Gratitude Weekend: Celebrate Your Health with Raw Food Recipes and Health Enhancing Resources

Traditionally the day after Thanksgiving has been called “Black Friday”. Although I understand the meaning, as it’s a day when businesses traditionally go “in the black” because of the flood of consumer buying activity, still I’m not fond of the name and I prefer to name our post-Thanksgiving Day sale something more in line with the theme of the holiday it follows. So this year, I decided to offer a “Gratitude Weekend” sale, filled with very special offers of products and services to empower you to be healthy and vibrant throughout the holiday season. The average person gains extra pounds of fat during this season, because food surrounds us at every turn. Yesterday, as I watched my relatives consume processed, nutrient depleted, and dangerous to their health foods without thought about how it affects their “bottom line”, I started thinking about ways to reach the masses with the message that their food choices are hurting them. So today, I am taking away some of the barriers. I’m offering some huge savings on my e-book and recipe collections, many of which educate about the dangers of the usual processed ingredients in favorite holiday and “treat” foods. Read on for details of my “Gratitude Weekend” sale. You’ll see 5 special sales! Enjoy these special offers through the end of the weekend. Order Today and Win! Just to make these amazing offers completely irresistible, anyone who participates in the “Gratitude Weekend” sale will have the opportunity to win one of: 1st prize: a seat in our next B4 Be Gone Program (Valued at $997!) 2nd prize: Dried and Gone to Heaven DVD set with e-book and 3 online videos (Valued at $297) 3rd prize: Dessert: Making it Rich Without Oil and physical book bundle (Valued at $29.95) Gratitude Weekend Specials: “Gratitude Weekend” Special #1: $37 Holiday Video Bundle Here’s what Special #1 includes: Enjoy access to TWO special holiday videos that will help you serve up delicious dishes for the holidays: Sweets for the Holidays: Class Video and Recipes   Join us for our class “Sweets for the Holidays: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Oil-free Holiday Treats” and learn to make amazing raw vegan versions of traditional holiday dishes such as gingerbread men, cookies in festive seasonal shapes, candy, turtle brownies and more. You can take these to parties, give them as gifts or serve them at your own holiday gatherings. These recipes are not just for the holidays, either. You can use them for celebrations all year long. Healthy Holiday Feasts: Class Video and Recipes Join us for our class “Healthy Holiday Feasts: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Living Foods versions of Traditional Holiday Favorites” and watch as we prepare eggless egg nog, turkeyless turkey loaf, potatoless mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, pumpkin pie and more. Then, sample all of the dishes that we prepare. For each class you’ll receive 2 1/2 hours of recipe demonstrations and all the recipes in a PDF eBook! Regularly $27 each, you can enjoy a special price of just $37 for both when you Order Here! http://www.drritamarie.com/go/Thanksgiving2011 Use coupon code: HOLIDAYVIDEOS2011 *********************************************************************** “Gratitude Weekend” Special #2: $97 Deluxe Holiday Bundle* Here’s what Special #2 includes: You’ll receive all of our holiday resources including physical copies of our Thanksgiving Feasts and Healthy Halloween Treats books. The package includes the complete Indulge without the Bulge DVD bundle (*Please note, shipping rates are in addition). Sweets for the Holidays: Class Video and Recipes Join us for our class “Sweets for the Holidays: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Oil-free Holiday Treats” and learn to make amazing raw vegan versions of traditional holiday dishes such as gingerbread men, cookies in festive seasonal shapes, candy, turtle brownies and more. You can take these to parties, give them as gifts or serve them at your own holiday gatherings. These recipes are not just for the holidays, either. You can use them for celebrations all year long. Healthy Holiday Feasts: Class Video and Recipes Join us for our class “Healthy Holiday Feasts: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Living Foods versions of Traditional Holiday Favorites” and watch as we prepare eggless egg nog, turkeyless turkey loaf, potatoless mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, pumpkin pie and more. Then, sample all of the dishes that we prepare. For each class you’ll receive 2 1/2 hours of recipe demonstrations and all the recipes in a PDF eBook! Indulge Without the Bulge Holiday Bundle You can get our ENTIRE holiday collection of books, videos, and guides with this DELUXE holiday package! There’s no better way to get through the holidays than with a complete toolkit of ideas, recipes, and video demonstrations that will leave you with a New Year’s waistline you’ll be proud of! In addition to the Sweet Treats for the Holiday and Healthy Holiday Feasts Class videos you’ll receive: Healthy Halloween Treats (pdf, hardcopy, and video recipe demonstration) Thanksgiving Feast (pdf, hardcopy, and video recipe demonstration) Healthy Holiday Traditions (pdf and video recipe demonstration) Indulge Without the Bulge (DVD and checklist) Regularly $202.95 for everything you see here, you can enjoy a special price of just $97 (plus shipping) for everything when