Losing weight is all about making smart decisions. There is no trick or secret formula to being slim and healthy. It’s simply about making smart eating choices and staying active. I understand that making long-term changes to your diet can seem daunting. That’s why I wrote today’s blog; show you how easy it is to make simple swaps in your diet to improve your health and help you lose weight. The idea of completely giving up that comforting cup of coffee, or bowl of pasta seems impossible for many, but when you have equally delicious replacements, you’ll be just as happy. Not to mention, you will look beautiful and feel amazing!
Lets start with one of the most standard American side dishes – mashed potatoes. This one can easily be swapped out with pureed cauliflower. Potatoes are not the worst choice, but they are very starchy, and when prepared with milk, cream, butter and lots of salt, it can be a diet nightmare! Instead, puree vitamin-rich cauliflower, and add some almond milk for creaminess, and maybe a few sprinkles of sea salt for flavor. Try my Raw Mashed Potato recipe.
Refined carbohydrates are difficult for people to say goodbye to as well. But this is probably the easiest food group to substitute. There are so many great gluten-free replacements for bread, pasta and even pastries. Gluten, the protein in wheat, is difficult for many to digest, which leads to weight gain, and is a weak, highly pesticide-sprayed crop. There are so many other better grain choices. My favorite substitute for white or wheat pasta is quinoa pasta. It tastes great, plus its got way more fiber and protein than standard noodles. Brown rice pasta is okay too. Of course, I also recommend eating gluten-free sprouted bread and crackers instead of wheat or whole grain. Many health food stores also sell gluten and sugar-free cookies and pastries as well. Just make sure to look out for what type of sweetener is used. If a product contains agave, I put it down and advise you do to the same. Stevia, xylitol and even natural honey are better choices than agave, which is almost entirely fructose. Consuming fructose is an easy way to pile on pounds, even if can be low glycemic.
If you have that intense urge for a candy bar, instead of grabbing a heavily processed version, try to stick to organic dark chocolate. Its minimally processed and dark chocolate is filled with antioxidants. Just make sure to limit yourself to about an ounce- it still contains sugar and caffeine. Speaking of sweet treats, when you’re craving candy, try to resist the urge to eat the packaged candies at the store. That sweet urge can easily be substituted with fresh berries, especially during the summer. You will be just as satisfied eating ripe blueberries, raspberries or strawberries instead of a bag of candy. Or one of my all time faves, which is in season right now- figs! Be sure to eat on an empty stomach.
The oil you cook with is also extremely important. Just be switching to coconut oil for all your cooking uses, you can lose weight. Why? Coconut oil is made up of medium chain fatty acids which are metabolized differently than other oils. Rather than packaged into lipoproteins and carried through the bloodstream, they are sent right to the liver and converted into energy rather than stored as body fat. The slight “coconuty” taste can easily be covered with garlic or whatever you are cooking with. The worst oils of all to cook with are vegetable oils, which include canola, corn and soy oils. These get rancid with heat, and will make you fat.
Once you break out of your everyday mold and make these simple swaps, you will feel so good, and you’ll never miss your old habits. Losing weight and staying slim is not about cracking some secret code or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Instead it’s about making conscious decisions, and eating foods that you enjoy, and make you feel satisfied. So many people are trying to lose weight by eating diet foods, diet sodas and low calorie, low carb foods. Those items may have zero calories, but they are filled with chemicals and toxins that will not make you feel good inside and out. They will diminish your natural beauty because they are not natural. Eating simple, natural foods is the best way to find the healthiest, most beautiful version of yourself. I have many more easy swap ideas to share. Check back later this week for more foods that help burn fat!
I’m going to pass this post on to all my friends who don’t know where to start! 🙂
I was wondering what specific supplements you’d recommend for healthy/faster growing hair and nails. I’m a three-year vegan and already on your Radiant Beauty plan, so I know I’m on the right track, but I have naturally slow-growing hair that damages fairly easily and I want to grow it out. What do you think about MSM or oil supplements like evening primrose or borage oil? Thanks, Kim!
Check out my blogs on hair!
when i click on your “Raw Mashed Potatoes” recipe it shows the page not found. I would love this recipe for myself as a healthy side and for my husband who is diabetic!
Stephanie,
You’ll find the recipe for Raw Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes” on Kim’s
Sunday, February 21st, 2010 entry. Do a search for Raw Mashed Potatoes, and it should come up. Looks fairly simple to make, but I’ll probably leave out the pine nuts since I can’t easily find them.
I fixed the link!
I don’t need to lose weight, but maybe that’s because I make these sorts of swaps without thinking about it. My favorite is to substitute something green and leafy for grains. Romaine lettuce, endive, or celery instead of chips or crackers. Chard or Boston lettuce or nori sheets instead of bread or tortilla wrap. It’s not even the weight gain that I’m worried about – grains make me feel sluggish, and icky. Greens digest so beautifully. And I just feel better after a lighter vs. a heavier meal.
