Stress Management for Adrenal Fatigue and Hormone Imbalance
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on July 23, 2010 – -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
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, chronic fatigue, dr Bernie siegel, Dr. Ritamarie, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, fatigue, fatigue symptoms, love medicine and miracles, premier stress summit, relaxation cds, Vibrant Health
Posted in Adrenal Fatigue, Chronic Stress, Hormone Imbalance | 1 Comment »
Adrenal Fatigue: Tips to Restoring Your Energy and Your Health
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on July 5, 2010 – -
Do you ever wake in in the morning, even after a long night of sleep, only to feel sluggish and wishing you had another few hours to rest?
This is one of many signs of adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal fatigue is a common condition in our fast paced, stressed out society.
Your adrenal glands are your body’s mechanism for responding to stressful situations. In the olden days, this meant getting chased by a tiger or dealing with severe cold without shelter or proper clothing.
Fortunately for us, tigers and lack of clothing are not problems we deal with on a regular basis.
Unfortunately we have our own modern day tigers, and they chase some of us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Modern Day Tigers that Stress Your Adrenals
- Deadlines at work?
- Juggling kids schedules with your own?
- Worry about the economy?
- A sick parent or child?
- An unreasonable boss?
Whatever it is, the response is similar to a real tiger chasing you. Your adrenal glands step into action and do what they do best…shift you into what is often called “fight/flight mode”, and in scientific terms, “sympathetic nervous system dominance”.
In hyper vigilant adrenal state, your heart rate increases, your respiration quickens and the blood supply to your brain and vital organs decreases and is sent to your extremities…so you can run away or fight.
In addition, your digestive track activity decreases and the sphincters– the valves between sections of the digestive tract– tighten. This is to protect you from needing to use the bathroom in the middle of running away from or fighting a tiger.
Translate this into modern life. If you find yourself stressed out and worried quite a bit of the time, you increase your risk of indigestion, constipation, gas and bloating as well as heart and circulation problems due to prolonged increased heart rate.
Oh, and I forgot to mention. In fight flight mode, your sex drive goes away, too.
Doesn’t help to be having lustful thoughts when you’re trying to get away from that tiger. On a biochemical level, the same chemical molecules that make the adrenal hormone cortisol, which gets elevated under stress, are also needed to make estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, all needed for libido and reproductive function.
Another problem with cortisol is that in excess it can cause damage to your mitochondria, the energy producing mechanisms in each of your cells. Cortisol also damages your hippocampus, the part of your brain that helps with short term memory. Ever walk into a room, only to forget what you went there for? That’s likely because your hippocampus has been impeded by the cortisol you produced when you were stressed out.
Yikes! SO if this is you, what can you do to fix things?
In my over two decades of clinical practice, I’ve seem many cases of adrenal burnout and the damages caused by chronic stress.
Fortunately there are actions you can take reverse the damage and repair your adrenal glands. But if you keep getting stressed out, you’ll be a lot like a hamster on a wheel….working hard but never getting anywhere. Repairing your adrenals and transforming your response to stress take some time and retraining, and the transformations you experience when you do can be miraculous.
3 Tips for Combating Adrenal Fatigue
1- Learn stress management and stress transformation techniques. One of my favorites is called Heart Math, and uses a combination of deep breathing, focusing on your heart and feeling appreciation. It completely changed my life. I did a 90 minute stress transformation teleseminar a couple of years ago that guided the participants through the process and the response was dramatic.
2- Nourish your adrenals. Did you know that 80% of the vitamin C used in your body is used by your adrenal glands? Excessive stress depletes your vitamin C stores and can lead to allergies, poor wound healing, easy bruising and increased susceptibility for colds, flu and other infectious disease? Your adrenals also use lots of B vitamins, especially pantothenic acid and B6. That’s why a lot of B complex formulas are called Stress formulas. Eating a whole foods, high raw, high green diet will ensure you have adequate intake of nutrients to maintain your adrenals when they are brought back to normal;however, when you’re in the mode of recovery, supplementation is often needed.
3- Support your body’s detoxification systems by periodic cleansing. Face it, eating on the run, making even occasional poor food choices and being stressed out impair your liver’s ability to do it’s job of cleansing. One of my favorite ways to cleanse my body is with green smoothies. Even though I eat really healthfully, exercise on a regular basis, and do my Heart Math exercises daily, I’m not perfect. I still get stressed out sometimes, I’m exposed to toxins and I eat on the run more often than I’d like.
