30 Day Fun and Sleep Challenge: Recommitting to Health Goals
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on March 6, 2010 – 1:31 am -I am making good progress towards establishing my healthy sleep pattern.
It’s always amazing to me how much power there is in creating a goal and committing to it.
Earlier this year, I created a product with Jane Hardin, who’ you’ll get to officially meet before too long. She’s a registered dietitian who has completed training in Living Foods Nutrition and has a lot of experience working with terminally ill patients in a counseling capacity. We created a program called Creating the Vibrant Helath Mindset because we both have seen the mindset in making long lasting changes in your habits. This is the first of many projects we’ll be doing together.
This week, I’ve reconnected to the value of continuing to revisit my goals and make commitments based on these.
I’m pleased to report greater success on my sleep goal for yesterday! Yeah!
So here’s my report card for yesterday:
- 64 ounces smoothie/green soup – DONE
- Off computer by 11PM – Surpassed. I was off by 10:06PM!
- Sauna 30 minutes – missed this because I went to bed early!
- Bed by 11:30 – Surpassed - in Bed by 10:15 – My 11 year old son, Kevin, has recently been worried about the toxic smells at school. They watched a video about the dangers of marker inhalation, and talked about a 13 year old who died as a result of marker inhalation as a way to get high. Kevin accidentally got a big wiff of a marker at school the other day and got dizzy and light headed. Since then he has been reacting to smells, like air fresheners, wipes and cleaning supplies used at school. He is scared of dying from breathing them. He asked if he could sleep with me last night so he could feel safe. So he and I went to bed at 10:15.
- Fun reading for 15 minutes – missed this because my Kevin slept with me. Fun was talking to him and cuddling instead.
- Lights out between 11:45 and 12. Surpassed Lights out by 10:15
My commitments for today:
- Exercise 30 minutes
- Fun: Quality time with my husband – a date for dinner at Beets Cafe!
- water – 8 cups
- Get myself signed up to take the Vibrant Health Mindset Course and recommit to my own goals.
- Bed by midnight
How did you do yesterday? What are your commitments for today? Comment below.
Enjoy!
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, fun, livingfoods, raw and living foods holiday recipes, whole foods
Posted in Articles, exercise | 1 Comment »
Sunshine and Fun are Vital to Your Health
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on February 28, 2010 – 3:48 am -It’s a beautiful sunny day here in Austin, today. Before I go outside and enjoy it, I thought I’d take a moment to connect.
I encourage you to please use your weekend to regenerate your energy from the week.
Get outdoors and replenish your vitamin D stores. I am discovering lots of vitamin D deficiencies in working with people lately. And be sure to refrain from washing with soap on the exposed areas for 48 hours after you get your vitamin D sunshine dose, or you may decrease your absorption of what your skin creates fromt he sunshine. It can take up to 48 hours for the Vitamin D to be fully absorbed. That explains why iI’ve been seeing deficiencies even in sun worshipers who dont use sunscreen.
Also important for your health is having fun. What will you do that’s fun today? Comment below. Please respect the importance of fun and recreation. They are up there with fresh raw and living foods and exercise.
If you live in or near Austin, join me and my friends for a raw foods potluck tonight. Go to www.drritamarie.com/potluck for more information and sign up to be part of the action at www.drritamarie.com/meetup.
Have a wonderful day.
Wishing you Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: energy, fun, living foods, livingfoods, raw, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods, recreation, sunshine, vibrant health, vitamin D
Posted in Articles, Immune System Support, raw foods | No Comments »
3 Keys to a Vibrantly Healthy Valentine’s Day
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on February 14, 2010 – 5:36 pm -
Valentines Day is the LOVE holiday…the day when we express our love to the special people in our lives.
The tradition of Valentine’s Day is believed to have originated from the pagan customs of the Third or Fourth Century B.C., when the Festivals of Purification were celebrated in Ancient Rome. With the advent of Christianity, priests attempted to replace all ancient heathen practices, and in the fifth century A.D., they created its own holiday around the same date, and selected a saint who to honor for his devotion to love.
Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is a day when health takes a backseat as most people embellish their loved ones with chocolates, little candy hearts with sayings on them and all sorts of sweet, heart shaped treats and lavishly rich dinners.
