I’m super excited.  The holiday DVD we’ve been working on for the past month is just about ready to ship.  The other half of the we I am referring to is my good friend Cheryl Hill of Vegan Wellness and the Cheryl Hill Band.  Cheryl likes to be called a “rawk ‘n roll” star.  She is a talented musician, a certified natural Health counselor through the Institute of Integrative Wellness in NY, and a dedicated raw food enthusiast.  She had this idea for a DVD, and we worked together to make it happen.

Actually, she’s done more work than I.  She’s done all the filming and editing.  All I had to do is what comes naturally to me…talk to you about health and make deliciously decadent healthy foods.   Oh yeah, and I get the job of sharing about it to the world. Some people might call it marketing.  I think of it as sharing an abundance of knowledge and experience that I’ve accumulated over the past 23 years and making sure that I get the message out to the world.  My vision is for a healthy, happy and peaceful world.  It starts with you and me.  The healthier we are, the happier we are and the more peaceful are our interactions with the rest of the world.

It’s hard to be happy when you’re overindulging.  In fact, usually the over-indulging comes from a desire for happiness that seems to be satiable only by the pleasure of food.  Unfortunately, if you’re anything like me, the pleasure of over-indulgence is only temporary.  It’s soon replaced by the same emptiness, sadness or dissatisfaction that triggered it in the first place.  And the original negative emotions are joined by new feelings, triggered by the over-indulgence.  These may be shame, guilt, physical discomfort, mental fogginess, fatigue and even more depression.

I am happy to share that it doesn’t have to be that way.  I want this message to reach far and wide.  It DOESN’T Have To BE That Way! Take a sneak preview of Indulge Without the Bulge

The strategies we share in the DVD Indulge Without the Bulge are timeless.  Even thought they are especially applicable during the holiday season, because of the increased emphasis on food as a social and emotional event, the strategies can be used throughout the year to help you stay committed to your deepest desires for yourself.  They can be used to help you stay committed to self nurturing throughout the seasons.

I’ll be talking about the strategies this week, as a guest on Mike Snyder’s teleseminar.  Find out more at http://www.therawdiet.com/DrRita.html

This DVD Indulge Without the Bulge would make a great gift for friends and family.  The ingredients used in the recipes are all fresh, living foods.  The great news is that you don’t need to be a raw foodist or vegan to appreciate these dishes.  They are delicious and will “fool” most people.  My son’s 14 year old friend — typical American teenager — thought the pumpkin pie was the best he’d ever tried.

Learn more about the DVD at http://www.holidaythrival.com/class

Learn more about the Thanksgiving Feast e-book at http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com/Thanksgiving

The DVD comes with a mini recipe book, including all the recipes we share and the details of the 7 strategies.  The DVD and Thanksgiving Book are available as a package, too.

Sign up for the teleseminar later this week at: http://www.therawdiet.com/DrRita.html

I wish you happiness, health, and deep connection with loved ones this holiday season.

Love and Health,

Dr. Ritamarie

http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com

http://www.IndulgeWithoutBulge.com

http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com/Thanksgiving

If you’ve read my articles before, you know that I’m not a fan of sugar. I’ve talked at length about it’s role in cancer, heart disease, infectious illness, diabetes and many other serious illnesses. While I’m appalled at how much sugar is in the foods that line the grocer’s shelves, tempting unsuspecting consumers with their beautiful trappings, what bothers me the most is the fact that sugar is added to dishes in vegetarian and natural foods restaurants, it sneaks into everything from cucumber salad to bread in many health food stores, and it appears in recipes in so-called health books.

What gives? Aren’t the dangers of sugar well known already? Why do people continue to eat the white powder that’s almost as addicting as cocaine and costs us billions of dollars in doctor and hospital bills?

I listened to a very informative recording called “The Truth about Sugar” by Dr. Tel Oren (http://www.thetruthaboutyourfood.com/ ). This is one in a series of talks.

I’ll be listening and writing as the week goes on. One very important point he made about sugar is that I don’t think is common knowledge is that when you eat aspartame, or other non caloric sweeteners, it triggers an insulin response which can cause food cravings and a hypoglycemic rebound.

