My Beauty Detox Journey

Hi, everyone! I put this new page up because I am interested in making small changes to my diet and lifestyle over time, with the ultimate goal of improving my digestion. To do this, I’ve enlisted the help of Kimberly Snyder, or at least the help of her wonderful book, “The Beauty Detox Solution“, which was released in March 2011.

Kimberly’s book contains lots of great information in it, and she instructs her readers not only on what to eat, but also how to eat it, and even when to eat certain foods to minimize digestive load and maximize radiant health and beauty! I am listing some of her basic suggestions below, and as I “tackle” each item, I’ll cross it off my list and be sure to let you know the results. (Everyone is different, of course, and what works or doesn’t work for me might not ring the same for you!) Kimberly is a real inspiration to me for a number of reasons, and I’m looking so forward to implementing some of her recommendations and enjoying true beauty from the inside out!

Just so you know a little bit about me and my baselines: I am starting this new lifestyle off at my lowest weight since I first hit puberty– 127.5 lbs. (I lost quite a bit of weight effortlessly when I cut dairy out of my diet in January 2010.) My goal isn’t necessarily to lose more weight on the program, but I am interested in looking more toned and getting rid of whatever sludge is still residing in my intestines– yuck! I’m already eating a mostly-vegan diet, with the exception of a few eggs each week. I eat a lot of fresh vegetables and small amounts of whole grains like brown rice and quinoa. Right now, I go to the gym 3 to 5 times a week. I don’t do a lot of weight-lifting on my own, but I do enjoy the organized fitness classes (some of which have weight-bearing components), especially Step, Zumba, and Turbo Kick class! Hi-ya!!

I should think about arranging a “Before” photo of sorts, but in the meantime– let’s get right to the good stuff:

Here Are Some of the Guidelines That Kimberly Outlines In Her Book and On Her Blog:

1. Strive to eat alkaline-forming foods and acid-forming foods in a ratio of 80:20. Alkaline-forming foods include vegetables, raw fruits, and grains such as quinoa, millet, and amaranth. Acidic foods include animal proteins, dairy, refined sugars, dried fruits, and concentrated proteins like roasted nuts. There’s always room for improvement, but I’m pretty close to this ratio already, thanks to the copious amounts of salads and veggies I eat.

2. Eat alkaline foods– preferably some raw vegetables– at the beginning of every meal. This will help to provide fiber and water to the body, and it will also help to slow the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. Finally, eating raw vegetables at the beginning of every meal will encourage eating smaller portions of the more concentrated foods at mealtime!

3. Practice proper food pairings.

a. Aim to eat only one concentrated protein at a time (e.g. try not to eat nuts and a boiled egg on the same salad.)

b. Do not mix proteins with starches.

c. Mixing two starches in one meal is OK, but mixing two animal proteins in one meal is not.

d. Eat natural fats (like avocado) in moderation with proteins; eat them more freely with carbohydrates.

e. Fruit can only be eaten on an empty stomach or with raw greens. Eat fruit either 30 minutes before a meal or a full hour after a meal.

4. Attempt to order your eating from Light Foods to Heavy Foods, both within individual meals and as a whole throughout the day. (E.g. Breakfast should be the lightest meal of the day and dinner should be the heaviest. At dinner, start with lighter foods like a raw salad and progress up to starches or proteins.)

5. Avoid “grazing” food throughout the day, because this taxes the body’s digestive system and enzymes.

6. Drastically reduce and/or eliminate caffeine consumption. I gave up coffee over a year ago and also stopped drinking most caffeinated teas (except for the occasional cup of green tea at a sushi restaurant). The only caffeine I get right now comes in the form of Kimberly’s Raw Cacao Truffles, which are to die for!!

7. For animal proteins, choose organic, local, and hormone/antibiotic-free varieties. Consume animal proteins a maximum of once a day, preferably at dinner time. Limit the consumption of animal products to 2-3 times per week. If possible, choose sea animals over land animals. Done and done! I don’t eat any meat (including fish), and the eggs I eat occasionally are local, free-range, and organic.

8. Eat raw varieties of nuts and seeds, because roasting can denature the proteins and turn the healthy fats rancid. (Already doing, but only as of recently. I did enjoy roasted nut butters before I realized how hard they can be on the digestive system.)

