Dr. Ritamarie's Fresh'n Fun Living Blog

Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly!

DrRitamarie — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 05:14:29 +0000

The clock is ticking. Spring will be here before we know it. We’ve already “sprung” our clocks ahead. Soon it will be June and my first son will graduate from high school.How in the world did that happen?I feels like it was just yesterday when he first learned to crawl and spent almost an hour trying to climb up a step we had between the kitchen and the living room. Scott and I sat and watched, mesmerized by the determination and relentlessness in this tiny being, barely seven months old.He was so determined to succeed and succeed he did, in spite of fall after fall, over and over again. Of course we lavished him with praise and he beamed with pride and delight.A few months later he was walking, then running. Now he’s flying the coop and going away to college in August.

Working Your Way Up

I liken Eric’s progression to what we as adults go through when we take on new lifestyle habits, begin a new business, or take up a new art form.

The crawling stage seems endless as we make small strides, slowly. The problem with adults and lifestyle habits is, too often, you’re not as relentless as Eric was. After a few falls, you are tempted to give up rather than continue on towards your goals.

The big difference between Eric and many people I counsel about health issues is most people don’t even have a clear goal like little Eric did. He was clear about his goal and he kept going until he reached it. If you don’t have a clear goal, it’s hard to be relentless in its pursuit.

It’s similar to my experience with the pottery class I began in January, attempting to “pick up where I left off” when I quit 7 years ago because I had a traveling husband, homeschooling kids, and a small health practice to run.

I am happy to be back, and find I’m back at the crawling stage because I didn’t keep up with the skill set.

If you’re just starting out with healthy eating habits, an exercise program, a meditation/stress management regime, or getting back into one of these after a hiatus, remember the stages. It’s impossible to run before you can walk!

Do You Have Someone Who Uplifts You?

The other thing that was reinforced with my pottery class was the fact that having a mentor is soooooo important.

Back in 2006, about a year and a half after I quit pottery classes because my husband started traveling again and I just couldn’t fit the classes into the schedule, my husband surprised me with a pottery wheel and kiln, a special gift for my 50th birthday.

I was all excited to get started.

By then, I’d forgotten some of the basic techniques, so I purchased a set of DVDs and sat down at the wheel to throw.

It was really hard and really frustrating, fumbling about with no one to turn to for guidance. I did it a couple of times, made a few awful pots, and never even fired them. The wheel and the kiln have been gathering dust since.

Once I started taking pottery classes in January, I realized how much I rely on asking for guidance, getting help with the same technique over and over, and being encouraged and supported.

It really is the same with health habits. SO many people I speak to have more than a few exercise videos still in the shrink wrap, or a food dehydrator they’ve used once, or all sorts of super foods still in their original bags, unopened because they are just not sure how to use them.

Whether You’re Struggling With Crawling or Flying, I Can Help!

Knowing that it’s human nature to need help with change, that’s exactly why I create my programs the way I do. While some people have the budget to get my assistance one on one when they’re ready to finally get their health in order, many don’t.

SO I’ve developed group coaching programs, my most popular being the Energy Recharge Green Cleanse and the B4 Be Gone System for balancing blood sugar and getting rid of belly fat, brain fog and burnout.

With the right support, the “shrink wrap” finally gets removed and people get into action. And I’m there to answer questions and provide encouragement and support.

It’s so rewarding when I hear how much these programs have changed lives. Many have: shed upwards of 60 pounds of unwanted fat, dropped 8 clothing sizes, let go of 9 inches round the waist, eliminated or reduced the need for medication, been freed of joint pain, finally got their brain back to focus, and so much more.

Because I have lost so many loved ones and watched them suffer, I have made it my mission to offer the education and support that people around the world need to avoid this fate.

The Moment That Inspired Me to Change and to Act

Last fall I was at a seminar and the host decided to raise money for a charity that supported children who’d lost a parent to cancer. I was deeply moved to action. My thought was how about instead we focus on educating people on how to avoid cancer in the first place?

Do you believe there are associations raising money for cancer by selling candy?

I am on a mission to raise consciousness and every person who goes though one of my programs can help me on that mission. By embracing a healthy diet and lifestyle and getting yourself strong and healthy, you too can spread the message of health and be an instrument of healing.

Are You Ready to Fly?

My group program, B4 Be Gone System, guides hundreds of people at a time to balancing blood sugar and getting rid of belly fat, brain fog and burnout. B4 Be Gone is so much more than a weight reduction program, although those that have extra weight gladly shed it.