What would it be like to enjoy the magic of your Valentine’s Day love connections without compromising your health and your waistline?
Here are 3 key strategies that you can use to create new and memorable health promoting Valentine’s Day rituals.
1- Celebrate and thank the one person you can count on to be there every moment in your life, through thick and thin, good times and challenging ones and until you take your last breath…YOU. Do something special for yourself. Self love and care is health care. One of the best
ways to improve the quality of your health and increase your energy and longevity is to consistently make time to reward and acknowledge yourself.
Take a minute right now to stroke and massage your shoulders, arms and hands. Doesn’t that feel great? Plan a time for a candle-lit hot bath, or an evening in bed to read, write or meditate. What’s your favorite pass time? What do you love to do? Reward yourself by scheduling time to do it. Schedule it right NOW.
Jot me a note in the comments box and let me know how you plan to show self love.
2- Create special treats for your loved ones using whole, fresh, organic and living foods.
As a special Valentine’s Day gift from me to you, I created a recipe sampler you can use and enjoy.
http://www.drritamarie.com/candy.htm
3- Make aphrodisiac foods a part of the celebration, to spark some passion into your love life. These traditionally include:
- Almond – aroma is supposed to induce passion in a female.
- Arugula – has been documented as an aphrodisiac since the first century A.D.
- Avocado – The Aztecs called the tree the “testicle tree”.
- Basil – Is supposed to stimulate the sex drive and boost fertility.
- Chocolate – contains PEA, a neurotransmitter that stimulates a feeling of love and connection.
- Fennel – a source of natural plant estrogen, fennel was used in the early Egyptian times as “libido enhancement”.
- Figs – An open fig is said to resemble the female sex organs and traditionally thought of as sexual stimulant.
- Garlic – is said to stir sexual desires.
- Mustard – is believed to stimulate the sex glands and increase desire.
- Pine Nuts – have been used to stimulate the libido as far back as Medieval times.
- Raspberries and Strawberries – are described in erotic literature as fruit nipples
- Vanilla – The scent and flavor is believed to increase lust.
Do you have any favorite aphrodisiac foods? Submit your recipes and a description of the aphrodisiac properties of the food here:
http://www.drritamarie.com/newsletter/contributions/
I’ll be choosing one to publish in this month’s newsletter, which will be sent on Thursday February 18.
Please comment below… what are your valentines day plans?
Happy Valentines Day!
Remember to download your Valentines Day Recipe Sampler HERE and have fun!
With Love, Roses and Raw Chocolate Kisses,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Add new tag, aphrodisiac, chocolate, gluten free holiday, holiday recipes, living foods, livingfoods, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods, Valentines day, whole foods
Posted in Articles, Gluten Free recipes, Raw and Living Foods Recipes | 9 Comments »
Avoid Adrenal Fatigue by Taking Time For Self Care
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on February 2, 2010 – 4:06 pm -So what does adrenal faigue have to do with self care? Everything. When you take care of yourself, your stress levels go down. And when your stress levels decrease, that’s a good thing for you!
Do you have any idea what happens on a physiologic level when you gt stressed out, worry about the future or fret about he past? Your body releases a cascade of chemicals designed to help you escape from tigers. Your heart rate speeds up, your blood pressure elevated, your sex drive goes away and your digestion shuts down. Does that sound like the rpescription for a healthy, energetic and happy life? Certainly not
The stress hormone cortisol gets secreted into your blood stream, and makes trouble throughout your body. Sure, it helps you to fight tigers, but that’s not going to help you much when you’re getting all stressed out about the state of the economy. And it certainly doesn’t help you to think of creative ways you can deflect economic trends and prosper in spite of the world around you. In fact, it does just the opposite.
One of the effects of cortisol is cortical inhibition. That means, it temporarily shuts off the higher-level thinking center of your brain. This is important when you’re fleeing the real tiger, because solving economic problems would be counter productive when those big teeth are about to turn you into lunch. Cortisol activates the primitive parts of yoru brain, the survival centers. It also causes damage to a part of your brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for short term memory. “Brain fog”, forgetfullness and lack of focus are sigs of adrenal fatugue.
