Adrenal Fatigue, Depression and Illness: The Sleep and Fun Connection (Day 9)
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on March 9, 2010 – 9:30 pm -I work with a lot of people who are struggling with adrenal fatigue and depression. It’s almost an epidemic in our world today, and if you stay up with current events, watch the news and read the newspapers, there’s a good chance that you’re experiencing some adrenal fatigue symptoms and heavy mode as well. The media thrives on shifting people into fear mode. Fear sells. When you are fearful, the part of your nervous system called the sympathetic nervous system takes control, getting you ready for fight or flight. In this mode, your heart rate increases, your blood pressure increases and your digestion shuts down. The aftermath is fatigue, nutritional deficiencies and depression.
I just wrote a very detailed article for Purely Delicious magazine about stress, fatigue and burnout. It will be published soon.
When you’re burning the candle at both ends, you are much less able to deal with stress. To compound the problem, when stress levels are high, you have a tendency to sleep less, because stress can cause insomnia or frequent night time awakenings.
And of course, taking time for fun goes out the window in times of stress because of the perception that there just isn’t “enough time”.
My commitment for this month is to incorporate more fun and sleep into my life. Yours may also include eating balanced meals, eating more slowly, becoming more conscious when eating. These are all VERY important and I support you in your commitment.
So try this. Before you begin to put food into your mouth, stop. Take a nice deep breath. This alone is enough to shift you out of your sympathetic nervous system – remember–the system that causes your digestion to slow way down. Then take a few seconds to appreciate the food you are about to consume. Think about where it came from, how it was prepared, how it will nourish every cell. Only then, begin to eat, staying conscious of each forkful.
No kidding, it will take some focused effort to do this! Yet the time and attention to conscious eating, appreciative eating, is well worth it!
Go ahead and give it a try, and post a comment about how it went for you.
Join me on Wednesday March 10 at 12:30pm CST for my Blog talk Radio Show: Creating a Vibrant Life, during which I’ll reveal 5 strategies for balancing your mood through food. www.blogtalkradio.com/dr-ritamarie
My Report Card for Monday:
1- Green Smoothie – 2 quarts Done
2- weight training exercise Done
3- bed by 11:30 (how daring of me!) maybe even earlier a little later – 12:20
4- write a chapter in my new book did the research but didn’t complete the chapter
5- quality time with the kids – family conflict rather than quality time…
Commitments for Tuesday:
1- run 3 miles
2- bed by midnight
3- Drink 1 quart of green smoothie
4- drink 1 cup veggie juice
How about you? What are you committed to today?
Let us know. Post your comments below.
Love, Health and Joy to you,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, cleansing programs, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, exercise, fatigue symptoms, living foods, livingfoods, raw foods
Posted in Adrenal Fatigue, Articles | 1 Comment »
Taking Care of YOU – Slow Down and Enjoy Each Moment to Protect Yourself from Cancer
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on February 7, 2010 – 12:31 pm -
It’s been a week to remember and all the messages I’ve received all week were “slow down” and “take care of yourself”.
A couple were obvious…others more subtle.
I don’t consider myself a tired person; quite the contrary. My energy seems almost without limit. I sleep very little, am constantly on the move and I get a lot accomplished. Yet a nagging voice in the back of my mind has been wondering if I may be causing some hidden damage to myself by sleeping so little.
On Wednesday evening I ran into to technical challenges with the teleconference for Week 3 of my Balance My Body Blueprint course. I had a slide presentation ready to go, and was all set to launch into new territory. The technical challenges prevented participation on the web, where more than half my students participate. So I decided to do a question and answer segment. It was just the right thing to do. I was able to answer lots of questions, and even helped a few people to determine the probable cause of long standing health challenges. Wow. Slow down. Most people were not ready to jump into what I had planned. They were perfectly fine with slowing down and getting their questions answered.
On Thursday, I was moving quickly through my kitchen, and caught my slipper on a door stop. It sent me flying through the air and I landed hard on the tile floor. My left arm hit first, and it hurt so badly that I immediately thought it was broken. While I had lots of plans for the rest of the day and the next, I spent most of the time in bed, icing my arm and resting. Slow down. It took an injury to get me to get a good night’s sleep. It’s recovering nicely now, as evidenced by the fact that I can type today. Yesterday I could barely hunt and peck with one hand.
I’m getting small messages, and I’m taking them to heart. Better listen to the soft calls than to wait for a big one.
Earlier this week I received the sad news that a dear friend had died of cancer. She was a young woman, in her forties, and she’s survived by her husband and four children. The children are young. Her oldest is about the same age as my youngest. And now they are without their Mommy, and the world will no longer experience the joy of Anna’s sweet, kind heart and loving and giving nature.
