are high in both.

It’s easy to identify and avoid food allergens when they cause obvious signs like hives, diarrhea, or difficulty breathing.

It becomes a bit more tricky when the reactions are not immediate or dramatic. Reactions that are delayed and subtle are less likely to be attributed to the offending food because there doesn’t seem to be a direct cause/effect relationship.

I have worked with thousands of patients over the years. Many say to me that they have no food allergies — wheat doesn’t bother them, dairy is not an issue — only to find out that eliminating these foods and eating more fresh, whole green foods clears up long-standing, chronic problems related to inflammation.

Inflammation: The Grinch that Steals Health

Unfortunately, most doctors don’t recognize the relationship between food and conditions like irritable bowel, celiac, Crohn’s, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, eczema, psoriases, fibromyalgia, lupus, and even MS and heart disease.

Hidden food allergens trigger inflammation. Food allergens in your body overwork, confuse and weaken your immune system. In many cases, the ultimate consequence of not addressing hidden food allergies is autoimmune and heart diseases.

Heart disease, the number-one killer in America, is caused by inflammation. What most people don’t realize is that cholesterol is an anti-inflammatory substance that’s triggered by inflammation in your blood vessels. Inflammation is frequently triggered by toxins, allergens, and improperly digested food.

Inflammation triggers a stress response in your body, leading to overworked adrenal glands and subsequent fatigue and serious health challenges. Many people suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, and joint pain can be helped by identifying and eliminating foods that trigger an immune response.

So ask yourself as you reach for the cookies and mashed potatoes with gravy – is it worth the risk?

“I Will Honour Christmas in my Heart, and Try to Keep it All the Year.”

While many of our holidays are centered around food, when we look closely at these gathering times, it’s more about our relationships and celebrations of LIFE.

The gluten and dairy in many foods may leave you bloated, tired, and irritable. Long-term, these foods or other hidden food allergies may lead to debilitating pain and inflammation. They also greatly increase your risk for heart attack and diabetes. They take away from the very thing you wish to celebrate!

So this holiday season, try something different.

I’ve posted a yummy Christmas cookie recipe that is free of gluten, dairy, and sugar. The sweetener is dates, a whole food. If you prefer to avoid all sweets, even fruits, there’s also a low-glycemic version of the recipe there too.

When you choose to make healthy alternatives for your favorite holiday recipes like these cookies on my blog and those in my e-book, Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Celebrations, you’ll not only feel more energetic and lighter, enjoy a smaller waistline and clearer thinking, you’ll reduce overall inflammation in your body and set the stage for healing or avoiding chronic pain, auto-immune disease, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Because inflammation of your intestinal lining impairs the production of serotonin, you’ll also reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, insomnia, PMS, cravings, and attention disorders as well.

A Free New Year’s Resolution You Can Start Today!

So think twice. Prepare in advance and make healthy alternatives this holiday season. Then join me on January 3rd, 2012 for our free teleseminar to find out the full scoop on food allergies and learn:

•     What causes your immune system to attack your food
•     The step-by-step events that occur during a food allergy reaction
•     The most common food culprits that trigger reactions
•     How to clear and cure your food allergies
•     Positive ideas for enjoying your food and loving life

Register HERE:
http://www.drritamarie.com/go/TurnFoodAllergiesInsideOut

I wish you happy, healthy and love filled holidays,

Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

P.S. I have seen many people think they could get away with “just one cookie” then set foot on a slippery slope into eating too much and compromising both their physical and emotional well being.
Food allergies cause food addiction.

SO do yourself a favor. Make my 6-minute cookies and earn more about how to determine if hidden food allergies are getting between you and your slim, vibrant and energetic self.

Register HERE:
http://www.drritamarie.com/go/TurnFoodAllergiesInsideOut

Healthy Holiday Cookie Recipes: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, and Low-Glycemic

It’s unfortunate that many of the holiday foods out there contain processed and damaging ingredients like gluten and sugar.  Many holiday recipes contain foods that also contribute to hidden food allergies.

When you choose to make healthy alternatives for your favorite holiday recipes like these delicious holiday cookies and the recipes in my e-book, Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations, you’ll feel more energetic, lighter, enjoy a smaller waistline, and think more clearer!

Those are *my* kind of cookies!  Enjoy these gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and low-glycemic cookie recipes and give yourself a healthy treat for the holidays!