Cortisol also inhibits your immune system and its ability to fight off invaders, to maintain balance, kill cancer cells, and keep you healthy. Cortisol also makes you fat, especially around the middle. Why does stress make you fat? Well, stress leads to increased production of cortisol, which triggers a mechanism in the body to release more sugar into the blood, because you’re going to need it to escape the tiger.
The release of sugar into the blood causes the release of insulin because insulin is what is needed to remove the sugar from your blood and get it into your cells, where it’s needed. That’s great when you have a real tiger chasing you. And it doesn’t present a problem when the stress response is infrequent and short lived. The problem is, in our modern lifestyle we get stressed often and we stay stressed for long periods of time.
And as if it’s not enough to be more prone to illness and cancer, stress kills your sex drive! And it stresses your mitochondria so they can’t produce enough energy, so you get tired.
If being a stressed out sick and overweight individual with no sex drive and no memory does not sound like fun to you, then you need to learn how to take care of your needs and transform the stressful responses to recharging ones.
In my Transforming Stress teleseminars I describe some of my favorite techniques for turning the stressful times into positive physiologic responses, using the power of appreciation.
I recorded a video on how to make the time for self care, in spite of your busy schedule. Consistently taking time for self care allows your adrenals to restore, and can even reverse adrenal fatigue.
What do you do to take care of yoruself everyday?
Write it down below for me.
Thanks,
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, exhaustion, fatigue, fatigue symptoms, Gluten Free Diet, livingfoods, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods recipes
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Peppermint Patties Go Raw: Gluten Free Raw Food Recipe for Superfood Candy Made with Hemp Seeds and Green Powder
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on December 19, 2009 – 12:45 pm -My latest Yummy treat – I just made this as a variation of my Peppermint Patty Recipe from Healthy Halloween Treats , a complete guide to raw and living foods, gluten-free recipes for Halloween.
This 100% raw foods recipe is also gluten free and sugar free. Much better for you than the peppermint patties you may have eaten before. It’s high in omega 3 fats from the hemp seed, selenium from the brazil nuts, copper from the macadamia nuts, chlorophyll from the greens and antiviral lauric acid from the coocnut. They are very low glycemic, as they contain no sweeteners. If you prefer the filling a little bit sweeter, you can add 1/4 cup pitted dates.
Super Food Peppermint Patties
by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo
Ingredients
Filling
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup brazil nuts
- 1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts
- 1 1/2 cup dried coconut shreds
- 1/8 teaspoon green stevia
- 1 Tablespoon each chlorella and blue green algae powder (or your favorite green powder)
- 3 drops peppermint essential oil
Chocolate Coating
- 1/4 cup cacao paste, softened in the dehydrator for 15 minutes at 115 degrees or in a double boiler
- 1/8 cup cacao butter, melted as for the cacao paste.
- 1/8 teaspoon stevia
- 2 drops mint essential oil
Directions:
- Process the filling in food processor until almost smooth.
- Press the filling into silicone molds, disposable mini cupcake papers, or any other shapes desired. If you prefer, you can spread it on a piece of wax paper and score into desired sizes.
- Freeze the filling for at least half an hour.
- Stir all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or blend in blender.
- Pop the filling from the molds or cut into desired sizes.
- Dip the filling pieces into the chocolate sauce (you may need to re-soften it unless you made it right before dipping.)
- Place carefully on a piece of wax paper to harden. Store in refrigerator or freezer.
Chocolate topping variation
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/8 cup melted cacao butter
- 2 drops mint essential oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
Other Variations
You can add a couple of drops of mint essential oil to your favorite chocolate sauce or any of the chocolate sauce recipes in my books Healthy Halloween Treats and Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations. Both of these books are filled with gluten free raw and living foods recipes for holiday treats using health promoting ingredients.
Enjoy this recipe.