I’ve experienced the loss of a loved to cancer several times over the past 5 years. And while the importance of diet and detoxification are high on my list of cancer prevention techniques, Anna’s death forces me to really look at the bigger picture.
Anna was a raw food enthusiast. I met her at an Alissa Cohen Teacher training. She was the founder of Purely Delicious magazine. She was excited about sharing what she learned about the health benefits of raw and living foods with the world. Still, she got breast cancer. Sure, her diet wasn’t perfect, and we can point fingers at her imperfections, and blame them for her cancer. Yet others, many of my family members included, eat way less “perfectly” than Anna did, and use toxic home and body care products and drink tap water, and they don’t have cancer…yet.
The sad truth is that almost 50% of us will get cancer. Perhaps not all will die as a result, yet it’s an alarming statistic nonetheless.
While it may be easy for skeptics and critics of the living foods lifestyle to use Anna’s story as an excuse to just let it all go and eat whatever they want, it’s important to look beyond, and continue to hold the utmost respect for the value of high antioxidant, unrefined, whole fresh plants as a vital element in keeping you healthy.
I could quote from all sorts of research right about now, and try to convince you from an intellectual level of the importance of diet in protecting you from cancer, yet I’d rather speak to you from my heart. It’s easy to hear Anna’s story and become fearful, and doubt your choice to lead a healthy life and eat a healthy diet. The truth is, there’s a big picture here. And many of its parts are a somewhat mysterious.
Cancer is always caused by exceeding your body’s ability to detoxify and repair. Cancer starts almost daily in just about everyone, and is quickly thwarted by an intact immune system and a working detoxification system.
The choices you make daily effect your ability to detoxify and thwart cancer before it takes over. Those include the quality and quantity of the water you drink, how much sunshine you get on bare skin, your movement, your thoughts, your feelings – fear and judgment create a breeding ground for cancer–how much fun you have, how much deep restful sleep you get, the quality of the air you breathe and of course, your diet.
There are so many elements that determine your cancer risk…and your ability to be healthy. Some may appear to be beyond your control:
- Genetics: some of us were born with genetic variations, called single neucleotide polymorphisms, aka SNPs (pronounced snips), that make it difficult to detoxify our environment without a little extra help.
- Your Mom’s Emotional State when she was pregnant with you. You may have been born with worn out adrenals and low cellular energy as a result, making you prone to cancer and other illnesses.
- Your Mom’s nutritional status and toxic exposures while she was pregnant with you. If she was depleted, you were born with nutritional imbalances.
- Early feeding:Whether you were breast or bottle fed and what your early solid foods were determine the state of your digestive tract and immune system. Leaky gut and immune system problems can increase your risk of cancer and other illnesses.
Many people embark on a health journey and address a single aspect. I see many living foods diet followers who don’t exercise, or stay indoors all the time, or push themselves hard and don’t sleep enough (like me). It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that the good food can compensate for shortcomings in the others, but very often it cannot.
It’s time to look at the big picture. Sometimes just eating a healthy diet isn’t enough.
As a mother of 4 and editor and chief cook and bottle washer for a quarterly publication, Anna had no time left for herself. Even after she found out she had breast cancer, she continued to put others first, until she had to slow down. Unfortunately, it was too late for Anna. She opted for chemotherapy and radiation out of fear and perhaps desperation.
Most likely one or more of the early factors were at play with Anna. Yet, in spite of your genetics, early exposures and maternal environment, you can do what it takes to give yourself the best possible healthy and happy life. Once you identify the early factors that may be at play, through a combination of family history and genetic testing, there are steps you can take to correct for the inborn and early deficits.
It’s important to take inventory of your life and self correct where you can. If you’re not sleeping enough because you’re not going to bed at a reasonable hour (guilty as charged) then make a different choice. If you’re not sleeping enough because you have difficulty falling or staying asleep, you might have a hormonal imbalance. Adrenal imbalance and insulin dysfunction are the most likely culprits and they are both correctable.
If you have a lot of stress in your life (who doesn’t) you owe it to yourself to master te
chniques for transforming the negative impact on your body to positive.
Enhance your body’s detoxification systems, harness the power of blended greens and drink your greens at least once a day. Look for the positive and practice appreciation. Get in touch with really matters to you, and make daily choices that are consistent with your highest good.
Take care of others, but not at the expense of yourself. It’s important to take time for fun and pleasure each day, even for just a few moments.
