Happy Valentines Day, Detoxing Divas.

Just ’cause you’re on a detox doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Valentine’s Day.

Liquid only may not be your top choice or the day, unless it suits your highest good and feels right. Personally, I chose to enjoy holiday traditions in as detox friendly a way as possible –not perfect…but close.

One of our local living foods cafes, Beets served a special gourmet candle-lit 4 course romantic raw dinner on Saturday night.  While the menu was not strict detox, it was upscale and very healthy.

We started with a spritzer, made with cranberry, ginger, apple and lime. It was light and refreshing as well as packing an anti-inflammatory punch with the ginger.

The appetizer was a dolma – stuffed grape leaf– filled with sprouted wild rice and a variety of herbs, several of which are on our detox enhancing herbs list. It was topped with a warm marinara sauce.

Next up—the salad. It was arugula and romaine with a light vinaigrette, topped with cashew carrot croutons and macadamia Parmesan. Definitely richer than anything I’ve eaten in the past few weeks, but still, mostly green.

The main course was rawvioli… made from zucchini, coconut flesh, flax and herbs, dehydrated and cut into squares, then stuffed with a macadamia nut spinach “cheese” and set atop a light macadamia nut cream sauce. The side was Italian parsley with a pine nut pistachio dressing.

All portions were small and each course had a lot of green.

It was all very close to detox appropriate, although a bit higher in fat than what I’ve been eating for the past 4 weeks.

The dessert is where I really blew it. I could have been a “good girl” and skipped it, or taken it home and saved it for after the detox, but it was, afterall, a romantic date with my husband of almost 25 years, and the mood was right for indulging in some ……raw chocolate.

The portion sizes of the main meal dishes was small. The dessert plate was enormous. They brought us a sampler plate to share.  It had 2 of each item….chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered pecans, an “ice cream cake” with raspberries and a chocolate cake layer, and a “pinwheel ice cream cake” slice. Wow. It was all quite good.

I ate with gusto, slowly and carefully, savoring each and every bite, chewing until liquid and breathing as I did. I optimized the conditions for digestion, even though the food was a bit more complex than I’d normally eat on a detox.

To add to the mix, after dinner we went to another local raw cafe, where they had a chocolate party and dance. For a flat entrance fee, we got to eat as many raw chocolate covered bananas and strawberries as we desired, and 2 thick solid chocolate squares and 2 chocolate elixirs. We took all but 1 of the chocolate squares home to our kids…we did share one of them, and i tried the chocolate mushroom elixir. I enjoyed a few strawberries and banana slices, as well as a few pieces of fresh fruit, danced, socialized and had a wonderful evening.

I had a few small bites of chocolate again today…my kids offered, what could I say? Other than that, I enjoyed green smoothies, 3 bowls of salad with a detox friendly dressing which I’ll share below, and a few delicious pieces of fresh fruit.

I’ll be back on track tomorrow and plan to start a 3 day liquid only cleanse. My juicer and blender are readyand raring to go.

Valentine’s day is a day to express love…for others and for yourself. Self love is that oft-times overlooked,and oh so important ingredient for successful detox ana a healthy, vibrant life.  I am in bed as I write this…before 11PM!  That’s a record for me, and an act of self love.

I wrote an inspiring blog post earlier today, called “3 Keys to a Vibrantly Healthy Valentine’s Day”.

In the post I  stress the importance of self love, and offer ideas and motivation, and access to a Valentines Day Recipe Sampler.  Do check it out – “3 Keys to a Vibrantly Healthy Valentine’s Day”.

Ready for a spicy hot cleansing salad dressing?

Here goes:

Southwest Blast Salad Enlivener

• 2 organic roma tomatoes
• 1 large organic red bell pepper
• 1/4 jalapeno pepper
• 1/8 – 1/4  cup lime juice (or lemon)
• 2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 1/8 cup “Go Raw” brand spicy seed mix (sprouted and dehydrated pumpkin and sunflower seeds, with cilantro, salt and cayenne)
• 1 teaspoon kelp powder
• 1/2 teaspoon while unrefined salt (optional)
• water (I didn’t measure…enough to make it the consistency you desire…start with 1/2 cup)

Blend and enjoy over your favorite greens.

I’m off to sleep to continue my self love regime….it’s been fun.

Love, Health and Sweet Detox Dreams,

Dr. Ritamarie

I’ve been doing option 2 of the 6 week detox program and LOVING it.  I find it quick and easy to fit in, once you get the hang of it.   I’m consuming lots of greens, I’m full all the time, unlike when I juice,  and I have tons of energy.    I’m still working on fitting in some of  colon cleansing pieces, but now that I have down the shakes and the intestinal cleanse parts, I can add the pieces that have not gotten the attention they need.

Last time I did the 6 week detox, I was putting all the powdered food concentrates and herbs into my green smoothies, along with the sprouted rice protein powder.  Yuck.  I had a hard time making it taste decent.  The smoothies were thick and sludgy and not very appealing.

I’ve since discovered a quick and easy way to do my leaky gut repair shakes.

Here’s a brief video I did of me making a shake.

Here’s how I recommend making your leaky gut repair shakes for the 6 week detox.

