I have mentioned The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder on GCC in every post since my return a few weeks ago.  At this point you might be sick of hearing about just how great this book is, but for me it was a life changer.

The basic premise of Kimberly’s book is that outer beauty stems from what we put into our bodies.  You can achieve optimal outer beauty by understanding what foods you are putting into your body, in what order, and why.  She goes into the importance of food pairings and order, the toxic properties of dairy products, and why gluten is harmful to your body.  She suggests we nourish our bodies with a mostly plant based diet incorporating proper food pairings.  Now Kimberly herself is a vegan, but she suggests the importance of tailoring The Beauty Detox Solution to your individual dietary needs.  She also offers many recipe suggestions in the back, along with three levels of meal plans that walk you through day-to-day eating.

Now the entire book really spoke to me, but my favorite chapter was where she discusses the importance of eating light to heavy and properly cleansing our body daily.  That’s right.  No week-long detox every few months.  Focus on daily detox with proper foods and nutrition.  This includes drinking lemon water first thing in the morning, taking magnesium oxide and probiotics, as well as eating probiotic rich foods and plenty of fibrous vegetables.  The best way to do this is start every day with her Glowing Green Smoothie.  I’ve heard from a few friends that the GGS isn’t for everyone, but if you can learn to love it the results are AMAZING.  Kimberly has helped many celebrities with nutrition on set, as well as in their homes.

I really could go on and on about the wealth of information in this book, but without reading it yourself (and take a few mental and physical notes) you’ll never fully grasp all the important details.  Now that I’ve convinced you (hopefully) that her book is worth reading, let me tell you how it’s impacted my diet.  I’m not going to lie to you and say that I 100% follow her teachings.  We all have different lifestyles and beliefs that lead us to eat a certain way.  For me that has been changing constantly since I was in college.  I always arm myself with any information about nutrition and dietary requirements.  I’ve done everything from attempting veganism to eating animal protein with every single meal.  I’ve counted calories and points.  I’ve snacked early and snacked late.  Basically I’ve tried it all, but sadly without much difference in my body.  Until now.

Having never seen results before you can understand my excitement when a few simple changes finally brought me to a happy place with my body.  I no longer count calories or worry about every single bite I take.  I do start off every morning with warm lemon water (about a cup) and my GGS, which I make for both J and I.  I wait three hours (or so) to allow my body as much detoxification and digestion as it can before lunch.  For lunch every day I have a large salad.  I top it with more or less the same ingredients (sprouts, bell peppers, cucumber, a little ground flaxseed, tomatoes, homemade sauerkraut, and olives) but try to mix it up when I sense boredom coming on.  I will usually have an avocado to go along with it.  Sometimes I turn the avocado into guacamole and eat it with chips or I have it on top of a slice of gluten free bread.  Some days (when I’m too busy to think about eating) I will go all the way to dinner without eating again.  On the days I can’t make it I snack on almond butter celery sticks, a protein or acai smoothie, or some pumpkin seeds.  I also try and drink some detox tea if I have time.  Not so much for preventing illness, but for helping my body cleanse.  For dinner I make a meal consisting of vegetables and starches or vegetables and a protein source.  I start dinner with a small salad or eat a majority of my vegetables first.  At this point I try and not snack again before bed, but if I do I make homemade popcorn with Himalayan salt, have a slice of gluten free bread, or a little dark chocolate.  Making sure not to mix protein and starch (unless it’s been more than three hours since I last ate).  And the very last thing before bed I have a cup of rooibos tea (my absolute favorite) and take magnesium to aid with digestion while I sleep.

WHEW that was a lot to take in.  It may sound boring, but I never ever consider calories.  I only thing of getting all the nutrition I need and helping my body digest it all as efficiently as possible.  Because my extra-long paragraph above was intense I’ve created a cheat sheet below.

Your Beauty Detox Cheat Sheet

  • Start every single day with warm lemon water (for detoxing)
  • Have a GGS or fresh fruit for breakfast
  • Take probiotics and other essential vitamins
  • Have a small salad or raw vegetables before lunch and dinner
  • Never mix starches and protein, but if you do take a digestive enzyme first
  • Take digestive enzymes with heavy meals
  • Wait at least 3 hours between meals
  • Eat light to heavy, saving the heaviest meal for dinner
  • Try and avoid drinking 30 minutes before or 60 minutes after a meal
  • Avoid all dairy (except the occasional butter)
  • Avoid products containing gluten, instead opt for other grains or a gluten free option
  • Drink detox tea at the first sign of an oncoming sickness
  • End the day with tea and magnesium oxide supplements

Good luck!