No one can predict the length of your life – that’s out of your control. You can effect the quality of your life and decrease the likelihood of suffering as Anna did by making conscious and consistent choices to put your self first. Yes, you need to put yourself first. It is only by taking care of your needs that you have the energy and ability to take care of others. And if we all took better care of ourselves, there would be a lot less need to take care of others.
Love yourself. Slow down and have fun daily. Choose happiness daily and allow good health to follow.
In memory of Anna Tipps, friend, Mom wife, daughter, teacher and kind hearted loving soul. You will be missed.
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, cancer, cleansing programs, detoxification programs, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, livingfoods, raw foods, raw foods recipes, whole foods
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Detoxification, Raw Foods, Leaky Gut and the 6 Week Detox Program Progress
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on January 18, 2010 – 9:26 pm -(Written Sunday January 17 at 11PM)
I’m leading a 6 week detox program and I am super excited about how it’s unfolding. (NO, its not drug or alcohol rehab!)
There’s a group of over 100 of us healing leaky gut, getting candida and parasites under control, and enhancing our liver detoxification pathways so we can eliminate the 1000’s of toxins that we’re exposed to or producing each day.
Most disease and dysfunction stems from toxins that overwhelm your body’s ability to eliminate them. This creates challenges to your immune system, hormones, digestion, heart, skin…you get the idea. It effects just about EVERYTHING!
There are lots of detox supplements lining the health food store shelves. That’s not what this is all about either. Yeah, we use some special nutrients, herbs and whole food concentrates to support the detoxification process, but this is a whole lot more. We also focus on creating an emotional detox and creating healthy habits that last a lifetime.
We encourage the use of lots of greens…juices, smoothies, powders, salads and soups. And its so interactive…people get to check in at the end of each week and let us know how its going and we help to personalize the program. So it’s nit just a boxed detox…its all about creating a personalized detox experience and new habits.
I’ll be blogging about it as we go through it, as I am participating fully in the process.
Off to get my detox sweating in – hot tub and sauna. More tomorrow.
Love, Health and happy detox,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: 6 week detox, cleansing programs, detoxification programs, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, Leaky Gut, living foods, livingfoods, raw foods, sixweekdetox
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Leaky Gut and Candida: Get Your Tract Back on Track!
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on January 13, 2010 – 8:49 pm -Abdominal pain, bloating,constipation, eczema, allergies…all these and more are symptoms of leaky gut and candida. It sounds kind of scary, doesn’t it? Can I leave the house with a leaky gut? Is it messy? What’s actually leaking and where does it leak to?
Leaky gut is a very common condition of the small intestine. A leaky gut has been damaged and thus allows larger food molecules and toxins to readily enter the blood stream.
Rest assured, while leaky gut can have some very serious health complications, it’s generally not life threatening….at least not in the short term. And nothing is leaking out of you, so no one can tell that you have it unless you tell them. What’s leaking is the some of the contents of the small intestine, and where it’s leaking into is the blood stream.
These symptoms are, not surprisingly, very similar to the symptoms of candida overgrowth. And, the symptoms are not confined to the gut!
Treatment for leaky gut and candida are very similar since both are caused by an overload of toxins that your body just doesn’t have the resources to get rid of.
Tune in today, Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 12:30pm CST to my radio show, Creating a Vibrant Life as I discuss leaky gut and candida. There will be a Q&A session so come prepared with questions!
www.blogtalkradio.com/dr-ritamarie
Tags: cleansing programs, detoxification programs, Gluten Free Diet, green smoothie, immune system, Leaky Gut, living foods, livingfoods, raw foods, raw foods detox, raw foods diet
Posted in Leaky Gut | No Comments »
Holiday Health Gifts
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on December 24, 2009 – 7:09 am -
Christmas is just 2 days away and that’s the day I’m drawing the winners names for my big raffle. Will your name be amongst the winners?
Here’s the scoop. I’ll be giving away the following prizes:
1- An e-book of your choice (value up to $29.95)
2- Eat Your Way Out of Pain Home Study Course (Value $67)
3- Lifetime Membership in Dr. Ritamarie’s Green Cleanse Program (Value $97)
4- A 20 minute private consultation (Value $150)
5- A complimentary membership in my new “Balancing Nutrition Self Assessment Program” (Value $397)
As you can see, these are valuable prizes! And I’ll post the winners names(and website if you’d like) on the Monday after Christmas.
SO how do you enter the raffle?
There are 2 ways
1- Make any purchase between now and December 24th at midnight and you’ll be automatically entered into the raffle. Each separate purchase counts as a separate entry.
