My Personal Health Consultation With Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

Health, huh?

How does a multitasking mother find enough hours in a day to balance her “health” into the neverending pile of laundry to fold, dishes to wash, floors to clean, etc.? I’d love to fit in more fitness, casual conversations with friends and more time to float in a spa or go for pedicures. I’d love to, but there’s a certain amount of discipline required if we’re to get the things we want in life. There’s a certain amount of commitment necessary if we’re going to achieve our goals and dreams and visions. We’ve been talking about the 21-Day Challenge. We’ve been talking about taking a few days to put new habits in place and create the vision of what we want for ourselves this year. We’ve looked at fitness, spirituality (though only telepathically ) and we’re taking a look at “Health”. It’s time for you to create the ideal. Let’s make the little pimples and zits of our health equation VANISH by putting in place the discipline and dietary choices we need to thrive.

Easier said than done, right? Well, its all starts with a decision to make it happen. Recently, I had to make a decision when I was confronted with yet another unexpected “gift” from my body. The kind of gift that isn’t necessarily wanted, but appreciated none the less. As I sat here the other morning on the throne of the Diva empire, I was busily singing the song of health and high energy living when all of a sudden…

…I found another cyst.

*gulp*

of my upper leg and I have one now on the side of my…

…cheek.

*sigh*

It’s small and most people might not see it, but I do.

I mentioned in my last blog post that I had some health issues I wanted to investigate. That’s one of them. My late night snacking and crazy salt cravings are worthy of investigation, I figure. I caught a cold this fall and it lastest way longer than it should have. Had a really violent reaction to some toxic hair chemicals. Maybe it’s some mineral out of balance, some parasitic invasion from Mars. I don’t know, but I want to find out. I don’t want to white knuckle cravings for food, I want to get help, invest in solutions and make amazing things happen. I want to feel that I’ve got the steering wheel on my health.

Compared to many people I’m a frisky little critter in fine health.

But it’s all relative and after spending 7 years talking the talk and walking the walk, it’s time to step it up a few notches. I’ll be doing a complete health consultation with Dr. Ritamarie and you are invited to listen in to the call. I will skip some of the personal details on the blog, but anyone who would like to listen in to the consultation call, can listen in live or follow up with the recording. I’ll be asking some questions about menstrual cramps, my cysts and circulation. I’ll be asking questions about late night munchies, salty snacks and a request for help sorting out the nutritional mumbo jumbo that creeps up in the recesses of my mind, sometimes. I might get a boost or two of support regarding my step-daughter’s anxiety attacks, my daughter’s psoriasis and my son’s boogery nose. I probably already know some of the answers, but investing in my health is the best way to help me prioritize making good changes in the new year.

So I’m taking the plunge and inviting you to join me. The consultation will be happening on Monday evening. I’ll let you know on Sunday what time it will happen. I thought you might be interested to see a few of the questions that I’ve been filling out on in preparation for my consultation. Funny thing is, I’ll be sending her here to read my responses. The only copy she’s getting is the one you’ll read below. If she has more questions, she’ll be asking them in the comments section leading up to our consultation on Monday night.

Hope you get something out of this exercise in transparency. In order to keep the blog light and friendly, I’ll be keeping the juiciest details for the call. If you’re really interested, you’re welcome to listen in and join us. We’ll post the information on the blog over the weekend. Here are the forms and questions I’ve been working on filling out for my consultation. (In case you’re interested in following along.)

Over the next 3 days I’ll be spending time investing in the “Family” area of my life. We’ve rented a minivan and are heading out to the country for a few days. Fresh air, clean snow and some quiet time together are just what the mama ordered. Perhaps I’ll come back with a few family pictures worth sharing. For now, I leave you with an incredibly comprehensive form I took the time to fill out this afternoon for my health assessment. Unfortunately, there’s still more to do. Seems taking responsibility for your health requires sitting down to confront a few of the things that are going on. I hope this exercise is helpful and inspires you to confront a few of your own health issues and objectives. While you’re looking through these questions, why not answer them from your own perspective. Simply reflecting over these things may help bring new light to the situation.