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, Gluten Free Diet, gluten free holiday, Halloween treats, healthy holiday, holiday recipes, living foods, livingfoods, omega 3 fats, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods, raw foods recipes, selenium, whole foods
Posted in Articles, Gluten Free recipes, Raw and Living Foods Recipes, healthy holiday | No Comments »
Hanukkah in the Raw: Living Foods Version of Traditional Latkes
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on December 14, 2009 – 12:12 pm -
When I first met my husband I had no idea what a latke was, nor did I know very much about Hanukkah. Having grown up Catholic the only thing I’d learned was that Hanukkah was like Christmas, only they got presents for 8 days instead of 1!
I’ve come a long way since then. Now I know quite a bit more about the holiday, and the meaning behind it. I’ve also taught myself to make healthier versions of the traditional foods. My favorite is latkes. Latles are potato pancakes and are traditionally served on the first and last nights of Hanukkah, at least in my husband’s family. Traditional latkes are made from potatoes, onions, flour and egg, and are deep fried in vegetable oil. They come out crispy and very greasy. Quite frankly, all that grease just never appealed to me.
So my first experiments were created by simply using non-gluten flour in place of the unbleached white, flax or psyllium seed in place of the egg and a bit of olive oil, brushed on before baking instead of frying. They were a bit hit with my family and friends.
Next I experimented with substituting some or all of the potatoes with shredded broccoli stems, daikon radish or zucchini. I got to the point where I could make them without any potatoes, and my kids still loved them. I was happy because they were eating lots of veggies!
Finally I took it to the next level and created a recipe that I could “low temperature bake” in the dehydrator. These are uncooked and maintain the full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes of the raw ingredients. I served them side by side with the cooked potato version and most of my friends preferred the raw ones.
I put all of the variations of the recipe in my new e-book Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations.
I’m sharing the Living Latkes recipe here. The book has recipes for raw dairy free versions of applesauce and sour cream too.
Living Latkes
by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo
Equipment Needed: Dehydrator and Blender
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds of a combination of shredded daikon radish and broccoli stems
- 1 medium onion
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) tahini
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
Directions
- Shred daikon and broccoli stems and place in a large bowl.
- Shred or thinly slice the onion and add to bowl with the daikon and broccoli.
- Blend the tahini, pepper and salt and add to bowl with vegetables. Mix well with your hands.
- Brush with a thin film of olive oil, if desired.
- Form into patties and place on the mesh tray of your dehydrator. Dehydrate overnight, up to 12 hours.
Serve with apple sauce or nut sour “cream”
Shared with love from Dr. Ritamarie’s Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations.
Enjoy, and have a happy healthy holiday.
Love, Health and Joy
Dr. Ritamarie
P.S. Even if you’re not Jewish, the latkes are worth making. Everyone loves them.
http://www.DrRitamarie.com/WinterHolidays
Tags: Christmas, Christmas recipes, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, gluten free christmas, Gluten Free Diet, gluten free holiday, gluten free latkes, gluten-free vegan latkes, hanukkah, Hanukkah recipes, healthy holiday, heathy hanukkah recipes, holiday diet, holiday recipes, holiday survival, latkes, living foods, livingfoods, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods, raw foods diet, raw foods recipes, raw latkes
Posted in Gluten Free recipes, Raw and Living Foods Recipes, healthy holiday | 1 Comment »
Healthy for the Holidays: Nourishing Foods for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years Celebrations
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on December 9, 2009 – 4:02 am -By
Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo
I can’t believe that it’s almost Christmas? I’m really not ready at all! I haven’t started shopping, writing cards or even finished putting up my tree. My family celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah, bringing together the best of my husband’s family traditions and mine. And Hanukkah is just a few days away.
I used to bake a lot for the holidays, but since I no longer eat sugar, flour, butter and all the ingredients of my old favorite recipes, and I prefer to eat raw and living foods, I had to develop new recipes. My favorites were for cookies, especially gingerbread, cranberry bread and pecan pie. My new recipes taste as good or even BETTER than my old favorites.
The foods that used to fill my holiday plate did nothing to enhance my health and did everything to clog my arteries, raise my blood sugar, expand my waistline and left me feeling sluggish, bloated, and foggy headed.
When I eat the foods I make using my new recipes, I feel great! I no longer feel bloated or exhausted after eating my favorite Christmas cookies and pies.
