Gluten Free dairy Free Raw and Living Foods Pizza and Pasta

How can you make gluten free pizza taste good?  Especially raw?
As an Italian girl  from New York,   I grew up
on New York pizza and homemade pasta that my little Italian
grandmother made fresh a couple of times a week.  As a
result of my upbringing, I consider myself to be a pizza
connoisseur. When I became an adult and began to travel
around the country, I would try the pizza wherever I went
and usually ended up being disappointed.  After I met my
Chicago-born husband 30 years ago, we’d have this friendly
little debate back and forth about which pizza was
better…Chicago or New York.

Then I learned about the connection between what I was
eating and how I was feeling, and decided to give up white
flour, sugar and dairy. My pizza eating days were over.
However, I was determined to find a substitute, so over the
years I experimented with pizza alternatives.  The store
bought whole grain crusts tasted like cardboard.  The dairy
free pizzas back then consisted of crust and sauce with no
attempt at “fake” cheese.

Finally, I discovered nut cheeses and created a delicious
cashew almond ricotta. At first I substituted the white
crust for a homemade whole grain kamut flour crust. It was
pretty good….but nothing like “real” pizza

From there I found the wonderful world of raw pizza.
However, the raw pizzas served at living food restaurants I
visited generally consisted of a piece of raw bread topped
with salad and sometimes tomato sauce. They were delicious,
but they just weren’t pizza to this girl who had grown up on
New York’s finest.

So I began to make my own raw pizza using sprouted kamut
berri es to make a yummy crust and added a rich, savory nut
cheese, a killer raw marinara and lots of veggie toppings.
It was delicious and rivaled any pizza I’d had as a kid.
Then something happened. In researching a paper on the
relationship between gluten and autism, I found research
papers linking many other diseases to gluten intolerance.
The more I researched, the more I lost my appetite for
gluten, so back in 2006 I gave it up completely. The results
were subtle yet very noticeable to me (more on that in
another article).

Over the years I’ve developed many pizza crust recipes.
Everyone who eats my pizza says it’s the closest to the real
thing they’ve ever tasted.  I also make amazing lasagna.
One of my students asked me to make one for her to take to
an event at her temple.  She shared it with people who
normally eat a s tandard American diet and she didn’t tell
them it was vegan, much less raw.  She served it warm right
out of the dehydrator and people were licking their plates.

Now, I’m ready to share my secret pizza and pasta recipes
with the world.  I’ve teamed up with Living Foods Chefs,
Karen Osborne and Pamela Weems to teach a class called
“Gluten Free, Dairy Free Pizza and Pasta: New Twists on Old
Favorites”. During the class we’ll make a variety of sauces
and cheeses, and show you how easy it is to make pizza,
lasagna, rawvioli, manicotti, fettuccini alfredo and more.
It’s a great opportunity to learn to make meals that will
delight even the pickiest of eaters.

We’ll do the class live in Austin, Texas and broadcast it
across the globe.  Here’s the link to sign up now:
http://drritamarie.com/videoclasses/pizza2010-10

The Pizza & Pasta class will be videotaped, and the videos
will be available online. We still have a few seats left in
the live class, which will be held close to downtown Austin.
As a special bonus, everyone who comes to the live class
gets access to the recordings.

Here are the details:

Live Webcast: Sunday October 17, 2 PM Central time
Live Location: Near downtown Austin (directions provided
after you register)
Videotape Recordings: Available to everyone who registers
(whether you attend live, attend online or watch recordings
later)

To sign up for either the live event, the live webcast or
the recordings, go to:

http://drritamarie.com/videoclasses/pizz a2010-10

Early bird tuition is still available for the class.  The
videos and live online broadcast are only $19.95 up until
the day of the class.

I look forward to sharing my mouthwatering recipes and all
the tips and tricks I’ve developed over the years. My
recipes, combined with Chef Karen’s specialties, will
delight your taste buds and make you a favorite at your next
family gathering.