you Order Here! http://www.drritamarie.com/go/DeluxeHoliday2011 Use coupon code: DELUXEHOLIDAY A Great Gift Idea: You can keep the e-books for yourself, ~Contact.FirstName~, and give away the hardcopies as gifts to your loved ones! ********************************************************************** “Gratitude Weekend” Special #3: 50% Off All Digital E-Books! We have many, many valuable e-books and recipe guides to keep you on the path of vibrant living. You can access many of our digital e-books for 50% off (some exceptions apply*). You’ll find a list of our available e-books HERE! Here are some of the e-books you may enjoy for Special #3: Power Breakfast Ideas Start Your Morning off Right by Learning Easy-to-Make Raw Food Breakfast Recipes that Give You Plenty of Energy to Fuel You Through the Day! You might have heard many health experts say that it’s crucial to begin your day with a meal. What they might have failed to say, though, is how to make your first fuel of the day powerful enough to propel you forward with energy and gusto! Order here! http://www.rawpowerbreakfast.com/ Use coupon code: GRATITUDEFRIDAY2011 Deliciously Quick: Lunch and Dinner Ideas Avoid the Fast Food Drive Through Line at Lunch and Dinner Time and Enjoy a Hearty, Quick and Easy to Prepare, Nutritious Meal Instead! If you’re sick and tired of feeling sick and tired because you don’t have time to prepare healthy meals for you and your family, we have GREAT news for you. By using the simple, yet delicious recipes in this e-book, you’ll soon be on your way to the lean, strong and energetic body that you desire and deserve! Order here! http://www.drritamarie.com/classes/lunchdinner.htm Use coupon code: GRATITUDEFRIDAY2011 Greens From the Sea The Secret to Increased Energy A Strong Lean Body and Vibrant Health Sea vegetables are filled with difficult to get minerals and nutrients in a concentrated form. Research shows that eating sea vegetables on a regular basis supports the endocrine system, especially the thyroid gland. People who eat sea vegetables regularly are less likely to experience osteoporosis, fatigue and adrenal exhaustion. There are delicious recipes included in the book to help you to start receiving the health benefits of sea vegetables right away. Order here! http://drritamarie.com/seagreensorder.htm Use coupon code: GRATITUDEFRIDAY2011 Holiday E-Books: You can also purchase any of our individual holiday e-books with this special 50% off deal: http://drritamarie.com/shop/seasonal Healthy Halloween Treats (pdf) Order here! Thanksgiving Feast (pdf) Order here! Healthy Holiday Traditions (pdf) Order here! Use coupon code: GRATITUDEFRIDAY2011 *Please Note: The 50% Off Special does not apply to Dried and Gone to Heaven nor Dessert: Making it Rich Without Oil. But remember, any “Gratitude Sale” order will give you a chance to win either of these books! *********************************************************************** “Gratitude Weekend” Special #4: $47 Discovery Consultation (75% Off!) Here’s what Special #4 includes: Discovery Consultation with Dr. Ritamarie What would you do in life if you had all the energy in the world and nothing to hold you back? With over 20 years of experience in guiding people to their full health potential, Dr. Ritamarie will work with you to identify your particular obstacles and suggest a wellness strategy for you to overcome your unique challenges. With individualized attention through your Discovery Consultation, you’ll receive both immediate strategies to empower you to action NOW and long-term options for taking your health, and your dreams, to the next level. Order here! Use coupon code: DISCOVERY2011 A Great Gift Idea: If you have friends or family who need help with their health, ~Contact.FirstName~, you can arrange a health consultation as a gifts to your loved one! Limited Availability: There are only 10 of these specially priced consultations. They are available on a first come, first serve basis, so don’t delay. *********************************************************************** “Gratitude Weekend” Special #5: Register for the Green Cleanse and Add a Friend for Free! ($97 Value!) Here’s what Special #5 includes: Harness the magic of blended greens to increase your strength, energy, and vitality! What if there was a method of cleansing that was quick, easy, affordable, fun and effective, left you feeling satiated and energized, and could be shared with a group of like-minded people to support you through it? The Energy Recharge Green Cleanse has all the components you need to become more energetic, vibrant, and strong. There are delicious green recipes and menu planners, daily e-mail messages, support calls, a community forum, and countless bonus features to optimize your results. You’ll also receive 3 months of free post-cleanse support in the Eat Green Be Lean Club! This program is the result of hundreds of hours of research, recipe development, and one-on-one coaching. You get a full week of support and continued access to the forum for ongoing community and connection. Register now, and for our “Gratitude Weekend” special, you can invite a friend for free! Order here! *********************************************************************** Reminder: All specials are in effect until Sunday, November 27th, at midnight! Ensuring that your weekend and the holiday is centered around delicious and nutritious food that will leave you feeling energized and appreciative all year long and wishing you love, health, and joy, Dr. Ritamarie

