The Beauty Detox Solution by Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder was the book haphazardly chosen by yours truly at the local bookstore last Sunday afternoon. It stood out to me at first because it was a vibrant green book with the subtitle “Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body You’ve Always Wanted”. “Renewed Energy” was exactly what I needed.So I bought a copy and began reading it an hour or two at a time before bed – a good way to wind down for the night. I expected to hear a lot of the same old words about eating less processed foods, counting calories and nixing caffeine, as well as eating a more balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy (See this post about the new USDA chart).However The Beauty Detox Solution delivered a different perspective entirely. Instead of counting calories and carbs, Kimberly offers to the reader the thought that more energy equals more beauty. In her book she discusses that the process of digestion is the most energy intensive process of the body. If we can efficiently digest our food we will have more energy to renew cells, i.e. improved skin, luxurious hair. Improving digestion also decreases bloating and the “poofy” stomach problem that can occur after a heavy meal.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMS4CF9OxXMKimberly offered two ideas for optimizing digestion and freeing up energy. Food pairing and eating meals from light to heavy .Food pairing is based on the idea that different enzymes are produced to digest fats, starches and proteins. Optimal digestion works when we follow the beauty pairing guidelines listed below:Beauty Food Pairing Cheat Sheet:
- Starches DO mix with vegetables
- Proteins DO mix with vegetables
- Proteins and starches DO NOT mix
- Different Starches DO mix
- Different Proteins DO NOT mix
- Fats DO NOT mix well with protein; pair moderately
- Fats DO mix with starches
- Fruits should be eaten on an empty stomach
- Fruit DOES mix with raw greens (except melons)
For more information on food pairing see Kimberly Snyder’s blog.Eating Light to Heavy is the second new concept introduced to me from this book. Kimberly gives a great analogy between a traffic jam on the highway and a traffic jam in our intestines. Imagine a Porsche, a Land Rover and a sixteen-wheel truck on a road. If the vehicles are in line (Porsche, Land Rover, Truck) there would not be a traffic jam but if the sixteen-wheel truck is in front, no one is going anywhere. The Porsche is representative of fruits and vegetables, the Land Rover of starches and the sixteen-wheel truck is protein. She suggests always consuming foods in the light to heavy order for optimal digestion and energy levels. See The Science Behind Eating Light to Heavy on Kimberly’s site.The Beauty Detox Solution is broken down into three phases: Blossoming Beauty, Radiant Beauty and True Beauty. I will be testing out the Blossoming Beauty phase for one month to see if I personally experience any change. I am hopeful and will be updating you on my progress with the program each Sunday. If you would like to start a detox and learn the basic rules of her program check out The One Day Cleanse.