How The Beauty Detox Lifestyle Transformed Matt’s Outlook On Life!

This week it seems that we all have been settling back into our normal routines and hitting the ground running into 2015! I hope my blog last week helped give you some insight on how to structure your goals for 2015 for success!

Today I wanted to share Matt’s amazing story! I was deeply touched when Matt reached out that he wanted to share his story with everyone in the Beauty Detox Community. Matt explains his journey being a teenage boy following the Beauty Detox program, and his struggles before stumbling upon The Beauty Detox Solution at an airport bookstore. Matt talks about how he was overweight, covered in acne and flaky skin, addicted to sugar and caffeine and suffering from a slew of stomach and health problems like poor digestion and allergies before adapting the Beauty Detox Lifestyle!!

Matt I REALLY applaud you and am cheering you on, because we ALL know how hard it is to be a teenager/starting college! And try to be healthy and fit in at the same time…I am so proud of you! Go Matt go!

Let’s hear more from Matt…

How long have you been following the Beauty Detox philosophy? Was it easy to incorporate it into your lifestyle?

I’ve been following the philosophy for about two years now. At first, it was apprehensive about incorporating all the BDS principles into my daily lifestyle because, though many of the rules made sense, they seemed unusual and foreign to me. However, once I finally decided to embrace The Beauty Detox philosophy entirely and switch to a mostly plant-based, natural diet, I became so much healthier and happier than I ever thought possible. Then, I was faced with two major challenges. The first challenge was maintaining the lifestyle and my social life at the same time. My friends were constantly joking about the “strange” foods I was eating and making a scene when I didn’t give into late night pizza orders and frequent visits to local drive-throughs, and I can’t blame them. A teenaged boy drinking green smoothies every morning and only eating meat once in a while is not something most people are used to.

However, I found that once you stop worrying about what other people think of your lifestyle, and just focus on living the way you want to, you start to care less about what others think. Now, I joke along with my friends, and if people comment on what I’m eating I just agree that it’s a little unusual and laugh it off. Everyone is entitled to voice their opinions about what is and isn’t “normal.” For me, deciding that I wanted to do what I thought best for me and not what others thought was best for me made a world of difference when embracing Beauty Detox Lifestyle. Then a new challenge arose: College. Having to live in a closet- sized dorm room with only a desk, a bed, a mini fridge and a complete stranger made me nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to maintain the healthy lifestyle I was so proud to have created for myself.

Luckily, the books, the blog, Kimberly’s Youtube channel and the BDS community showed me that with a little determination and creativity, adhering to a healthy lifestyle is possible in nearly any location or living situation. Though I go to parties and occasionally indulge in foods and drinks that aren’t ideal, I found that my diet is even healthier and more nutritious than before I left.

What is your daily regimen? Give us an example of a typical meal plan and exercise routines.

I usually start every morning with warm lemon water followed by a probiotic and a blender full of the Glowing Green Smoothie. I either make my GGS that morning or the night before depending on how busy I am that day. Sometimes if I go out to into the city for breakfast I get a large freshly made green juice before eating anything else.

I also have “emergency” bottled green juices in my fridge that I grab if I sleep through my alarm for morning classes (or smack the snooze button ten thousand times and go back to sleep). After I’m done sipping on my smoothie I either go to the gym or class depending on my schedule for that day. If I go to the gym I usually have a digestive enzyme and a more protein rich lunch like The Power Protein Smoothie, The Spirulina Power Protein Smoothie or Endurance Protein Bars. If I have class around when I normally eat lunch then I usually have a digestive enzyme and a quick, nutrient-dense meal like Avocado Toast, The Raw Gorilla Tacos or Dharma’s Kale Salad.

Then I go about my day, do my work, hang out with friends or maybe even meditate or nap if I’m not too busy. Then mid afternoon, after lunch has digested, I’ll usually have some leftover GGS, Energy in a Spoon or Banana “ice cream” depending on what I have around.