Appreciation Overcomes Fatigue: Dr. Ritamarie’s Gratitude Journal Day 2

Appreciation gives you energy; therefore, it’s a great antidote for chronic fatigue and adrenal exhaustion.

Yesterday, I started an Appreciation Journal, and I plan to continue to  share my appreciations every day  for 30 days.  Who knows, maybe I’ll continue after that.

If you’re looking to experience more energy, health and joy, join me on this appreciation journey and watch magical things unfold.  Comment below with 3 things you appreciate today.

Dr. Ritamarie’s Appreciations for Today – Day 2

1. I appreciate the sunshine and warmth we had today – especially since it’s November!
2. I appreciate the energy my morning green drink gives me!
3. I appreciate my computer because it connects me people around the world!

As I move through my day I like to play the appreciation game.  Every time there’s a change of scenery, I need to find 3 new things to appreciate in the new location.

Try it.

You’ll find yourself walking around brimming with joy!

With Great Love and Appreciation,

Dr. Ritamarie

Go ahead, give yourself an energy boost.  Comment below about what you appreciate today.

The Power of Appreciation to Transform Your Health: Dr. Ritamarie’s Gratitude Journal Day 1

Consistently evoking positive emotion and carrying an attitude of gratitude is right up there with fresh whole food and exercise in importance when it comes to restoring your energy, focus, and fitness. Yet it’s often set aside as a “nice to do when I have time” activity.

According to researchers at the Institute of Heart Math, published in a paper called “The Appreciative Heart: The Psychophysiology of Positive Emotions and Optimal Functioning” by Rollin McCraty and Doc Childre, “Positive emotions have been demonstrated to improve health and increase longevity, increase cognitive flexibility and creativity, facilitate “broad-minded coping” and innovative problem solving, and promote helpfulness, generosity, and effective cooperation.”

Wow.

In recent years, their research has concentrated on studying the effects appreciation has on your heart rhythms and understanding how heart-brain interactions affect your body, mind, and emotions.

And the message is really clear. Positive emotions, especially appreciation, trigger health enhancing changes in your body involving your hormones, enzymes, digestion, detoxification pathways, immune system and cardiovascular system.