I personally do a Green Cleanse at least quarterly by taking a week off eating and just drinking green smoothies or juices for 7 days. I am always amazed at how much more energy I have when I do this. That’s why every 3 months, I lead a group green smoothie cleanse. I have hundreds of success stories from people who feel they got their life back after a green cleanse. This time around I’ve added a new component – daily interactive journals. The details about the cleanse, go to my Green Smoothie Cleanse Website.
If you’ve already done a green cleanse or a short cleanse and are ready to take it to the next level, I suggest you do a deep tissue detox like my Six Week Deep Tissue Detox or something similar.
Bedtime and Wake-up Rituals for Adrenal Fatigue Support
One last tip for rebuilding your adrenals – create supportive bedtime and morning rituals that re-establishes
your circadian rhythm. Here’s a starting set that I recommend to my adrenal fatigue patients:
- Shut off all electronics within an hour of bedtime.
- Eat your last meal within 3 hours of bedtime.
- Fill a 16 ounce glass with pure water and the juice of 1 lemon and put it by your bedside.
- Find 3 things to appreciate before you fall asleep.
- Find 3 things to appreciate before you get out of bed.
- Drink the water as soon as you get up.
- As soon as you get up, go outside and get 5 – 15 minutes of sun, even if the sun is not out. Face in the direction of the sun and sip your water.
Get going on these habits, cleanse regularly and master the Heart Math techniques and you’ll soon be bouncing out of
bed in the morning with vim, vigor and enthusiasm for life.
I hope to meet you soon on a green smoothie cleanse.
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, chronic fatigue, Cleansing Programs, detoxification programs, Dr. Ritamarie, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, green smoothie, green smoothie. detoxification programs, Living Foods, Raw Foods, raw foods diet, raw foods recipes, Vibrant Health
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A Quick And Easy Raw Food Living Green Meal- A Great Boost for Adrenal Fatigue
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on July 4, 2010 – -I’m often asked, “How do I eat more greens? ” and told ” Raw foods recipes are so time consuming to prepare.” Take a look at my latest video and see just how easy it is to get a nutrient dense green raw living food recipe made in under 3 minutes…and with no cleanup!
What’s your favorite healthy fast food? comment below.
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, chronic fatigue, Dr. Ritamarie, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, fatigue, fatigue symptoms, Gluten Free Diet, Living Foods, livingfoods, raw food recipes, Raw Foods, Raw Foods classes, raw foods diet, raw foods recipes, Vibrant Health, video, whole foods
Posted in Adrenal Fatigue, Gluten Free Diet, Raw and Living Foods | 5 Comments »
Kelp – Magic from the Sea to Combat Adrenal and Thyroid Fatigue and Create Vibrant Health
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on July 1, 2010 – -
Kelp is a great food for adrenal fatigue, thyroid balance and detoxification. Who’d of thought—back in the days when I was first learning to scuba dive in the thick kelp forests in northern California—that someday I’d be eating the slimy stuff?
Now that I know that kelp is one of the most nutritious foods around, I eat it on a regular basis. Only I don’t eat it in it’s slimy state. Usually it’s ground up as a powder or dried into long crunchy chip-like pieces.
My favorite kelp of all is called bullwhip kelp. It grows in the moving cold waters of the Pacific Northwest. When sun dried and carefully packed, it is crispy and light, salty and delicious. Kids love it.
Another form of kelp is called Laminaria Digitata. Say that 10 times fast! The claim to fame of Laminaria Digitata is its effect on thyroid function. 10% of the iodine in Laminaria digitata Kelp is T3 and T4, the nickname for your thyroid hormones. I’ve seen people reverse abnormal thyroid lab tests in 6-8 weeks by taking laminaria digitata.
Bullwhip kelp can be eaten and enjoyed as is, like chips. It can also be added to salads, soups, steamed vegetables, smoothies, soups and salad dressings. My favorite source of bullwhip kelp is Dr. Ryan Drum , noted herbalist and sea vegetable gatherer. His articles about kelp and other sea vegetables are as outstanding as his kelp.