Off to the hills with the little hillbillies,

Tera

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Coaching and Health Questionnaire with Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

Name Tera Warner    Age 34    Date Jan 4/10
Height 5’7”    Weight 130ish
Marital Status In love        Partner’s Name: Marc-André
Children’s Names      Age    Health Concerns,  Including Allergies    Food:  likes, dislikes, preferences
Mika 9    psoriasis    She’ll kill the cow herself, if I let her. Very strongly attracted to meats and sweets and salty foods. No allergies for either of the kids.

Sebastian 7 in Feb    None that I know of. Gets boogery when he consumes dairy products.    Loves fruits and veggies, simple foods. Not heavily spiced or salted. Would be a gluten addict, if you let him.

In Case of EMERGENCY Notify The Goddess Above and tell her I’m COMING HOME!!!    Phone:

Please describe in as much detail as possible your reasons for signing up for health coaching.

I think it’s about time I take responsibility for informing myself about my own health issues. I don’t think living on raw food should bring up other complications in my health and I want to know what’s going on inside. I don’t want to spend 4 years studying the stuff, just hit me up with the concentrated version of what I need to know. I want to understand WHY I have a cyst on the back of my leg and why I retain water sometimes and why I have a circulation issue that comes up when I eat too much spinach. I want to understand why my menstrual cycles are so light and if that’s okay. I want to UNDERSTAND what’s going on in my body so I am better able to take charge of my health and well-being and better support my family in doing the same.

What are your top 3 goals for our sessions?
1    Inform myself about what I may or may not be missing and how to get all the body systems in tip top shape.
2    Understand what a health consultation with you is all about.
3    Share with other people the process that is involved so that they can be inspired to look for solutions rather than feel like they’re fighting an uphill battle trying to improve their health with carrot sticks and getting frustrated if it doesn’t work out as they expect.

List the top 5 priorities in your life.   I.e. What 5 things do you value above all else?
1    Uh…. Communication, creative expression and reminding people that they are able to create the things they want in their lives and in their health.
2    Being a good mom.
3    Understanding what it takes to run a successful business and create a company that has a powerful impact on an international community of women.
4.     Hmmmm… learning more about myself, my triggers, my potential and my health.
5.     Create! Create! Communicate!

What obstacles could prevent you from changing those lifestyle habits that are detrimental to your health and that of your family?
My craving for salt. ☺ Nothing, to be honest. Just discipline and determination. I don’t suffer in my health much, or I would probably be a bit more disciplined about it. For me the worst side effect I get is feeling a bit crabby if I dip into the proverbial cookie jar. (Which usually is a salty cookie jar, by the way.)

How are you most irresponsible and/or how do you self-sabotage?
Ooooh. I don’t like that question. Do I have to answer it? I’ll answer it on the phone.

What are your strengths?
What do you mean here? Are you talking about related to food, life in general, or what?  My strengths are that I’m passionate, committed, clear communicator, etc. I have lots of them, but let’

What do you enjoy doing so much that it gives you energy?
My work–writing, teaching, supporing women on the path to healthier living. Arranging food platters. Crisis management.

What might stop you from following the plans that we create together?
Hmmm… if ordering things is a pain in the butt, I might not follow through. Whatever I’m supposed to do from here needs to be simple, easy. Would be better if you order for me and send me the bill. I’m a bit lazy when it comes to online shopping. Salt cravings are my nemesis. If I have to be around my kids the first few days of a cleanse, it will be a lot harder for me.

APPETITE, DIET and FOOD PREFERENCES
Please detail the diet you are currently eating with additional info and background as appropriate.
90+ percent raw vegan diet, with a bit of a dip in that statistic over the holidays.

How would you ideally like to eat and why?
I want to eat ethically and responsibly. If I thought that meat was good for my health, I might do it. If I thought it was ethical and good for the environment, I might do it. I have no agenda in terms of the food I put in my body. I have no need to be “raw”. I want to be healthy and empowered and confident that I understand what’s going on in my body.

What do you feel is stopping you from eating the way you aspire to? (List as many reasons as you can think of.)