Even if you’ve been dedicated to vibrant health for a long time, staying strong and true to your health commitment is a challenge when you’re surrounded by the smells and tastes that remind you of past holidays and connect you with family and friends. You may have even learned to equate these foods with love.
The pressure from friends and family to eat the old favorites can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve only recently adopted healthy eating habits. Add to that the magnitude of the long holiday to-do list (shopping for, wrapping, and exchanging gifts; sending cards; decorating; and making food) and it’s only natural for you to become overly stressed or anxious.
You may have grown up using food to comfort and soothe you.
Certain aromas may remind you of the comfort of grandma’s house on a special holiday, or a special person or feeling that you became connected to early on in your life.
Rather than giving in to temptation, or depriving yourself of tasty foods and feeling angry and resentful about it, you can learn to recreate your favorite holiday meals in ways that are delicious, nutritious and fun and easy to make.
http://www.drritamarie.com/WinterHolidays
Since I’ve been married to Scott, I’ve learned to make Hanukkah foods, too, like latkes with homemade applesauce and dairy free sour cream.
I’ve been working on putting all of these recipes together and finally have them ready in the form of a book. By the time I finished putting in all the recipes and tips for creating low stress holiday celebrations, the book ended up being over 160 pages! And the recipes are all gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free, and made with whole, fresh, plant-based, raw and living foods.
http://www.drritamarie.com/WinterHolidays
I’ve put together a couple of very special packages that include my new book, “Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations”and I’m ready to share them with you!
So go on over to
http://www.drritamarie.com/WinterHolidays
and reserve your copy. The book is in e-book format, so you can download it instantly. I’m working on getting a printed version available too, and those who purchase the e-book during the next couple of weeks will be offered the print book at for a nominal upgrade fee.
I’m so excited about this.
I’ve added some juicy new bonuses, for a limited time only, and a very special “Deluxe Holiday Toolkit”. When you order the e-book, one of the bonuses you’ll receive is access to an online video of me making some of the recipes.
Here’s a comment from someone who watched the Holiday Video when I offered it with the Thanksgiving Feast book:
I just watched the Holiday recipe video…OMG, it was WONDERFUL!!!! And so helpful! I bought the e-book, but it makes such a difference to actually see you putting the elements together!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CREATING THIS VIDEO!!!!
I look forward to hearing from you. The message I’d like to hear is how you stayed healthy throughout the holidays, had lots of energy and enjoyed the connection with your loved ones while eating delicious foods and having a blast.
Please comment below and let me know what your favorite holiday foods are. If health enhancing versions of them are not already in the book, rest assured they’ll be in version 2. And if you contribute a recipe or idea that makes it into the second edition next year, I’ll be sure to send you a free copy.
Go ahead and let me know what foods you really love and have a healthy and happy holiday season.
Love, Health and Gratitude,
Dr. Ritamarie
http://www.drritamarie.com/WinterHolidays
Tags: Christmas recipes, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, fatigue symptoms, gluten free, Gluten Free Diet, gluten free holiday, Hanukkah recipes, healthy holiday, holiday diet, holiday recipes, holiday survival, living foods, livingfoods, New Years Recipes, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods, raw foods diet, raw foods recipes, vegan foods, whole foods
Posted in Articles, Gluten Free recipes, Raw and Living Foods Recipes, healthy holiday, living foods, raw foods | No Comments »
Gluten-Free, Holiday Treats – Organic, raw and whole Fresh foods
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on December 7, 2009 – 11:48 am -Tis the Season to Be Jolly
Holidays are about connection and love, not fretting about food and worrying about feeling deprived while everyone else is stuffing themselves with sugar and fat. If you are dedicated to staying healthy and vibrant throughout the holiday season, yet still have a desire to fit in, and enjoy the holiday cheer, there are lots of resources for you. Here are a couple:
1- If you live in or near Austin, you’re in for a treat. There’s no reason to feel deprived this holiday season. You can enjoy delicious Holiday Cookies – Raw, Vegan, naturally sweetened and gluten Free- festively boxed and ready
to give as a gift or as a treat for yourself. Karen Osborne, my dear friend and the Fresh’n Fun Living Co-op Manager, talented chef and recent graduate of Living Light Culinary Institute in California has created these beautiful and delicious gift boxes for you.