I store my kelp in airtight containers because this kelp is very sensitive to moisture. If it does get left open and softens, I crisp it up in the dehydrator, set at 110 – 120 degrees for 30 – 60 minutes.
According to Ryan Drum. , “most kelp it made up of a body or thallus that are actually leaf-like structure called blades. Blades come from stipes which are long stem-like structures. The holdfast is a type of root that anchors the plant to the ocean floor. The American variety contains gas-filled bladders at the base of the blades that keep the leaves close to the surface.”
Kelp and the entire family of sea vegetables are incredibly nutritious, yet unfortunately are underutilized and under appreciated in our Western Culinary regime. For those who frequent Japanese restaurants, sushi and seaweed salad may be familiar menu items, but few, save for those on a macrobiotic diet, a raw foods diet or of Asian origin, serve these gems from the sea at home. They are simple to prepare and serve and can add fun and diversity to your daily culinary repertoire. Served as part of main meals and in salads, soups and wraps, sea vegetables offer an abundance of otherwise hard to get nutrients.
Nutrition Benefits of Kelp
Kelp is very rich in nutrients and phytochemicals. It’s loaded with chlorophyll, fiber, and minerals, including significant amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chromium, copper, lithium, manganese, selenium, vanadium, sulfur, and iodine calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, B-vitamins and many other trace minerals naturally found in the ocean. According to Dr. Drum,3-5 pounds of sea vegetables will fully mineralize an adult human for one year! That’s approximately 1-2 ounces per week. A 1/3 cup (1/4 oz.) serving of Kelp provides up to 30% of the RDA for iron, which is 4 times the amount of iron in a serving of spinach. Magnesium is twice as abundant in Kelp as in collard greens.
When purchasing kelp, care must be taken to be sure it was grown in unpolluted waters. Kelp can act like a sponge and will absorb toxins and contaminants from the water.
Just a Few of the Health Benefits of kelp
Anti Cancer Effects – The lignans in kelp can inhibit angiogenesis, the process by which cancer cells metastasize. The lignans also inhibit estrogen synthesis in fat cells and reduce the 4OH and 16OH metabolites that are considered a significant risk factor for breast cancer. Kelp is also rich in folate, a B vitamin that can significantly reduce risk of colon cancer.
Thyroid health – The high level of iodine, especially in the form of T3 and T4 as in laminaria digitata kelp, supports thyroid health and protects the thyroid from radiation exposure.
Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease – The folate in kelp helps breakdown homocysteine, a dangerous metabolic by-product. . Homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls, and high levels are associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Kelp is also a very good source of magnesium, which has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure and prevent heart attack.
Anti-Inflammatory Action – Kelp is a source of fucans, carbohydrates that can reduce inflammation.
Relief for Menopausal Symptoms – Kelp’s abundance of magnesium helps restore normal sleep patterns, especially in women who are experiencing symptoms of menopause.
Cashing in on the Health Benefits of Kelp
There are many ways to enjoy kelp. I put a teaspoon of the powder in my smoothies just about every day. I add it to salad dressings, soups and sauces. I’ve even added it to brownies.
Kelp noodles are one of my favorite dishes. Search the blog for several delicious kelp noodle recipes.
Here’s one of my favorite kelp recipes , taken from my e- book “Greens from the Sea”
Land and Sea Slaw
Directions : |
- Cut kelp into thin strips using a kitchen scissor.
- Soak kelp for at least 10 minutes in enough water to cover, until softened. Drain.
- Grate land vegetables
- Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl to make dressing.
- Combine land and sea ingredients into a large bowl and toss with dressing.
Adjust seasonings to taste.
Enjoy kelp and other sea vegetables on a regular basis, at least 1-2 ounces per week. It will go along way to protecting your health, improving your hormones and making you strong and lean.
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, chronic fatigue, Cleansing Programs, detoxification programs, Dr. Ritamarie, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, fatigue symptoms, green smoothie, Living Foods
Posted in Adrenal Fatigue, Cancer Nutrition, Detox Program, Raw and Living Foods | 2 Comments »
Cancer, Heart Disease and Chronic Fatigue: It’s Not Worth The Risk
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on May 22, 2010 – -My 16 year old son just got his driver’s license about 2 weeks ago. It’s a right of passage I guess, and I cried, just as I did when I dropped him off at kindergarten for the first time.