• Constantly being around and preparing cooked foods for the kids.
• Having a boyfriend who doesn’t necessarily share the same food ideology.
• Having a skinny, apparently healthy boyfriend that doesn’t share the same food ideology.
• Sometimes just lacking inspiration and support to do what isn’t easy.
• Having a seriously addictive relationship to salt.
• The pleasure of being “normal” or at least pretending to be normal by eating what other people eat.
• Discipline. I have no major health issues that motivate me to be an extremist.

What kind of a person do you need to become to eat this way?
Informed. Inspired. Committed.

What are the benefits you are looking for through achieving your dietary goal/s?
Mostly the confidence that comes with knowing your path and walking it with clarity.

What books have you read so far on healthy eating? And which ones did you particularly enjoy and why?
Honestly, I’ve not read that many. Diet for a New America turned me vegan overnight. The Raw Secrets got me to go raw. Can’t think of another that I actually read and completed. I can give you a looooong list of books on emotional/mental health, creativity, crisis management, etc.

Do you have any issues around eating such as an eating disorder, or comfort eating, or eating for stimulation/out of boredom etc? (About 99% of people do this!)
Uh. Yeah. Definitely. Does anyone NOT have issues here??

Where do you currently purchase your food and why?
Wherever I can get to on foot easily. Ideally the little local health food store up the road, but sometimes I cave in and support the megamonster shopping chain because they have so many organics.
How familiar are you with whole foods, vegan foods, and living and raw foods?
Ridiculously so.

Answer YES or NO to the following Questions:
Do you only eat when you are hungry? NO
Do you frequently crave food? NO
Can you go a long time without eating?  What’s a long time?? ??? 36 Hours? YES
Is it easy for you to skip meals and maintain energy and a sense of well-being? YES
Does a high-carbohydrate diet with fruits, vegetables and sweets satisfy and sustain you emotionally and energetically? What do you mean by high-carbohydrate? Are you talking about fruits? For me, if I were eating 80 10 10, that would be a high-carbohydrate diet. So, mostly, YES, but I miss the salt and fat.
Do you get sleepy or lethargic after eating a high-protein, high-fat meal? Well, I can get sleepy in the evening if I eat a cooked food meal, for sure.
Do you have a strong appetite for breakfast? Not if I overeat the night before.
Do you feel better after a high-protein meal? Not necessarily. What would that mean? Lots of nuts, etc. NO.
Do you need to snack often to feel okay? NO
Do you prefer fatty foods over sweets? Hmmmm… between an avocado and a banana. NO. Sometimes I want sweets and sometimes I want fats.
Does eating sweets throw you out of balance? NO
Is it hard for you to fast on juice or water? Depends on for how long. More than a day or two, YES!
Do you get a quick lift and then a sudden drop of energy from sweet foods? NO
If you skip meals does it cause you to be weak, jittery, low-energy, and unbalanced ? NO
Does eating before bedtime worsen sleep? You mean in general, or my sleep. Makes me feel gross. Yeah. But I sleep fine.
Is it easy for you to go more than four hours without food?     YES
Do you love or crave salty foods?    YES!!!!!
Do you enjoy eating?    USUALLY
Do you have a good appetite?    YES. Wish I didn’t sometimes.
Do you eat because you have to? Huh? What do you mean here?   NO. I eat because I have to and because I want to.
Do you usually feel tired after eating?        NO.
Do you feel weak or irritable if you miss a meal?        NO.
Do you know what true hunger is?    YES.
Do you consider yourself to be the ideal weight? YES, But I will always think I need to lose 5 extra pounds. I am in the standard chart’s ideal weight, but I know I could weigh less and feel more “me”.

Please answer the following questions in the space provided.  The space will expand to fit your answer.
What do you consider your ideal weight? It seems to be an unpleasant pattern of wanting to weight 5-10 pounds less than what I weigh no matter what I weigh.
Describe any difficulty in maintaining your weight. My weight is pretty steady at 130ish and has been for years.
What foods do you consider binge foods? Usually starts with something salty. I’ll do kidney beans sometimes, hummous and other bean dips. Not really attracted to carbs, unless there’s salt on them, like noodles and tomato sauce, but usually, I would just go for the sauce. Veggie patés get me. Usually it’s cooked salty veggies. Sometimes I’ve gone as far as breads and dairy products, but not much. A bite of this, a bite of that, but these are pretty rare occassions. I’ve had a couple bites of a tuna sandwhich in the last year, but nothing more than that. Something like canned artichoke hearts or palm hearts would make me buckle. SALT!! Baked potatoes would be tough to resist. SALT!
What foods do you crave most? SALT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How many times per day do you currently eat and at what times? Uh… 2-3 times per day. mid day and evening. Trying to eat less late at night, but not always easy. Okay, actually, I pretty much suck at it. I eat late. I confess.

