Tips from Celebrity Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder

By Leslie Roberts

For Kimberly Snyder, celebrity nutritionist and author of The Beauty Detox Solution, eating right isn’t about dieting and restriction; it’s about feeding your body the beauty-boosting foods it needs instead. While seasonal indulgences will always be tempting, with healthy modifications to holiday favorites you can still enjoy the comfort foods you crave without depleting the body of Beauty Detox nutrients.

Here are some of Kim’s easy-to-follow holiday health tips:

·         Drink Smart: Don’t start guzzling liquids once you arrive at a party, as drinking too much while eating dilutes digestive enzymes, slows digestion and causes bloating. Instead, fill up on water between meals, so you’re not dehydrated when you sit down at the table, mistaking thirst for hunger and ultimately over-eating. When it comes to alcohol, avoid beer, tequila and rum, which cause sugar imbalances and bloating. If you really want a cocktail, stick to vodka. Wine is fine in moderation as it’s not as hard on the liver as hard alcohol.

·         Start Raw: Begin each meal with a salad or even a few veggie sticks. Raw food not only contains bulky fiber but also the full spectrum of its own enzymes, which allows it to digest itself, and act as a “cushion” for the other heavier foods that follow. The fiber and water in raw foods will also help keep portion sizes under control.

·         Slim Pickings: Remember that holiday parties are for spending time with loved ones, not binge eating. Stick to raw greens and non-starchy vegetables (steamed, cooked with little to no oil), which can be consumed without restriction. Nuts should be limited to 1 ounce if you aim to lose weight and 2-3 ounces daily (maximum) as a general recommendation. Limit meat, fish and goat’s cheese to 3 ounces (maximum).

·         Sweet Swaps: With some easy beauty-boosting modifications, holiday treats can still be delicious. Bake with coconut oil, a beauty fat that won’t oxidize under high baking temperatures and nourishes the thyroid. To sweeten, try a combination of stevia and xylitol instead of refined sugar and almond or coconut milk instead of dairy milk.

For more about The Beauty Detox Solution and other tips from Kimberly, visit www.kimberlysnyder.net and www.kimberlysnyder.net/blog, and follow her on Twitter @kimsbeautydetox.