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Beauty Foods & Secrets from Thailand

I hope you are having a fabulous week! Today I wanted to share some inspirations from here in Thailand. There is a BOUNTY of Beauty Foods and amazing Beauty Secrets that I want to share with you that I’ve been learning about. Let’s start! DSC06446 DSC05177

1. Save the Root!

First of all, you know when you buy cilantro at the market (hopefully, if you like the taste okay enough!) and throw in your GGS or salad, the first thing you do is chop off the leafy part then throw the root away? It was very interesting and surprising for me to see just the cilantro roots for sale at the Thai markets! They too use the leafy part to garnish Tom Yum and other dishes…but the root is a very potent flavoring that is used in the mortar and pestle in certain pastes, and also to flavor broth (we used the cilantro root specifically in several dishes in my cooking class!). Cilantro is a wonderful Beauty Detox Food, which has cleansing properties, and contains the minerals iron and magnesium and has anti-inflammatory properties. So the next time you buy a bunch of cilantro, save the root, clean it well and add it to the broth of your veggie soup for additional flavoring and beauty properties! DSC06308                 DSC06288   

2. Centella Asiatica/Gotu Kola

In the streets of Bangkok, I became very curious about this green juice I happened to see everywhere. Then- Aha!- I found a sign in English. It is centella asiatica juice, aka gotu kola, which is an herb that is commonly used in Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Gotu kola contains compounds that help increase collagen production, making it an amazing skin Beauty Food. It’s also great for promoting better circulation, for better glow in your pretty face and for healthy veins in your legs and around your body. After I learned about it, I started slurping it up when I came across it in the streets! You can get your own potted plants from certain growers, and try to grow your own. And your local market might even have it, as it can grow in many places. Look into it! DSC06397                     IMG_1976

 

3. Bananas- Flowers and Leaves and All!

If you look at your local Asian market, you just might be lucky enough to find banana flowers and the green banana leaves. The banana flower is the purplish-red flowers growing at the end of the long banana stem. You can find it at most of the Thai markets here- and I have seen it very regularly. One of my Thai teachers said it has been known in Thailand to be an amazing food for women- helpful in regulating hormones, alleviating period cramps and great for pregnant women.   The banana flower is rich in vitamins (such as C and A), flavonoids and amino acids. The banana flower has been used in traditional medicine to treat constipation, making it a digestive aid and a true Beauty Detox food (even just for that reason alone)!  The extracts of banana flower have antioxidant properties that prevent free radicals and help minimize cell and tissue damage. If you can find it, peel it down to the white middle, and enjoy it raw, as I have here (above), making Raw Banana Flower Salad. Chop the white parts and add to lemon or lime water immediately, to prevent browning from oxidation. Then throw in a salad with other veggies as you like (bell peppers, spring onions, etc.) and prepare with your favorite dressing–like Kim’s Classic Dressing! If you can find it, be sure to choose the fresh ones which are tight and undamaged. The outer husks should be closely overlapped each other for freshness and best taste. DSC06336 In Thailand, banana leaves are used like aluminum foil. But instead of toxic chemicals- banana leaves impart good things into your food! They are used to wrap food prior to steaming and grilling. The leaf makes an excellent platter and food served on these leaves tastes delicious- some of the flavor seeps into what you are steaming. You don’t eat the leaves, but while steaming food some of the polyphenols are imparted to the food. See if you can check out banana leaves at your local market as well! DSC06339 DSC06334 This woman is a real banana leaf-rolling expert! I would pass her a lot on the street during my daily wanderings. I need a lot of practice, but in one way I rolled them with my teacher, it was like a very tight burrito or package (below). Then we tied bamboo string around them (or you can use any kind of twine or string you like). You can steam them for about an hour- adding veggies with brown rice, or beans and brown rice, or anything you like! Check out my upcoming Youtube video for some video instructions. DSC06225 DSC06277 This is a dessert we steamed with some beans and banana- no sugar added. In Beauty Detox I always say fruit only on an empty stomach, but as I talk about in more detail in the Glowing Lean System, banana is one fruit that you can be more lenient with, because it is a starchy fruit low in water (you can’t juice a banana). It digests slower than high water-containing fruits. That’s why it pairs okay with Raw Sprouted Buckwheat Granola. It’s not perfect Beauty Food Pairing to pair with the starchy beans (which we did soak overnight), perhaps, but it’s not the absolute worse thing either. It was a nice, yummy dessert treat. I wouldn’t steam the beans with other fruits though- like mango or pineapple! IMG_1837 Here we used toothpicks to clip the corners into little containers, and steam a mushroom mixture. I need a lot of practice!! Again, if you can find some at the Asian market nearby or in a nearby city, just play with it. Keep scissors handy, and just use them to make neat squares or ovals, and see which work better for you. And again, in my next Youtube video, I am going to show part of a little video on banana leaf rolling! Stay tuned for that. 🙂 IMG_1843 DSC06163 4. Natural cutting boards! I really love how here in Asia you see a lot of just natural tree stump-type cutting boards. Remember that everything- the way you cook, your energy while cooking and what you use to cook all affect the outcome. When you are using natural, beautifying foods, you should use natural surfaces as well whenever possible. You can use one for just your fruit, and one for your other veggies, to ensure savory items like garlic don’t seep a little bit into your fruit. I try to avoid plastic cutting boards- some are safe but some may have some compounds I really don’t want to ingest! DSC06805 5. Green papaya and mangos Alongside the ripe ones, you’ll find the green varieties of papaya and mangos, which are loaded with beautifying and glow-enhancing enzymes and antioxidants. If you can find them, peel them and slice them up into a delicious, savory raw salad. Typical dressings can be based in lime juice, tamari and some fresh chili, and a dash of sweetness- perhaps from stevia, erythritol or coconut nectar. Yummy! DSC06590 6. Coconuts! I know that you know that coconuts are a certified Beauty Detox food- that I included in The Beauty Detox Foods. They have been keeping me hydrated through this ultra hot period in Thailand, and I drink 3-4 a day. But what I found very interesting from one of my teachers here, that I had not heard before, is that for hundreds of years in Thailand, pregnant women have been told to drink lots of fresh coconut water to help with a smooth delivery and to help ensure a healthy baby with “clean” skin. Coconuts have been such an important part of the dietary culture of Thailand and so many other countries in the world they really have such a range of amazing properties. You can find coconut water pretty much everywhere now- but make you choose the kinds with no added sugars and not in aluminum cans. There are lots of brands – Taste Nirvana and the Harmless Harvest brands are a few good ones. I hope you enjoyed learning some more about some of the magical Beauty Foods I’ve been learning about here in Thailand- and I hope you can seek some of them out for yourself. See you back here soon! Stay connected and write to me questions you may have. With love and gratitude, xx Kimberly