9. Always soak nuts and seeds before eating them. This process deactivates certain enzymes that otherwise coat the seeds/nuts and make certain nutrients unavailable to our bodies. It also makes the seeds/nuts more alkaline versus acidic in the body.

10. Try ingesting chlorella and/or spirulina for high doses of protein and chlorophyll.

11. Avoid eating cooked beans and legumes, as they are naturally poor pairings of protein and starch. Sprout raw legumes and beans to eat.

12. Avoid most soy products, with the exception of fermented varieties (like miso) and small quantities of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, which is a heavily diluted, unfermented (and not to mention delicious) type of soy sauce.

13. Nix dairy from the diet COMPLETELY! Dairy is extremely acid-forming in the body and also contributes to congestion (mucus, phlegm, acne, digestive issues, etc.) I have been dairy-free since January 2010.

14. Incorporate complex carbohydrates– such as quinoa, millet, amaranth, or cooked starchy vegetables– into the diet. Yum, yum, yum!! My challenge was to cut back on brown rice– which I love– and substitute other grains like quinoa instead. Luckily, I love quinoa, millet, amaranth, and buckwheat too!

15. Decrease/eliminate the consumption of refined sugars, including sucrose, lactose, brown sugar, molasses, concentrated fruit juices, high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, and all artificial sweeteners. (Getting better at this– still not totally sugar free.)

16. Avoid gluten where possible (wheat, rye, barley, etc.)

17. Soak grains such as brown rice or quinoa 8 or more hours before cooking.

18. Avoid using any “oils”, even healthy oils, and limit fat intake to naturally-occurring fats like avocado, nuts, and seeds. Coconut oil in moderation is alright for cooking.

19. Add 1 Tbsp of ground flax seeds to a salad every day to obtain the daily recommendation of omega 3 essential fatty acids. Done!

20. When eating fruit, make sure it is raw and ripe. This increases the alkalinity of them in your body.

21. Avoid “seedless” fruit varieties, as this indicates genetic modification. Done and done!

22. Aim to always buy the following foods organic (as they are the most heavily contaminated with pesticides in conventional, commercial farming methods): apples, bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, peaches, pears, raisins, spinach, strawberries, summer squash

23. Eat plenty of sprouts and sea vegetables!

24. Focus on the ongoing process of cleansing rather than undertaking a limited “cleanse”.

25. Limit the use of antibiotics and other medications where possible.

26. Take a probiotic supplement daily.

27. Take plant-based digestive enzymes with each meal.

28. Eat 1/2 cup to 1 cup of Probiotic and Enzyme Salad daily. (Recipe provided in book.)

29. Switch balsamic vinegar with raw, unpasteurized and unfiltered apple cider vinegar.

30. Take a Magnesium-Oxygen supplement as needed.

31. Get gravity-based colonics or enemas regularly to help flush out old sludge from the digestive tract.

32. Do not try everything new all at once! Transition into the new lifestyle and eating habits gradually.

33. Throw out any table salt in your cupboards, and replace it with Celtic Sea Salt (sun and wind-dried) or Himalayan Crystal Salt in small amounts. I use Celtic Sea Salt and Real Salt. Sifto is the devil.

34. Work your way up to a daily Glowing Green Smoothie and, eventually, Glowing Green Juice in the morning.

35. Eat only when you are hungry, not when it is “time” for a certain meal.

36. Simple is best when it comes to food. Less processed, fewer ingredients, etc.

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So far, I am just starting out and have written only one post here about my desire to explore these suggestions in my own life (even though I am already incorporating some of the other recommendations, such as not eating dairy). I will add links to new posts below as I start tackling specific recommendations. Thank you for joining me on this journey! I appreciate your feedback, comments, and support.

04.12.2011: Baby Steps to Better Health

04.15.2011: Shocking Admissions From A Failed Bulimic

04.22.2011: Dethroning the Dairy Queen

04.26.2011: Perms and Combs

05.09.2011: Fermented Food: If It Doesn’t Poison You, It Will Make You Healthier (Right?)

05.16.2011: “Balance” and Other Figments of My Imagination

05.25.2011: Try A Little Tenderness

06.18.2011: Smooth Move

07.27.2011: Drive-By Shooting: My Life in Bullet Points

08.09.2011: The Most Unfortunate Friday Night Ever

09.12.2011: Starting Over

01.29.2012: Does the Beauty Detox Solution Work?

03.05.2012: The Answer Is No