The Beauty Detox Solution (22 page)

Unrefined oils do not contain preservatives and are never exposed to light or oxygen. It is best to purchase them in dark glass bottles, as light can cause oxidation. While they may be pricier than commercial oils, your liver and your skin deserve the best, so consider this an investment in looking and feeling your best!

Coconut oil is a very special oil. It can be consumed in moderation in desserts in its virgin, or unprocessed, form. Coconut oil is easily emulsified during digestion without putting any burden on the liver or gallbladder, so it frees up Beauty Energy. About 50 to 55 percent of the fatty acids in coconut oil are lauric acid, which can actually help support and restore our thyroid. In their book,
Virgin Coconut Oil,
Brian and Marianita Shilhavy point out that while coconut oil is a saturated fat, it is cholesterol free and trans-fatty acid free and has actually been shown to help lower cholesterol levels due to its ability to stimulate thyroid function.
⁵⁸

Virgin coconut oil is composed of medium-chain-length fatty acids, or triglycerides (MCTs), which are shown to have many health benefits, including raising the body's metabolism, and acting as an antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial agent. Virgin coconut oil is the best natural source of MCTs besides human breast milk.

 

Nuts and seeds:
We've already discussed raw nuts and nut butters in detail in the protein section, but they also contain healthy beauty fat. Nut and seed pâtés are great staples for heavier meals. Nuts and seeds should always be soaked first and rinsed to remove inhibitor enzymes, which make
them more difficult to digest. Since nuts are already dense and rich in protein and fat, enjoy them as the heaviest food in a meal and do not combine them with avocados or concentrated animal protein of any kind. Check out some of the recipes in Chapter 11.

DESTRUCTIVE COOKED OILS

Cooked oils and fried foods are among the most aging, fattening and acid-forming types of food we can consume. Eating excessive cooked fat can cause acne, premature aging, weight gain, unfavorable body odor, liver stagnation and cardiovascular problems, to name just a few. (That makes that occasional “innocent” pile of fries not so appetizing anymore, huh!?)

Cooked fat clogs the body and makes it very difficult for the body to metabolize, while putting a heavy burden on our liver and digestive system—all of which make us gain excessive weight. Cooking animal oils and animal fat in particular can create oxidation and free radicals associated with the visible signs of aging on our skin, as well as other health issues.

Margarine, hydrogenated oils and trans-fatty acids of all kinds, as well as refined oil, are some of the worst kinds of fat to eat. And saturated fats and dietary cholesterol from animal products should be limited; excessive dietary cholesterol can weaken the liver and is associated with health issues like heart disease and high blood cholesterol levels.

On the contrary, raw, uncooked fat—especially avocados—will
further
our health and beauty. Let's always strive to eat our fats in their natural, unheated and beautifying form.

FRUIT: THE ULTIMATE BEAUTY FOOD

Fruit is the most life-enhancing food we can put into our bodies. It has the highest water content of any of the food groups and supplies us with vital amino acids, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids. Because fruit breaks down the fastest in our system, while leaving no toxic residue, it supplies us with readily available energy that can be used for immediate fuel.

Of all foods, fruit is the strongest cleanser. We can think of fruits as the cleansers for the body and greens and other vegetables as the builders. Fruit helps to dissolve toxic substances and cleanse our tissues and system, stirring up old toxic residue inside of our bodies.

Best Beauty Fruits

Fruit becomes a truly healthy food only when our bodies are alkaline and cleansed enough to handle it, and when we have a good amount of healthy bacteria within to break down the fruit sugar. Many of us have unknowingly compromised our friendly flora with antibiotics, hormonal medications (like birth control pills), preservatives, environmental pollution and many other factors. When you're first beginning your Beauty Detox, you
may have an adverse reaction to fruit. If eating fruit causes nausea, burping, bloating or intense stomach upset, you may have an acidic condition in the body or sugar issues that prevent you from metabolizing fruit.

If you are more than fifty pounds overweight, come from a lifestyle of eating devitalized and processed foods
or
suspect you have some kind of candida or yeast imbalance in your body, you should remain in Phase 1, Blossoming Beauty, for one to three months longer than suggested, or until you have become balanced. This phase doesn't include sweet fruits.

Fruits That Are Lower in Sugar

All these fruits have some level of sourness and are good choices for reintroducing fruit into the diet for people who are sensitive to sugar. Avocados, cucumbers and tomatoes are technically fruit, but they are not sweet and thus are also fine.

Fruit should be eaten raw. When heated to high temperatures, fruit loses its cleansing properties and many of its nutrients and becomes acidic in the body, rather than alkaline-forming. Cooked fruit and cooked fruit products to avoid include pasteurized juices (pretty much all bottled fruit juices and beverages), jams, jellies, cooked fruit pies and other such desserts, commercial applesauce and other fruit sauces. Dried fruits, such as dried figs (unsulfured, with no sugar added), are concentrated and higher in sugar, so they should be eaten in limited amounts such as in desserts.