It’s about making the changes on the inside that reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

It’s about seeing results on the outside that give you the confidence and mental clarity to be effective in your life’s chosen endeavor, be it Mom or CEO.

For details about B4 Be Gone, go to:

http://www.B4BeGoneSystem.com

Insulin Resistance Solution
Practitioner Training

If you happen to be a nutrition or health coach, holistic practitioner or functional medicine doctor and you’d like to get the behind the scenes on how to run a successful program to reverse insulin resistance and balance blood sugar, one on one or in small groups, check out my new Insulin Resistance Solution Practitioner Training. It includes registration in B4 Be Gone and parallels it with “Rounds with Dr Ritamarie calls”, a community forum,worksheets and assessments and a grand finale powerful all day Saturday virtual retreat.

For details go to http://www.drritamarie.com/programs/irspt/

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

Dr. Ritamarie’s Sleep Commitment Blog Day 5

Ritamarie Loscalzo — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 01:05:22 +0000

I am back after a couple of days hiatus. I got back into the rat race, stayed up until 4AM an was too embarrassed and tired to write.

I am back on track tonight. It’s jusrt about midnight.

I did eat after 8 as I hadn’t eaten much all day as I went from all to call. So after my B4 Be Gone group coaching call ended at 9, I ate some stuffed peppers and tomatoes. It was a simple meal, quick and easy and very yummy and filling.

There’s an exact recipe in the B4 Be Gone recipe guide, but in general, cut a red bell pepper in half. Fill with baby arugula or other greens, sprouts, sauerkraut and cashew macadamia nut “cheese”, It’s the same for tomatoes, only you slice them and layer the ingredients on top. Sprinkle with kelp powder for a power meal.

I am off to bed now. Changing this habit is the hardest one ever for me. Giving up gluten and ice cream was easy by comparison.

In my article Crawl, Walk, Run Fly, I explain the progression. I am willing to give myself the space to conquer this in baby steps.

Dr. Ritamarie’s Appreciations for Today

I appreciate the amazing group that’s connecting for B4 Be Gone
I appreciate my brain. Yes, I mean it. It is quick to grasp things and figures things out.
I appreciate my appreciation practice, which helped me stay cool calm and collected while my technology failed me during the B4 Be Gone Kickoff call.

My Sleep Commitments for Tomorrow

In bed, lights out by midnight
No food after 8 PM

What Sleep Commitment are you ready to make?

Write your comments below

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

Hormone Balance and Appetite, Metabolism and Blood Sugar Regulation

Ritamarie Loscalzo — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:26:27 +0000

When I say hormone balance, you, like most people , probably start thinking about menopause, PMS, loss of libido and other female issues. Yet there is so much more, and often these “female hormone” imbalances are caused by imbalances in what I call the “survival hormones”.

I never really thought of myself as a hormone specialist because I don’t concentrate on female issues. Sure I see my fair share of menopausal women and help them balance their hormones.

I specialize in helping people restore their energy, overcome fatigue and thyroid imbalance get their blood sugars in balance. And, because of my own personal success with cleansing and detoxification, I am really successful with using detoxification with all my patients and clients.

Then one day, it hit me. I do specialize in balancing hormones.

Only it’s not limited to the sex hormones.

Making Friends with your Survival Hormones

When I’m working with someone who is fat, foggy and fatigued and has symptoms of female hormone imbalance, I often start with what I have come to term the”survival” hormones. They are the hormones that are vital to our day to day functions and have daily rhythms. Not to say I don’t deal with the sex hormones, which tend to have a monthly cycle. Those are vital too. And they are intimately related to the day to day hormones.

I’ve observed that there’s a huge misconception when it comes to hormones – what they are and what they do. And there’s especially a lot of confusion about how to bring them into balance.

SO I have planned a series of articles to educate you about your hormones and empower you to nurture them and love them into balance.

In each article you’ll get a “Hormone 101″ look at the hormone of the week – its function, what can go wrong, how to test it and a few tips on how to bring it into balance.

The how to bring it into balance part is a lot more complex than I can can cover fully in a short blog post, so I’ll point you in the direction of where you can find out more – a book, a recording, an in-depth article or a coaching program.