He also had some interesting comments about agave as an alternative sweetener…and it wasn’t favorable. I adjusted the 3 recipes in my Thanksgiving Feast e-book to make agave optional and use dates as an alternative. I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow.

Love and Health,

Dr. Ritamarie

www.FreshnFunLiving.com/Thanksgiving

I’ve been having so much fun working on my holiday book collection. Those who
know me well know that my 3 favorite things to do related to my work are
researching, writing and connecting.

By connecting I mean sharing my skills and knowledge with others in a way
that’s up front and personal. I love to teach classes, coach individuals and
lead small groups. I also love to create in the kitchen. It’s so much fun to
take seemingly simple fresh, whole ingredients and transform them into mouth
watering treats.

I’ve had lots of fun this past month playing with holiday recipes as I did final masterful tweaks to perfect the recipes for my books. The pumpkin pie has been the big hit. I did a few minor changes to the recipe and it’s divine.

I made the pumpkin pie a couple of weeks ago for a DVD demonstration and offered some to my son’s 14 year old friend. He said it was the best pumpkin pie he’s ever
eaten.

I offered some to my finicky 10 year old and he asked me to make it again for
Halloween.

I brought it to a raw foods potluck and I practically got knocked to the
ground by people swarming for the recipe.

I’ve offered some to everyone who’s come into my home and the vote is
unanimous. How can a gluten free, dairy free, low glycemic, raw pumpkin pie
taste so good? If you want to find out for yourself, you’ll just have to buy my
book “Fresh ‘n Fun Thanksgiving Feast” and the DVD “Indulge Without the Bulge”.

As I watch the downward health spiral each year, beginning with Halloween and
ending on New Year’s Day, I can’t help but wonder what the world would be like
if everyone ate from my recipe books instead of in the usual immune system
depleting ways. It would sure put a lot of doctors, hospitals and fast food
restaurants out of business.

Wake up, I’m dreaming again. Well, at least I sleep well at night, knowing that I’m part of the solution rather than part of the problem. You can be too, by sharing with all your friends how delicious healthy Thanksgiving foods can be.

Love and Health to you,

Dr. Ritamarie

www.FreshnFunLiving.com

The night is drawing to a close. The trick or treaters are at home, getting ready to settle down to sleep.

Kevin, my 10 year old son, went trick or treating and came home with a big pillow case filled with candy. We went through it all, and threw all of it into the trash except for 3 pieces. He wanted to taste 3 pieces. He chose sour hard candies.

He opened each one, put it into his mouth until he started to taste it, was hit with a burst of sour and then he spit it out. He did the same thing 3 times.

Afterwards he finished his broccoli left over from dinner, ate a chocolate spider and drank a few sips of izzy, a sparkling juice beverage that was one of his special treats.

I had made monster cakes with raw chocolate frosting, but he was too full. I had also made pumpkin pie but it will wait until tomorrow. The blood punch (Pomegranate juice) will wait too. Fully nourished kids eat until they are full and stop. If they hadn’t had a hearty nutrient dense dinner, overindulging in candy would have been easy to do.

We then picked up big brother Eric at his girlfriend’s house, and came back home. I gave them each their Halloween treats. Kevin got a bag full of healthy fruit and nut bars, some of them chocolate, a bag of dried mangoes, maple coated pecans, a stick of real sugar cane and 2 $5 bills. He was happy.

I feel so lucky that my kids were raised from birth without sugar and processed food. It makes Halloween a much easier holiday to deal with. And I can sleep soundly, knowing that their immune systems are still on guard, protecting them from harm.

I was hoping to get my Healthy Halloween Treats book out to more people.  Mainstream America may not yet be ready for a healthy Halloween, but those of us who are will sleep well tonight, knowing our kids are safe and protected.  Maybe next year.  Or maybe I should market it to people with sick kids over the next few weeks, with the promise of changing all of that next year.

The pumpkin pie is calling to me.

