Kimberly Snyder

A lot of the information I have on this blog comes from Kimberly Snyder's book; the Beauty Detox Solution. I just want to post this as a thank you to her for educating the public like this about food, but also to give her credit for everything that I have learnt from her...

The 80 - 20 Ratio?!

The best way to have a healthy diet is to make sure we eat 80 percent alkaline-forming foods and only 20 percent acid-forming foods. The truly alkaline foods are mainly ripe fruits and vegetables (excluding starchy ones like potatoes). 
Here is a list of alkaline-forming foods:

- Most ripe FRUITS including: 

 Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Berries
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries, sour
Coconut, fresh
Currants
Dates, dried
Figs, dried
Grapes
Grapefruit
Honeydew Melon
Lemon
Lime
Muskmelons
Nectarine
Orange
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Raisins
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerine
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Umeboshi Plums
Watermelon

Non Starchy VEGETABLES

Alfalfa

Barley Grass

Beet Greens

Beets

Broccoli

Cabbage

Carrot

Cauliflower

Celery

Chard Greens

Chlorella

Collard Greens

Cucumber

Dandelions

Dulce

Edible Flowers

Eggplant

Fermented Veggies

Garlic

Green Beans

Green Peas

Kale

Kohlrabi

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Mustard Greens

Nightshade Veggies

Onions

Parsnips (high glycemic)

Peas

Peppers

Pumpkin

Radishes

Rutabaga

Sea Veggies

Spinach, green

Spirulina

Sprouts

Sweet Potatoes

Tomatoes

Watercress

Wheat Grass

Wild Greens

ORIENTAL VEGETABLES

Daikon

Dandelion Root

Kombu

Maitake

Nori

Reishi

Shitake

Umeboshi

Wakame

Fat Fat Fat!

You could still eat fats, but in moderation... and more importantly, choose healthy fats rather than saturated and trans fats!
There are three major types of fats:

- Saturated Fats: which are found in meats and dairy as well as some plant sources like coconut oil.

- Unsaturated Fats: These are known as 'heart-healthy fats', these are found in plant sources such as avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, as well as fish.

- Trans-fatty acids: This is by far the worst kind of fat! These unsaturated fats that have undergone a process known as hydrogenation.

Here is where you can get healthy (plant-based) fats that are good for you:

- Avocados

-Raw, cold pressed oils: The best types of oil are unrefined coconut oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, hemp seed oil, borage seed oil, and sunflower oil.

-Nuts and seeds: make sure to soak them overnight to remove inhibitor enzymes which make them more difficult to digest.

Beauty Rule # 7

Fruit should be eaten only on an empty stomach

Fruits are 'pure' foods that are easy to digest but that are full o nutrients, vitamins, and minerals as well as water! However, WHEN we eat fruit is just as important as EATING fruit.
Try to have it in the morning on an empty stomach, this way, you can digest them in 20- 30 minutes and move on to planning your next meal. So for example, avoid having them (as a fruit salad for example) after your meal as dessert! If the fruits have to sit on top of you previous meal in your stomach, by the time it digests, it will have fermented and acidified!

Beauty Rule # 6

Fats should be eaten moderately with protein (both animal and fat) but are okay to eat with carbohydrates. 

Even if you are eating a raw meal, it is best that you do not mix fats with proteins. One example is a salad that has avocado (plant fat) with nuts (plant protein). This complicates digestion, and could prevent efficient weight loss.


Please note that many ideas in this blog are taken from Kimberly Snyder's The Beauty Detox Solution 

Beauty Rule # 5

Mixing two different types of protein is a BIG NO NO!

Protein is already difficult to digest and takes longer than other types of food. Mixing two types will just make digestion more complicated! avoid mixing plant protein (such as seeds, nuts, and sea algae) and animal proteins in the same meal, and worse... do not mix two types of animal proteins together! like fish and meat or chicken!

Beauty Rule # 4

Mixing Starches is Okay!

While simple meals are easier to digest, it is okay to mix two types of starch together in the same meal...

Beauty Rule # 3

Vegetables are Neutrals.

You cant have enough veggies throughout the day. However, always make sure to eat them before your protein or starch as they digest easier and faster... so you want them out of the way before you move on to digest heavier foods that normally take longer to digest.

Vegetables are Neutrals because they could be eaten with anything, at any time. Unlike proteins, starches, and fats, you could pair a veggie dish with any of them!

Ever heard of Carb Cycling?

Yesterday, I gave me self a serious headache because I failed to eat after a serious session of body building at the gym. As a result, I ended up noxious and tired all curled up on my couch at night. 

