These 6 foods are very easy for you to incorporate into your diet regime. These foods will help elevate your beauty and promote detoxing and cleansing on an ongoing basis. Bring them into your life!
1. Celery. The organic potassium in celery is an important electrolyte that helps facilitate cellular cleansing. An easy and inexpensive way to maintain ongoing detoxification and our ideal fluid levels! Snack on celery sticks, add to salads, or put into my Glowing Green Smoothie.
2. Figs. An excellent blood purifier. Since blood transports nutrients to cells throughout the body and face, the cleaner the blood the more beautiful the skin. The tiny seeds in figs are not only packed with nutrients, they help draw out and dissolve waste, mucus, and toxins from the intestinal tract. Raw and dried figs both give these great benefits.
3. Açai. Greatly popularized in 2009, Acai’s importance continues into this new year. Açai is loaded with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, including Omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, key vitamins and fiber. The Omega 3 fatty acids found in Açai maintain the structure and fluidity of cell membranes, facilitating the inflow of nutrients and the outflow of waste products, promoting youthful, smooth and radiant skin by keeping skin cells hydrated and strong. Acai can be purchased frozen in health stores and made into smoothies.
4. Almond Milk. A great alternative to dairy and soy milk, which are both difficult to digest and mucus-forming. Simply switching to this product for milk uses is an easy and great way to clear up skin and help make it more radiant, keep our sinuses clear, and increase energy. Almond milk is paired perfectly with my truffles recipe, yummy!
5. Onions. This everyday food has a considerable amount of sulfur, which helps cleanse the skin and liver and rebuild connective tissues like collagen. Onions are also an exceptional source of usable quercetin, which works to eliminate free radicals. Onions can help lower blood pressure. If they make you a bit nauseated because of their cleansing properties (or irritated for that matter, as they can fire up that Pitta dosha element in some of us), just got back a bit!
6. Sunflower seeds. These seeds contain all 8 essential amino acids, which our bodies need to obtain from food sources, and uses to manufacture the other 15 amino acids and build protein chains in our bodies. We can and should derive our protein needs from plant sources at least for a percentage of our diet, even if we are not full vegetarians. Plant protein sources are easier for our bodies to assimilate, and do not make our bodies acidic, the way digesting animal protein does.
Here’s to having a fabulous start to 2010!!
xx Kimberly
Happy 2010, Kim! :-) Wow, you’ve listed some of my absolute favorite foods on the planet. Thanks for spelling out the benefits of each. Thanks also for your guidance and for generously sharing your knowledge. I think I’ll look back at 2009 as a year when I really turned a corner in my life, and the dietary changes and cleansing techniques you suggested were a BIG part of that progression. Big hugs and shanti to you, lovely lady! See you around soon.
Xoxo,
Bria
Hi Bria, that is wonderful! I am so happy to hear that. You are so great and your food choices will continue to support your growth and progress.
Love and Shanti, Kimberly
Thanks, Kim :-)
Hi Kim!
First you and your cite are truly phenominal!
Second, I am allergic to nuts. Can you recommend an alternative for almond milk? Would Hemp or Rice Milk work as well?
Thanks so much,
Jess
Hi Jess, thank you! Hemp and rice milk work, as does coconut milk. Rice milk is the least best choice, as it is low nutrient and often contains polyunsaturated vegetable oils. xx
Thankyou Kim,and happy new year!
I already know the good changes I want to add in my life this year…and a lot come from your good ideas!
You must be receiving a lot of love, what you give returns to you; so you will be showered with good energy…good for you!!!!
Santé ma belle et bonne année 2010!
XXX
Martyne
Thanks Love! Love and peace right back to you!! xx Kimberly
Happy 2010!!! Great foods, some of my favorites are listed here!!! :) I have a fig tree in my yard, looks like in the Spring, I’ll be planting sunflowers!
Lucky!! You must live in California??
Believe it or not, NJ! :) We wrap it tight in the Winter!
Hi Kim!
Do you study or know much about ayurveda?? I sooo want to favor a raw food diet, but for some reason I still feel “off” (constipation mainly – undereye circles, etc) From what I know of ayurveda, I believe I am primarily a vata dosha – which means I am always cold! So according to ayurveda, I am supposed to favor warm foods – but raw foods are so cold. What would you recommend for me??
Ginger is a good warming spice, as is cayenne pepper, which will help bring in more internal fire!
Add ginger to your salad dressings, teas, etc. xx Kimberly
Hi Kimberly~
These are such great suggestions! I had no idea about the figs… just one thing, it said “7 detoxing ideas” but I only saw 6? Is there a magical 7 I’m missing!
Namaste!
Codie
HI Codie! You were right, I accidentally put 7 put then switched it. :) I like 6 and 9 as better numbers than 7 or 10. Is that wierd?? :)
xx Kimberly
Great post! One question about celery: does root celery have any of the good properties that celery sticks have? Out here in the north it is easier and cheaper in the winter time to find root celery so just wondering are they worth anything.
love and joy,
Pauliina
Yes that is a great option! xx Kimberly
Hi Kimberly,
Thank you so much for all the great advice you give on your blogg!