Use Coupon Code 15ebook and receive 15% off any item on this page:
http://drritamarie.com/EBookOrderForm.htm
2- Purchase a raffle ticket for only $7.
http://www.drritamarie.com/go/raffle
***I’ll donate 25% of all raffle ticket purchases to Safe Space, a local charity that protects battered women and children.
http://www.drritamarie.com/go/raffle
I wish you a peaceful, joyful and very healthy Holiday Season.
If you’re ready to create the best possible health in 2010, check this out
http://www.drritamarie.com/go/Health
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah,Kwanzaa, Solstice, Yule or whatever you celebrate this time of year!
Love, Health and Gratitude,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: cleansing programs, detoxification programs, gluten free holiday, green smoothie, living foods, livingfoods
Posted in Articles, Gluten Free Diet, Gluten Free recipes, Raw and Living Foods Recipes, living foods, raw foods | No Comments »
Cancer and Children, the SAD Connection: Are Raw and Living Foods Part of the Solution?
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on December 11, 2009 – 3:07 pm -It’s always sad to hear about a child who’s suffering and dying from cancer. It’s heartbreaking, actually. Such a waste of a life, to be stricken down so young. And what a painful experience for a parent…to lose a child is the worst nightmare of every parent.
Yet it happens every day, and it is frustrating to no end to observe the scenario. As you may recall, I lost my sister to cancer just over a year ago, and I watched in horror as they tore her immune system to shreds with the drugs, foods and treatments, in the hope that they could kill the cancer. She, like most cancer patients, died from the treatment, not the disease.
How can you expect a body to heal from cancer when it’s fed hospital food…white bread, milk, sugar, canned vegetables and bottled fruit juice. None of the food has life, and as such it has no ability to create life, or save life. It has only the power to destroy life.
This post was prompted by the story of a young boy named Dominic. I met his mom, Elaina Love, for the first time earlier this year, and again just a few weeks ago when she came to Austin to teach a class on how to make holiday meals that are life giving, in place of the holiday typical menu, containing foods that are life depleting.
Elaina and Dominic
I cried as I read this story and I’m tearing up again as I recount it. I have a son who’s around the same age, and the thought of losing him is unbearable. As I read Dominic and Elaina’s story, I couldn’t help but put myself into her shoes, and feel the intensity of the pain she is experiencing.
Dominic, age 14, became ill with leukemia earlier this year, and much to Elaina’s anguish, Dominic and his dad decided to put their trust in mainstream medicine — chemotherapy, radiation and a bone marrow transplant. All the while, he continued to eat the food served in the hospital,and the foods he and his dad chose, rather than follow Elaina’s recommendations of green foods, wheat grass juice and no sugar.
They thought it was successful until November 25, 2009 when the doctors told them the leukemia was back and more aggressive than ever. There was nothing more that mainstream medicine could offer Dominic, except to keep him comfortable as they waited for him to die. Their estimate was that he had between 1 week and 1 month to remain on the planet.
Finally, Dominic and his dad agreed to follow Elaina’s advice and take him to the Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida, where they are famous for helping people to heal from cancer and where people go when they have no other choice. There Dominic will eat a completely green raw diet consisting of juices and greens, get daily wheatgrass implants , oxygen therapy and other non conventional therapies that the institute has to offer. It is their last hope.
Before leaving for Hippocrates, Elaina took Dominic off everything that feeds cancer- sugar, fruit,bread, dairy, pastries, salt, caffeine, meat,and everything that is served on he hospital cafeteria trays sent to his room three times a day. He started consuming liquid blue green algae, wheat grass , green juice , cucumbers, avocado, lettuce, red bell peppers and only raw, vegan foods that contain no sugar. They stopped the IV, which contained sugar water.
Elaina and Dominic have been at Hippocrates for about 10 days now, and Elaina reports that he seems to be getting stronger. Only time will tell. You can follow Dominic’s progress on Elaina’s blog, at http://elainalove.wordpress.com/
The therapy and airfare combined are going to be close to $20,000 for the first 3 weeks. Drs Brian and Ann Marie Clement are offering a partial scholarship and there is a donation fund being set up.
You can help in a several ways:
1- Keep Dominic and Elaina in your thoughts and prayers. Send healing energy in their direction.
2- Donate, even $5!
http://www.purejoyplanet.com/store/index.php?cPath=26
Any help you can send their way would be so great.
3- Shop at Elaina’s website. Christmas and Hanukkah are coming up. Buy a gift for yourself or your loved ones. Buy Elaina’s books, DVDs, e-books, or a nut milk bag or Irish Moss.
http://purejoyplanet.com/store/
I bought her cultured foods DVD, that includes how to make kefir, saurkraut sour dough crackers, yogurt and more, her Irish moss e-book, Flavors of China e-book, and vanilla, cherry and hazelnut essential oils. Plus I donated $25! Everything helps.
