It’s no wonder dieting is a billion dollar industry, with so much misinformation and confusing programs and calculations. Who wants to bring a calculator to dinner? Thankfully being slim, healthy and beautiful is much easier then we have been led to believe. Here are 8 myths busted that will help you achieve your health and beauty goals and Diet Myths They Don’t Want You To Know: Part 1.
1. “Carbs are bad”:
Many people try to severely limit their consumption of carbohydrates. This is probably because there’s so much talk about “low carb” diets. This concept can be very misleading. It’s not about limiting carbohydrates altogether, but instead, it’s important to choose the right ones. It’s important to choose complex, unrefined carbohydrates because they are high in fiber, keeping you fuller longer. Try eating quinoa, millet, natural oats, soba noodles and buckwheat. Stay away from simple, refined carbohydrates like white bread, pastries, crackers and white rice. They cause a spike in sugar levels in the body, and inflammation that can lead to premature aging and wrinkles. I also advise my clients to avoid wheat, as many of us are sensitive to the protein in wheat, called gluten, and don’t even know it. Wheat is also a highly pesticide-sprayed and hybridized crop. Avoiding wheat (along with rye and barley) helps us avoid processed foods, and naturally limit unfavorable carb choices.
2. “All fats are fattening”:
While it is true that fats should be limited in our diets, there are some natural sources of fat that serve important functions in the body. There are many different types of fats: saturated fats, unsaturated fats and trans-fatty acids. We want to try to eat unsaturated, “heart healthy” fats. These healthy fats are found in avocados, nuts, seeds, nuts and natural plant oils. There are many beauty benefits to unsaturated fats. They make our hair and skin more beautiful and also help lubricate joints and strengthen cell membranes. There are some good saturated fats as well. Coconut oil is an example. It is a cholesterol-free saturated fat made from medium chain fatty acids that nourish the thyroid and can help us burn stored body fat. It is my favorite oil to cook with, due to its high smoke point.
3. “Yogurt is a health food”:
Yogurt is widely understood to be a diet food that can help you lose weight, however this is not the case. I tell all my clients that dairy should be avoided at all costs. Many people talk about lactose intolerance, and the inability to break down the milk sugars because of a lack of the proper enzymes.
But dairy also contains a dangerous protein called casein, which has been found to promote many diseases. As a reference for this check out The China Study, which is the longest running study in medical history. It is also interesting to note that in countries where little dairy is consumed there is also virtually no osteoporosis.
Dairy is extremely acid-forming and leaches alkaline minerals like calcium out of our bodies. We can get calcium from many plant sources. In general, dairy is very hard for us to break down and it creates mucus in the body, and we don’t want that!
A clogged body can not express its full beauty potential. I am a huge proponent of probiotics, but the healthy bacteria found in yogurt can also be found in other natural food sources, such as Probiotic & Enzyme salad.
4. “It’s best to eat a big breakfast right when you wake up”:
Many believe that when dieting, you need to have a solid, filling meal within 20 minutes of waking up. It’s believed this way you will be satiated throughout the day. However, this is not the most efficient way to eat. In order to keep foods moving through the body, its best to eat the lightest foods first, and save the heavier foods for later.
Otherwise, we get dragged down by digestion and have to contend with needing more caffeine and additional snacks later. Digestion takes an enormous amount of energy. Having a heavy breakfast is like starting the day with a brick tied on- it drags us down.
It is true we need nutrients in the morning, which is why the Glowing Green Smoothie is the best thing to have in the morning. It is blended, so our bodies don’t waste energy on absorbing the nutrients, and we get a whopping dose of vitamins, minerals, fiber and other important phytonutrients.
5. “Fruit is the healthiest dessert choice”:
I cannot stress enough how important it is to eat fruit on an empty stomach. This is one of the biggest misconceptions I see. Fruit is known to be rich in key vitamins and minerals, however most people don’t realize the importance of when we consume fruits.
I urge everyone NOT to eat fruit after a solid meal because it will lead to a digestive disaster! The reason is because fruit digests extremely quickly.
So when you eat fruit after concentrated foods, it gets held up, you get bloated and the nutrients will aren’t be absorbed as efficiently. So remember, always eat your fruit, but eat them on an empty stomach!
6. “Counting Calories is the best way to lose weight”:
Many people believe you have to count every single calorie you consume in order to stay slim. That’s not the case if you learn to make smart, healthy choices. Calorie counting is actually a modern invention created by the “diet industry.”