After my afternoon snack, if it’s nice out, I’ll usually go for a run or a hike before I meet my friends for dinner. When I get back from my run, I go to the dining hall to meet my friends and usually load up at the salad bar and fill my plate with any plain steamed vegetables they are serving that evening. Then after I’m done eating and hanging out with my friends I usually head back to my dorm and have a more hearty meal like Quinoa “Fried Rice”, Twice Baked Sweet potatoes, Some kind of vegetable-based soup with quinoa or a (properly combined) mix of whatever leftover BDS food I have in my fridge.

I usually make a lot of meals and cut up vegetables on Sunday so I always have different healthy options on hand that I can quickly eat if I’m not in the mood to cook that day. Then, if it’s a week day I’ll usually relax in my room with friends, watch a movie or read. If I’m in the mood for dessert i’ll have a few pieces of organic dark chocolate or some raw cacao truffles. When I decide it’s time for bed i’ll have some herbal tea with lemon or warm Vanilla Latte before drifting off to sleep. If it’s a weekend and I go to a party or into the city I usually come home and fall right asleep before I really have time to think about any night time snacks.

 How do you feel after adopting the Beauty Detox lifestyle? What changes have you experienced?

After adopting the Beauty Detox lifestyle I look and feel immensely happier and healthier than I did before I started. Two years ago, before stumbling upon The Beauty Detox Solution at an airport bookstore, I was overweight, covered in acne and flaky skin, addicted to sugar and caffeine and suffering from a slew of stomach and health problems like poor digestion and allergies. Overall I was lacking both health and confidence. I tried countless extreme diets like the “The Master Cleanse” and liquid-only diets but nothing seemed to work in the long term. Then I read Kimberly’s book and that quickly changed. As I slowly started incorporating the BDS principles into my daily lifestyle I noticed a dramatic change in my health and energy levels. I lost over 30 lbs of fat, my skin cleared up, I had more energy, I noticed an increased mental clarity, all my health issues subsided and I just had an overall healthier glow. I feel healthier now than I have ever felt in my entire life.

 How has this impacted your outlook on life?

 After embracing the BDS lifestyle, I have learned a lot. I’ve learned that anything worth pursuing is going to take work. From overcoming social pressure, adapting to different living situations and just facing the occasional challenges that come with trying to eat healthy on a daily basis, I have learned that if you believe in something wholeheartedly, you’ll be amazed at what you can do to achieve your goals.

Favorite Recipe and Why?

This one is hard because I love all the recipes so much but I would have to say my favorite recipe is probably Glowing Green Smoothie. I have it nearly every morning and I have an endless list of different fruit and greens combinations that I use to spice things up. My favorite combination is probably Kale, Cucumber and Cilantro with pineapple, the juice of one lemon a pinch of cayenne. I know it sounds like an unusual combination but try it and trust me you won’t be disappointed. I also love the Raw Gorilla Tacos because, as a former Mexican fast-food lover, this is the perfect, nutrient- dense dense taco replacement. The filling tastes like actual taco meat and it fills me up without making me feel heavy and weighed down.

What words of encouragement do you have for others in the Beauty Detox Community?

Do it for you. Don’t worry about what other people think about your diet or your lifestyle. People tend to be critical of things that they can’t do or don’t understand. When you do what you truly believe is best for you, you’ll feel happier and more accomplished than you ever thought possible. Also it’s also important to not let minor slip ups hold you back from achieving your goals. Nobody is perfect. Sometimes you over indulge when you’re out at a restaurant or you drink and eat too much at a party. It’s okay. Just try your best and if you slip up once in a while, don’t worry about it. Just keep moving forward.

Thank you Matt for sharing your amazing Beauty Detox Transformation!

Matt, you are truly amazing. I can not tell you how inspired I am by hearing your story, of how much you have take control of your health and life. Matt, you are an inspiration to everyone in this community! I know this will help many people see that with a little drive and creativity you can live the life you want to live!

And I can see in your eyes the depth of what an incredibly special, sweet and kind soul you are. Thank you so much for being part of our community. xx

If you or anyone you know want to share your story, please contact Katelyn our community manager at Katelyn@kimberlysnyder.com — we’d love to feature you!

Love,

Kimberly