Personalizing Your Health and Nutrition: What You Need to Know About Biochemical Individuality

- by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

When it comes to health and nutrition, why are there so many conflicting recommendations?

The answer?  Biochemical individuality.

How well do you understand your unique body chemistry and the choices that make the most sense for you?

I recorded this video earlier in the year.  In the video I describe biochemical individuality and how we all need to discover for ourselves what works best for us.

Click HERE to learn more about the Assess Your Own Body Chemistry program!

Healthy Meals in a Hurry: A 3-Step Guide for Busy People

- by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

“What can I eat that supports my health, tastes great, and is quick and easy to get on the table?”

I get asked this question all the time.  People wonder how I manage to eat so healthfully when I am so busy.  This is an actual comment, taken from a recent consultation form:

“One of my challenges is making food for myself – I would love to have someone else do it. I don’t want to be taking time at lunchtime to do that – so I tend to nibble and then get hungry in the afternoon – then work too late, so I’m really hungry at dinner time – and need to eat right away.”

I have hundreds more just like it!

My friend and colleague, Chef Karen Osborne, is one of the busiest people I know, besides me of course.  As a home schooling Mom, choir member, volunteer at church, personal chef, instructor and Fresh ‘n Fun co-op manager she’s constantly juggling this activity and that. Yet she always manages to eat high green, delicious, nutrient-dense meals.

How does she do it?

She’ll be sharing her secrets in our One Dish Meals raw food class, but I thought I would give you a few hints and tips today to help you put healthy meals on the table in less than the time it takes to order pizza.

Step 1: Stock Your Brain with Purpose

Consistently choosing healthy foods to consume, despite time pressures requires a mindset shift.  It starts by focusing on what’s most important to you–making the connection between what you value most and healthy meal choices. Then, you must simply act from that place of knowing what you value most.

It sounds simple, and it is.  Implementation takes dedication and truly connecting to your core values.  One thing Karen and I have in common is a framework of reference that we get what we most want in life when we feel strong and energetic.  We feel strong and energetic when we eat lots of green foods and avoid the energy zappers like gluten, dairy, sugar and processed foods.

If we’re rushed or out and the food choices don’t support our ultimate goal, we hold true to our values and don’t eat the foods that will tire or weaken us.

Step 2: Stock Your Kitchen with Essentials

The next step is more practical.  Make sure to keep your house stocked with lots of whole foods.  With a little forethought and careful shopping, you can have foods around that you can prepare in a hurry.

Here’s a list of recommended food items to always have around:

• Tomatoes
• Avocados
• Sprouts
• Lemons
• A variety of dried herbs and spices
• Seeds, like sunflower, pumpkin, chia or hemp
• Raw nuts
• Greens
• Sea vegetables
• Powdered sea veggies, like kelp.
• A variety of vegetables like cucumber, celery, carrots, and peppers

Step 3: Stock Your Meals with Creativity

I was in a hurry to get something to eat for dinner tonight, so here’s an example of throwing a healthy meal together in only 5 steps:

1. I went down to the kitchen and found an avocado, a tomato and a jar of sauerkraut.
2. I sliced the tomato in rounds and placed them on a plate.
3. I sliced the avocado and placed the slices on top of the tomato (sometimes instead of avocado, I spoon nut or seed cheese on top).
4. I put a dollop of sauerkraut on each tomato slice.
5. I sprinkled the works with Italian seasoning and kelp powder

I had a delicious meal in less than 5 minutes!

In our One Dish Meals class we’ll be sharing how to whip up a one dish meal using whatever you have around.  Again, the key to quick and easy meals is having an open mind, having the ingredients on hand, and tuning in to your creativity.  Think outside the box.  Learn from people who have been there, done that.

Use your imagination.

Join us for Delicious One Dish Raw Food Meals! It’s guaranteed to be a winner!

Raw Food Recipes:Gluten Free, Dairy Free Chocolate Pie & Cole Slaw

Earlier today, I polished off the last of the decadently delicious gluten free, dairy free and sugar free chocolate pudding pie and no-mayonaisse coleslaw I made Saturday evening for my son Kevin’s baseball party and I’m still smacking my lips.

These recipes are made with all raw food ingredients and are super easy and quick to make.  Enjoy Simply Divine Chocolate Pudding Pie and Quick and Easy Coleslaw, naturally high Omega 3 fats.  It tastes better than the deli style coleslaw I had as a kid.

Quick and Easy Cole Slaw

Ingredients:

• 1 bag organic broccoli slaw mix (or you can shred 1 broccoli stem, ½ small cabbage and 1 carrot
• ¼ cup hemp seeds
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• ½ cup water
• 2 pitted medjool dates
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4  teaspoon garlic granules
• 1 inch piece of ginger (optional)

Directions:

1. Put the shredded slaw mix in a bowl.
2. In a blender, combine the remaining ingredients until smooth.

Notes: Add a little extra water if necessary to help it blend.

Additional picnic recipes are available in our class Picnic Foods and Barbecue for Gluten Free and Living Foods Diets

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1/2 cup dried shredded coconut
• ½ cup raisins
• 1/2 cup pecans
• ½ cup hazelnuts

Filling

• 1 cup medjool dates, pitted
• 1/2  teaspoon ground vanilla beans or vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ cup coconut cream or coconut butter
• ¼ cup macadamia nuts or additional ¼ cup coconut cream
• 1/3 cup raw organic cacao powder

Directions:

1.    Make crust: Process the coconut, raisins, pecans and hazel nuts in a food processor until well combined, nuts coarsely ground and it begins to hold together.   Be careful not to over process to nut butter.

