Copyright ©2007 – 2018 Ritamarie Loscalzo, MS, DC, CCN, DACBN

All rights reserved.

Austin, Texas, USA.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in

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respecting the hard work that went into creating this document for your education and
enjoyment.

This edition was published in the United States of America by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo.
Edition Date: January 26, 2018

DrRitamarie@DrRitamarie.com

Disclaimer
The techniques and advice described in this book represent the opinions of the author based
on her training and experience. The author expressly disclaims any responsibility for any
liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a result of using any of the
techniques, recipes or recommendations suggested herein.

The responsibility for the consequences of your use of any suggestion or procedure described
hereafter lies not with the authors, publisher or distributors of this book. This book is not
intended as medical or health advice. If in any doubt, or if requiring medical advice, please
contact the appropriate health professional. We recommend consulting with a licensed health
professional before making major diet and lifestyle changes.

If you enjoy the information in this program, we would like to encourage you to show your
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 Fire Up your Focus with Delicious
Brain-Boosting Foods and Beverages
By Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, MS, DC, CCN, DACBN

Nourishing your brain is all about eating foods rich in brain-boosting nutrients AND drinking
plenty of water.

This report is focused on foods that supply fuel to the brain so you can think clearly, stay
focused and keep your motivation high.

Your brain is very sensitive to blood sugar swings.

Years ago, we were taught that the brain didn’t need insulin to shuttle glucose into the cells.

More recent research has proven that to be wrong. Many parts of the brain rely on insulin to
transport glucose into the cells, and thus the brain is as susceptible to insulin resistance as is
the rest of the body.

While there are many foods and nutrients that support healthy brain function, today we’ll focus
on a food that supplies your brain with ketones.

Your brain cells can be fueled by either glucose or ketones. Due to our modern epidemic of
insulin resistance, your brain may be starved of fuel because your insulin is not effective at
getting glucose into your cells.

Ketones are not produced in large quantities unless you are following an extremely low
carbohydrate, high-fat diet. The good news is that coconut oil, in particular the medium-chain
triglycerides, can be easily converted to ketones by your liver. These ketones can fuel your
brain even when it’s become resistant to insulin.

Included here are 2 of my favorite brain-fuel foods – truffles and an elixir. Both use coconut
and coconut oil to supply ketones and amazing flavor. Enjoy. And keep hydrated, too.
Included is a strategy and schedule to keep your brain and body properly hydrated.

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Brain-Boosting Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:
1. 1/2 cup coconut butter (Artisana Organics is my favorite brand)
2. 1/4 cup coconut oil
3. 1/3 cup cacao or carob powder
4. ¼ tsp luo han extract (monk fruit) (Found online through Z Natural Foods)
5. 2 teaspoons organic erythritol (Zero brand – online or in stores)
6. 8 drops chocolate liquid stevia (optional, Sweet Leaf brand, for added sweetness)
7. 3 drops hazelnut flavor extract (optional, Medicine Flower brand)
8. Optional extras for crunchy truffle:
a. ¼ cup raw cacao nibs
b. ¼ cup walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, or your choice, coarsely chopped
c. ¼ cup shredded coconut

Directions:
1. Blend coconut butter, coconut oil, cacao or carob powder, luo han, erythritol, plus
optional stevia and/or hazelnut flavor extract
2. Add any or all optional extras for a crunchy candy.
3. Spoon into candy molds or ice cube trays, or spread into a baking dish lined with wax
paper, and refrigerate or freeze until set (about 5 minutes in freezer, up to 15 minutes
in refrigerator)
4. Pop out of mold and store in a glass container in the refrigerator.

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Page 4 of 10
Brain-Boosting Elixir

Ingredients:
• 16 ounces tulsi, or Holy Basil tea (or purified water or your favorite herbal tea)
• 1 tablespoon coconut butter (Artisana Organics) or 2 tablespoons dried coconut
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon raw organic walnuts
• 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower lecithin
• 1 teaspoon chaga
• 1 teaspoon maca
• 1/2 teaspoon reishi powder
• 1/2 teaspoon medicinal mushroom powder (optional) (cordyceps, reishi or chaga)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons raw carob powder or raw cacao powder (or ½ carob and ½ cacao)
(optional)
or
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or powder
• Pinch sea salt or ¼ teaspoon kelp powder
• 1/4 teaspoon stevia green leaf powder, or 3-4 drops your choice flavored Sweet Leaf
Stevia, or 1 teaspoon Lakanto, or ¼ teaspoon Luo Han extract (Monk Fruit)

Directions:
1. Boil water and steep tea bag for 10-15 minutes.
2. Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
3. Adjust to taste – with flavor extracts or low glycemic sweeteners
4. Adjust to desired thickness – with additional water to thin, or more nuts or coconut
butter to thicken

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 Hydration Strategy for a Clear Brain and
Vibrant Body

What You Need to Know About Hydration

Dehydration can manifest in a myriad of diseases and
symptoms. Most of us are dehydrated and we don't even
realize it.

There's a fascinating book called You're Not Sick,

You're Thirsty by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. In it, he
talks about the mechanisms by which dehydration
triggers such things as asthma, allergies, heartburn,
fatigue, hypertension and many other illnesses.

To be properly hydrated, you need to drink

approximately 1/2 your body weight in fluid ounces of water. If you are exercising
heavily, you'll need more – about 8 ounces for each 15 minutes of vigorous exercise or heavy
sweating.