Dr. Ritamarie’s Healthy Holiday Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup almonds, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
• 3/4 cup dates, pitted
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• pinch sea salt

Directions:

1. Process nuts and dates with salt and spices in food processor until they are completely chopped. Mixture should be a little coarse and should hold together. If needed, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
2. Roll or press dough onto non-stick sheets and use cookie cutters to make into desired festive shapes.
3. Place in freezer until they are firm.

Dr. Ritamarie’s Low-Glycemic Healthy Holiday Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup almonds, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup unsweetened dried coconut
• 1 tablespoon Chia Gel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• pinch sea salt
• 10 – 15 drops stevia concentrate, to taste (Sweet Leaf)

Directions:

1. Process pecans, almonds, coconut, and chia gel with salt and spices in food processor until they are completely chopped. Mixture should be a little coarse and should hold together. If needed, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
2. Roll or press dough onto non stick sheets and use cookie cutters to make into desired shapes.
3. Place in freezer until they are firm.

Chia Gel

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chia seed
• 2 1/2 cups water

Directions:

1. Put chia and water into a quart sized Mason jar or a glass bowl that can be covered.
2. Shake or mix well.
3. Allow to stand at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight or for 12 or more hours in the refrigerator. Store up to a week at room temperature.

The healthy holiday cookie recipe above can be found inHealthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations containing:

• Gingerbread Men
• Latkes
• Christmas Cookies and Pudding
• Eggless Egg Nog
• Hors D’oeuvres
• Apple Pie and Ice Cream
• Candies and more!

Click HERE to order!

Holiday Raw Food Dessert: Low-Glycemic Amaretto Truffles

Ho Ho Ho – we’re doing it!

With these special resources in hand, you’re sure to keep your blood sugars steady and your waistline in order.

I have a new recipe I can’t wait to share.

This weekend I co-taught a class about how to make delicious party foods.

Karen Osborne came up with a fabulous dessert recipe called Ambrosia Amaretto Truffles.

Since I just led a group of over 100 people through a blood sugar balancing program, I am keenly aware of the need for yummy, festive dessert recipes that are low-glycemic. All of our dessert recipes are sweetened with whole foods, but even things like dates are not well tolerated by people with blood sugar imbalances and candida issues.

So I took Karen’s recipe and made a few changes to it so it would be friendly for folks concerned about diabetes, insulin resistance, and candida overgrowth.

Low-Glycemic Amaretto Truffles

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup coconut butter
• 1/4 cup lucuma powder
• 1/4 cup carob powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground vanilla beans
• 1 tablespoon almond extract
• 12 drop Sweet Leaf Stevia extract (chocolate flavor if possible)
• 1/4 cup almonds, ground to a powder
• 1/2 cup almonds, ground to a powder or 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut for snowball truffles (Note: This is used to roll the truffles when formed. You can roll half in coocnut and half in almonds if you choose)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except the 1/2 cup ground almonds or coconut.
2. Process in a food processor or stir together until smooth.
3. Form a teaspoon of dough into a ball.  If it’s too “gooey” add a little extra ground almonds to dry it a bit.  Continue forming balls until all dough is used.
4. Roll balls in ground almonds and or coconut.
5. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or freeze for at least 1/2 hr.

This low-glycemic dessert version was as big a hit as the traditional truffle.

The traditional version of the recipe, an 18-page recipe guide, and 2 1/2 hour video from the class are all available for purchase:

Click HERE for Party and Potluck Nibbles that Nourish!

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

Party and Potluck Nibbles that Nourish

There are many who treat entertaining as an art. Carefully decorated dinner tables and meticulously planned meals can be the talk of friends and neighbors for years to come! Now that the holidays are just around the corner, you may have more parties to go to, potlucks to attend, or your own guests to serve and delight.

Which leads to the inevitable questions…

What do I bring?
What should I serve?
What can I make that’s both healthy AND will make people happy?

Rather than always wondering what to do for such events, you can load up with light-on-the-waistline raw food party and potluck dishes for your guests and hosts! These fresh, finger-food recipes, all part of our Raw Food University series, will not only delight the eyes and reward the taste buds of your friends and loved ones, they will also nourish them with nutrition!

All dishes are made from completely from living foods: 100% gluten-free and dairy-free! There are no sugars, no processed oils, no grains, and no cooking!

You can listen to an interview with Dr. Ritamarie and Chef Karen Osborne as they talk about making fun and fresh holiday dishes you can serve at your next party or potluck:

You’ll be surprised when you discover how quick and easy all of these raw food Party and Potluck nibbles are to make! Join us and ensure your next holiday party is one that’s memorable, healthy, and healing!