I do not believe in tightly monitoring your diet in this way, because it tends to be highly restrictive. When you count calories, you tend to shift from focusing on nutrient-rich, quality foods to foods that are low-calorie and possibly highly processed.
If you eat a fiber-filled, plant-based diet that is centered on greens, along with fresh fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts and healthy whole grains, you will feel satisfied, energetic and the best part is that you won’t have to obsess over calories!
7. “Diet soda is okay because it has zero calories”:
We all know that soda is loaded with sugar, but many people think its okay to drink diet because it has zero calories. It’s not just the calories that are the problem. Soda contains tons of chemicals that are acid-forming.
Not to mention it has no nutritional value. Drinking diet and regular sodas on a regular basis can demineralize our teeth and eat up minerals in the body. Even though its called “diet,” it’s not a beauty food, and it will not help you lose weight! For more scary info on Coke Zero, check this out.
Diet soda is okay because it has zero calories:
8. “You have to be perfect 100% of the time”:
When trying to lose weight, there are a lot of guidelines to follow and you may have to make some seemingly drastic changes to the way you’re used to eating. These changes can be hard to adjust to for many, so I recommend transitioning into your Beauty Detox Solution.
That means you can treat yourself to an occasional splurge while you are still getting used to your new health plan. If you have a strong urge for a piece of chocolate, you can give yourself a little bit.
If you love cheese and need it one day, have some goat’s cheese, which digests much better. There are also plenty of good desserts that will align with any diet you follow!
Everyone’s body is different, and if you feel you need some fish or other animal protein in your diet that is fine. You don’t have to be a full vegan or vegetarian to follow the Beauty Detox, though you do have to incorporate a much higher amount of plant foods.
The most important thing is not to feel overcome with guilt for slipping up. Just get right back on track with your proper Beauty Food Pairings and GGS!
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Great post and great tips! I got a bit off track this weekend when I was visiting family and mistakenly thought there would be green salad to eat. I should have brought a GGS to go or some carrot and celery sticks just in case but I didn’t…but I got right back on track yesterday and today and actually found myself craving my salads…
GREAT! It shows that our cravings really do change over time. I used to crave french fries and cheese, but now the smell of cheese makes me want to barf. 🙂
Hi Kimberly,
I am going to purchase your book today.
I am over 40 and want to treat myself a little better by eating right and am excited by the notion of glowing skin, feeling better, and overall looking better.
This was awesome! I’m making my boyfriend read this because he’s constantly telling me that in order to lose weight he needs to do all the things above that you’ve mentioned. Love it! keep em’ comin Kim!
Well the reason it thinks that is because that info is always told to us… And guess what? Our nation is full of chronic dieters and plagued with obesity! Go figure.
Always with amazing advice.Thank you!
Thanks Carmen!
This all in your book! But, I don’t understand why people ever think soda is healthy. I am not going to lie I love carbs, but I eat organic multigrain toast, I hope that good. Beside pasta these only two carbs I consume. My father I tell him everyday that fruit is bad to eat last, but his been doing that all his life. Thank you for always sharing Kim!
You should try quinoa pasta! It is much healthier. 🙂
Thanks Kim! This is so helpful and simply put!
You’re welcome! I hope it reinforces that it doesn’t have to be this big, complex battle every day to look our best. Sure we may have to transition, but we need not resort to charts and formulas every time we think about eating!
Hi Kim,
I love how brutally honest you are!! I too have believed so many of these “myths” and have still ended up not losing weight or just not feeling as great as I want to. I’ve started noticing too how different foods make me feel and then I stumbled upon your smoothie recipe then read your book. I’ve been doing the Green Smoothie for 5 days now and can’t believe the difference I feel. Definitely more energy and less headaches which I seem to get frequently! I do have a question though. I was already on a probiotic supplement and it says to only take it once a day. Is it okay to go ahead and take it twice a day?? Thx again!!
Hi Jackie, that’s fantastic!
Every probiotic supplement brand is different so stay on yours twice a day if that’s what it calls for!
xx Kimberly
Myths 3 & 4 are the ones that were holding me back – for the past couple of years my big breakfast included yogurt. How’s that for combining two bad ideas?
Since I stopped eating dairy my health & wellbeing have done a complete 180 turn. WOW. It used to be hard for me to run 5 miles without feeling broken down, but now I can do 7 a day, no problem.
Got milk? NO WAY!
Thanks Kim!