Do you live alone or with a partner/family/friend? Please detail. I live with my kids one week out of two. I have a partner, but we live separately. When we don’t have our kids, we spend the week together. He eats ANYTHING and everything. I watch, drool and sometimes nibble.

Please indicate which of the following foods you eat by bolding them.  Also, indicate how often you eat the food and how much you like it.

Frequency eaten
How much you like the food
(rate as 1-5)
1=not at all,  5=can’t live without
Red Meat
Poultry
Fast Foods
Fish
Fried Foods
Seafood
Raw Nuts and/or Seeds      2-3
Roasted Nuts and/or Seeds
Nut or seed butters     2-3
Eggs
Milk
Cheese
Butter
Ice Cream
Other Dairy
Margarine
Snack Foods
Dessert/sweets
Soft Drinks
Fruit Juice        2-3
Vegetable Juice     3-5
Fresh Fruits       4-5
Dried Fruits       3-3
Salads       4-5
Green Leafy Vegetables     X5
Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)
Sea Vegetables (nori, wakame, arame, sea palm, kelp, dulse)            X
Raw Vegetables            X Frequency 5, Like it: 5
Cooked Vegetables         X Frequency: 1 Like it: 2
Beans or peas            X I’ll dip my finger in hummous and sometimes dip a spoon a few times a month. Like it: 5
Bread
Pasta
Whole grains       X  1-2/month  like them: 2-3
Chips, crackers, rice cakes     X 1-2/month  like them: 2-3
Tortillas and other types of wraps
Other:

Please answer the following questions in the space provided.
How often do you eat at home? Almost all the time.
How often do you eat in restaurants? 2-3 times a month. Always the raw restaurant.
How often do you eat at someone’s home? Almost never.
How often do you eat on the run? ALWAYS.
If you eat grains, approximately what percentage of the grains you eat is whole and unrefined? hardly eat any, and it’s usually always whole grain.
Approximately what percentage of the food do you eat that is raw or living (uncooked-vegan fruits/vegetables/nuts/seeds/sprouted grains)? 90% or more
What types of oils do you use in preparing foods? coconut and olive
Approximately what percentage of the foods you eat are organically grown? 80 to 90%
Do you drink coffee? No way, José.
Do you drink tea? Nope.
If so, what foods do you typically eat for breakfast? Fruit.
If so, what foods do you typically eat for lunch? Veggies, avocados and whatever I have going on.
If so, what foods do you typically eat for dinner? Whatever I have going on. A big salad with little nibbles on the side.
Do you eat between meals? Sometimes
If so, how often, when, and what foods do you typically eat? Salty ones, Crunchy ones.
List your favorite foods. Hmmm… raspberries, green juice and fresh fruit and veg. Of course, Salt.
List your least favorite foods. Heavy foods. Dead animal foods. Cheesy, bready foods. Might taste good, but make me feel like YUCK.
List the foods you eat the most frequently. Whatever fresh fruits and veg are in season.
Which foods are you unwilling to give up regardless of health implications? None. I have no attachments to a specific food.
To what extent are you willing to make diet life-style changes to improve your health? Any extent. Just need to motivate me.

Do you or have you in the past followed any of these dietary plans (Place an X beside all that apply and comment on how well it has worked for you.)

