It’s here…Memorial Day which marks the beginning of summer! Very exciting and very fun, but remember that summer also marks the beginning of short shorts and sundress weather. Many of you have started your Beauty Detox, so you don’t want to get set back too far with your health and beauty goals by this weekends’ barbeques and parties.
Don’t worry, I have some easy tips for you to help keep you on track, holiday parties and all:
1. Have the watermelon first, or don’t have it at all.
One of the worst habits we have at the summer barbeque is to get loaded up with our burgers and grilled chicken and pasta salad, then bring out the watermelon at the end as a dessert. This is terrible from a digestive standpoint, as fruit digests very quickly, and if we eat it for dessert after heavier foods, it gets backed up in our system like a traffic jam. It can then ferment, leading to bloating and other digestive issues, and essentially rotting before we get many of its nutrients.
So try starting a new holiday tradition by bringing out the watermelon at the beginning of the party, before the grills are fully fired up, and you can lovingly explain why to your family and friends!
2. If you are going to eat meat, choose one type and stick with it.
Breaking down animal protein takes a lot of our digestive energy, as the animal flesh has to be broken down from complex chains of amino acids. On top of that, since it is grilled to a large extent the amino acids have become denatured as the flesh goes from pink to brown (kinda like burning your finger, as the cells are destroyed), which makes for more work for your body to break down.
Stick to one kind of animal protein rather than picking a few different kinds of meats- for example having a chicken breast, then later going for a steak. Give your poor belly a break! One type of animal protein is already enough work, but giving it a mix of different proteins takes the overload of work to the next level. Make one choice and stick with it, if you go back for seconds!
3. Or skip the meat and bring/make sure there are veggies/veggie burgers!
Portobello mushrooms anyone? Or maybe some Alkaline-Grain Veggie Burgers, the recipe in The Beauty Detox Solution! Or maybe some veggie skewers? Or try my simple salsa recipe, you’ll feel far lighter if you go the veggie route! Not your party? Bring it as your party food contribution! And bring enough to share. That way it isn’t “weird” that you’re bringing your own food just for you, like you’re on a “special” diet.
4. But if you really want do want to eat that meat, don’t eat it with the bun.
This is a classic example of my Beauty Food Pairing principle. It is better from a digestive standpoint to separate proteins and starches, as they require different digestive enzymes to digest and if we eat them together it takes a lot more energy and work to get them through the stomach. Digesting foods efficiently frees up energy and keeps them from putrefying (rotting) in the digestive tract. Burgers, chicken sandwiches and hot dogs contain both a protein and a grain, and are abysmal combos. Sorry, but they are!! Stick to something like a small piece of chicken with a lot of salad and veggies. Again if you know you’re going to have meat you might want to bring a nice salad or the veggies, so you know it’s there!
If you’re having a true veggie burger (aka no soy in it) then it can be paired with some bread, preferably a gluten-free variety!
5. Chew, chew, chew… and not while talking!
Barbeques are a popular time to wolf down food, because we’re so busy talking with our friends and laughing and having a grand old time. Well, wolfing down food leads to serious indigestion, bloating, improperly digested food, which we know leads in various forms of toxicity in the body. So sure, I want you to talk to your friends, laugh and have a grand old time, but do it in between eating! Still take little bites, and try to not talk until you’ve chewed that bite properly and swallowed it. It will help keep your digestion in check, and it will also help keep you from overly pigging out, since you’ll have to slow down, and you’ll get full with less food.
Okay, well I hope y’awll have a fabulous Memorial Day! Enjoy yourself, relax and incorporate these tips into your weekend, so you have a great time but don’t set yourself back too far with your Beauty Detox!
Love,
Kimberly
And the digestive enzymes you talk about in your book certainly can’t hurt! I am in love with them–my new favorite find!
i’m finding that everyone I know now actually appreciates it if you don’t just shove piles of charred meat at them. If you take time to make them special (instead of an afterthought), some grilled veggies (after a big salad with your basil dressing) are a big hit with our friends. We’ve been using your recipes–or adapting some of our own–for dips and sauces to make the grilled veggies more special. And we’re looking forward to more zucchini so we can grill that before making zucchini hummus with it!
Yes Morgan that’s right- digestive enzymes are very important! If you do eat meat, the digestive enzymes are a must!