Those are good swaps. Healthy grains, like quinoa for instance, which builds protein in the body is also important. I don’t feel as heavy sometimes when I have quinoa, versus eating lots of nuts for instance when I used to eat all raw.
Who manufactures sprouted gluten free bread? Thanks!
I have the same question. Finally I ended up making my own and it was wonderful, but I would like to know this as well.
Actually the bread I made had sprouted millet, amaranth, quinoa, coconut flour, mashed sweet potatoes, coconut oil, sea salt, and cinnamon. I just made it up myself, and it tasted like pumpkin bread. Very rich – a tiny slice as my starch at dinner. It would be nice to find REAL sprouted millet bread, though. Thanks, Kim.
http://www.foodforlife.com/product-catalog/gluten-free-wheat-free-breads/gluten-free
You can find it at Whole Foods or most health food stores in the freezer section 🙂
In your book, you mention a section on Candidasias – so, does this mean someone affected by candida & following the Blossoming Beauty regimen should not make your glowing green smoothie (seeing as though it contains fruits that should be avoided)
-Veronica
Yes- in the meal section you’ll see Raw Rolled Oat cereal and other options for Blossoming Beauty breakfasts. The other option is to make the GGS with all veggies and add stevia!
Speaking of Candidasias…….what does it mean if yeast was found during my colonic? Should I be worried?
Thanks, Cheryl
Hey Kim! Just want to let you know that I LOVE your book. I’m a baby when it comes to holistic health, but you’re helping me learn! I wanted to ask you: why hot water with lemon? (Would cold/room temp water do the trick?) Also, I went for my very first colonic today and the specialist asked me about your green smoothie. I mentioned the ingredients and she said I shouldn’t combine veggies with fruit…I didn’t know what to say in response! Can you help at all?
Sure you can tell her that those that pioneered and researched food combining- namely Herbert Shelton and Dr. Ann Wigmore, found that non-starch, green vegetables combine beautifully with fruit (with the exception of melon). All classic food combining books discuss this.
She is misinformed if she lumps all vegetables in a blanket “veggie” category. There are starchy, non-starch, non-starchy/leafy green, sprouts, etc.
There are so many good colon hydrotherapists but I’ve come across many that are super misinformed and actually do more harm than good. If you live in the NY area I can recommend an amazing one!
Thanks, Kim! Wish I did live in the NY area – I’m in Calgary instead! Take care.
i’ve made the recipe from your book for baked sweet potatoes with coconut oil, and they are addictingly good. i’ve actually tried out 3 recipes from your book for my blog! thanks for sharing so much information, kimberly. 🙂
That’s great Hanna! Coconut oil is truly an amazing product.
Coconut oil has long been a favorite…great for cooking, great for baking (for my husband and friends!), great for hair, and the BEST for skin! Even helps my dogs’ coats (I add it to their food); a true wonder.
Hi Kimberly, thanks for this. I bought your book and it’s great but I was wondering if you had any specific advice for those concerned with PCOS? I know it is very common and a post about the subject would benefit many. Take care and thank you!
Hi Kim!
I was wondering if DRIED fruit followed the same ordinary fruit rules as they are no longer water-containing fruit….i saw them in own of your older posted recipes using almond butter on celery topped with raisins or dried goji berries… confused 🙁
Thanks!!
Hey Kim! I absolutely love my green smoothie, but I admit, I only use some of the ingredients you suggest. My blender is not a VitaMix and when I tried to use romaine it was just way too chunky.
Here are my ingredients:
1 Cup Water
2 Compact Cups of Spinach
1 De-cored Apple
1 Banana
Lime
What can you suggest that I can add to make it even more nutritious that doesn’t contain hard to blend fibers like romaine and celery?
Thank you KIm!
PS I made your Cacao Truffles and they were awesome! So fun and delicious! Thank you =)
Nicole – Have you tried chopping the lettuce really good and blending the water, spinach and lettuce first before adding the rest of the ingredients
I don’t have a VitaMix either but use a plain blender don’t have trouble with any of the leafy greens. I start with water, and then add the romaine about one quarter of a cup at a time for the first bit…they add more and more. Once its blended and i add the other ingredients I put the blender on high for a few minutes and that takes care of the chunky problem.
Hi Kim,
I just finished reading your book and LOVED it! I’ve lost half a pound a day in the last week that I’ve been following your Radiant Beauty phase, and I wasn’t overweight to begin with!
I am confused about one topic – nuts. When can I eat them and what can I combine them with? Since protein and starch should not be combined, it seems like they can only be eaten with vegetables. Yet, there are a few dinners in your book that include a nut pate and cooked sweet potatoes. I would like to add some soaked nuts to a salad at dinner, then follow that with either a cooked grain or sweet potato – is this allowed?
Thanks so much for your inspiring and exciting work!
Jessica
Your food swaps are far more appealing than that other stuff. Another wonderful post.
I read your book and am in the blossoming beauty stage but I have found that every time I take the magnesium-oxygen supplement at night the next day I get sharp pains in my stomach around 5:00pm the next day. Is this normal? I have the powdered supplement because that is all I could find and I lowered the amount I took to 1/2 teaspooon and still had trouble with it.