Hormones in this series

insulin – blood sugar balance
adrenaline – quick burst of energy in fight/flight situations
cortisol- sustained support of fight/flight situations
DHEA- growth and repair, immune system support and recovery from illness
pregnenalone – precursor for all other steroid hormones
thyroid – metabolic rate
leptin – appetite and fat burning
ghrellin – appetite
growth hormone – stimulates fat burning and lean muscle growth, repair
melatonin – promotes deep sleep
progesterone – promotes growth of uterine lining in reparation for pregnancy, inhibits tumor growth
testosterone – promotes male features – muscle strength, facial and body hair
estrogen – promotes female features, supports ovulation and regulation of female cycle

These are just one liners on the function of each hormone. They are oversimplifications and generalizations. just to give you a idea of how they work together.

My goal is not to turn you an endocrinologist but to put you in charge of your own body so you understand how your day to day choices effect how you feel and how your hormones dance with each other.

A few highlights on what this series will cover:

How when you’re stressed, your adrenals secrete the hormone cortisol goes up and DHEA goes down, leading to increased insulin production and fat accumulation around your waist
how very low calorie diets inhibit the enzyme that converts the thyroid hormone T4 to the active form, T3, thus decreasing your metabolism and causing you to gain weight rather than lose it.
As men age, the hormone testosterone decreases and more of their testosterone gets converted to estrogen, which naturally slows fat burning ,
How estrogen slows fat burning and increases fat storage as a part of facilitating fat storage in preparation for fertility, birth and lactation.
how high levels of insulin, released when you eat sugar and many high carbohydrate foods, suppresses growth hormone and leads to increased fat storage.
How eating close to bedtime suppresses your natural growth hormone surge at night, leading to increased fat storage.

There are lots more gems to be shared, including information about leptin and ghrellin, gluten intolerance and autoimmune diseases and their effect on your hormones

Please Post a Comment Below and let me know what hormones you’d most like to learn about.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

The Power of Appreciation for Restful Sleep Dr. Ritamarie’s Gratitude Journal Day Revisited

Ritamarie Loscalzo — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:24:33 +0000

Last fall, 2011, I started an Appreciation Journal where I successfully shared my appreciations every day for 30 days. Feeling inspired by the results, I planned to continue to share my feelings of gratitude and thanks once a week. Well, as all good plans sometimes do, that one fell by the wayside as my “Busyneess “ took over.

Being recently brought back to the understanding of the importance of gratitude and sleep, I started a 30 day sleep journal, and was reminded about how many people were helped by the gratitude journal.

So beginning today, I’ll combine gratitude with my sleep journal.

The Sleep Journal will officially be renamed the “Sleep and Gratitude Journal”

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.

And if you want a super sleep boost, before you fall asleep each night, take a few long slow deep breaths and place your right hand over your heart. Breathe in deep appreciation for a person, place, event or thing in your life. Experience the joy of that place, and pour your appreciation into it.

Continue to hold the thought, the image and the feeling as yu gently drift off to sleep.

Dr. Ritamarie’s Appreciations for Today

I the lovely spring weather that began on Sunday, after three days of rain to fill the reservoir.
I appreciate my amazing team that support me in getting my message of health and healing out to the world.
I appreciate my glucose meter, which has guided me to identify how my bad sleep habits have effected me and helps me to choose the foods and activities that keep me in balance.

For more information about how to use a glucose meter to get your blood sugars balanced and have the pleasant side effect of increased enenrgy, a flatter tummy and a sharper and more focused mind, take a look at my B4 Be Gone Program that starts soon.

I do so love to read all your appreciations, so let’s get them coming again.

With Great Love and Appreciation,

Dr. Ritamarie

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

Optimizing Melatonin for a Sound Night’s Sleep: Dr. Ritamarie’s Sleep and Appreciaton Blog Day 4

DrRitamarie — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:27:03 +0000

We sprung the clocks ahead, which means I got out of bed at 11, not 10 as I thought. I went to bed at midnight.

That means I slept 10 hours. Congratulations me.

I was full of energy all day, went for a 3 mile run and got a lot of work done.

But there are so many more things I was planning to do.

One critical piece was not working and it needs to be before tomorrow . SO I stayed up longer than expected trying to fix things. Urg….

Today’s Sleep Tibbit

Melatonin is a hormone that promotes deep sleep.

To help you fall asleep more easily, turn down the lights beginning no later than 9PM. Read or do other activities that don’t require bright light by candle light. Turn off the TV and computer within an hour of bedtime. Within two hours of bedtime would be even better. This will increase melatonin. Melatonin has been found to protect against estrogen related cancers.