Love, Health and Joy to you,

Dr. Ritamarie

http://drritamarie.com/videoclasses/pizza2010-10

Eating for Hormone Health: New Hope for Hormone Imbalance

I’m excited to be doing a talk in New Jersey this week on Eating for Hormone Health.

Karen Ranzi, author of “Creating Healthy Children” is hosting me.

Here are the details.

If you live in the area, come on by.

Eating for Hormone Balance

The Secrets to Staying Young and Vibrant At Any Age

With Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, MS, DC, CCN, DACBN

How to Nourish Your Hormones and Keep Yourself Strong, Safe and Healthy Your Whole Life Through.

In this Inspirational talk, You’ll learn:

• Who all the members of your hormone family are and how you can keep them balanced and humming
• The role of your digestion,emotions and your environment in keeping your hormones balanced and safe.
• How balancing your hormone starting as early as in your 20’s leads to improved vitality and strength in your later decades — the untold secret to seeing more life ahead of you than behind you.
• The 5 foods you MUST eat and the 5 foods You MUST avoid for hormone health
• How stress effects your hormones —and techniques for protecting yourself from the dangers of being in fight-flight mode daily
• How nutrients effect hormone balance, and why synthetic nutrients can be dangerous
• The importance of sleep in protecting you from hormone-related cancers.
• How hormones are disrupted by the environment and essential secrets in protecting yourself.

In her fun and exuberant style, Dr. Ritamarie shares her passion for vibrant health and her secrets for creating for herself more strength and stamina in her 50’s than she experienced in her 20’s. There’ll be ample time for questions and answers.

For over 2 decades, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo has been a student and practitioner of natural health and whole fresh food diets as a path to wellness. Her success in recovering from chronic fatigue and lifestyle induced health challenges prompted

As a doctor of chiropractic certified in acupuncture, clinical nutrition and herbal medicine, Dr. Ritamarie empowers powerful transformation and vibrant health in busy people worldwide. Through her coaching programs, nutrition consultations and books, Dr. Ritamarie touches countless lives with her message of self-healing. Visit her website www.FreshnFunLiving.com for lots of resources, recipes and valuable information.

Thursday August 5, 2010 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Ramsey, New Jersey (201) 934-6778

Investment in your health: $20 in advance, $25 at the door

To register contact Karen at karen@superhealthychildren.com

My Raw Food Diet: A Hot Date with Myself on a Thursday Night

I’m at a conference in Boston for the weekend and stuck at the airport hotel without a decent raw vegan meal in sight.  Of course I have my staples…seeds, fruits, dehydrated crackers and green powder.  I even have a few celery and carrot sticks and a refrigerator to store it all in.  But as I looked at the 3 days ahead and the dwindling food stash, I decided to venture out and see what’s hot in the Boston raw food scene.

Unfortunately the two restaurants I managed to find were a $50 cab ride or 2 trains, a bus and a shuttle away so I moved to plan B…I rented a car for the evening!  I found a $23 economy car and off I went.

I took myself to an incredibly charming place called Prana Cafe, In Newton, a couple of towns away  just west of Boston.

My meal was delicious, the staff was charming and super friendly, and I met a very nice couple who had just discovered raw food in April and were enjoying a date.

I’ll let my photos speak for themselves.

I started with a Creamy Blueberry smoothie made with fresh  coconut and dates.  I had them add kale!

Next I had a red pepper soup, deliciously seasoned and loaded with sprouts.

For an appetizer, I had nori rolls.  The “rice” filling was turnip and coocnut and they were filled with fermented wax beans, avocado and watercress.

My entree was a buckwheat crust pizza, topped with pesto, cashew ricotta, mushrooms and a variety of veggies.  It came with a house salad with a light vinegrette dressing.

Finally, I splurged and tried a sundae with vanilla and cinnamon pecan “ice-cream” .  The “ice-cream” was made with cashew and coconut, sweetened with dates and used irish moss as a thickener…which also cut down on the fat and added the nutritional benefits of sea vegetables.