8 Comments

  1. theresa grutzeck
    theresa grutzeck on May 13, 2014 at 3:56 pm

    Hi Kimberly,

    I have both of your books and they have changed my life! I have autoimmune disease with a touch of fibromyalgia..I think. My question is, I get fevers for no apparent reason. I’ll be walking or sitting at my desk and my head gets very hot. I was wondering if you might know what this might be. Please let me know.
    Thank you and great post!!

    Reply
  2. Samantha Rodes
    Samantha Rodes on May 13, 2014 at 7:48 pm

    Hello Kimberly! The traditional culture and its wisdom that you can impart make me grateful for people like you.
    Today, I’ve been stressed, and anxious. My grandparents’ health ate in decline, and one of them has been growing increasingly pessimistic and shut out. Other things have been crowding in as well.
    But I decided to re-listen to a few of your podcasts, and they have motivated me to assess how I want to feel in love.
    For instance, my dad likes to play the news during dinner. Granted, while I do check in now in then to be aware of things, I try not to become too absorbed in it, as like my dad, it agitates me, and overall makes me more cynical and pessimistic. Having it play in the background during any meal only makes me more anxious. It also seems to dishonor the positive intentions I put into my meals.
    Today, I have decided to follow my intuition and find ways of preventing stress from overpowering and attacking my inner peace.

    Reply
  3. Katherine Chen
    Katherine Chen on May 13, 2014 at 11:34 pm

    Dear Kimberley,

    Is the erythritol a nature sweetener? Is there any side effects to our body?
    Thanks!

    Katherine

    Reply
  4. Renata
    Renata on May 14, 2014 at 2:29 am

    If there isn’t gotu kola in Poland (even seeds), should I take a suplement?

    Reply
  5. Therese
    Therese on May 14, 2014 at 4:08 am

    Hi there Kimberly
    I have been drinking a green smoothie lately and feeling a bit concerned about all the fruit that goes into it.
    For example I would mix two handfuls of spinach with two handfuls of romaine lettuce, 1 banana, 1 papaya, some pineapple, an apple, a lemon and some basil and cilantro leaves.
    The taste is so so so amazing but my stomach feels very bloated afterwards and I wonder whether so much fruit on an empty stomach in the morning is really good for my blood sugar levels.
    What’s your take on that?
    Wishing you lots of fun in Thailand.
    Thank you very much for all the great work that you do.
    Best wishes
    Therese

    Reply
    • View
      View on June 6, 2014 at 9:01 am

      I would think that’s a LOT of fruit for one serving. I think for Kimberly’s ggs, she uses wayyy more veggies. 6-7 cups of each romain and spinach, and another cup and a half of celery, and 3 servings of fruit in it. And that’s 3 servings worth in my opinion. Maybe give that a try? I get bloated when I have too much fruit too haha

      Reply
  6. Alys
    Alys on May 14, 2014 at 7:32 am

    Awesome post!
    I already have these items on my shopping list. I love learning new things from other cultures. Thanks Kimberly!

    Reply
  7. Andrew Lambert
    Andrew Lambert on May 21, 2014 at 7:52 pm

    I’ve always loved Thai Food! I remember having all Thai food on my college graduation party! Gotta love coconut milk I’m obsessed with it. Didn’t know Thai food could deliver like this! 🙂

    Reply

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