The Beauty Detox Solution (22 page)
Read The Beauty Detox Solution Online
Authors: Kimberly Snyder
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.
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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.
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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.
Free Radicals and Antioxidants
Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms that have at least one unpaired electron and become unstable and highly reactive. They are created as a result of the process of oxidation, that is, when a substance combines with oxygen due to a wide variety of internal and environmental stresses, such as exposure to pollution, chemicals and radiation. Free radicals are believed to cause tissue damage at the cellular levelâharming our DNA and cell membranes, and accelerating the aging process.
Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals by working to stabilize them. Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene and vitamins A, C and E, all of which can be found in plant foods.
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 systemâall 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.
BEAUTY TIP
Eat Your Spotted Bananas!
Fruits that are ripe are alkaline-forming. Organic fruits are the most alkaline, because they are grown in mineral-dense soil. Fruits that
are not
ripe can actually be acid-forming. For example, if you were to test the pH of two different bananas, you would find that the one that has the most black spots has a higher and more alkaline pH than the one with a slightly green top and no black spots! So remember to reach for only ripe fruits to eat or use in your Glowing Green Smoothies.
In addition to being better for you, ripe fruit is also juicier and tastes sweeter. How can we tell when a fruit is ripe? That is, besides the obvious spotted banana? As a fruit ripens, it deepens in color and smells sweet. In general, you should look for an evenly colored and textured fruit with a delicious smell. The color should be bright and full, with no hints of green or white unless the fruit naturally has these colors. With fruits like melons, a discolored area indicates where the fruit rested on the ground, which also happens to be the sweetest and most delicious part of the fruit.
On the contrary, raw, uncooked fatâespecially avocadosâwill
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.
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cranberries
Currants
Grapefruit
Green apples
Kiwis
Kumquats
Limes
Lemons
Pomegranates
Strawberries
BEAUTY TIP
Sexy Seeded Fruits
The very definition of a fruit is that it bears its own seed. These seeds have the DNA programmed in them to become huge trees or plants. Seeded fruits are pregnant with fertility and have the potential to reproduce. Seeded, natural fruit is bursting with life force; when we eat it, we take in that energy and increase our own magnetism.
When a fruit is sold in “seedless” varieties, it means that that particular fruit's genetic makeup has been tampered with by scientists in a lab to produce strains that sell well commercially. Scientists have engineered a way to make these hybrid fruits lack a double set of chromosomes in their reproductive cells. In other words, these fruits don't have seeds and can no longer reproduceâwhich defies the very definition of what a fruit is in the first place! To make matters worse, hybrid fruit can also be much higher in sugar and lower in minerals.
To feel sexier from within, go for the natural, organic varieties of fruits, which bear their own seeds. I relish picking out about twelve seeds from the lemon squeezer before pouring the juice onto my salads, knowing I am getting the freshest, most natural kind of lemon juice there is to nourish me!
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.
What Is Candidiasis and How Do I Know If I Have It?
Candidiasis, or Candida-Related Complex (CRC), is a condition that can develop when there is an overgrowth of the yeast
Candida albicans.
Many different factors cause candidiasis: taking antibiotics, birth control pills or other hormones, or eating excessive amounts of processed foods.
Some of the symptoms include intense cravings for sugar, bread or alcoholic beverages; oppressive menstrual cramps; chronic vaginitis; chronic fungal infections of the skin or nails; long-term insomnia; chronic constipation and/or diarrhea; excessive bloating or intestinal gas; anxiety attacks; excessive emotional outbursts or crying; reoccurring headaches; mental spaciness; food allergies; and extreme difficulty in losing weight.
It is especially common in womenâthough many women do not even realize they have it. This yeast thrives off sugars, so you have to be very careful about what you eat until you've rid your body of candidiasis. If you even suspect that you may have it, start your Beauty Detox with the Blossoming Beauty phase, which is a no-sugar, no-gluten eating plan that will make your body more alkaline.
There are some lab tests being developed to diagnose candidiasis and other yeast-related conditions. However, the best way to tell whether or not you have candidiasis is your history, your symptoms, and how well you respond to treatment. I have had many many female clients that had no clue that they had candidiasis but were able to finally lose weight and get their life back after following the Blossoming Beauty phase.
The best way to figure out whether you have candidiasis is to stay strictly in the Blossoming Beauty phase for two weeks and see if your symptoms start to clear up. (If they improve, you've pinpointed the problem, and sticking with Blossoming Beauty for one to three months total will usually clear it up. However, some may need to stay in Blossoming Beauty for even longer and in
extreme cases for up to a year
. By closely adhering to this program, you will starve the yeast and rebalance your body once and for all! If you have had a chronic problem losing weight in the past, this rebalance could really help finally set you back on track for easy weight loss.