Call me a sentimental fool, and I will proudly wear the title.
He and I went out for dinner the other night. It’s our best opportunity to spend time together. At home, it’s sometimes too busy for us to just sit down together and chat.
As he was driving home – and I was gripping the passenger side strap, working on my Heart Math breathing and appreciation – (I’m not the most relaxed passenger) he said words that are music to any parents ears. He said “It’s not worth the risk”.
Out of context that statement doesn’t mean very much. Yet in context, it set my mind at ease about the degree of “recklessness” I could expect from my newly on the road teenager.
The reason I loved hearing those words is because what he felt was not worth the risk was a road rule that my husband and I disagreed on and Eric was doing it the way I suggested was correct…because it wasn’t worth the risk of getting in trouble for getting into the turn lane too soon.
What that told me is that he is ultra aware of the rules of the road and does not want to break any lest he get in trouble with the police.
What excited me about his comment was that this is such a minor thing…one we experienced drivers don’t even think about. It helped me to feel confident that he was not going to risk the more dangerous driving behaviors that teen drivers often engage in.
Is it worth the risk ? is a great question to ask yourself when making lifestyle choices that affect your health.
What risks do you take on a regular basis?
Driving or being passenger without a seat belt? Riding a bicycle without a helmet? Going to bed without flossing your teeth?
Life is filled with risk / reward choices. Are you clear enough about your core values and goals that the choices are easy to make?
Here are 5 risks that most people take on a daily basis:
1.Eating heated oils. The threshold temperature is slightly different for each oil, yet the result is similar. Above the threshold, the heat causes oxidation of the fat , making it damaging to your immune system and antioxidant status. This puts you at risk for cancer, heart disease and a host of degenerative ailments. Poly-unsaturated oils like safflower, corn, sunflower and soybean are the most risky, and are generally oxidized in the bottle, before you even open them, due to exposure to light, heat and air.
2.Eating sugar. Sugar not only contributes to poor dental health, it also feeds cancer cells, and its consumption dramatically increases your cancer risk. Sugar also creates hormonal disruption, contributes to a condition called insulin resistance and its characteristic fat around the waist, and results in impaired energy metabolism and decreased immunity. As if that’s not enough, sugar contributes to focus and concentration, heart disease, and dozens of other health maladies.
3.Exposure to pesticides, herbicides and chemicals in the air and water. These tax your inborn detoxification systems, leading to toxic buildup, mental health issues and digestive disturbances.
4.Worrying. Getting yourself in a tizzy about things that may happen, could happen and would be horrible if did happen is a sure fire way of putting yourself at risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke and chronic fatigue. It puts your body into ‘fight/flight’ mode, creating a cascade of chemical reactions that impairs digestion and absorption of nutrients and can contribute to cancer.
5.Eating processed and refined cooked foods. These are deficient in nutrients and usually contain harmful preservatives, additives and flavorings, which disrupt hormone pathways, drain your body of B-vitamins and other nutrients needed for energy metabolism and leave you exhausted, toxic and undernourished
Go through the list and determine how much you’re putting yourself at risk. Then ask yourself when confronted with a food or lifestyle choice, “Is this worth the risk? Is the momentary pleasure worth long-term disconnection from what really matters?
Making choices consistent with your higher good takes some effort on your part. You’ll need to educate yourself, learn to make different foods and risk being “different” .
As one of my potluck participants said when asked about his food choices and whether he felt deprived, “Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels.”
For more in-depth coverage of the food choice and health connection, particularly when it comes to cancer and other serious illnesses, join me and my very special guest speaker, Dr. Brian Clement, director of the world renowned Hippocrates Institute. He’ll be speaking in Austin and we’ll broadcast it over the internet.
www.drritamarie.com/cancertalk
Dr. Clement has been working with people with cancer and other serious illnesses for over 30 years, and he’s seen more than his share of miracles.
I hope you can join us. Every time I hear Dr. Clement speak, I learn something new. He’s charismatic, informative and very inspiring. And he walks his talk. He’s a living example of the power of food to heal.
We are very fortunate that he’s taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to us. He travels and speaks world-wide.
Those that show up live will receive a complementary copy of the Hippocrates Institute’s beautiful, full color glossy magazine “Healing Our World’.