Love and Health,

Dr. Ritamarie

http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com

http://www.HolidayThrival.com

A recent comment to my blog post “Whole Foods is Promoting Junk Halloween Treats” http://drritamarie.com/blog/2008/10/31/whole-foods-is-promoting-junkhalloween-treats/#comment-27 prompted me to clarify my stand on the Whole Foods  and sugar issue.  I shop at WF all the time, and they do carry lots of quality foods, especially at the raw bar downtown.  It’s the most convenient place to get organic produce,  and while I’d prefer to go to the Farmer’s market for all my food, it is not an option.  However, to clarify, the sugar they use is not necessarily organic, and certainily no better than any other sugar.  The sugar in the cookies today was not organic.  Neither was the flour.  It was unbleached, but still refined, meaning NO NUTRITION.

What I object to is that they sell these products to unsuspecting consumers who believe that they are healthy BECAUSE they are at Whole Foods.  They may be new to the health front, and have no experience reading labels.  They TRUST Whole Foods to bring them only health supporting foods.

I’ve known for years that these products were there.  The bakery at whole foods is almost all refined flour products.  I think there may be one bread that is 100% whole grain.  I’m not sure what prompted me to speak up today, but a voice inside said “enough already.”

Someone commented that if Whole Foods took a stand and stopped carrying products with sugar in them that they’d lose customers.  While I find this hard to believe, it could very well be true.  I’m not asking that they stop carrying them.  If they want to satisfy a small segment of the population that expects to be able to buy sugar and refined flour at whole foods, it’s fine for them to carry these products, as long as they are labeled as such.  Perhaps a “transitional foods” aisle, with a disclaimer “These foods contain ingredients that have been shown to have health risks associated with them.   Please read the labels and make an informed choice”

I’m tired of watching people be deceived at the expense of their health.  The Halloween products were not just sitting on a shelf, they were being actively promoted to people who may not have even noticed them had the display not been there.

Maybe I’m naive, but I believe that if enough of us take a stand and let our voices be heard, we can facilitate change.  Thanks for listening to my rants.

If you’d like to be notified whenever I post to the blog, please subscribe by using the links in the far right column.

Love and helath,

Dr. Ritamarie

Learn to make healthier Halloween choices:  http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com/Halloween

Transform your health with the magic of green foods.  Get my FREE ebook at http://www.GreenFoodMagic.com

Whole Foods halloween Madness

I just got back from Whole Foods and I’m fired up.  There was a lady at a display right at the front of the store with plates of pretty Halloween cookies on display.  She was offering samples.  As I walked past, she offered me one.  Normally I just say no thanks and walk on, but I was compelled to stop and read the ingredients.  After all, I’ve spent the better part of this week writing and talking to people to educate them about the dangers of the Halloween treats that are being pushed on us this week.

White flour, sugar, butter, eggs and other colors and flavorings were being pushed by a health food store called Whole Foods.  Whole foods …let’s see.  Last time I read the definition of whole foods there was something about nutrients intact, as nature created the food.  These treats are total junk.  Yet, the unsuspecting consumer, shopping at whole foods and paying the higher prices, is expecting to get value and health PROMOTING food.  Most of them don’t read the labels.  They just assume that the product is healthy because Whole Foods is selling it.  WRONG!

I explained to the pleasant looking woman offering the samples that I was disappointed that Whole Foods would be promoting such food.  I read the ingredients to her and explained that this was not good for people and that Whole Foods should not promote foods that contribute to the demise of the immune systems of all who consume it.  She just stood there and nodded her head and smiled at me.  It was infuriating.  She didn’t even engage me in the least.  No…”Wow, I didn’t realize”, or even “Well, at least there’s no hydrogenated oil in them”.  She just stood there patronizingly smiling and nodding her head.  She didn’t want to hear a word I said.

I checked out and paid for my groceries, and a little voice in my head told me to go to customer service and let my opinion be known.  The pleasant customer service representative paged a manager to speak with me.

The manager was a youngish, long haired, very nice looking gentleman, and I thought that I’d have a sympathetic ear.  He listened and told me that all the ingredients met the store’s standards.  We got into a discussion about those standards, and I explained my concern for the health of our kids.  I explained to him that a Nobel Prize was awarded to Otto Warburg linking sugar to cancer. http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/nutrition/sugar.htm .  I talked to him about the immune system, and how sugar and white flour contribute to heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, colds, ear infections, ADD and autism.  I explained to him that I could probably talk about the dangers of eating those cookies for 3 hours and not be complete.