And the good news is that you can invest just a minute a day to your “appreciation practice” and still reap the rewards.

So every day for the next 30, I’ll be publicly posting my appreciations for the day.

Join Me for 30 Days of Gratitude!

Try it!

Simply go down below to the comments box and post your appreciations for the day.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the changes in your “energy, vim, and vigor.”

Evoke appreciation before each meal, and you’ll soon find your digestion is humming and your energy is rising.

Dr. Ritamarie’s Appreciations for Today – Day 1

1. My once rebellious teenage son, Eric, now 17, is a joy to be with and is studying for SAT’s and applying to college.
2. My husband, Scott, who cleans up the messy kitchen after my many food experiments and is following along with my B4 Be Gone Program and dropping some stubborn weight.
3. My new to teenager-hood son, Kevin, who hasn’t hit the rebellious “I don’t want to be around you anymore” state, still asks me to cuddle with him at night before he goes to sleep.

It feels really good to write these things rather than just think them.

I feel like my inner radiance has tripled by writing them rather than just thinking them. The emotional state these thought evoke are powerful and invigorating.

Go ahead, give it a try and discover the magic for yourself.  Write your appreciations below.

Gluten Free Diet and Behavior Problems

I spend my days teaching people how to achieve vibrant health, reverse disease, balance their hormones, sharpen their minds  and raise healthy kids on a nutrient dense, whole, unprocessed fresh organic food…preferably gluten-free diet.  I’ve raised my kids on whole foods since birth and as a result they have experienced amazing health and strength.

You can imagine my shock and horror at the news I heard about my younger son,  soon to be 13 years old.

Over the last few weeks we’ve been getting calls and emails from several of his teachers about his behavior.  It seems that he’s been having trouble focusing and has been goofing around with a couple of buddies.  We’ve talked to him, tried to figure out if there’s something upsetting him, blamed puberty and hormones and suspected a gluten exposure.

Yesterday his teacher called again and I asked if she’d seen him eating anything he wasn’t supposed to have, like gluten, dairy or sugar.  She seemed surprised that we kept him away from those foods.  I was surprised that she was surprised because we’d met with the cafeteria and alerted those in charge of his dietary restrictions.

What a shock to get a call from him today saying that his teacher saw him with pizza on his cafeteria tray and told him to throw it away and call home!

In further investigating with the cafeteria, we were informed that he’s been buying chips, cookies and pizza  for over a month…in spite of the fact that we’d had them register his dietary restrictions in their computer program…and they have perfectly acceptable vegan alternatives…beans, brown rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, veggie burgers!

It’s frustrating and embarrassing!

The good news is the time frame during which he’ been eating pizza almost exactly lines up with the time frame for the behavior problems!  Even his older bother has been complaining about his behavior over the last month!

Before we put him on a  gluten free diet, Kevin was what I would call oppositional.  Very defiant.  Hard to get him to sit still and listen to what we needed him to do.  After removing gluten, he became noticeably calmer and more present – more mature.

So now he’s taking the stand “It’s my body.  I can do what I want.”  SO NOW what?

We told him when he’s out on his own and paying his own bills, that’s true, but our money goes towards good healthy foods not junk food pizza!  Plus we need to help him be successful at school and food is a big part of it!

Our older son, now 17, was always such a dream about food…still is…so we never even imagined we’d have a challenge with Kevin!

I guess he’s going to have to be a student in our June “Kids in the Kitchen Class” and meet other kids his age working on a whole foods diet.

I believe we are challenged with what we most need to learn.  Perhaps I am on the verge of breakthrough strategies for motivating kids to eat healthy food.

Sad part about this whole thing is I make the BEST pizza and all the kids I’ve fed it to love it!  Why not my kid?  Hopefully he’s satisfied his curiosity and when he gets back on his regular diet, he’ll notice such a profound difference he’ll be hooked!  A mom can only hope!

We’ve canceled his lunch account and he’ll be bringing his lunch again.  Kids his age hate that, yet it seems the only way.  He lost the privilege.