Dr. Ritamarie’s Appreciations for Today

I appreciate the lovely spring weather that began on Sunday, after three days of rain to fill the reservoir.
I appreciate my amazing team that support me in getting my message of health and healing out to the world.

I appreciate my glucose meter, which has guided me to identify how my bad sleep habits have effected me and helps me to choose the foods and activities that keep me in balance

My Sleep Commitments for Tomorrow:

In bed, lights out by midnight
No food after 8 PM

I’ll keep trying til I get it right then increase the challenge

What Sleep Commitment are you ready to make?

Write your comments below

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

Burn Fat While you Sleep: Growth Hormone Tidbits for Dr. Ritamarie’s Sleep Commitment Blog Day 3

Sara — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 18:53:16 +0000

I am happy to report that after going to bed at almost 2 last night, I did indeed stay there for 8 hours. I woke up at 8 feeling ready to go, but because I committed to 8 hours, I fell back to sleep until 10.

I am doing much better tonight.

After I finish writing this, I am off to sleep so I can make my adrenal glands happy. It’s 10:56.

One day I will truly follow the healthy habits to balance sleep and hormones that I teach in my B4 Be Gone program for balancing blood sugar and getting rid of belly fat, brain fog and burnout. Skimping on sleep is a sure fire way to give yourself adrenal fatigue.

It’s not that I don’t believe in the value of sleep, it’s just that, like I said on Day 1, I have an addiction and I am working on breaking it.

I am also realistic and aware that it might take a little time and a few falls off the horse.

SO I plan to offer you, my readers, tidbits of important information about sleep and it’s value to us as humans, and also that I might be reminded and stick to my commitment.

Growth Hormone and Sleep

Growth Hormone is secreted by your pituitary gland and is the most important hormone to regulate the rate of fat burning and lean muscle building. It’s sometimes called the anti-aging hormone, or the fountain of youth hormone.

Growth hormone levels peak about an hour after you fall asleep. That means you get maximum lean muscle building and repair of vital body parts in the first couple of hours after you fall asleep. Assuming an 8 hour sleep cycle, you can have 3-4 growth hormone peaks during the night. If you go to bed past midnight, you miss the first peak which is the highest. If you eat before bed, you mis the first growth hormone peak entirely because insulin is in your system. Avoiding food during the last 3 hours before you fall asleep is one of the primary tenants of my B4 Be Gone System and can quickly lead to weight loss and waking up more energized in the morning.

Listen in for details about Growth Hormone HERE

My Sleep Commitments for Day 4:

In bed, lights out by midnight
No food after 8 PM

What Sleep Commitment are you ready to make?

Write your comments below

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

Dr. Ritamarie’s Sleep Commitment Blog Day 2

Ritamarie Loscalzo — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 18:52:44 +0000

I didn’t do so well today. The main reason is I had a critical email to send and it took me about 3 hours to write.

I sent myself a test to check it out and to my dismay it was back almost to where I had started 3 hours before.

I had no success retrieving it so I had to start all over.

Now that it’s sent I am going to bed.

It’s 1:51 which is almost 2 hours later than I planned.

However it’s Saturday, so if I sleep til 10, I will have gotten 8 hours of sleep.

Baby steps.

No time today to include a sleep tidbit, other than to mention a hormone called Growth hormone that is at it’s best in the early hours of sleep.

What are you willng to commit to regarding sleep habits? Comment Below.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

Sleep as a Vehicle for Success: My 30 day Sleep Commitment: Day 1

Ritamarie Loscalzo — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:04:47 +0000

I have a confession to make. I am an addict.

My drug of choice is adrenaline, and the rush of “getting things done”. And to get my fix, I stay up later than I should. I forgo sleep far too often — and that’s not good.

I have really good habits other wise

My diet is pristine – no sugar, no processed foods, only fresh whole foods.
I am committed to exercise. In fact I’ll admit it publicly – I love to sweat. I love to feel my muscles burn.
I have a really simple stress transformation process and I rarely lose my cool any more. I’ve given up worry about the uncertainty the future holds.

But sleep? No matter how much I research and learn about the benefits of sleep and the dangers of lack of sleep, I persist in believing that it’s okay, because I “do everything else right”.

I kid myself into thinking it’s not hurting me.

I am fit; I am energetic; I am focused and strong.

Yet in spite of the fact that externally everything seems to be fine with me, I know there are things inside that are not.