2.    Remove from processor and press into an 8 inch tart pan or pie pan.

3.    Put the remaining ingredients in a high speed blender.

4.    Blend until smooth, adding extra water if needed until it’s thick and creamy like pudding.

5.    Pour the filling into the crust.

6.    Refrigerate or freeze to allow it to become firm.

Additional Dessert Recipes are in the book Dessert:  Making it Rich Without Oil

Be sure to comment below and answer my question for today:  Which is more important to you, how the food tastes or how nutritious it is for your body?

Gluten Free Recipes for Raw Food Diet Picnic and Barbecue Foods

Here’s a sampling of the gluten free, raw foods recipes we’ll teach you how to make in our Picnic and Barbecue class.

Gluten Free Raw Food "Not Dogs"

 

Gluten Free Raw Food Recipe for Veggie Burger with Bun

Cole Slaw

Jicama "Potato" Salad

Strawberry Short Cake

Go HERE to signup and learn to make these moth watering   summer picnic foods in our class “Picnic Foods and Barbeque for Gluten Free and Living Foods Diets. ” Enjoy Your Favorite Summer Celebration Foods Without Expanding Your Waistline and Draining Your Energy.  Learn to Create Mouth Watering, Nutritious, Easy to Make Picnic and Barbeque Foods Using Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Trans-Fat Free Raw and Living Ingredients.

The Dangers That Lurk in Your Usual Picnic Fare

Given the research linking processed meat and stomach cancer, refined grains, and mayonnaise to immune system disease, you would be wise to consider alternatives this year.

Whether you’re the host or the guest, it’s easy to whip up healthy picnic foods that everyone will enjoy, all while achieving the lean, strong, clear headed body you desire.

Our picnic foods look and taste so much like the “real thing”, you’ll shock your guests and delight your health conscious crowd if you tell them the ingredients. Made with gluten free, dairy free, sugar free whole fresh living plant ingredients, these light and delicious picnic foods will be the hit of the party.

Here’s what’s in Oscar Meyer, a popular brand of hotdog:

“Mechanically separated chicken, pork, water, corn syrup, modified food starch, contains 2% or less of salt, flavoring, potassium lactate, sodium lactate, sodium phosphates, dextrose, sodium diacetate, beef, hydrolyzed soy protein, sodiuerthorbate, sugar, sodium nitrite, sorbitol, extract of paprika“.

Contrast that to our “hot dog” ingredients:

“Raw organic nuts, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, psyllium, Irish moss (a sea vegetable loaded with minerals), salt“.

In the book “Grocery Warning” , Mike Adams reports that “Feeding children hot dogs increases their risk of brain cancer by 300%” and many other startling facts about hot dogs.

In our class

We’ll teach you how to make whole, gluten-free, dairy-free raw and living foods versions of classic summer picnic food that wow your friends and leave even your guests satisfied and well nourished. The good news is you can make these foods quickly, no heat required.

• Instead of greasy burgers that clog your arteries and cancer promoting hotdogs on white flour buns that rob your energy and throw your blood sugar off balance, we’ll show you how to make delicious energy boosting plant based alternatives, loaded with antioxidant rich vegetables.
• Instead of mayonnaise smothered potato salad and coleslaw that increase your waistline and damage your immune system, learn to make our scrumptious health enhancing alternatives, rich in cancer protective, immune boosting omega 3 fats.

Join us for Picnic Foods and Barbeque for Gluten Free and Living Foods Diets. ” Learn:

• How to replace processed, high fat, low nutrient processed picnic foods with whole fresh food equivalents
• Methods to easily transform fresh veggies, herbs and nuts or seeds into delicious burgers and hot dogs
• Easy ways to make condiments that rival your old favorites: mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, using whole fresh foods and NO sugar , hydrogenated fats or corn syrup
• How to make burger and hot dog buns without gluten or flour
• A quick and easy way to make onion rings to top your burgers or eat as a side – without deep frying or even cooking for that matter!
• How to make combine wholesome ingredients to create a guilt free dessert.

You can come to the live and in person class, watch  live  via the internet or view the videos after.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

Fall 2007 Raw and Living Foods Events

Schedule of Upcoming Classes & Events

Learn to make delicious living foods and enjoy a meal with new friends!

check out http://www.drritamarie.com/ for details

10/20 Sat Living on Live Food Level 1 10AM – 4PM
10/20 Sat Movie Night and Living Foods Potluck FREE 6:00 -10:00 PM
10/25Thurs Forget Cooking Beginner Class with Dina Knight 6:30 – 9:30 PM
10/28 Sun Holiday Survival and Shopping Evening 4:30 – 7:00 PM
11/10-11/11 Sat & Sun Thanksgiving Feast Class 3:00 – 6:00PM both days
11/11 Sun Thanksgiving Feast- 6:30 – 8:00 PM $20 per person for a grande meal!
11/17 Sat Movie Night and Living Foods Potluck FREE 6:00 -10:00 PM
12/13 Thurs Holiday Party Foods 5:45 – 7:15 PM
12/13 Thurs Holiday Desserts 7:30 – 9:30 PM
12/15 Sat Movie Night and Living Foods Potluck FREE 6:00 -10:00 PM

I hope to see you at an event or two soon

Healthfully Yours

Dr. Ritamarie