Can changing your diet really change your appearance? “Hundred percent,” exclaims nutritionist and beauty expert Kimberly Snyder, who treats some of Hollywood’s prettiest faces including Drew Barrymore and Olivia Wilde. “I always tell people, ‘Whatever you put in your car is what it runs on and whatever we’re ingesting in our bodies is what our cells are built on.’” If your diet consists of greasy take-out and vending machine treats, it’s not too late, says Snyder. “What’s so exciting is that 98 percent of cells in our body are replaced every year. So even if we had bad habits, if we start to eat well now, we could see an enormous difference.” To help you look and feel good from inside out, she recently released “The Beauty Detox Solution.” Here are some of Snyder’s tips on what you should be snacking on.
Radishes
“It’s one of the most important beauty foods,” says Snyder. “They’re really high in vitamin C and silicon. Silicon makes your connective tissue strong so it will help make your nails strong and hair shiny. The vitamin C will help your skin glow.”
Papaya
“One of the reasons our skin ages or has breakouts is that we could be deficient in vitamin A, and papaya is a rich source of vitamins A and C,” says Snyder. “And they’re full of an enzyme called papain, which helps cleanse and tighten the skin.”
Cucumbers
“They’re an amazing diuretic,” says Snyder, who recommends buying organic cucumber and eating the skin. “A lot of the minerals are actually in the skin. And the water in cucumbers [is] charged with ions and enzymes which really clean out your system.”
Raw apple cider vinegar
“It’s full of minerals including potassium, an important electrolyte which helps cellular cleansing,” says Snyder. “But it’s also really great because it encourages the growth of probiotics, the friendly bacteria which break down toxins — and toxins contribute to premature aging.”
RECIPE
Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped
3-4 stalks organic celery
1/2 head of a large bunch or 3/4 of a small bunch of spinach
1 organic apple, cored and chopped
1 organic pear, cored and chopped
1 organic banana
Juice of 1/2 fresh organic lemon
optional:
1/3 bunch organic cilantro (stems okay)
1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems okay)
Directions:
Add the water and chopped head of romaine to the blender. Starting the blender at low speed, mix until smoothi. Gradually moving to higher speeds, add the celery, apple and pear. Add the cilantro and parsley, if you are choosing to add them. Add the banana and lemon juice last.This smoothie tastes yummy. The fruit and lemon cut right though the grass taste.Feel free to mix and match different greens and fruits, as these two specific food groups combine well.