Elaina Love is a professional Chef and Instructor, Lifestyle Counselor and Owner/Director of the raw food store and Pure Joy Planet. She authored the raw, vegan, living food recipe book Elaina’s Pure Joy Kitchen. She is the creator of the Amazing Nut Milk Bag.
Elaina has been teaching raw food courses worldwide since 1998. She is a Chef/Instructor at the renowned Living Light Culinary Arts Institute where she has been on staff since 2000.
Here’s what Elaina has to say:
“It is my life purpose to help people be as healthy, feel full of life force and joy that they can be, and I have helped soooo many people through my teachings, recipes, personal example and website. My family, however, from my son to my ex to my parents, have never wanted to embrace raw foods, and in fact shun it at all costs.
I got over it a long time ago and didn’t give it much thought anymore. But when Dom got cancer in Jan of 2009, my world turned upside down. I wanted so badly to help him with raw foods, but he and his dad just wouldn’t bite (literally and figuratively). So even though I begged, cried and pleaded, they opted for the traditional medical route.
And after awhile my initial rage filled resistance was kept under wraps to protect my son, and spirit told me to surrender and go along with what they had chosen, so I did and embrace it I did, with every fiber of my being hoping with all my heart that it would work.
I have been told by higher power that it’s going to be one of those miracle stories, where instead of the boy getting the girl, he gets the rest of his life…healthy, happy, cancer free and no drugs (the girl comes later)!”
Donations have been pouring in to help Dominic, and Elaina to pay for the expensive treatment at Hippocrates, for which insurance will not pay even a penny. Overwhelmed by the generosity. Se says”The gratitude I feel for you as I write this, even though I don’t know who you are yet, is so huge I want to cry”.
Let this story serve as a wake up call. Your children, our children, the children of the planet, NEED to be fed whole fresh foods, not the packaged, refined, cancer-causing fare served in schools, restaurants and most people’s homes.
We need to wake up, as a culture, to the fact that nature has its “laws“. Just as you can’t defy gravity, you can’t defy your body’s nutritional needs, feed yourself and your family toxic foods,and expect to be healthy.
Over 40% of the US population will get cancer. A large percentage of those WILL die from it. And these numbers are going up. The only way to put yourself and your loved ones on the “safe” side of the fence is to throw all the cancer causing foods and chemicals over the fence, and as far away from you as possible.
It’s painful to lose someone you love. It’s even more painful when you lose them to a preventable illness, as I lost my parents then my younger sister. Make a commitment today to, as Gandhi said, to ” be the change you want to see in the world”. Create vibrant health for you AND your loved ones, one bite at a time. Whatever the temporary pleasure attained from eating SAD food, it’s tainted by the long term suffering of cancer.
Get support if you need it. Surround yourself by like minded people who care about their health. Get a mentor and make a commitment to your health, your family’s health and the health of the planet. Dare to make unpopular decisions, and you’ll live to tell about it.
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: cleansing programs, detoxification programs, Elaina Love, green juice, Hippocrates Health Institute, leukemia, living foods, livingfoods, raw foods, raw foods diet, sprouts, wheat grass juice, whole foods
Posted in Articles, cancer, cleansing programs, raw foods | No Comments »
Addressing Adrenal Fatigue and Sluggish thyroid: Start with a Detox
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on December 4, 2009 – 1:53 pm -
Everyone is always looking for answers that are complicated, sophisticated and sexy. The truth is, most health issues have simple solutions. Notice I said simple, not easy.
In fact, some of the simplest solutions of all are often the hardest to follow.
1- Fresh food: When you’re running around chasing after deadlines, it’s not always easy to find fresh food. It’s certainly not in the vending machines or the fast food joints.
2- Fresh, clean water: Unless you carry your own, it’s not generally available, although more and more places carry bottled water. I was in a restuarant last week with family that didn’t! What a shock.
3- Fresh air : Our air is filled with chemicals and pollution. Unless you live in a pristine area far far away form the cities, clean air is hard to find. And the indoor air is even worse; it’s polluted with all the chemicals used in building materials, carpets, paint and cleanin supplies.
4 – Exercise : When you’re working 12 hour a day, taking care of kids, and running a mile a minute to keep up with obligations, finding time to exercise can be a challenge, unless you are dedicated and make it an important part of your day.
5- Positive thoughts : If you listen to the news, read the newspaper or watch TV, the constant reporting of terrifying events, ominous predictions and financial gloom are enough to wear your positive thoughts to the bone.
6- Fulfilling Relationships: When you’re working hard just to survive, it’s easy to overlook the kind words and deeds and special touches that keep your relationships flourishing.