The boxes include a dozen holiday cookies, and will be ready for pick-up in the
Austin area beginning in mid December. The boxes contain 2 each of the
following:
German Chocolate Brownies, Pecan Pie Squares, Not Oatmeal Raisin Cookies,
Lemon Cookies, Rocky Road Brownies and Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies.
Carob can be substituted for Chocolate in these cookies…please specify
your preference when you check out.
Supplies are limited so order early. Orders will be processed on a first
come, first served basis.
Schedule:
2 dozen boxes will be ready for delivery on Dec. 13 or any day of that week
2 dozen boxes will be ready for delivery on Dec. 20.
Each box is $30. Please specify Chocolate or Carob when you order.
To place an order, click on a link below and specify the number of boxes you
desire in our secure shopping cart.
An e-mail will be sent out when the boxes are ready with dates and locations for pick-up in the Austin area.
1 Cookie Box for the week of Dec. 13 $30.00
1 Cookie Box for the week of Dec. 20 $30.00
2) You can learn to make cookies and close to 100 other delicious holiday foods. It’s easy to do when you ahve the right recipes.
My new book, “Healthy Holiday Traditions: Nourishing Recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Celebrations” will be announced very soon. We’re putting the last minute tweaks on the bonus and graphics pages on the web page. We’re even offering it as a part of a Deluxe Holiday Toolkit. Those who ordered the toolkit have already received the book.
If you already know you want it, you can get it right away by going to www.IndulgeWithoutBulge.com There are over $100 in bonus gifts being offered. When you get the deluxe toolkit, one of the bonuses is an instantly accessible online video of demonstrations of 9 of the recipes.
There are also some blog posts from last year and this, and some tips in my newsletter, www.drritamarie.com/newsletter
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
Tags: Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, Gluten Free Diet, gluten free holiday, healthy holiday, holiday diet, holiday survival, living foods, livingfoods, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods, raw foods diet, raw foods recipes, vegan foods, whole foods
Posted in Gluten Free Diet, living foods, raw foods | 1 Comment »
Heart Felt Gratitude For all My Gifts
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on November 25, 2009 – 5:04 pm -by
Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo
Thanksgiving is a special day for me. While I intend daily to express gratitude for all my gifts and to those who make my life so fulfilling and joyful, I sometimes fall short of my goal.
Thanksgiving day gives me the opportunity to reflect on all that I am grateful for. To me, the holiday is more about the connections than the food. My life has been rich and full, and the tough times as well as the wonderful times have contributed to making it so. For both I am grateful.
Here’s a partial list of what I’m grateful for:
* Waking up each day in a warm bed with a roof over my head. Many people don’t have the same experience.
* My daily green smoothie, which energizes and nourishes me more than anything I’ve ever done.
* That my 11 year old son, Kevin, still likes to cuddle with his Mommy.
* That my 15 year old son, Eric, is dedicated to justice and fairness and is willing to risk his own comfort to help his friends when he feels that they’ve been wronged.
* My husband Scott, who makes me my green smoothie most mornings and cleans the kitchen after me when I make his.
* The illness I experienced during my 20’s that spurred me to learn more about my health and become more healthy and energetic today than ever before. That experience has allowed me to impact the health of thousands of people over the years.
* The miscarriages that caused me to decide to adopt children and the women who birthed my beautiful boys. Had the outcome been different for me, Kevin and Eric would be experiencing lives much more difficult than anything they’ve ever experienced.
* Sunshine and warmth and the joy I get from both of them.
* Green foods, and the vibrant health they create in me.
* Learning about the powers of Heart Math, becoming certified and using it to transform my life and the lives of those who’ve learned it from me.
* My “team” that supports me in my life’s work: Jimmy for taking over the web support from me(he’s so much better than I), Tracey who keeps up with my email, sets up my new radio show “Creating a Vibrant Life”, keeps me up to date on facebook and twitter and countless other tasks, Scott who handles all things accounting, my newest helper, Aran who will be handling my blog and video posting, and all those who volunteer in exchange for learning.