I’d love to hear stories from other moms  and am also open to advice!!!!  Teach the teacher!

Please comment below.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

Mother’s Day Memories and Wishes

My Mom Mary at age 43

It’s been 20 years since I sent my Mom a card on Mother’s Day.  Of course, I still express my appreciation to her for all she did.  I just wish she was still around in physical form so I could give her a big hug and tell her how much I love her.

If your Mom is still alive, let her know how much you love her and appreciate her.  Give her a hug if you can.   Enjoy her while she’s here.  Don’t leave things unspoken, as you never know if this conversation will be the last.

The last time my Mom and I spoke was on Easter 1991.  It was late and we ended the conversation so we could go to sleep.  My Mom was sharing some childhood experiences and ended with, “There’s so much more to tell you, stories you’ve never heard.  We’ll get all caught up in June when you come to visit.”  I had been planning a 2 week stay after my graduation from chiropractic school.  I never got to hear those stories.  She died just a few days later.

I know in my heart that my Mom’s premature death was preventable. She was only 56!  Sometimes I blame myself, for not finding the right words to convince her to quit smoking and adopt a plant strong diet with lots of raw foods. I told her many times, and often I wasn’t as patient or kind about it as I could have been.  I just so wanted for her to change.  I gave her books to read…the ones written by MDs because they were “real doctors”  in her eyes…to no avail.

I copied articles from medical journals.  I even gave her a bottle of Vitamin C to go with the article that said that each cigarette depleted 100 mg of Vitamin C and asked her to at least take Vitamin C with her cigarettes.  My message fell on deaf ears.  When I found the unopened bottle of vitamins on her night stand and asked her why she wasn’t taking them, she told me she was scared that maybe they would have some kind of side effects.  Yet she smoked cigarettes, knowing the effects!

I graduated and started my practice just a couple of months after my Mom’s death, committed to saving other people’s Moms from my Mom’s fate.  I’ve dedicated my life to educating as many people as I possibly can about the dangers of processed food, smoking and other common unhealthy habits.

The war on cancer is far from being won.  Heart disease and diabetes take a  huge  toll.

At my son Kevin’s baseball game the other day, I watched as small children bought candy and chips from the concession stand, not knowing what danger lurked inside the pretty wrappers.  Parents give this stuff to their kids, thinking it’s safe.    It’s sad to watch these young ones creating the perfect environment for disease.   And the food they eat at home is not much better.  Most kids eat fewer vegetables in a month than I do in a day.

I miss my Mom, and in doing so, I strengthen my commitment to make a difference.  Education is foundational.

Changes are happening.   While we still have a long way to go, as a society, we have so much more awareness today of the diet–disease connection than we did when I first started on this path 26 years ago.  One step, one bite at a time, we can change the health of the world.  It starts with your commitment and dedication to yourself and your family and spreads from there.

If you’re a Mom, I wish you a joyful, healthy day.   Avoid the temptation to eat chocolate and unhealthy “treats” in celebration.  I’ve already put in my request for breakfast in bed!  On the menu is a green smoothie, fresh coconut water and a tropical fruit platter with fresh coconut, mango, pineapple and papaya.

Also on the agenda for the day are a run and a swim, and some relaxing time by the pool with a good book.   My favorite way to celebrate special days is with extra special self care.

Treat the Mom’s in your life to some good food, relaxation and lots of appreciation.

If my Mom was here to celebrate I’d treat her to one of the recipes in my book “Dessert:  Making it Rich Without Oil.”  I might try to somehow gift it to her anonymously, so she wouldn’t realize it was good for her until after she enjoyed it.  Then I would let her know.

With love and appreciation to all the Moms. May you seek health and in doing so, find the joy and fulfillment that vibrant health brings forth.

Love, Health and Happy Mother’s Day!

Dr. Ritamarie

P.S.  Post a comment and let me know 2 things:  Do you see the resemblance between my Mom and I?  What are you doing  to honor your Mom for Mother’s Day?