My Bad Sleep Habits Put Me at Risk

I discovered an imbalance last fall, in the process of running my B4 Be Gone program, which is all about consistently making the diet and lifestyle choices that balance blood sugar and hormones, and result in increased energy, less fat around the middle and crystal clear mental functioning. I bought a brand new glucose meter so I could make a video and teach my class how to test their own blood sugar.

I tested myself and discovered that after eating fruit, my blood sugar readings rise into the diabetic range.

You can only imagine my shock, my horror and my dismay!

How could that be? I eat a pristine diet, I exercise and I manage stress. So what if I don’t sleep much?

“3 out of 4 ain’t bad.”

So I started to research sleep, and what I discovered was shocking!

Even one night of poor sleep can contribute to insulin resistance in a HEALTHY person!

Yikes. No wonder my sugars shot up to 167 after eating a bowl of fresh pineapple.

So I decided to sleep.

My goal was to go to bed by midnight most nights. That may not seem early to you, but for me it was at least 4 hours earlier than I was used to going to bed.

But I couldn’t start it the next day or the next because “I had too much to do.”

About a week later I tried the going to bed early thing.

And the next day I felt awful.

Tried it again the next day and same thing.

Next night I stayed up until 4AM and felt great the next day.

And then it hit me.

Adrenal Fatigue and Sleep

My adrenals are on the brink of disaster.

I had to do something.

Finally, I started going to bed by midnight regularly and was really enjoying it. That lasted a few weeks. Until I got so behind on a project that I “had to” stay up late and the addiction started all over again.

Perhaps you’ve had a similar experience with food?

My bad habits have returned, and I’ve been consistently going to bed between 4 and 6 and getting up between 8 and 9 every day for a couple of weeks now.

And although I feel great most of the day, I know it’s wearing me out.

I was called on it on a phone call today and in front of 50 people, I recommitted to myself.

I will put myself and my health first and get the sleep I need, even if it means falling behind on projects.

I also committed to keeping a sleep blog for 30 days. It takes about 21 days ot create a habit, so I figure 30 days gives me 9 for good measure.

If you too have a bad sleep habit to break, or any other habit to break for that matter, join me for a 30 day adventure.

I’ll post my bedtime daily along with a juicy nouget or two for good measure.

It’s 11:03 and as soon as I hit send I am off to bed.

Will you join me for a 30 Day Sleep Commitment?

What are you willing to commit to? Comment Below.

Love,Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie

5 Cutting Edge Strategies to Balance Your Blood Sugar So You Can Melt Your Midline, Sharpen Your Focus, and Recharge Your Energy!

Sara — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:07:17 +0000

Do you find yourself wishing you could hit the snooze button instead of jumping out of bed feeling refreshed each morning?

Do you crave sugar, caffeine, or a NAP around 3 – 4 pm?

Have you been carrying around excess fat around your middle that won’t budge in spite of starving yourself and slaving away at the gym?

Whether you’re a busy professional or a professional mom, you need to stay focused and organized all day long and still have enough energy to say yes to enticing social events rather than falling into a heap because you can hardly keep your eyes open after working all day.

Watch this video to get the secret to more energy!

Register here!

http://www.ByeByeB4.com

“Going Steady” Blood Sugar Friendly Valentine’s Day Candy Raw Food Recipe

DrRitamarie — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:31:19 +0000

It’s Valentine’s Day today, and I have a lovely little surprise for you.

I’m sharing a recipe for low-glycemic chocolates for the special day!

They are yummy and contain no sweeteners, not even dates. They are sweetened with a hint of stevia and are perfect for diabetics (and for you if you have difficulty with candida overgrowth or other gut ailments, hypoglycemia, or insulin resistance).

Actually they’re good for everyone as too much sugar is not a good idea.

Try them!

“Going Steady” Blood Sugar Friendly Valentine’s Day Candies

Recipe adapted courtesy of Chef Karen Osborne from B4 Be Gone Recipe collection

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons almond butter, smooth
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/32 teaspoon sea salt, (a smidgen)
6 drops Sweet Leaf Whole Leaf Stevia Concentrate, plain or chocolate flavored
1 tablespoon raw carob powder or 1 tablespoons raw cacao, or 1/2 tablespoon each
2 drops peppermint essential oil, food grade
1/4 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Directions:

Whisk or stir all ingredients in a bowl.
Spoon into heart shaped candy molds.
Freeze for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!