Lesson learnt: If you are not going to eat right, do not go to the gym...
What happened, after my lovely Dr. of a husband explained it to me, is that my body was deprived for carbs and protein after lifting weights at the gym, skipping that meal sent my body into a catabolic state, only because there was not food for my body to break down, it ended up breaking down my own muscles. This in turn released urea and ammonia into my blood stream, which as you may know, is highly toxic. End result: a massive painful headache. 

My husband basically suggested I eat more carbs, and though it didn't make sense to me at first, I willingly complied because I know he always knows what he is talking about. Of course, as always, he did :)
Soon enough I was feeling a lot better.

He then suggested I look into Carb Cycling to better understand how carbs should fit into my workout routine. Here are my findings:

Carb Cycling is mostly used by body builders, but the system is so simple, that anyone can apply it! 

This is basically a carb diet in the form of a cycle, where, in the first day (preferably, the day you have a heavy work out) you have a high dose of carbs. On the second day, you have a low(er) intake of carbs (you could have a normal workout day here), and on the third, you don't any (or very little) carbs (on your day of rest). This cycle starts again on the 4th day. So one and so forth.

Basically, your carb eating will be directly proportionate to the intensity of your workout. The harder the workout, the more carbs you need (half in the morning, the other after your session).

Now, and so as not to over do it, just how much carbs does one person need per 'normal' day, and how much more on a 'workout' day?

First of all, you need to know what amount of calories you 'normally' burn, ie even if no activity is performed. the method calculation below is taken from http://www.t-nation.com

First Step: Calculating Your Basal Metabolic Rate

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) simply means the amount of energy used by your body during a 24-hour period if no activity is performed. In other words, if you're inactive for 24-hours straight, you'd still "burn" the amount of calories equivalent to your BMR.

Your BMR is a function of your size, sex, and age. It's also influenced by your metabolic status (hypo or hyperthyroid state for example). We can calculate BMR with the following formulas (by Harris-Benedict):

For Men

BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age)

So for a 30 year old bodybuilder of 220lbs (100kg) at 5'11" (178cm) it comes up to:

BMR = 66 + (13.7 x 100kg) + (5 x 178cm) – (6.8 x 30)

BMR = 2122 calories per day

For Women

BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.7 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age)

So for a 28 year old figure girl of 132lbs (60kg) at 5'6" (165cm) it comes up to:

BMR = 655 + (9.6 x 60kg) + (1.7 x 165cm) – (4.7 x 28)

BMR = 1380 calories per day

Second Step: Count the calories you are consuming.

Look up the amount of calories in your food and distribute them according to your daily schedule. This will both help you figure out how much carbs to consume, and distribution of these calories will help you avoid eating it all at once and then feeling sluggish, tired, and sleepy.

The general advice is, allow 1/2 of your total calorie intake to be carbs on the 'heavy carb' day, about 1/4 on your 'low(er) carb day' and less or even NO carbs on the third day.

That is it for now!
Happy Carb Cycling! 

Snacks: How they fit into your weight-loss plan

Your stomach is growling, but lunch is hours away. Why not indulge yourself with a snack...  just make sure you watch what you eat....

Although you may feel guilty about snacking, snacks aren't necessarily bad. In fact, well-planned weight-loss diets, such as the Mayo Clinic Diet, allow for snacks to help manage hunger and reduce bingeing. Eating a healthy snack of a piece of fruit or some raw veggies can tame your hunger without ruining your appetite for your next meal. 

The key to incorporating snacks into your weight-loss plan is to keep moderation and balance in mind.

Know which foods to reach for

You can eat more of foods with high water or fiber content and few calories, such as carrots, grapes and air-popped popcorn, for your 100 calories. Choose snacks from these food groups:

• Fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables provides a feeling of fullness and only a small number of calories. Fruits and vegetables also provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients. Nibble on cucumber, carrots, celery...etc
• Whole grains. Whole-grain snacks are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which give you energy with staying power. Look for items such as low-fat whole-grain crackers, whole-grain pretzels and whole-grain crispbreads.
• Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds provide protein, so you will feel fuller longer. They are high in fat, but it's mostly monounsaturated, a healthy kind of fat. Nuts and seeds are high in calories, however, so don't eat them in large quantities. Why don't you add 2 tablespoons of peanuts on your green salad!
• Low-fat dairy products. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein, plus many other vitamins and minerals. Choose the low-fat versions. Some yogurts have extra added sugar, so look for plain, low-calorie or "light" varieties. 2 small slices of low-fat colby or cheddar cheese never hurt anyone!
• PS: this was taken from the Mayo Clinic Diet.... because I think it is important that we understand how to snack!