That’s great you are taking the time to make special veggie food for your friends. Before, people might not have aware of those options, but when presented with them, it will resonate well!
Great job!! xx Kimberly
I’m going to Vegas this weekend, and I’m trying to be as prepared as possible. Green vibrance packets, coconut water, dried fruit, and pure bars/lara bars are coming with me! Some kale chips too. Sound good?
What do you think of air popped organic popcorn? 🙂
xo
Sounds good, but choose between either dried fruit OR 1 Lara bar a day, otherwise too much sugar! Kale chips are great.
Air popped organic popcorn is okay occasionally. Add a little coconut oil to it to make it even better!
xx Kimberly
Love the tips!thank you for the reminder of the pairing!Enjoy your weekend!
Thank you- you too!!
Day 8 and feeling GREAT!! Yes, thanks for the tips for this weekend.! And….what about the air popped organic popcorn? If popcorn is on the NO list, I may have to start going to the movies early in the mornings with my fruit!
Hi Kimberly,
My name is Chrissy, and my daughter, Catherine, and I are totally in love with your book, The Beauty Detox Solution, and passion for health from the inside out. OMG!!! There is a very special line of face and body products, Ava Anderson Non-Toxic, based out of Rhode Island -where we are from and is based on your theories of no harmful chemicals, no parabens and totally vegan!!
Please let me know your thoughts on these products. The beauty line and body/hair line are amazing and she just came out with Sunscreen this week!
Have a great day!
Chrissy
Xo
Hi Chrissy, that’s wonderful! Thanks for sharing! The cleaner we become, the more beautiful and healthy we become, from the inside-out.
I don’t know that line but I’ll keep my eye out for it. I think it is so great that more lines are making non-toxic products available fore people.
xx Kimberly
Thank you so much for the tips. I am just loving your book and seeing your tips everyday on FB/Twitter really help me move even closer to the right eating path. I am on chapter 5 of your book but have been drinking the GGS everyday now for almost a week. I am just a beginner but I am SO inspired by you. Thank you for sharing!! 🙂
HI Kristen,
That’s great! Stay connected to our community here. We are doing more live chats soon!
xx Kimberly
I just bought your book and I am loving it!!! it is perfect timing because my son is having lots of testing for stomach and digestive issues. He has lots of food sensitivities so we have been eating gluten and dairy free for years (with a recent exception the docs wanted him to have some for a stomach biopsy). I never thought of food pairing though OR the order in which we ate. I was sharing your info with the ER nurse lsat night who was a body builder. And this morning we all ate fruit first and nothing else for 20 minutes:) THank you for presenting all of this great info in a way that is easy to read and implement.
HI Kim,
That’s wonderful! The info is to help all of us. All my best to you and your son!!
Love Kimberly
Hi Kimberly,
I love your book – I just reread it for the fourth time!
I have a couple questions though:
About the glowing green smoothie and young coconut. Is it ok to make a regular green smoothie but use the young coconut water instead of plain water (this would be breakfast, I don’t drink smoothies in the day)? I know to not use the meat because it would be too much fat but just wasn’t sure about the water.
You say to eat fruit on an empty stomach so does that mean only first thing in the morning or if I haven’t eaten for 4 hours can I then have fruit again?
Another quick question about avocados – if you are eating seeds and nuts at a meal is it ok to also have avocado or is that too much fat? Also avocado is ok with “carbs” – like soba noodles?
Thanks so much!!
HI Angie,
Terrific! I can see by your questions you are a good student. 🙂
1) No I wouldn’t add coconut water. There is enough natural sugar in the fresh fruit and you don’t need the coconut water on top of that.
2) Yes if you wait you can eat it again- provided there is no Candida issue
3) Avos are okay with seeds, but not watch amounts and nuts are even more heavy, so I would be careful there. They are okay with soba noodles, but again moderate your total amount of avo and fat for the whole day.
xx Kimberly
I’ll have to travel a bit to get to my holiday destination; Can I do a GGS for breakfast *and* lunch? Love your book!! 🙂
Sure, and keep varying the greens. You can keep an avocado on hand for more heaviness too as you travel.
Also, I am doing a blog soon on a good lunch replacer smoothie!
Hi Kimberly,
Just got your book and absolutely love all the new information that I am learning each day. I have a question, I did try making the GGS but really do not like celery and was wondering if there is a substitution that will give similar benefits. The smoothie just had way too much of a celery taste and I could only drink a small amount. Thank you so much!
