Halloween Hazards and Healthy Halloween Treats

Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on October 30, 2009 – -

halloween Halloween Hazards and Healthy Halloween Treats

Halloween is a fun holiday, especially for kids. My teenage son, Eric has been to several haunted houses with his friends and spent hours at a costume store, picking out just the right mask.

My preteen son, Kevin, loves trick or treating and eagerly anticipates what’s going to be in his goodie bag…the one I’ll trade him for the candy he collects.

Even though we don’t eat candy, and we end up throwing away all the candy collected at Hal loween, the kids still have a blast!

We have our own rituals and festivities after the trick or treating is over. Trick or treating is a social event. They used to just collect money for UNICEF, but after a while they got tired of telling the well-meaning adults “No thanks” on the candy and started coming home with bags full. At first they thought they could just give it to their friends. Then they realized that they liked their friends too much to add to the already too large a strain on their immune systems and decided it best to throw it away. Wasteful??? Not hardly. Every piece we throw away is one less that some one eats and that saves them hours of a depressed immune system.

You see, sugar depresses the immune system. It’s been measured to decrease the activity of the T-cells, the “protector cells” by as much as 50% for 4 hours after just 2 teaspoons of sugar. Your typical soft drink contains 8 teaspoons.

With all the fear of the flu going around these days, isn’t it nice to know that there is an easy way to support your immune system and protect yourself and your kids from the flu? Supporting their immune system naturally is far more effective than any flu vaccine….and much safer. I held a special “emergency” immune system support and flu prevention teleclass at the beginning of the month. The recordings are available at http://drritamarie.com/FluProtection-TeleClass-SignUp.php

A Nobel prize winning researcher named Otto Warberger showed the connection between sugar and cancer back in the 1930′s! Sugar’s adverse effects can be seen throughout your body. Here’s a passage abut sugar from my new book, Healthy Halloween Treats

“Sugar can also impair the structure of DNA, cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children, weaken eyesight, contribute to eczema, interfere with the absorption of protein, decrease the activity of your T cells, which contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection, contribute to Candida (yeast) infections and contribute to osteoporosis. “

There are more little known facts about sugar in Healthy Halloween Treats, as well as healthier alternatives to the candy and cupcakes and other harmful foods that are usually associated with Halloween.

Junk food doesn’t just promote tooth decay and hyperactivity. It is life-threatening!! Here are some statistics from Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a “radical” medical doctor who treats his patients with broccoli and other fresh fruits and vegetables.

“The CDC estimates that 1/3 of children born in 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime, and that children born in 2000 candy corn Halloween Hazards and Healthy Halloween Treats may not outlive their parents. Overweight/obesity rates have doubled among children and tripled among adolescents in the past 20 years. Obesity in children increases their risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, joint problems, sleep apnea, early puberty, and several cancers. Signs of atherosclerosis can be seen in early childhood. Most adult cancers are linked to poor childhood nutrition. Sugar contributes to violence. 69% of the 10 year olds who were violent at the age of 34 had eaten sweets and chocolate nearly every day during childhood, compared to 42% who were non-violent.”

As a parent or an adult responsible for the nutrition of a child, you have the responsibility to educate yourself. Allowing your children to indulge in junk food sets them up for childhood illnesses, cancers, and poor quality life. As parents, you must take control of your children’s health! You must set a good example and protect them from the dangers of indulging in the Halloween sweets and treats that are harming them.

For more information on the health risks the modern western diet imposes on kids, read Dr. Fuhrman’s book Disease Proof Your Child

It’s sad how much misinformation abounds. The American Academy of Family Physicians is clueless about counseling parents about healthy diet for kids. They just announced a corporate sponsorship with Coca-Cola to develop their consumer education content on to beverages and sweeteners for their health and wellness web site, FamilyDoctor.org. Coca-Cola is certainly not going to include the information about how dangerous soft drinks are, will they? How can you trust your family physician if their association is getting its nutrition education from CocaCola? According to Dr. Fuhrman, on his blog , Disease Proof, the American Dietetic Association also accepts money from Coca-Cola, as well as from PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Mars and the National Dairy Council.