Water Quality and Quantity

Water is vital to your survival. Without sufficient water intake, your entire body slows down
and healing and repair become sluggish.

Chronic dehydration is an underlying cause of many common

diseases. Contrary to popular belief, thirst and dry mouth are
not reliable indicators of your need for water.

The quality of water you drink is as important as the

quantity. Be sure to drink filtered water or spring water instead
of tap water, which may contain many contaminants including
remnants of prescription drugs, pesticides, heavy metals,
chemicals and viruses.

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 Hydration Action Plan
Checklist:
Mark your progress as you complete the steps in your hydration action plan.

 #1: Keep a hydration journal to assess how much

you drink now.
 #2: Determine how much water you need.
 #3: Equip yourself with enough easy-to-access water
vessels to get you through each day. I use 1 and 2
quart mason jars and keep them visible throughout
my day.
 #4: Create and follow a personal hydration schedule.

#1: Keep a hydration journal to assess how much you drink now.
Get a sense of how much water you are currently drinking. For 2
days, create a journal of your hydration habits. In your
journal, record:

• How much water you are currently drinking - record the

approximate amount
• Notice what triggers you to drink more water
• Record whether you drink regularly as a habit, or if you
drink only when thirsty
• Record a note section of what thirst feels like. Include where you feel it in your
body, or if you notice certain emotions such as anger or irritation

Dr. Batmanghelidj says that thirst is not a great indicator of when

to drink because by the time you perceive that you are thirsty,
you are already down about 3 cups of water.

He also explains that often what you perceive as hunger is

actually thirst, and he suggests that you drink at least 8 ounces

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Page 7 of 10
of water whenever you feel hunger, and then wait to see if the feeling goes away. This is a
great weight management tip.

#2: Determine how much water you need.

To provide your body all the water you need for optimal functioning, you
need to:
• Drink at least 1/2 your body weight in fluid ounces of water
every day.
• Add to that 8 ounces for every 15 minutes of vigorous exercise
or perspiration.
• Note: Soft drinks, juice, coffee, tea and other beverages do not
count towards hydration. In fact, alcohol and caffeinated
beverages actually trigger mechanisms that cause you to lose water and thus are
dehydrating beverages. Hot water with herbal tea or lemon does count.

#3: Equip yourself with enough easy-to-access water vessels to get you
through each day.
Get yourself some water bottles, pitchers, or glass jars so that you have
enough capacity to hold all of the water that you need in a day. Go
ahead and fill up your containers with an entire day's total so that you can
see exactly how much you need each day.

At first, the amount of water you need may seem like

a lot. Look at the volume and fully realize your task at
hand.

The goal is to get the correct amount of water into your

system as soon as possible. Yet, if this overloads your
system, gradually increase your water intake daily until the goal
amount is reached.

The sooner you start drinking your full water requirement, the sooner you'll begin to reap the
benefits.

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Page 8 of 10
#4: Create and follow a personal hydration schedule.
Following the suggested schedule below will ensure that you get adequate
water. Feel free to adjust to your own needs and lifestyle.

When you add up all the water in the schedule below, you get the following
quantities (given that you eat 3 meals a day and exercise once a day):

• Lower quantity in range: Total is 72 ounces a day (2.1 L)

• Higher quantity in range: Total is 160 ounces a day (4.7 L)

This schedule works for weight ranges from 144 to 320 pounds. If you weigh less than 144
lbs, you can drink less each time you drink. If you weigh more than 320 lbs, drink more each
time you drink or add an extra water drinking time to the schedule.

Hydration Schedule:
It's okay to drink a little more than your recommended amount, but not
less.

• Upon awakening: Drink 16 – 32 (.5 - 1 L) ounces of water.

Keep a water bottle or cup at your bedside and begin to drink
before you even get up.
• 30 minutes before each meal: Drink 8 - 16 ounces
(approx. 250 mL - .5 L).
• 1 hour after each meal: Drink 8 - 16 ounces
• Before exercise: Drink 8 - 16 ounces

If you're overweight you should also drink 12 - 24 ounces whenever you're hungry. Wait at
least 15 minutes, and if you're still hungry then you may eat.

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Page 9 of 10
 About Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, MS, DC, CCN, DACBN
Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, the founder of the Institute of
Nutritional Endocrinology, is fiercely committed to
transforming exhausted high achievers all over the globe
into high energy people who love their lives and live to their
full potential.

As a Doctor of Chiropractic with Certifications in

Acupuncture, Nutrition, Herbal Medicine and HeartMath®,
she’s also a certified living foods chef, instructor and
coach, and has trained and certified hundreds of others in
the art of living foods.

A bestselling author, speaker, and internationally recognized nutrition and hormone health
authority, Dr. Ritamarie combines the ancient healing wisdom of whole fresh foods and herbs
with modern scientific research to inspire people everywhere to recharge their energy and
reclaim their lives.

Dr. Ritamarie trains health practitioners in using Nutritional Endocrinology to solve complex
health challenges. For those seeking to solve their own health challenges and to learn to
incorporate the power of food as medicine, she offers online courses, long distance coaching
and counseling, and transformative in-person retreats and classes.

For additional strategies for overcoming belly fat, brain fog and burnout, attend The Top 5
Strategies to Release Belly Fat, Brain Fog, and Burnout Fatigue FOR GOOD Online
Training.

Learn additional strategies for overcoming belly fat,

brain fog, and burnout HERE:
http://www.TheSweetSpotSolution.com/

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