Hi Kim,
I have been enjoying the Glowing Green Juice for a few weeks now since reading your book. It’s absolutely delicious 🙂 I would love to start making the smoothie as well, however my blender is not the best. Is there a blender you would recommend that works well…but that is also affordable? (Until I can save up for a Vitamix, that is.)
Thanks for your help!
Amanda
Hi Amanda,
I bought an Oster blender at Target…works fine. Just make sure to follow the recipe directions by blending the specified ingredients with water first before adding everything else.
Enjoy!
Hi Kimberly,
Your book is lovely and im starting to understand the eating light phase.My moms also following it.
Its been 2 weeks im on the green smoothie and i still am very lightheaded and dizzy the whole morning and sleepy.The smoothie is supposed to keep me energized right? So whats happening ? Im 5 feet in height and my weight was 107lb which was good but now since im following beauty detox my weight is 102lb. Is that normal.will my weight stop reducing ? I dont want it to reduce. People think im starving myself
Hi Kim!
I’m confused about combining fruit and avocado. I thought this was a big no, but then I saw your Papaya Enzyme Salad recipe from a year ago. What’s the rule?
If the answer is no, then are bananas different, since they’re starchier? Can I add a banana to the rainforest smoothie?
Thanks so much!
Jessica
I just moved to Italy and I am having a very hard time finding stores that sell vitamins and breads that are gluten free. I can’t even manage to get google to help me find this stuff. And I have no idea how I will find sprouts of any kind. I am not sure they have “health food” stores. I know they have farmers markets, but I have not gotten familiar with where they are yet. Any help would be great. Even google key words that work here would be awesome. Health food stores just brings up wine stores here.
Kimberly do you have any advice on portion sizes? I feel like i’m eating more on some days and it may hurt my chances to put off weight.
Thanks so much!
Kristen
Kimberly – I got your book last week. LOVE IT! I have been following your program for week and I feel so much better and satisfied from the food I am eating. I drop 4 pds as well!
One thing that was hard to give up was my coffee. What are your thoughts on red tea? I have already suggested your book to 4 friends. I am actually making my book club read it and the next gathering everyone has to bring one of your receipes!
Thank you so much!
Lang
I love reading these articles. They are very good and give me very much information.
Hi, I’m pretty sure I’ve read it somewhere on here but I can’t remember where–What brand of coconut oil do you like? Thanks!
Lately I’ve been using Dr. Bronner’s 🙂
This is one of the best articles I have read on substitutions in a long time. Your recipes are simple and doable. My only issue is living in an area where we don’t have a Whole Foods or the like. Do you know of a reliable site I can order from?
Wow, fantastic weblog layout! How lengthy have you been running a blog for? you made running a blog glance easy. The overall look of your website is great, let alone the content!
Thank you! The blog came first, then the website followed suit.
Hy Kimberly!
I live in Austria and I’m in the Blossoming Beauty Phase for 1 Week now. I’m not perfect all the time – I didn’t loose weight so far (i controlled my weight today). But I really thought that I look slimmer (especially my belly). Maybe it’s because I have this big problem with giving up sweets.
As I live in Austria some of the products you are mentioning in your book are very hard to find – I order a lot via the Internet.
I started to change my dieat because of my skin problems and the problems with my digestion. Both are really better now and I have a lot more energy during the day. “sweets craving” just happens in the evening. And I really try to avoid any kind of chocolate or other things.
I really want to loose some pounds – and I try my best.
I love your book and I am a diaetitian (or clinical nutritionist), too. But the Austrian dieat is not really healthy at all.
Lots of love and greetings from Austria!
Simone
Kimberly,
What do you recommend I use for our family in place of butter? Or should I just use butter. I usually use Brummel and Brown. The kids like it, and it spreads easily.
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Hey Kim,
can i use coconut butter instead of coconut oil for the sweet potatoes?
Thanks,
Veronica
Kim,
In most of your articles you don’t mention coconut milk as a milk substitue..is there a reason why, or do you just prefer almond and hemp?
I can not seem to find plain gluten-free sprouted millet bread anywhere any health food store suggestions as to where? thanks! 🙂
Is ANYONE able to tell me where to find sprouted millet bread, want to start this diet and can’t fine the bread, have searched everywhere!!
Kim:
Wanted to cogratulate you on your awesome book and this blog! I started this week and i began on phase 1.
I was able to find almost everything at stores and online. My question is.. I bought Brown rice spinach noodles.. wheat free and gluten free and they tasted amazing!! they tasted so great i felt it was too good to be true.. so is this allowed on phase 1?? The spaghetti I bought before tasted the same as these so it is hard to believe these were so good.. please let me know if they are good to use.. ty.The brand i used was Tinkyada spinach spaghetti style. It states ingredients Stone ground brown rice, spinach powder and water.
A low-carb diet limits carbohydrates — such as grains, starchy vegetables and fruit — and emphasizes dietary protein and fat. Many types of low-carb diets exist, each with varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates you can eat.*`””
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