I know it’s hard to say no to your favorite holiday goodies. Yet you owe it to yourself and your family to learn the cold hard facts and act on them. In Healthy Halloween Treats I give you all you need to maintain the joy and playfulness of the holiday and keep it nutritious and safe at the same time. Try some banana ghosts, chocolate covered apples, chocolate spiders or swampsicles. Your kids will love it and they’ll thank you when they realize later how much pain and suffering you saved them by making healthy choices for them.

Happy Halloween.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

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Dr. Ritamarie’s High Omega Parmesian “Cheese”

Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on August 3, 2009 – -

I made this recipe up the other day and it was a hit. It’s a raw parmesian cheese alternative that’s loaded with omega 3 goodness, green food magic and immune system support.

Omega Rich Parmesian

1/2 c hemp seed
1/4 cup ground chia seed
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 Tablespoon kelp granules
1/2 – 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, for a more “cheesey” flavor
4 Tablespoons dried nettles

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Adjust salt and garlic to taste. Store in a glass jar. Use as a topping on salads, soups and “pasta” dishes. It’s yummy and very nutritious

Please comment below and let me know what you think. What”s your favorite way to get your omega 3 fats?

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Tags: Gluten Free Diet, Living Foods, livingfoods, raw and living foods holiday recipes, Raw Foods, raw foods diet, raw foods recipes, vegan foods, whole foods, whole foods halloween
Posted in Articles, Gluten Free Diet, Gluten Free recipes, Living Foods, Omega 3 Fats, Raw Foods, Raw and Living Foods | 3 Comments »

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Raw and Living Foods For Vibrant Health and Maximum Energy Guests Annmarie and Kevin Gianni

Written by Ritamarie Loscalzo on February 26, 2009 – -

I’m in the process of leading a group of 14 women through a 90 day program to help them overcome chronic fatigue and create vibrant energy to empower them to live the life of their dreams in the body of their dreams.

To say that I am passionate about working with women who’ve been held back by chronic fatigue would be an understatement.

I become discouraged as I watch women be told that there’s nothing they can do about adrenal fatigue and chronic exhaustion. You may have been lead to believe that you must learn to live with it, pace yourself, take drugs to help you sleep and drink caffeine to wake you up.

The truth is there is another way.

Learn to truly nourish yourself from the inside out. Choosing plenty of fresh, whole and green, living plant foods provides your body with an abundance of nutrients to protect you from the stresses of modern life.

Taking pause and refresh breaks, breathing deeply and avoiding energy zapping foods is majorly important in recharging your battery.

Cleansing and detoxification, fresh foods, positive attitude and nurturing relationships, combined with balancing hormones, optimizing digestion and optimizing your immune system are cornerstones of my counseling and coaching practice.

I’m thrilled and excited to welcome a very special couple to Austin. They have been spreading the message of vibrant health through self care for several years, and have done a wonderful job of bringing together experts in the field of nutrition and fitness. Now they are traveling the nation in a vegetable powered RV by the name of Kale Whale, spreading the word of the healing powers of fresh whole, green and alive plant foods.

On March 18, 2009, Kevin and Annmarie Gianni of Renegade Health will be making a special guest appearance in Austin for a raw potluck and a presentation.

Kevin and Ann Marie have been spreading the word of health through green living foods and self care to tens of thousands of people via their daily video blog and expert interviews.

Please join me in welcoming Kevin and Annmarie to Austin and hear all about their exciting cross country journey.

To sign-up, and learn about the healing power of raw and living foods, share a meal and be inspired by Kevin and Annmarie, go to www.drritamarie.com/meetup

I’m looking forward to seeing you there.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com

“Creating Vibrant Health One Bite at a Time”

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