* My sister Cathy, who’s death last summer from Lymphoma strengthened my commitment to spreading the message of health through nutrition and self care.
* My surviving 3 brothers and 4 sisters, who all thought I’d lost my mind 25 years ago when I rejected all the foods of my past and adopted the healthy lifestyle I now own. Several of them are now open to my message.
* My father who taught me when I was very young that I could do ANYTHING I set my mind to and was determined to do. I just wish he was still around to hug and thank in person.
* My mom, whose stubbornness and strong will I didn’t much appreciate until I realized how much like her I turned out to be. I’m sure she’s turning over in her grave and having a good laugh about that now.
* My Italian paternal grandmother who taught me to love to feed people.
* My Irish maternal grandmother who taught me about kindness and unconditional love.
* My maternal grandfather who taught me about gentleness and acceptance and whose influence caused me to marry a kind and gentle man
* My English teacher in 11th grade who encouraged me to express myself on paper.
* My cousin Marybeth who taught me how to be playful and have fun.
* My friends near and far who’ve supported me through many an idea that seemed far fetched and unreasonable.
* My vitamix blender.
* My affiliate team who’ve promoted my books and programs and helped me to spread the message of healthy lifestyle.
* My stubborn determination, unwillingness to take no for an answer and dedication to doing what’s right.
* You, for listening to my words and taking action towards a better life.
Thanks again. Have an amazing Thanksgiving.
Please post a comment below and share at least one thing you’re grateful for.
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
P.S. On Thanksgiving, I’ll be making the cranberry orange relish, apricot pecan yams, mushroom gravy and pumpkin pie from my Thanksgiving Feast e-book. Post a comment below and let me know what you’re making
Tags: Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, DrRitamarie, gluten free holiday, gratitude, healthy thanksgiving recipes, living foods, livingfoods, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods recipes, raw Thanksgiving recipes
Posted in Articles, healthy holiday, raw foods | 19 Comments »
Gluten-Free Snack Recipe: Sour Cream and Onion Daikon Curls
Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on November 20, 2009 – 12:34 pm -On Sunday I hosted a living foods potluck dinner. It was so much fun. I thought I’d share a recipe that was so good, it was gone before dinner even started. This recipe works well with macadamia nuts substituted for the cashews. I tried a variation with sweet potatoes and carrots when I ran out of daikon and it was delicious.
Daikon is a great choice this time of year because it’s such a powerful immune booster and mucous dissolver.
Sour Cream and Onion Daikon Curls
contributed by Gretchen Burk, Austin Texas
Equipment Needed: Dehydrator, Spiralizer or Vegetable Peeler and Blender
Ingredients
- 2-3 large daikon radishes
- 1 small or 1/2 medium onion
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley
- 7-8 cloves garlic
- 1 whole green onions 4 inches of the greens from another green onion
- 3/4 cup cashews, soaked overnight and rinsed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Ume Plum Vinegar (Oshawa brand, available at most natural grocers)
- 3 1/2 tablesooons lemon juice
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon real salt or pink salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
Directions
- Put all ingredients except daikon and the extra green onion tops in blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add extra water if needed.
- Pulse the extra green onion tops in to just break them up.
- Use the spiralizer on the ribbon setting to create long curls from the daikon.
- Add the onion sour “cream” mixture to the daikon to just coat. If you have extra, use it as a dip.
- Place the coated daikon on the mesh dehydrator trays and dehydrate for 12-24 hours to desired texture. They stay chewy.
Variation: use macadamia nuts instead of cashews. Substitute sweet potatoes or carrots for the daikon.
Gretchen Burk is a gifted healer and a whiz in the kitchen. I’ve personally sampled her body work sessions and her food, and I’m hooked. Gretchen’s practice as a healing arts professional includes Swedish, Sports and Deep Massage, Structural Bodywork, Shiatsu and energy healing, including Reiki and Jin Shin Jyutsu. Gretchen’s advanced body awareness and knowledge of anatomy & physiology significantly enhance her ability to help restore her clients’ health. I always feel great after a session with Gretchen. She can be reached at 512-971-4543
Tags: Gluten Free Diet, living foods, livingfoods, raw and living foods holiday recipes, raw foods
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