7- Sunshine : It’s lovely, abundant in many parts of the world and ellusive to many because we stay cooped up indoors working and taking care of our families.
Your health would improve dramatically if you could incorporate all of the above SIMPLE things into your life on a regular basis.
The hard, cold reality is, try as you might, you’ll slip up on some of these “simple” health tips more than you’d like. And when you do, your detoxification pathways suffer and you open yourself for fatigue, lack of focus and illness.
That’s why I developed a variety of cleansing and detoxification strategies that I perform at least 3-4 times a year to detoxify my system.
So just how toxic are you? Because there are so many genetic and environmental differences between people, the buildup of toxins effects each of us a bit diferently.
I have a test you can take to assess how much your health has been effected by toxicity. The test has ben around for a long time, and was originally developed by a mentor of mine , Dr. Jeffrey Bland, back in the 1980s.
My webmaster computerized it so that you can take it and get instant feedback.
Here’s the link.
http://www.drritamarie.com/sixweekdetox/toxicity-signup.php
It takes about 2 minutes. Invest 2 minutes in yourself today to determine how toxic you are and get a personalized email with tips for improving your health.
http://www.drritamarie.com/sixweekdetox/toxicity-signup.php
To your health and Vibrance
Dr. Ritamarie Losclazo
www.FreshnFunLiving.com
www.sixweekdetox.com
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, chronic fatigue, cleansing programs, detoxification programs, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, exercise, exhaustion, fatigue, fatigue symptoms
Posted in Adrenal Fatigue, Chronic Stress, cleansing programs, exhaustion, fatigue treatment | No Comments »
Cleansing Your Gut: Strategies for Managing Leaky Gut and Candida
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on November 4, 2009 – 3:39 pm -by
Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo
Since I’m always asked questions like, “What’s the best way to cure Candida” and “How long does it take to heal leaky gut?,” I decided to create a video to explain the basics, a teleclass to go into more detail, and a 6 week detox program to go really deep. The strategies for both leaky gut and candida overgrowth are amazingly similar. Not surprising, though, when you realize that both are caused by an overload of toxins that your body just doesn’t have the resources to get rid of.
Watch my video clip about candida to get answers to some of the questions I get most frequently about candida:
So what is leaky gut , anyway? It sounds kind of scary, doesn’t it? Can I leave the house with a leaky gut? Is it messy? What’s actually leaking and where does it leak to?
Rest assured, while leaky gut can have some very serious health complications, it’s generally not life threatening….at least not in the short term. And nothing is leaking out of you, so no one can tell that you have it unless you tell them. What’s leaking is the some of the contents of the small intestine, and where it’s leaking into is the blood stream.
Leaky gut is a very common condition of the small intestine. Whereas a healthy small intestine will allow only fully digested food particles and nutrients to pass through, a leaky gut has been damaged and thus allows larger food molecules and toxins to readily enter the blood stream. This can lead to food allergies, autoimmune disease, eczema, psoriasis, and a long laundry list of symptoms and health conditions. Here’s a summary:
- **Gastrointestinal complaints: Abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, indigestion, heartburn
- **Neurological disturbances: Aggressive behavior, anxiety, confusion, fuzzy or foggy thinking (brain fog), mood swings, nervousness, poor memory
- **Breathing troubles: Shortness of breath, asthma
- **Immune System Imbalances: Poor immunity, allergies, autoimmune diseases, recurrent bladder infections, recurrent vaginal infections
- **Skin Problems: skin rashes, eczema, psoriasis
- **Other Symptoms: chronic joint pain, chronic muscle pain, fatigue, bed wetting, hormone imbalances
These symptoms are, not surprisingly, very similar to the symptoms of candida overgrowth. And, as you can tell, the symptoms are not confined to the gut!
There’s so much more I’d like to share about these very common yet often times overlooked conditions. If you’re suffering from any of the symptoms listed above, you owe it to yourself to find out more.
If you’d like to learn what causes candida overgrowth and leaky gut, and how to prevent and reverse them, be sure to sign up for the new free teleseminar series that Tera Warner fo the Raw divsand I are offering. The first class is Nov 5 and we’ll be talking about why undigested food is toxic, no matter how good the food is, the harmful byproducts of incomplete digestion and what happens when they enter your bloodstream, how your gut contributes to depression, brain fog, aches and pains, what caused your gut bacteria to go out of balance and so much more.
This is the first in a series of 4 free teleseminars, our gift to you as we enter into the holiday season. Even if you can’t make the live classes, sign up anyway and we’ll send you the recordings.