Hi Janis! Remember I always encourage mixing and matching the greens to suit your individual taste. Leave the celery out! Add more of other greens, or switch it up and add cucumber or kale, etc. instead. 🙂
xx Kimberly
How old should you be to go on the “beauty detox?” Or is it more of a lifestyle thing that is best for all ages? I’m thinking about buying your book, but I’m only 16, so I don’t know if it would really apply to someone who is in the middle of high school!
Hi Ginger! You can certainly read the book to give you some perspective as you enter the world of being bombarded by intense and fierce calorie counting and dieting. You don’t have to follow all the specific foods, but knowledge only empowers, it can’t hurt!
xx Kimberly
Hi Kimberly,
I love your book and have a few questions. I have been having fruit in the morning with decaf hebal tea w/ stevia. (I juice in the morning only about 2-3xs since I leave the house so early in the morning for work). Lunch is a big salad with quinoa, no snack between lunch and dinner, dinner is usually another salad with either organic eggs or fish or sweet potato. But I definitely am not feeling the “energy” that everyone talks about. How do I get there? I do workout about 3-4 xs a week (hot yoga or weights and walking on the treadmill). I would appreciate any help you can offer! Thanks in advance….
Hi Stephanie,
Well to get a lot of energy you need more greens. If you leave the house early I recommend taking a GGS with you. Salads are great, but the GGS is so much more effective. It will really make the difference. It doesn’t oxidize like the juice, so it can be taken with you.
Try it out and see what it does for your energy!
Let me know how you do
xx Kimberly
This is random and completely unrelated but I’m moving to Sydney soon and I was wondering if you knew a nutritionist that practices there? I’d love to get in touch with him/her while I’m living there! I would so, so appreciate it. Thanks so much for all you do!
Sarah
Hi Sarah, there are so many amazing health stores and food available in Sydney! I don’t recommend any nutritionists there anymore however. There’s lots of great centers there, and I recommend finding a good colon hydrotherapist as a higher priority!
xx Kimberly
Hi Kimberly! I have been wondering, how does chewing gum (sweetened with Xylitol only) after every meal affect digestion?
Chewing stimulates the digestive system, so I have never thought it is a good idea! At the Ann Wigmore Institute we were told not to.
Mints are a better option! xx Kimberly
Hi Kimberly!
I just read your book (in literally 3 days and am planning on going back and re-reading some parts) and have definitely gained a different view on the previous calorie counting, or point values that I was attributing to what I ate during the day. I’m 24 and just want to lose those stagnant 5-10 pounds but my main bottleneck is that I travel for work at least 3 days a week. Therefore, my food choices, especially in terms of making my own green smoothies are vastly limited. I was wondering if 1. VitaCoco water is an ok option, 2. if purchasing green juice at the store like Arden’s Garden brand, or NAKED, Odwalla were okay, and 3. if you have any suggestions for eating sandwiches when gluten-free bread is next to impossible to find out!
Thanks so much for the advice – I look forward to hearing from you.
🙂
Hi Jenny,
I think I wrote to you in another post– so see my reply there. VitaCoco is okay but it still has a good deal of sugar, so drink in moderation. Try a kombucha on the road as well, to make sure your probiotic levels are good. Also you can get a So Delicious coconut milk yogurt at Wholefoods. I don’t like the highly pasteurized green juices, but a powdered option like the individual packets of Green Vibrance would be better.
xx Kimberly
Great Post
I this it nice post
Hi Kimberly,
I just starting reading your book yesterday and I am about done. Great read! I know that you are not a fan of protein powder drinks, but I have one I love that is made from yellow pea protein. I also put a banana and blueberries in it. A little coffee and peanut butter as well that I know you are not a fan of and I can definitely leave out. What are your thoughts?? I know not to eat a protein with fruit, but was curious with it being yellow pea based and a powder.
Thanks a bunch!
Stacey
Eating plenty of raw fruits and vegetables is making your Body more Alkaline. Germs and Cancer Cells can’t live in an alkaline environment. That’s why cancer patients and other sick people have highly Acidic Bodies. When you eat fruits and vegetables everyday, you make your body alkaline, thus making it STRONGER AGAINST DISEASES!!!!!