Todayâs story is from a very special young woman named Lindsay. When I first read Lindseyâs story, it touched my heart and I felt it was so important to share her journey with the community. Her story is incredible and I am so proud of her for taking charge of her own health and wellness as well as being so open with us here today on the blog. I think it is important for us all to share our vulnerabilities and struggles at times, because if you are going though something, chances are someone else is dealing with a similar struggle or situation.
Lindsay and I have connected a lot over my Instagram and other social channels where she regularly comments, and I feel like weâve forged a special bond. Please reach out to me too as I would love to help support you in any way that I can! I am here.
Please join us as Lindsay shares her very personal Beauty Detox Transformation story with you.
In February 2014, I realized deep down I needed help. I called my mother and she came and picked me up. She lived about 20 minutes outside of Boston. So, I went to her house and never ended up going back to my apartment in Boston. I ultimately ended up spending what would be a year and a half with her. We never spoke about it. But that day was the last day I ever drank. I have been alcohol free since 2/7/2014!
During the time I had stopped drinking, I was commuting 3 hours a day to and from Boston. I wasnât drinking alcohol anymore, so I substituted it for coffee. A LOT of coffee. I was on Adderall for my ADD and had zero appetite and I was drinking so much coffee a day. But again⌠I never gave up my Glowing Green Smoothie.
About 3 months into me not drinking alcohol, I was getting ready for work in the bathroom and suddenly, fell to the floor in agonizing pain. I started throwing up violently and couldnât move. My Mom brought me to the hospital. 36 hours later, I was admitted for 3 kidney stones, a 5 cm ruptured ovarian cyst and a kidney/blood infection.
This was my 3rd time back to the hospital, seeing as they misdiagnosed me the first 2 times. I had never even had anything more than a pain killer in my life and they put me on Dilaudid (5 times stronger than morphine) every 2 hours for the next week. But every time one of the 20 nurses I had over the course of my stay came in, they were baffled at the dose of antibiotics I was on. It was an astronomically high amount.
Cutting to the end of my stay, I asked the doctors when I could go back to work. I started sobbing when they said immediately. I couldnât even stand up for longer than 2 minutes, let alone go work 40 hours in a weekend as a server in one of the busiest restaurants in Boston.
I ended up having to quit my job. Even a few weeks after I got out of the hospital, I barely had the energy to get out of bed. From about high school until I stopped drinking, I weighed in the 150âs. I never knew exactly because I didnât think it was healthy to weigh myself. I did realize I had dropped 10-15 lbs just from not drinking alone. But my weight continued to decrease. I wasnât drinking as much coffee anymore and I was off the Adderall. I tried to gain weight by eating entire pizzas, boxes of pastas and containers of peanut butter with chocolate chips. But I just kept losing weight. I even lost 1/3 of my hair.
One morning, I weighed myself to find out I was a mere 118 lbs. When I saw that number on the scale, I started to fear for my life. I had never been anywhere close to that weight since I was in middle school. I started to freak out. I had made gastrointestinal appointments but it was taking months. It got to the point that eating anything or even drinking water would just about make me throw up. I told this to my doctor and she told me âIf it gets any worse, call me.â HOW MUCH WORSE COULD IT GET?
My appointment with a GI was months away and I was losing weight and energy by the day. The day I saw 118 lbs. on the scale, I took Kimâs books and went to Whole Foods. I asked them if they has something for acid reflux, seeing as I was almost on 4 pills of Pepcid AC a day, and it still wasnât working.
The directed me to an Aloe Vera drink. Then I stocked up on Probiotic and Enzyme salad, veggies and anything that was a whole food. That very same day, I could swear, for the first time, I felt some sort of relief.
I never put together that when I was in the hospital, all of the antibiotics wiped out whatever good bacteria I had left.
With daily probiotics, digestive enzymes, my GGS, eating your recipes from your books and slowly and cutting out the coffee, I started to gain weight. I made huge salads, filled with the beauty foods you talk about in Beauty Detox Foods. I thought about the whole Beauty Detox concept. I tried to make the best decisions I could with the money I had.
Today, the person I am isnât even comparable to who I used to be. I havenât had a drink in over a year and a half. I am back to 135 lbs. ( I donât weigh myself everyday; just to see if Iâve gained weight). I am now a vegan! I no longer eat meat or any dairy or eggs. Thanks to reading your books, I got myself tested and actually found out, at 30 years old, Iâm severely lactose intolerant!
My regimen can vary based on schedules and such, but I try to keep it as balanced as possible. I tend to get up pretty early, so I always start my hot water with lemon followed by the GGS. I love having hummus for snacks and love eating things such as butternut squash and sweet potatoes as well. For dinner, I eat a lot of salads, a classic being the Dharmaâs Kale Salad. But I do not eat meat, consume dairy and I stay away from sugar and gluten.
I have my hot water with lemon every morning, followed by the GGS. For lunch and dinner I will always start with a salad, or just make the salad big enough to be my dinner. I donât put anything in my body thatâs toxic because I feel like I can feel it affecting me in some way, whether itâs my mood or stomach.
I eat probiotic and enzyme salad every day. I take my digestive enzymes with me wherever I go. I make sure to try to have a morning routine and a night routine, where I can get some time to myself.
I enjoy doing yoga in the mornings and evenings. And I love just even going for brisk walks. I am in the best relationship of my life. And itâs largely due to the fact that you taught me authenticity. When my boyfriend and I came together, we told each other our good sides and bad. We were completely authentic.
âHonestly, my favorite recipe is the GGS because it saved my life.â
So, in conclusion, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know the information is there if you take it. But you have been the most wonderful person, teacher and dare I say, friend. You have been with me since 2011. I wanted to have this amazing, abundant, beautiful lifestyle, but I just couldnât get there.
Maybe it wasnât time. But the timing sure did come. I truly believe that, from the time I purchased your first book to when I ended up in the hospital, drinking your Glowing Green Smoothie saved my life. It was the only honest source of nutrition I was getting at that point.
My body was malnourished except for what the GGS was giving it. If there is anyone in the Beauty Detox Community that is scared or not sure what might happen when they make this change, I sure can understand that. Change is so scary. I love my comfort zones. But in those comfort zones, nothing magical and out of this world can happen.
If I had known what was in store for me, Iâm not sure I would have done it. But thatâs the beauty of the unknown. You donât know if you can do it until you try. On this day, I cannot imagine my life another way. Not living authentically, not being conscious of myself. I love the life that was waiting for me.
Kimberly Snyder, THANK YOU. I feel you are an angel that was sent to come into my life. I will never know how to truly say thank you. I know this is crazy long, but honestly, itâs the short version. The message you spread is so authentic, real and honest. You have so much to offer this world. I donât know if Iâd be here had you not followed your passion. You are so easy to learn from.
I was meant to find your beautiful green book (The Beauty Detox Solution) on the shelf that day. I know it. What can I say? I just feel it in my gut.
I hope everyone is feeling inspired after reading this! Lindsay, you are a true inspiration and blessing and a very special soul. Remember our sacred mantra â progress not perfection. Do your best, but if you slip a little donât worry and just get back to what you know is the best for you and your overall wellbeing. I am so proud of you.
See you back here soon.
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