Www.drritamarie.com/cancertalk
If you live in or near Austin, come on by to my house Saturday evening to share a meal and connect with some amazing health minded souls.
For information about the events, go to www.drritamarie.com/potluck and see for yourself by watching our video. To sign-up for the meet-up and get all the details you need to participate, go to www.drritamarie.com/meetup
Love, health and Joy to You!
Dr. Ritamarie
Creating Vibrant Health…One Bite at a Time.’
Tags: Cancer, chronic fatigue, diet, Dr. Brian Clement, heart disease, Hippocrates Institute, hydrogenated oils, Living Foods, raw foods diet for cancer
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Detoxification and Health: Overcoming Chronic Disease by Unburdening your Body
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on May 15, 2010 – -What would the world be like if we all felt good… all the time?
Its a wonderful fantasy.
War…gone
theft…gone
poverty…gone
We’d be left with joy, generosity, love, caring, beauty…..
If everyone felt good, there would be no need to hurt others, feel less than or engage in activities that are self destructive, other destructive or planet destructive. Everyone would be too busy enjoying life to bother with hurtful activities.
When was the last time you felt really good? I mean REALLY good…as in jumping for joy, full of energy, bursting with love?
It’s easy to get caught up in the stress of the moment and lose track of whats really important.
The Cancer Toxicity Connection
A recent guest on my Blog Talk Radio Show was Dr. Brian Clement of Hippocrates Health Institute. We talked about cancer, and the primary cause of cancer, namely a breakdown of the immune system as a result of exposure to toxic elements in food, water, environment and emotions. If you missed the show, you can listen in here: http://www.drritamarie.com/go/ClementInterview
Less than half an hour later, I was interviewed by Tera Warner of the Raw Divas on the subject of detoxification. The calls tied in so well together.
All effective cancer management needs to include detoxification. According to oncologist Thomas Lodi in Arizona, the first step in cancer management needs to be “Stop Making Cancer” by stopping the activities, foods, exposures and thoughts that cause cancer to get out of control. The next step is “killing” the cancer cells.
Western medicine has a distorted approach. The therapies that are aimed at killing the cancer with no attention to building up your body’s natural defenses are doomed to failure. It’s like a race to see if they can destroy the cancer before the treatment destroys you.
Regular detoxification is a great way to cleanse and restore immune function and thus can help prevent cancer. In addition, regular cleansing programs lead to more energy and overall health improvement.
Most health complaints that I come across in clinical practice result from a body out of balance. Your inborn detoxification systems are designed to handle the “normal” toxic exposure – from your metabolic processes and a few environmental things that sneak in. Our modern world has become so overwhelmed with toxic exposure. The food supply is poisened with pesticides and fungicides and other toxins that are damaging to your immune and nervous systems. Drinking water is treated with chlorine. The air is filled with car exhaust, factory fumes, and outgassing from the myriad of plastics and chemicals used in paints, cleaning products and a long list of other “modern conveniences”
With all the exposures, your natural detoxification mecahnisms become overloaded, and the chemicals that should be neutralized and eliminated get caught in the backlog and are recycled and stored in your precious cells. The result? You don’t feel so good!
Symptoms of Toxicity
Symptoms of body toxicity include skin rashes, depression, difficulty focusing, digestive problems, sinus congestion, headaches, “brain fog”, hormone imbalances, autoimmune disease and persistant weight gain that doesn’t seem to respond to calorie restriction.
When I was in my 20′s I suffered from many of these symptoms. You can read my full story at www.sixweekdetox.com
After my first cleanse, I was on cloud nine. Symptoms I’d experienced for decades began to melt away and I became more clear headed and energetic than I’d ever dreamed possible.
To learn more about the benefits of detox, listen in on my interview with Tera Warner .