Woops…i got so excited about eating the sundae that I forgot to take a picture.  Take my word for it…it was beautiful.

There was far too much food for me to eat, so I took some back for lunch.

I stocked up from their take-out area and my refrigerator is now filled with yummy meals.

My hot date with raw foods  was an event to remember

Love , health and joy to you,

Dr. Ritamarie

Green Smoothie Cleanse Recipes – Low Glycemic

Our Summer 2010 Green Smoothie Cleanse is officially over, and we’re transitioning into the Post Cleanse Week.  Chronic fatigue symptoms are abating, allergies are improving and the consensus is there is an overall increased sense of well-being the cleanse promotes.  This week is as important as the cleanse week itself.  This is wher new habits are formed and the imporvemetns made dueing the cleanse are either re-inforced or left behind. Continuing on a high raw food diet plan helps people sustain the benefits long term.

Here are a couple of delicious recipes shared by one of our Green Smoothie Cleanse Participants.  They use in-season, fresh, raw and ripe produce and just the right amount of seasonings.

“Spring Garden Soup”

4 tomatoes
4 celery stalks
2 cups spring mix
2 cups romaine heart
2 limes juiced
1 garlic clove

“Spicy Garden Soup”

1 Tomato
1 English Cucumber
1/2 Zucchini
2 handfuls string beans
8 cups Spring Mix
1 garlic clove
1 ginger nub
1/4 cup lime juice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups water

Blend and enjoy!

Love, Health and Joy to You,

Dr. Ritamarie

Green Smoothie Cleansing for Combatting Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia

Green Smoothie Cleansing is easy, affordable and very effective if you suffer from low energy, chronic fatigue, aches and pains and even fibromyalgia.

Here are just a few of the results we’ve seen this week:

• My fibro pain has lessened.
• I feel better physically, emotionally and spiritually.
• I have more energy
• I have lost some weight and hope to continue losing
• I feel better and hope to continue with this.
• I feel like I am not stuck anymore and am finally changing!
• The blockage is gone.
• My food cravings are gone.
• I do feel a sense of accomplishment and that I can keep learning and growing and healing.
• I still have trouble falling asleep- but do wake up ready for the day and with a feeling of gratiitude.
• My stress level is less
• no drippy nose; the chronic mucus is gone.
• I feel comfortable in my body now.
• My senses are more acute (except for my eyes; they seem to be a bit blurry still).
• My allergies are clearing up. I don’t have as much mucus/ sneezing.
• Lost about 4 lbs
• Less aches in my body.
• My energy level is improving.
• The fat around my middle has decreased.
• My congestion is gone.
• The ache in my shoulder that has been nagging me since January is gone.
• I am peaceful, calm and joyful.
• My energy is through the roof.
• My mind is clear and focused.
• I am sleeping like a baby and waking up with ease.

These are taken form the participants journals.  I’ve enjoyed watching their progress.

We repeat the Green Smoothie Cleanse as a group every 3 months.  The materials and support are avaialble to do the program on your own as often as possible.  The newest feature we added recently is onlien pre and post cleanse assessments and daily online journals.   It helps me offer more personalized support.

Here are a few delicious recipes submitted by one of our participants.

“Orange Sunrise”

1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen mixed fruit
4 medium oranges
4 cups spinach
1 tsp whole vanilla bean powder

“Swiss Garden Soup”

3 tomatoes
1 english cucumber
4 cups red swiss chard
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 tsp spirulina

“Garden of Eden Smoothie”

1 cup papaya
1 cup frz mango
1 cup frz mixed fruit
4 cups spinach
3 celery stalks
2 medium oranges
1 tsp dried mint or handful fresh
1 lemon juiced
1 Granny Smith Apple w/ Skin (Organic)
1 ginger nub

Enjoy these recipes.  For more information about Green Smotohie Cleansing, visit

www.GreenSmoothieCleasne.com