I would like to hear your oppinion on high protein, low carb diets (such as Atkins, South Beach etc.). Many trainers out there promote them and say that they are the most effective way to loose weight. Why is a high raw food, plant -based diet better for weight loss and toning in your oppinion? I’m a bit worried about loosing my muscle tissue along with the fat.
Is detoxing a good way to jump start weight loss on a raw food diet? How do you avoid muscle tissue waisting when loosing weight by eating raw food? Is weight loss permanent on a raw food diet?
I would be so happy to get atleast a short answer to this.
Thanks a lot,
Pia
HI Pia, These questions require a very long answer!! Quickly, I’ll say that high protein diets do pump up muscles quickly, and in the short term help with weight loss. But you are making your body extremely acidic, as the bi=products of protein digestion include ammonia, uric acid, etc. Over the long term you will age much faster- both in your internal organs and in your skin and face. Acidic bodies contribute to disease. It is not a long-term way for health, but many trainers don’t think of that or know about the real facts about animal protein.
Greens, vegetables and fruit on the other hand, clear out acidic waste from your body and allow oxygen to circulate to your muscles easier. They make your body more alkaline, where it is easier to keep excess weight off. And look younger. Since I have eaten the way I do, my arms and body have gotten a whole lot more toned from when I used to lift weights and eat fish and eggs!!!xx Kimberly
Hi Kim,
I recently discovered your post and i LOVE it! I have been on here every day reading posts from months past, very informative! I do have one question, what brand of almond milk do you buy? The ones I have seen all have the ingredient carageenan in them and I was wondering what you thought about this ingredient and if it is harmful or not. I would love to get a grocery list and more recipes from you! Is this something we could do in a consult? Thanks, and much love, health, and happiness to you in 2010! :)
Kristen
Hi Kristen! Making your own almond milk is always the best. You can see my instructions called “Megan’s Almond Milk.” There’s an even faster way to do it, which I’ll post soon. Thanks for the reminder! But for travel or on the go the commercial almond milk brands (Almond Breeze) are not that bad. Think of the alternatives- dairy or soy milk!!!
xx Kimberly
Happy new year Kim!
I have a question about seeds and nuts: how do you balance your intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids?
On a different topic, I’m going to Australia and New-Zealand in march and april! Any recommendation?
Have a nice week,
Ophélie
Hi Ophélie!
Some seeds and nuts have perfectly balanced Omega fats, such as hemp seeds, and coconuts. Use moderation with all nuts. Almonds are better to eat often rather than cashews, and be sure to soak all nuts!
How much time do you have to travel??? I assume you are going to Sydney, and of course you have to do the cliff walk between Coogee and Bondi beach. :) And the Blue Mountains, and the bridge climb. In NZ I Love the South Island, especially around Queenstown and Milford Sound!
xx Kimberly
Hi Kim!
Thanks for the advice about nuts. I don’t eat lots of them, and when I do, I choose almonds, chestnuts, walnuts or flax seeds. I should try sunflower seeds; I love them sprouted.
I’ll be in Australia for one month in March. I’ll spend only 4 days in Sydney. I’m sure it’s a nice city, but I want to move around a bit. I wanted to go to the Blue Mountains already, but I hadn’t heard about the cliff walk between Coogee and Bondi beach: seems great!
As for NZ, I’ll also be there for one month. I’ll spend several days around Milford Sound, I heard it was magnificent!
Oh wow! Well I”m sure you’ll head up to Cairns. I like Perth and Broome, and Tasmania if you like to hike. :)
Yay! I’m from Perth West Australia and I have been following you all the from here! No body seems to know you here yet so I have been telling all my friends and fam about how life changing you are! I’m luck to have a best friend who is a naturopath who specializes in nutrition who is a raw veganist too! Talked hubby into buying the vitamix and he was sceptical but he loves it too now and is loving the GGS! Your an amazing inspiration. Love all the way from beautiful Perth!! Xxx
Kim
what are your thoughts on “So Delicious” brand Coconut Milk beverage – Vanilla flavored and unsweetened? This is my favorite alternative to milk. It is too good so I’m afraid it’s no good for me!
I really enjoy your blog, great info!
Leigh
Hi Leigh,
It is so funny because I picked it up the other day to look at the ingredient list. It has some preservatives, as commercial almond milk does, but it is not terrible. It is much better than soy milk for instance. Be sure to get the unsweetened kind!
why soak the nuts……
It removes the inhibitor enzymes from the outside of the nuts, and allows them to digest better in the body.
Thank you kimberly.
Hi Kim,
In regards to soaking nuts: do you have a chart for how long nuts are to be soaked? Also, after you soak the nuts are you using a dehydrator to give them a better texture? I have soaked nuts a few times, but then didn’t know what to do with them. They are kind of soggy/rubbery. I also heard after soaking them they must be stored in the refrigerator unless dehydrated or they will go rancid very quickly (and must be consumed within a few days even if stored in the fridge). What are your thoughts???
Thanks,
Ann
can a Blossoming Beauty that has Candida eat figs?
Thank you and keep up the beautiful and inspiring work
:)
I’ve been pouring through the articles on your site and all I can say is thank you! You provide such comprehensive and useful information and I absolutely love your holistic approach; the incorporation of Ayurvedic philosophy, the yoga, nutrition, beauty tips…everything is just so lovely to read.