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If you’d like to experience the profound changes that detox can bring, join us for the next 6 week detox program. You’ll be guided step by step through the process of reduciing toxic exposure, restoringn and rebuilding digestive function, and enhancing your liver’s ability to neutralize and eliminate stored toxins. The result? You’ll feel lighter, more energetic and emotionally balanced than you ever thought possible. We’re startign the preparatory phase of our 6-Week Deep Tissue Detox on Monday!
http://www.sixweekdetox.com
As a special bonus for new members
4 audio recordings and e-book transcripts
1- Candida and Leaky Gut
2- Unlocking the Gut-Brain Connection Behind Brain Fog, ADHD, Autism, Depression and more
3- Hormones, Thyroid Imbalances, Weight Gain & Water Retention
4- Understanding Environmental Sensitivities & Allergies
The special bonuses we’re offering on this call are for new registrations only. After May 17th, they will no longer be offered again for fr.ee.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Join the Six Week Detox Program: www.sixweekdetox.com
Love, health and Joy to you,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, Cancer, chronic fatigue, Cleansing Programs, detoxification programs, Dr. Ritamarie, DrRitamarie, fatigue, Hormone Imbalance, immune system, thyroid problems
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Chia Seeds: A Raw and Living Superfood for Overcoming Chronic Fatigue and Creating Vibrant Health, Stamina and Endurance
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on April 22, 2010 – -
I recommend chia seeds quite often in my articles, talks and recipes. It dawned on me though, that I don’t always talk about the many benefits of chia, so I decided to make chia our super food of the month!
Commonly associated with Chia Pets™, chia seeds have amazing health benefits that are often kept quiet and hidden. The use of chia as food has been dated as far back as 3500 B.C., especially in Mexico, where chia was ground for flour, used in medicines and even pressed for oils.
When chia seeds are mixed with water, they form a gelatinous substance. This same substance is believed to form in your stomach when you eat them. The coating this creates, makes it harder for carbohydrates to be digested which in turn slows down the process of transforming carbs into starch and ultimately sugar.
Chia also has a tremendous ability to hold water – up to 12 times its weight. This helps our bodies to hold on to the water and moisture inside, giving strength and support to precious electrolyte balances.
Given the fact our bodies are mostly water, staying hydrated is incredibly important.
Other benefits of chia include:
- A rich source of omega-3 fatty acids
- A favorable .3 to 1 ratio of Omega 6 to omega 3 fats. Research shows that when you eat foods with more omega 6 fats than omega 3 fats, you are much more prone to inflammation, which causes pain and disease.
- An excellent source of calcium
- High in fiber content
- Rich in antioxidants
- Great source of protein
Chia seeds are fast becoming known as a superfood.
In the popular book, Born To Run, author, Christopher McDougall, tells us how chia seed is the secret food of the
powerful runners of the Tumahumara tribe in South America. They make a drink called chia fresca, made with 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 12 ounces of water, lemon or lime juice and a splash of honey.
Chia has long been regarded as a superfood for athletes. Several studies with long distance runners and triathletes have shown superior performance in the groups that ate chia seeds over the groups that did not.
The uses of chia are almost limitless. Breads, crackers, puddings and sprouts are just a few ways to use chia seeds.
You can make a gel from the chia seeds by placing 1 cup of chia and 5 cps of water in a bowl and allowing it to seit for several hours or overnight until all the water has been absorbed and a thick gel is formed. This gel can be used as the basis for purring, added to smoothies or salad dressings or made into dehydrated crackers or crisps.
Chia seeds are available as white seeds or black seeds. There is no significant nutritional difference between the the colors. The black ones are more common. Chia seeds are also sold as Salba and Milo, at a much higher price. These are identical to chia seeds.
When purchasing chia, be sure you are getting organic or a very high agricultural standard chia. Those used for the Chia Pets, are generally loaded with pesticides and not suitable for consumption.
High quality chia seeds can be purchased at Raw Food World and Hidalgo Natural Foods, http://www.hidalgofoods.com.
This month I’m including two of my favorite recipes: Chia Pudding and Chia Crisps. Watch my video on making chia pudding.
Enjoy!
Resources:
http://www.chiaonly.com/chiahistory.html#
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/chia.html
http://www.oprah.com/health/The-New-Superfood
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, chia, chia crackers, chia crisps, Chia Pet, chia pudding, chia seeds, chronic fatigue, Dr. Ritamarie, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, endurance, fatigue, Living Foods, raw and living foods, raw foods diet, raw foods recipes, Vibrant Health
Posted in Adrenal Fatigue, Holistic Nutrition, Raw and Living Foods, Vibrant Health | 3 Comments »
Fatigue and Burnout: Strategies for Adrenal Exhaustion and Just Plain Tiredness
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on March 23, 2010 – -Are you suffering from adrenal burnout and fatigue? Low thyroid function? Chronic fatigue or Fibromyalgia?