Sign up at sixweekdetox.com
Learn strategies for healing your gut that can keep you health throughout the holidays and the year:
Sign up at sixweekdetox.com
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
http://www.drritamarie.com
Tags: antiinflammatory diet, chronic fatigue, cleansing programs, detoxification programs, raw and living foods holiday recipes
Posted in Fitness and Exercise, cleansing programs, fatigue treatment | No Comments »
Protecting Yourself From the Flu: 5 Tips for a Strong and Healthy Immune System
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on October 20, 2009 – 2:00 pm -It’s that time of year again. As the autumn ushers out the warm and balmy sun filled days and the days grow shorter and shorter, we enter into the season that many associate with colds and flu. This year we’re particularly aware of the flu season as reports fill the airways of the dangers of the swine flu and the miracle of the new vaccine.
Before you jump in and get in line with your sleeves rolled up, ready to have the flu shot, I suggest you do some research and make an informed decision. The main ingredient in any vaccine is either killed viruses or live ones that have been weakened and made less harmful.
A hidden danger of flu vaccines is the chemicals they may contain, such as ethylene glycol (antifreeze), formaldehyde, phenol and thimerasol(mercury containing preservative) . There has been legislation passed to remove thimerasol from all vaccines because it has been correlated with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. That ban was lifted so as to get the swine flu vaccine to market faster.
While there is a lot of reliable information on the web about the swine flu vaccine, there is also a lot of garbage. I have quotes below form what I believe are reliable sources.
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny one of the country’s most knowledgeable and outspoken physicians regarding the impact of vaccines on health, has a lot of good information about the swine flu vaccine as well as other vaccines. I suggest studying her information before making a decision. .
I found her article The Truth About the Flu Shot to be particularly enlightening.
An article was published in Natural Health News last Monday called Vaccine Revolt.
In it, Mike Adams explores the hype and the dangers of the vaccine. Here are a few highlights, interspersed with my comments:
1- more than fifty percent of moms are refusing to expose their children to the swine flu vaccine, and nurses and health practitioners across the US and UK are going vocal with their opposition to the vaccine.
2- Swine flu is actually no more deadly than a normal seasonal flu
3- While there is evidence showing that the vaccine produces antibodies, the mere existence of vaccine-induced antibodies doesn’t directly translate into functional, real-world immunity!
4- The vaccine has not been properly safety tested by the FDA or the drug companies. They were approved by the FDA with a waiver, bypassing the normal process of long-term safety testing that the public expects the FDA to enforce.
Dr. Mercola published several good articles on the swine flu vaccine. One called Squalene-The-Swine-Flu-Vaccines-Dirty-Little-Secret-Exposed discusses the dangers of the adjuvants put in vaccines, and this one in particular, squalene, that’s in the swine flu vaccine.
Here are a few highlights from Dr. Mercola’s article:
“The purpose of an adjuvant added to a vaccine is to enhance your immune response to the vaccination. Adjuvants cause your immune system to overreact to the introduction of the organism you’re being vaccinated against.
A study published in the American Journal of Pathology demonstrated that a single injection of squalene into rats triggered “chronic, immune-mediated joint-specific inflammation,” also known as rheumatoid arthritis.
Your immune system recognizes squalene as an oil molecule native to your body. It is found throughout your nervous system and brain. In fact, you can consume squalene in olive oil and not only will your immune system recognize it, you will also reap the benefits of its antioxidant properties.
The difference between “good” and “bad” squalene is the route by which it enters your body. Injection is an abnormal route of entry which incites your immune system to attack all the squalene in your body, not just the vaccine adjuvant.
Your immune system will attempt to destroy the molecule wherever it finds it, including in places where it occurs naturally, and where it is vital to the health of your nervous system. ”
I highly recommend that you read and research before deciding about immunizations for flu. There are lots of possible adverse effects.
You may be wondering how to protect yourself from the flu without the risks of the vaccine? The secret is to build a strong immune system.
I’ve shared 5 ways below. For more you can sign up to receive the recording of a teleclass I held a couple of weeks ago on this Immune Boosting, Flu Protection Strategies
1- Give you immune system the nutrients it needs to fight infection. These include Vitamin C, beta carotene, bioflavinoids, magnesium, zinc, B-vitamins and omega 3 fats. And how do you get these nutrients? My favorite sources are fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, root vegetables and raw seeds like flax, hemp, chia and pumpkin. The best way to insure that what you eat has the highest nutrient content is to eat these foods in their fresh, raw, organic and natural state. Fresh pressed green juices are extremely nutrient dense, as are green smoothies.