He explained that there was nothing he could do, and besides, there are no clear cut nutrition guidelines that all agree on.  He explained that they want to give people choices.  I managed to get him to give me the name of someone higher up in the organization to speak with about my concern.

Let’s do a grass roots effort and let Whole Foods know how we feel.  Call Margaret Wittenberg at 512 477-5566 and tell her how you feel about white flour sugary cookies being sold as healthy Halloween alternatives.  You can also mention the gummy drops they sell, in which the first ingredient is corn syrup.   Stop by your local store and ask them why they are selling immune system enemies masquerading as pretty, healthy Halloween treats.

Inform yourself.  Come up with alternatives for yourself and your families.  In my book, Healthy Halloween Treats I have lots of recipes that are quick and easy to make and taste great.  I also have a list of sources of packaged treats that support health rather than destroy it.

Make your voices known.  I don’t know about you, but to me the incidence of childhood cancer, immune system diseases and brain dysfunction amongst kids these days is alarming.  It’s all preventable.  Let’s do something today.  Offer your kids and yourself healthy Halloween treats and learn Halloween recipes that support vibrant health.

Please let me know your thoughts.  Let’s get a discussion going around this issue.

Love and Health,

Dr. Ritamarie

www.FreshnFunLiving.com/Halloween

It’s only 2 days away.  The media is hyping it.  The stores have several aisles devoted to displaying the colorfully disguised immune system bullets masquerading as Halloween treats.

Do you have any idea what happens to your immune system when you eat candy?

Sugar suppresses the immune system.  A suppressed immune system is ineffective at killing bacteria and viruses that can potentially harm you.  A suppressed immune system can’t stop the growth of cancer cells.  The equivalent of one 12-ounce can of soda can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by forty percent and the effect lasts for five hours.

Here’s what’s about to happen in just a couple of days.  Kids across America will don scary costumes and walk the neighborhood begging for candy.  It doesn’t sound so cute when stated that way, does it?  They walk door to door and threaten a trick if the nice person inside doesn’t give them candy.  Have you ever wondered where this odd custom derives from?

By the time they make it home, most kids have eaten more candy than in the 12 ounce coke I mentioned above.  Then they come home, go through their loot and eat some more, along with some hot chocolate or soft drinks.

No wonder why Halloween heralds in the “cold and flu” season.  Illness rises, doctor visits soar and focus plummets during the weeks after Halloween.

There are some awesome visuals that go into more detail about the immune system at www.leavesoflife.org/media/ImmuneSystem.ppt

Here are 3 simple strategies for avoiding the health destroying effects of Halloween treats

1) Don’t give out candy.  Instead, go to the dollar store or the party supply store and buy small toys, cute pencils or scary erasers.  One of my patients said she loves to give away books.

2) Create new fun rituals that don’t revolve around candy.  Learn about the meaning behind Halloween, and take time to honor and celebrate your departed ancestors.  Play games, tell scary stories and take some of the focus off the candy.  Have your kids trade in their candy for prizes.

3) Learn to make or find sources of ready made healthy, whole food treats. There are many such recipes in my new book  “Healthy Halloween Treats: Quick, Healthy and Delicious Recipes and Rituals to Delight Kids of All Ages” .  There is also a list of online sources of a variety of nourishing and delicious treats.

Why not have fun this Halloween, without destroying your immune system?  How much is it worth to you to protect your health and the health of your loved ones?  Is the pleasure of a few seconds on the tongue worth having your immune system paralyzed for hours and days afterward?

Happy Halloween.

If you’re the type of person who has no problem sticking to new behaviors, like diet changes, exercise and meditation when you set your mind to it, despite temptations, then congratulations.  You are certainly not in the majority.  If this describes you, then skip reading this post.  Or, better yet, forward a link to those people in your life who struggle with sustaining healthy changes, despite the pain and suffering it may be causing them.

The fact of the matter is, most people struggle when they make a decision to get healthier, and begin to make changes in that direction.  Emotional eating patterns, favorite food temptations, and social and family pressures are amongst the biggest issues that cause you to deviate from your chosen path, despite your desire to stay on track.

A big part of creating vibrant health is really getting to know who you are and what you want. All too often you start a rigorous health revitalization program, only to fall on your face when temptations take over. A successful health regime needs to start with being and connecting, not doing.