Faisal's modified diet!

It seems that Faisal thinks the diet below is too complicated for his liking. So I will try to modify it to someone, like him, who is continuously eating out, ordering food, and never has to the time to prepare a home made meal for himself/herself.

It is the same diet posted earlier, but with some modifications that makes it 'easier' to follow, at least in his definition!

General Note: Make sure you start your day with 1-2 cups of water as soon as you open your eyes. Remember, your body has been water deprived for the last 8 hours!

Day1: 

Breakfast: cereal with milk or (a low fat energy bar if necessary… read ingredients, many brands are deceiving… and to be honest, I would rather you not rely on them at all, this is in case of emergency…)

Snack 1: fruit (apple, banana, mango… etc).

NOTE: cut down on coffee to one cup a day. Max, and never have it after 5 p.m. at the latest.

Lunch: A sandwich (make sure you add some greens and veggies to it). Avoid real heavy sandwiches like meat ball, steak sandwich, terryaki chicken...etc, you get the picture!

NOTE: avoid chocolates, chips, and bisects for now...

Dinner: vegetables (any non-starchy veg) with protein

Snack 3 (if necessary): green salad, or nibble organic baby carrots (that is what my husband lives on at night)… etc..

Day 2:

Breakfast: Eggs with whole wheat or multi grain bread. You could always include tomatoes or mushrooms with it.

NOTE: always opt for brown/ whole wheat or multi grain bread instead of white bread.

Snack 1: Milk smoothie a little organic honey and 2 types of fruit (max).

Lunch: Penne Arrabiata. 

Snack 2: Green Salad

Early Dinner: Protein (meat, fish, or chicken) with veggies.

Day 3:

Breakfast: Green smoothie, if not possible, if you cant prepare it, go for cereal and milk.
NOTE: try almond milk, it is healthy and light.

Snack 1: Greek yogurt with berries/ mangos… etc

Lunch: Green salad, and a source of protein (meat, fish, or chicken).

NOTE: do not mix dairy and animal protein together on the same meal, your body is dealing enough with one of them as is…

Snack 2: fruit

Dinner: Green salad.

Note: your Salads do not have to be boring. Change them up a little every day. I will attached different salad recipes at a later stage so you could get an idea of how yummy they can be! But avoid heavy dressings like Caesar and ranch dressings.

Snack 3: Home made pop corn! (and no, microwaved pop corn is not home made even if you make it at home!)

Now you come up with more food combinations and send them my way!

Beauty Rule #2

Do not mix Proteins and Starches...

I was saddened to read this, because the first thing that came to mind are turkey sandwiches, cream cheese and bagels, and many other combinations like stake and potatoes!

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, except that I know that is in your best interest to be aware of this...." (Kimberly Snyder, The Beauty Detox Solution).

To understand why, we must first take a look at the digestion of each in the stomach. While Proteins need an acidic environment in the stomach, Starches need an alkaline medium. Now can you imagine when they are combined together in the stomach? Pepsin (an enzyme that digests proteins) are produced, and at the same time Ptyalin (an enzyme produced to digest starch) is produced. The result?! they neutralize each other! the stomach keeps producing more of each until the food is completely digested, so digestion takes much longer than it should...
Dont forget, that in order to do that, the body needs energy, so instead of getting energy from your food, you will actually be wasting it on digestion!

Are you starting to see why it is better to avoid mixing Proteins and Starches?

It is sad fact, but one that must be done....


PS: I hate plagiarism, so I want to make it clear that many ideas and concepts here are taken from Kimberly Snyder and her "The Beauty Detox Solution". Read her book, it could change the way you eat...

Beauty Rule # 1

Our bodies are not meant to digest all kinds of foods together...

There is a difference between foods depending on the water content. What does this mean?

Basically, "concentrated foods are foods that do not contain any water. They include all proteins and starches. Non concentrated foods are water-containing foods." (Kimberly Snyder, The Beauty Detox Solution).

Non Concentrated Foods: Ripe fruit, Non-Starch Vegetables.

Concentrated Foods: All Starches (grains, starchy vegetables, breads... etc) and All Proteins (fish, chicken, meat, seeds, nuts... etc).

So how does this apply to your every day diet?

Since the stomach produces specific juices to digest concentrated foods that differ from non-concentrated foods, we should be careful not to mix a large combination of concentrated foods together, especially if the meal does not contain any non-concentrated foods!

Dont get me wrong, "we can handle most concentrated foods pretty well, but we can only eat one type at a time in order to maximize digestion"(Kimberly Snyder, The Beauty Detox Solution).