Do you have as much energy as you’d like to have?
What would you do if you had more energy? Think about what it would be like to pop out of bed in the morning, bright, cheery and ready for the day.
As you go through your day, you feel energized by your food, your conversations, your work and your activities. When asked by a friend or family member to participate in a fun evening activity , you always say yes,
without fear of losing steam at the end of the day, and being too tired to to do much more than flop on the couch.
You participate in activities you love, eat healthy meals, exercise and are fully present for your relationships. You never hear yourself utter the words, “I’m too tired.” Instead you say, “I feel so energized.”
Sound like a romantic fiction novel? This life is possible for you.
Fatigue, exhaustion, tiredness, weariness, low energy…whatever you choose to call it, it’s a real problem and it 
happens to real people like you. There are many causes. Some are obvious, others not so obvious. When I asked at one of my workshops for a show of hands of people who felt that were fatigued, or had low energy, all but 1 or 2 people raised their hands.
Then I proceeded to give one of my favorite definitions of fatigue. The definition goes something like this:
The decreased capacity or complete inability of an organism, an organ, or a part to function normally because of excessive stimulation or prolonged exertion.
I talked about how you may feel like you have plenty of energy (caffeine and other stimulants can give you that illusion), yes parts of you are operating sub par. Maybe your neurotransmitters are sluggish and you have difficulties with focus, or your digestion and you’re constipated, or your hormones, and you have menstrual irregularities.
It takes all of your parts working in harmony to achieve vibrant energy.
At the end of the presentation, one of the women who’d not considered herself fatigued, thanked me and said that she didn’t associate the sluggishness in her digestive tract with fatigue. She just figured it was “normal” for her. My talk inspired her to look at ways she could energize her digestion and thus improve her overall experience of vibrant health and high energy.
There are many causes of fatigue. Here are five:
- Underfed and toxic mitochondria
- Hormone imbalances – especially thyroid, adrenal, insulin and leptin
- Digestive Inefficiencies
- Autoimmune Processes
- Serious diseases, like cancer, heart disease and diabetes
I’ll be exploring the topic of fatigue and its underlying causes and strategies for identifying and removing them on my Creating a Vibrant Life Blog Talk Radio Show on Wednesday, March 24 at 12:30 PM central time.
We’ll demystify adrenal fatigue, and distinguish it from thyroid fatigue. We’ll share strategies, stories and inspiration, to help move you from exhausted to energized.
Submit your questions for me pertaining to fatigue and regaining energy in the comment box below so we can address your concerns on the show.
The shows are all recorded and you can access the recording and download to iTunes by going back to the show link afterward. There are archives of past shows there as well.
http://www.drritamarie.com/go/RadioShow
And watch for my article called Running on Empty in the spring edition of Purely Delicious Magazine, due out in April.
http://www.drritamarie.com/go/PurelyDelicious
I look forward to connecting with you soon.
Love, Health and Joy to You,
Dr. Ritamarie
P.S. Comment below: What are you committing to for your health? Today is day 22 of the 30 Day Sleep and Fun Challenge. I am happy to report that I have gotten more than 6 hours of sleep for 3 days straight. Over the weekend, I actually managed to get 9 hours! And my exercise is consistent again – almost everyday!
How about you? Commit below and make it happen.
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, BlogTalkRadio, Cancer, chronic fatigue, Cleansing Programs, energy, Exhaustion, fatigue, fatigue symptoms, fibromyalgia, hormonal imbalance, Hormone Imbalance, sleep, thyroid fatigue
Posted in Adrenal Fatigue, Holistic Nutrition, Vibrant Health | 3 Comments »
Omega 3 Fats – Support for Your Immune System, Adrenals and Fatigue
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on March 23, 2010 – -I love coming up with new recipes that offer delicious ways to meed your needs for basic nutrients that support your in overcoming chronic fatigue, autoimmune conditions and hormone imbalances. Omega 3 fats are commonly deficient in today’s world, and imbalances here are a major contributing factor in most chronic and degenerative disease. The proper balance of Omega fats can protect you from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disease, thyroid issues, hormone imbalances, and any chronic inflammatory condition you can think of.