1- Put your chosen powders into a 1 quart mason jar.  I use the Warrior Foods enhanced powder, with Sprouted, Raw, Non-GMO, Organic Brown Rice Protein, Organic Hemp Protein, Organic  Vanilla Bean, Wildcrafted Nopal Cactus, and  Organic Whole Leaf Stevia.  To that I’ve been adding any combination of  the following, according to my desire at the time.

• One or more Green powders:Vitamineral Green, Chlorella, Spirulina, Blue Green Algae (sometimes I use a tablespoon of each)
• Earth - A Health Force Nutritionals product that contains herbs and whole foods concentrated that heal damaged intestinal linings and support the liver in detoxification.
• Fruit powders (optional):  Pomegranate, Goji berry, Camu Camu, Lucuma, Fruits of the Earth.
• Hormone support and adaptagenic Herbs: Licorice, Aswaganda, Maca, holy basil, bacopa

2- Add water to almost fill the jar, leaving room at top for shaking.  Shake vigorously.

3- Add ginger juice and lemon juice – one or more tablespoons of each, depending on your taste buds.  You can experiment and determine the the amount you like best.  Shake again.  I juice a big piece of ginger every few days — either in the juicer or in the blender with water — then I strain it.  I do the same with Lemon, so that I have it handy.

When I first made this, I was shocked at how good it tasted.  The first time I did it, I was cautious about the quantityof herbs and greens I put in.  I’ve been experimenting and now I just load lots in there.

I find this shake very filling and energizing.

Another success had been my use of the Health Force Nutritionals Intestinal Drawing Formula. Last detox, I dreaded it.  Made as directed it was thick and slimy and hard to get down.  I discovered, with the help of my mason jar how to make it very tolerable, and in fact quite satisfying.  I wont go as far as to say yummy, but definitely not unpleasant.  I’ll share more on how to make that tomorrow, along with my confessions about where I’ve fallen short of expectations.  For now, I’m heading into the hot tub and sauna for a detox sweat!

Love, Health and Happy Detox smiles,

Dr. Ritamarie

The nutritional benefits of pomegranates abound.  As the weather gets colder, we know that it is again the season to harvest these fabulous fruits.  The list of pomegranate benefits seems to get longer all the time, and there seems to be plenty of research being done even by the medical establishment which actively supports the value of eating this fruit.  Some of these claims have been extensively studied and others are beliefs of many people from different parts of the world over time.

Here is a partial list:

• Contains vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, potassium, niacin and vitamins A and E
• Combats hardening of the arteries which also translates to avoiding heart attack and stroke
• Contains much more anti-oxidants than either green teas, which fight free radicals, culpable in causing cancer and other diseases
• Fights osteoporosis
• Can help prevent the return of prostate cancer
• Lowers bad cholesterol (proven in mice at this point)
• Lowers blood pressure for people with hypertension
• Pomegranate seed oil can cause breast cancer cells to die and keeps healthy cells intact
• It is believed to support the body’s natural defenses against Alzheimer’s disease
• Long-term use may help combat erectile dysfunction

It is believed that regular ingestion can create and maintain clear skin, a youthful glow, and soothe skin inflammation.

One word of caution:
Pomegranate juice might interfere with some medications in much the same way as grapefruit juice; when grapefruit juice is risky, it is safest to assume that pomegranate juice is also risky.

How to Eat Pomegranates

The edible portion of the fruit is the seeds, and the white membrane portion and shell should be discarded.  The seeds taste slightly sweet and tangy at the same time.  First cut the top of the pomegranate off and score the rind in several places around the fruit to make it easier to cut the fruit into sections.  Put the sections in a bowl of water and pull the seeds out with your fingers.  The juice stains, so be sure to keep it off your clothing.

Pomegranate Recipes

Apple Pear Cobbler with Pomegranate Cream Sauce
by Dr Ritamarie Loscalzo

Equipment Needed: Food Processor and Blender

Ingredients

Crust:
• 10 dates
• 1 cup almonds, soaked, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup macadamia nuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling:
• 4 large apples
• 4 large pears
• 1 pomegranate
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

• Sauce:
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup freeze dried pomegranate powder
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Make the crust by putting all crust ingredients in food processor and process with S blade until well combined and crumbly.
2. Press 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of a 8 x 5 inch pyrex dish.
3. Shred apple and pear slices. Add lemon juice, salt and cinnamon and stir to combine.
4. Put mixture into the dish on top of the crust.
5. Crumble the remaining crust over the filling.
6. Slice open the pomegranate (see Pomegranate article above) and sprinkle the seeds on top of the cobbler.
7. Blend the macadamia nuts, pomegranate powder and water until smoothe and creamy.
8. Drizzle the sauce over individual servings.

by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

Equipment Needed: Dehydrator and Blender

Ingredients

• 2 ½ pounds of a combination of shredded daikon radish and broccoli stems
• 1 medium onion
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) tahini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Shred daikon and broccoli stems and place in a large bowl.
2. Shred or thinly slice the onion and add to bowl with the daikon and broccoli.
3. Blend the tahini, pepper and salt and add to bowl with vegetables. Mix well with your hands.
4. Form into patties and place on the mesh tray of your dehydrator. Dehydrate overnight, up to 12 hours.