Julie, I LOVE IT!!!!!!!! 🙂
We should start a no-dairy fitness club!
Awesome tips! I really needed this reminder. We are plagued daily with ‘wrong’ messages on how to eat healthy and this puts things right back into perspective. Thanks Kim.
Glad you liked it Joy! We need to stay strong against the bombardment of these messages we get- after all the large majority of people that adhere to those messages aren’t getting the excellent results we want and deserve, are they?
Love, Kimberly
Thank you for this. I have been trying to explain this to my friends and now I can forward this to them. Very well done.
Fantastic! I know, sometimes a third party is easier to explain. 🙂
Hey Kimberly-
Can you let me know your thoughts on AFA products? I was thinking of adding E3AFA capsules to my diet but I need a bit more of an education on this “water plant”. Your opinion is greatly appreciated. xxo from Dubai
Hi C, AFA stands for Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, aka blue-green algae. A common source for it to be harvested is from Klamath Lake, which is far from pollution and industrialization. It is great source of nutrients like essential fatty acids, active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, proteins, complex sugars, and phytonutrients. It can be very energizing. I’m fan of algae, and I take chlorella tablets when I’m in a pinch, check out my blog on that as well. xx Kimberly
Hello, i have been reading your blog for a while now-great work! i have one question pretaining to eating fruit on an empty stomach that has always bothered me- can we eat it after the GGS? Say we drink the GGS for bfast, then have solid fruit for lunch- is it okay? because if we should drink the smoothie for bfast, but we should only eat fruit on an empty stomach, i dont see how that works- i love eating solid fruit and dont want to only have it blended. also if i eat fruit for bfast and have a smoothie for lunch- is that okay too? thanks! hope to get a reply!
Hi Lalena,
Yes, if you look back on the Radiant Beauty phase in the book I mention how after having the GGS you can have solid fruit. The GGS passes through the stomach in probably about an hour, or a bit more or less, but there is fruit in the GGS, as the greens combine well with fruit (except melon). So you can have the fruit firs, then the GGS for lunch, or the GGS first, then the fruit like you said. 🙂
Hi Kim!
I make my morning lemon water by using a teapot (the book says to use HOT water). Am I killing the lemon’s enzymes by using boiling water?
I’ve been doing it this way for a while and now I’m wondering if I have been getting all of the beauty benefits out of the lemon’s juice!
Thank you Kim!
Peace and carrots,
Katy
Carrots! Interesting. 🙂
The water shouldn’t be boiling when you put the lemon in. It should be warm-hot, but you should be able to put your finger in it. You are right, we don’t want to boil and destroy all the nutrients in the lemon.
xx Kimberly
Hi Kim
I have read your book already and some part even twice. It is on my cupboard alwys:-)
I have question about tempeh, what do you think about it? I mean I do not want to loose weight actually I need gain about 5-10 pounds but I want to do it with clear healthy food. I was in radiant beauty I love it but I start to loose weight so I need to add more food even for lunch and dinner too. I know you do not advocate soy products I do not eat them, but want a little extra protein and like tempeh. I eat grains and salad for lunch and want to eat some more protein in dinner. I drink hemp protein powder or sproted rice one but want more option. Thank you so much for advice
Hey Michaela, look back on the soy section…tempeh is okay b/c it is a fermented soy product, which deactivates some of the harmful properties. I eat it sometimes myself!
I know I have read it carefullz, just did not know how often can I eat to continue detox, I mean the healthy amount. once a week? I am glad that you write you eat it too:-)
Hi,
Can you tell me which Asian green vegetables can be eaten raw? Can Amaranth Leaves (aka chinese spinach) be consumed raw? Thank you.
I find it bitter when consumed raw, so I always steam or saute lightly. I like bok choy raw though- I make salads out of it or put it in my GGS sometimes. It is a great source of calcium.
I just finished reading your book and absolutely loved it! However I have a latex food allergy so I cannot eat avacados, bananas and all the other latex foods, also I am allergic to some nuts as well, so I would like to know what I should replace these foods with or just leave them out? I cannot wait to start the detox because I have been dealing with bad acne for only the the past year along with other bowel issues, so please help!
HI April! Just leave the banana out of the GGS and proceed. You can leave out the nuts too, and try the healthy whole grains like quinoa and millet, and you can include beans and legumes for minerals, and if you can handle seeds then chia, flax and hemp are important for essential fatty acids. Yay for you!