Getting enough omega 3 fats is a problem. Most Americans eat a ratio of 25:1 or higher of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats. Omega 3 fats are found in meat, dairy, eggs, peanuts and most vegetable oils, like soybean, canola, safflower, corn and sunflower. All processed foods contain an imbalance of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats.
Researchers estimate that a healthier ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 intake is between 1:1 and 3:1. Is this possible to achieve? Yes! In eastern countries, like Japan, people eating a more traditional diet have ratios of 1.5:1, while those eating a more western diet have ratios more similar to Americans.
There are lots of strategies I teach my private coaching clients and those in my programs, like Balance My Body. In fact we have several hours of recorded classes on this topic from last week alone and I’ve created charts and spreadsheets to assist people in measuring their omega fats and bringing them into balance.
I’ve been playing and came up with a super delicious high omega 3 chia pudding:
Dr. Ritamarie’s Omega 3 Rich Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 3 T chia seed
- 1 T flax seed, ground after measuring
- 1 T hemp seeds
- 3T finely ground dried coconut (I like Ultimate Superfoods brand)
- 1 T cinnamon
- 1 t vanilla powder of extract or ground bean
- 2 apples, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons pomegranate powder (optional )
Directions
- Soak the first 4 ingredients in 2 cups of water.
- Once it’s thick, stir in the alst 3 ingredients.
- If desired top with nut milk and any other condiments you desire, like raisins, goji berries or raw cacao nibs.
For more pudding and other hearty powerful breakfast ideas, go to:
http://powerbreakfastideas.com/
Check out the video to see me making chia pudding.
Please ost your commitments for the day.
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, Autoimmune, chia seeds, chronic fatigue, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, fatigue, livingfoods, Omega 3 Fats, pomegranate, Raw Foods
Posted in Adrenal Fatigue, Articles, Autoimmune, Raw and Living Foods | 2 Comments »
My Commitment to My Adrenals: No Fatigue, Just Sleep!
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on March 21, 2010 – -When I work with people with fatigue symptoms, related to thyroid and adrenal overload, I talk about several key things:
- Whole foods, fresh diet, high in raw foods
- Proper hydration
- Omega 3 fat balance
- Getting off allergenic and inflammatory foods, including gluten, dairy, and sugar.
- Fresh air and sunshine
- Exercise
- Restoring their adrenal reserve and enhancing detoxification via sleep.
I model the first 6 beautifully. I am committed to being as healthy and vibrant as I can be so that I can be a role model to others.
So why is number 7 so ###!!## hard for me?
I did really well on my sleep commitment the first week of my 30 day challenge.
My adrenals loved me for it, and I warded off a bout with adrenal fatigue by giving myself what I needed.
So why can’t I make a firm and lasting commitment?
I’m backsliding. I won’t even say how late it was when my head finally hit the pillow.
There’s still lots to do…there always will be. Yet I am off to meet my pillow and keep my commitment to me.
I made no commitments today and I kept none. What a deal. Tomorrow is a new day.
I did make myself a quart of green juice to start the day. It was lovely. I also did a great job on my omega 3′s today. The subject is on my mind, as balancing the immune system was the topic of the week for Balance My Body.
I noticed dark circles under my eyes…not good for a fatigue expert to look tired. Not good for someone who prides herself in looking much younger and having the body of a 20 something year-old to notice signs of aging.
Commitments for Sunday, and the rest of the week.
- I will get outside and exercise
- I will make at least 16 ounces of green juice and 32 ounces of smoothie
- I will get my omega 3′s again
- I will eat consciously and with gratitude
- I will…can I say it and mean it…I will…..I will…..go to bed by 11PM…at least Sunday
Please hold me to it. Write me and ask me what time I went to bed. I can’t lie.
Post below and be bold enough to check in and make sure I am doing what I committed to. Sleep is vital for health. Food is great, exercise is great, greens are great…but they will only take me so far if I keep burning the candle at both ends.
Have a wonderful Sunday.
Sleeeeeeeeeeeep!
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: adrenal exhaustion, Adrenal Fatigue, adrenal gland, chronic fatigue, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, Exercise, Exhaustion, fatigue, fatigue symptoms, fun, green juice, green smoothie, green smoothie. detoxification programs, liver detoxification, Raw Foods, sleep
Posted in Adrenal Fatigue, Fatigue Treatment, Omega 3 Fats | 3 Comments »