Macrobiotic    X – Constipated me.
Raw Vegan     X – love it. But have more to learn.
Vegan X – became pretty food obsessed. Overate a lot.
Gluten Free    X – just tried this as part of raw veganism.
Dairy/Casein Free  X - just tried this as part of raw veganism.
Wheat Free    X -doesn’t do as much for me as raw food.
Rotation Diet for Allergies
Allergen Avoidance
Kosher
Zone,  Atkins, or other high protein diet
Eat Right for your Type
Weight Watchers
Ayurvedic
Other Special Diet (please describe)

If you are currently working with any coaches, book or program for personal development, please detail.If you are currently seeing a Doctor, naturopath, chiropractor or any other health practitioner for any reason, please elaborate.
If you gave your health a rating out of 10, what would it be? It’s a 9. What’s up with the cyst? My scalp is dry, I carry 5 more pounds than I need, but otherwise, NO health issues of significance.
What’s stopping your health from being a 10? You kicking my butt.
How do you see things in 5 years if you continue doing what you are doing now? Ridiculously pleasurable.
Please list any medications, nutritional supplements and herbs you are currently taking and note why you’re taking them and how effective they seem to be. None. I bought Vitamin D, but haven’t even been very good about taking it.
Please list any surgeries, accidents or injuries you’ve had that may be continuing to impact your life. None.
Please check any conditions you or your family members have ever had.

X        S=self, SP=Spouse, C=Child, P=Parents
G=Grandparents
Alcoholism
Allergy       ex-SP – allergy to cats.
Anemia
Aneurysm
Angina    - G
Arthritis   - G
Asthma
Breast Cancer
Bronchitis
Cancer
Candida
Celiac Disease
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Colitis
Colon Cancer
Diabetes
Depression
Diverticulitis
Eczema
Emphysema
Epstein Barr
Fibromyalgia
Gall Stones
Glaucoma
Gout
Heart Attack
Hemorrhoids
Hepatitis
Hernia
Herpes       S
High Blood Pressure
Kidney Infection
Kidney Stones
Lung Cancer
Lupus
Mental Illness
Migraines
Mononucleosis        S
Multiple Sclerosis
Pneumonia      S
Polio
Poor Circulation        S
Prostate Problems
Psoriasis   C, ex-SP
Rheumatic Fever
Rosacea        are these little pumps on the back of my arms? If so, yes.
Seizures/Epilepsy
Shingles
Sinusitis
Skin Cancer
Stroke
Thyroid Problems
Tuberculosis
Ulcers or Gastritis
Varicose Veins        S – little tiny ones.
Venereal Disease
Other

Please list any health concerns, symptoms, or diagnosed diseases in each of the body systems below

Musculoskeletal System
Neurologic System
Cardiovascular System
Respiratory System
Digestive System
Urinary System
Reproductive /Sexual Function
Skin and Hair    - dry scalp
Mental and Emotional Systems
Immune System
Hormonal System
Learning and Focus
Surgeries
Serious Injuries or Hospitalizations

-none to speak of.
Please list any other health conditions or concerns that you want me to know about

Please rank the following areas of your life from 0 (totally dissatisfied) to 10 (totally satisfied):
Physical environment
Money
Personal growth
Fun/Recreation
Partner/Relationship/Romance
Career
Continuing Education
Spirituality
Travel
Creativity
Friends
Family
Children
For all of these areas, there’s always room for growth, but I am super inspired by what I do and in love with my life, actively making things better. I wouldn’t complain about any of these but my aparment. The rest, a beautiful work in progress and always will be.

How much time can you comfortably give per week to your health program?
How much are you going to ask of me? How much time can I afford to lose by being worried about my health or just holding off healthy changes?

What do you see as a bold goal you would like to accomplish over the next 90 days?  Reach on this one.  Make it something that seems just a little bit beyond your reach. Making my cyst DISAPPEAR!!

What is your most pressing question about achieving vital health?
Why do I have this cyst and am I missing anything?

How can I most impact your life in our first session?
Share everything you can about what you know with me and anyone else listening.

Taking into account your financial investment in your coaching, what results, if achieved, would you consider to have a value far in excess of the price paid?
Kicking my own butt to put in the discipline to take my health to a higher level in spite of the fact that I already thrive compared to most people around me.

Is there anything else would you like me to know? (This is your opportunity to fill me in on those things that are especially important to you and will help me to better understand your needs, situation and what you most want).

I think you RAWK, Woman!

If you’d like to start off on your own consultation, please contact Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, or sign up for our VIP version of the 6-Week Deep Tissue Detox.