2- Get lots of fresh air and sunshine. Vitamin D is one of the key nutrients in immune health. Studies show that you can knock out the flu within a few days by taking very high doses of oral vitamin D. The best source of Vitamin D is the one made by your body when you’re exposed to natural sunlight during the peak UV times of the day, approximately 11AM -4PM. If you’re unable to do this then you need a Vitamin D supplement
3- Cleansing your body from the inside out. Giving your system a rest from heavy foods, stress and constant activity allows it to get rid of the waste products that accumulate as a result of your busy lifestyle and exposure to toxins in food, air and water. The simplest way I’ve found to cleanse is using Green Smoothies. I conduct a guided green smoothie cleanse about 5 times a year and I never cease to be amazed at the results people get. What better way to prepare yourself for the flu season that to do a Green Smoothie Cleanse. For details, refer to http://www.GreenSMoothieCleanse.com
4- Get plenty of rest and sleep. Studies show that the less sleep you get the more likely you are to get sick. Your body repairs and cleanses from the day while you sleep. If you sleep less than 4 hours a day, this ability is severely impaired, leaving you susceptible to illness. Don’t chance it. Get at least 6 hours of sleep each night, and 8 is closer to ideal.
5- Avoid sugar and processed food like the plague…because it is like the plague! At this time of year it’s particularly pervasive. Sugar abounds. Halloween is coming in a couple of weeks, and with it the onslaught of candy and processed junk food. Did you know that there is a 50% decrease in the effectiveness of your white blood cells to fight infection for up to 4 hours after eating just 2 teaspoon of sugar? Imagine your poor immune system after Halloween, if you continue to eat the traditional treats. There is an alternative. My book Healthy Halloween Treats is filled with delicious recipes and information to keep you healthy this year. It’s available at http://www.drritamarie.com/Halloween
And speaking of Green Smoothies, we are proud and excited to be hosting a presentation on Friday October 23, featuring Victoria Boutenko, author of Green for Life and many other books, and her son, Sergei, author of Fresh and founder of Harmony Hikes, which specializes in leading wild edible walks and multi day adventures.
The seats are going fast, and we’re almost sold out. If you’re interested in attending, you can register if you hurry over to http://www.drritamarie.com/boutenko
The talk is in Austin Texas, but will be broadcast live over the internet to all over the world. Replays are also available. To signup, go to
http://www.drritamarie.com/boutenko.
I wish for you the joy and freedom that a strong and healthy immune system brings.
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Add new tag, children's health, cleansing programs, detoxification programs, flu protection, gluten free, green smoothie, Halloween, Halloween treats, holiday diet, living foods, livingfoods, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods, swine flu protection, swine flu vaccine
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Cleansing and Detoxification – What Does I Love Lucy Have in Common with Your Liver?
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on September 14, 2009 – 1:17 pm -I’m always asked questions like, “What’s the best way to cure Chronic Fatigue“ or “How can I get my hormones in balance?” The strategies for both are amazingly similar. In fact, when it comes right down to it, adrenal exhaustion, irritable bowel, eczema, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, thyroid problems, arthritis , depression and just about any condition you can name all have at least one thing in common. All of these conditions can be traced back to a body overloaded by toxicity.
In our modern world with its modern conveniences, we are constantly inundated by “modern” toxins. There are chemicals in the air, plastics in the food, pesticides and drugs in the water and toxic emotions spurred by watching the news. Then there’s all the processing that takes what once was a real food and leaves it filled with empty calories, oxidized fats and enough free radicals to cause a revolution!
I recorded a video clip on cleansing to answer the questions I get all the time. Cleansing is something your body knows how to do, as long as it doesn’t get overloaded. And when it does, it’s time to take a break and allow healing and cleansing to take place. Listen in for some tips and tricks. Then afterward, have a look at my favorite I Love Lucy clip.
Dr. Ritamarie Discusses Cleansing and Detoxification Strategies. For support in cleansing, visit www.GreenSmoothieCleanse.com
” I Love Lucy” – Lucy and Ethel show what happens when the liver gets overloaded with toxins. It gets caught up when you do a Green Smoothie Cleanse or a Juice Cleanse
When I first learned about toxins and how to eat, breath, think and feel to eliminate them, (almost 25 years ago) I did my very first cleanse. It changed my life. I now do mini cleanses at least 4 times a year.
Give cleansing a try. It will change your life.
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
www.FreshnFunLiving.com
Tags: "I Love Lucy", Adrenal Fatigue, cleansing programs, detoxification programs, fatigue, fatigue symptoms, living foods, livingfoods, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods
Posted in Adrenal Fatigue, Chronic Stress, cleansing programs, exhaustion, fatigue treatment, green smoothies, living foods, raw foods | No Comments »