Hi Kimberly,
You are so full of wonderful information, your book was a revealtion. i am implimenting everything that you recommend in your book, but I have a question about the enzyme salad. Do the veggie in it need to be organic? I am on a budget, and I know that we should buy organic veggies that are on the “dirty dozen” list, but cabbage is on the “clean fifteen”. What is your take? Thank you so much, I love your blog!
Great article! I agree with no milk but I’m a huge fan of kefir(milk kefir), should I avoid it also?
Hi Kimberly,
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog AND your book!! I found out I was pregnant about a month ago, and am really having a hard time adjusting in terms of nutrition, eating enough, and most of all eating what is best for the baby with all this nausea. Do you have any advice for your preggy fans???
I eat paleo plus some grassfed heavy cream and a little cheese, and I think I need to cut the dairy 🙁 I feel immensely better (I have alleged “IBS”) since cutting grains & legumes but am still having some lingering gut issues, sinus stuff, etc. I’ve been reading your site for awhile and ended up going in a different direction but you got me interested in real food and using food to heal myself, so a big thank you is in order! 🙂
Hi- Just curious – I followed Fit For Life in the 90s, and it was based on Natural Hygiene. How is your program different from theirs? Good stuff, just curious what’s different. Thx!
Kim,
I just started getting into your book and way of life. I find it facinating, but I am also very nervous. I am always looking to eat healthier and live healthier, but I truly enjoy steak, fish, and eggs. I can easily live without all other meat and animal products. What would your suggestion be on how much/often I could incorporate these items into this new way of healthy living? Or do I need to learn to live without them if I want this lifestyle to work for me and stick with me? Thanks for your input!
I know you recommend avoiding wheat. Does that mean we should stay away from sprouted bread?
Hello, I have a question. I read your book and I was wondering, I was eating a lot of fruit and no protein and my naturalpath said that the reason why i felt so tired and worn out was because I wasn’t eating enough protein. Im just wondering what your thoughts on this was?
Hi Kimberly,
I read your book and you have opened up my eyes so much. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything I’ve learned from you and my goal in life is to e like you 🙂 I have always been a healthy eater…Only eat fish and tons of veggies. I do have two daughters, 1 and 5. I’ve brought them up to eat only healthy foods. I did not know about the dairy issue and since reading your book I have cut it out of my diet. I used to eat lots of plain greek yogurt. To get to my point here……… I’ve always been told to give your little ones WHOLE MILK so I’ve brought them up on organic whole milk. Now that I see dairy in a whole different way, I don’t know what to do for my children because I don’t want them lacking anything needed for them to grow. I’m so confused on what to do. Please help!
Thank you for everything.
Hi kimberly,
I love quinoa pasta (my favorite is the brand in the green box) and
don’t eat wheat much.
But I occasionally eat a small piece of multigrain bread.
I don’t take dairy and I know you don’t recommend soy based spreads so I eat it with sliced avocado etc.
But I’m wondering if you can recommend any other butter alternatives that I can keep in the fridge. Any recommendations/suggestions?
I would greatly appreciate it.
Great tips
Hey Kimberly,
Thankfully most of these tips I already follow since I became vegan about 8months ago and I’m so confused how much and when to eat fruit. Is it okay like 2 hours after a somewhat heavy meal???? Thanks for the great tips!!
Kimberly,
I have been counting calories for a year now, and I want to continue to maintain my weight, and possibly do it in a way that forms better habits WITHOUT having to count calories. But I feel stuck on counting calories and can’t seem to stop myself! I do it in my head without even thinking it and get bummed out when I “go over” my limit. I want to be better, but that little notebook still goes where ever I do, and when I don’t log down those numbers, I seem to gain weight! 🙁
Any ideas?
Hi Kimberly, I just started the beauty detox regiment and was wondering if I can still have a cup of coffee in the morning….after my glowing smoothie….
I feel the urge to point out that fruit was not mentioned when it came to carbs.
I have been vegan for almost 2 years. I battled my weight for over 45 years.
Since becoming vegan – I am feeling More Peaceful in my being – (ahimsa – no harm to
any creature – bonus — peacefulness because I feel better knowing this- automatic bonus
included with – easier weight loss.)
Since giving up dairy and meat – my choices are – pretty much eat what I want
and the weight is – not perfect ( i still enjoy too many nuts and avocados) but – I Never
count calories – I never restrict my food choices, and I feel Soo much better.
Thanks Kimberly for all your great tips and support.