I’m hosting a teleseminar to allow us to explore together what you really want for yourself and what you value the most. This teleseminar “Setting Your Goals, Connecting to your Vision” is a powerful, interactive session intended to supercharge your health and immunity by reconnecting you to the powerful healer within who knows what to do to be healthy.

To sign-up for the teleseminar, download your handout and receive a copy of the recording, please go to

http://www.drritamarie.com/SettingGoalsTeleconference.htm

Turn your have-to’s into love-to’s and consistently make the choices that joyfully create vibrant health.

Love and Health,

Dr. Ritamarie

http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com
http://www.EatYourWayOutofPain.com
http:// www.HolidayThrival.com
http:// www.GreenSmoothieCleanse.com
http://www.GreenFoodMagic.com

E-Mail:  DrRitamarie@DrRitamarie.com

With the holidays just around the corner, seems like those tough choices will be in front of you too. Do you indulge and enjoy the pleasures of holiday eating, and pay the price with the expanding waistline, energy drop and “unwell” feelings, or do you deprive yourself of the pleasure, and enjoy the long term health benefits? Well, what if you indulge and enjoy the pleasures of holiday eating AND long term health benefits?

Watch the video and find out how you can learn to do both!

I read an article today about a man in Medford Oregon who lost almost 200 pounds, overcame type-2 diabetes, and climbed California’s Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 U.S. states.  He now claims to enjoy the best health of his life.  How did he do it?   He changed his diet to a raw-food diet that includes copious quantities of green smoothies. Click here to read the entire article.

About a month ago, a new DVD was released called Raw for 30 Days.  It’s a documentary following a group of type 2 diabetics on a raw foods program, including an abundance of greens,  with Dr. Gabriel Cousins at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona.  The people who finished the program had amazing results.  One of the men, a long time diabetic, completely reversed his condition and went on to enroll in naturopathic school so he could help others on their road to health.

A few days ago, I went back to eating solid foods after a week of drinking only green smoothies.  I was joined by at least 50 others who spent last week drinking their greens and experiencing a wide range of health benefits including weight loss, allergy relief, reduction in joint pain, normalization of blood sugar, elimination of depression, mental clarity and abundant energy.

Sounds like snake oil, doesn’t it.  It’s not magic, or placebo or even secret properties of rare and exotic herbs that produce  these amazing results so quickly.  It is the power of green foods, many of them wild and free, often classified as weeds, that produce these miraculous changes.

When you blend the green foods that are too often left as garnish, and mix them with delicious fruits, herbs, and spices, you create a tasty and powerful beverage that can transform your life.  When you remove the foods that drain your health and replace them with foods that fully nourish every cell in your body, miracles can start to happen.

I’ve seen it over and over.  Every two months I lead a group of 50 or so busy people through a 7 day green smoothie cleanse.   During our week together, we each follow our own path and choose the plan that works for us as individuals.  Some of us choose the most rigorous option and replace all of our meals with green smoothies.  Others replace one or two meals a day with green smoothies and eat a high quality diet composed of raw fruits and vegetables.  Still others choose to get their feet wet and replace one or two meals with green smoothies and focus on eating a mostly a whole foods, green vegetable rich diet.

One of the participants last week lost 12 pounds, her allergies cleared and aches and pains that had been plaguing her for months were dramatically reduced.  A participant on one of the previous cleanses reduced his blood sugars by 100 points in just 3 days.  A fibromyalgia sufferer experienced the joy of pain free movement for the first time in years.

I personally know people who have gone off antidepressants and antihistamines after a month of raw foods and greens.  I  know others who have recovered from cancer.

If I were talking about a prescription drug that claimed all the results I’ve seen with whole, fresh foods and green smoothies,  people would be knocking down doors for it.

If this diet is so powerful, why aren’t more people doing it? It’s a question worth exploring and I’ll be doing just that over the next few blog posts, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, learn more about the miracles of green food at www.GreenFoodMagic.com

In this time of political unrest and economic stress, the best gift you can give yourself is health insurance of the most effective and economical sort…taking charge of your health through conscious diet and lifestyle choices and periodic cleansing to counteract the toxic effects of your stressful lifestyle.  Mental clarity, energy and focus will help see you through even the most difficult of times.