My formula for a more youthful glow.
Almost daily, I am asked about my skin, hair and beauty tips. So my goal with this Blog and my Beauty Call Podcast is to continue to share my best practices, favorite products, recipes, diet and exercise, and tips and tricks to feel and look better. (Click below for a link to my Podcast).
Let’s start with my regimen for diet/health. There are so many topics of conversation about “diet” and nutrition, and there are many beliefs as to what is right or best to lose weight and feel better. Trust me, as a former beauty queen, actress, and…well a GIRL…I have tried them all! I have dieted, “starved”, cut out carbs, fasted, you name it….but as my Podcast and Blog is about Beauty (inside and out), I want to focus on nutrition for BEAUTY and health.
You are what you eat, right? And although we can have, in moderation, those decadent desserts and such, our overall diet needs to be healthy, clean and sustainable. I truly believe that YES, we are indeed what we do and what we eat. Food and nutritionally dense fruits and vegetables heal our body, and fuels us to be able to do the things we love, and to be with the ones we love.
Many people ask me why or how I am Plant-Based. Well, the journey started back in 1996, when my mom was diagnosed with cancer, to eat a healthier/clean diet; I plan to be around for my son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Initially, I gave up red meat, dairy, sodas, and most processed foods. Two years later, when I lost my dad, I began to research more. I had lost both parents inside of 2 years, and I felt hopeless and helpless to save them. The doctors had no knowledge of nutrition to help them/us heal, so I began to research holistic nutrition myself. If I only knew then what I know now; maybe I could have saved or helped my parents. So I hope that I inspire you to take control of your inner beauty. My transition and transformation happened over a period of time, and it has been the best health decision I have ever made.
My health and quest for health and the fountain of youth continues, and in late 2003, I began reading a great book, “Eating for Beauty” (by David Wolfe), and that truly peaked my interest and ultimately helped me realize, what I already felt and knew, that we CAN heal our bodies, look more youthful, feel better, and keep disease and ailments away….all with fresh foods. So, I became Plant-Based in April 2004. I was raw Vegan for 9 months to cleanse my body, then I started eating 80% raw and 20% cooked. I haven’t looked back! I have been made fun of, and laughed at for my choices, yet people tell me I don’t seem to age. Well.....
My secret? Plant-Based eating, exercising, and good skin care regimen. But it all begins from the inside.
I am not a nutritionist or expert, but I have been Plant-Based since 2004. Guess what? I have not been sick since…..yes, seriously. I may have sniffles or a cough for a day, and it goes away before I get sick. I have cured my IBS, and managed my Hypothyroidism, all by eating plant-based. Recently I gave up sugar, lectins, and breads (gluten) and feel even better. I primarily eat fresh, whole, organic foods, and I fill my plate with color from all vegetables, nuts, nut cheeses, and the occasional fruit. I get plenty of protein from legumes, nuts, quinoa, and spinach, and I juice daily. It sounds harder than it is, but if you take it in baby steps, by first giving up dairy, red meat, pork, and by adding colorful, organic vegetables to every meal, your body will thank you! It will show on your face, on your body and in your hair! I know how hard it is to give up certain things, but eating a primarily plant-based diet is LIVE CHANGING.
To look and feel your best, fill your shopping cart with these yummy, healing foods:
Asparagus
Apples
Apricots
Artichoke
Arugula
Avocados
Beets
Broccoli
Horseradish (grated, not bottled)
Cabbage, red & leaves
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery Knob or stalks
Chards, all kinds
Cherries
Chicory
Chives
Cilantro
Corn (small amounts)
Cucumber
Currants
Eggplant
Endives
Escarole
Flax oil (organic)
Fresh Fruit
Garlic
Green beans
Kale
Mangoes
Melons
Mushrooms
Oatmeal
Onions
Oranges
Parsnip
Bell pepper
Potatoes
Radishes
Brown Rice
Quinoa
Forbidden Rice
Romaine
Rye bread (in moderation)
Spices- allspice, anise, bay leaves, Coriander, dill, fennel, mace, marjoram, rosemary, sage, saffron, tarragon, thyme, sorrel, summer savory, turmeric, ginger, cumin.
Spinach
Squash
Sweet potatoes
Swiss chard
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Tofu – fermented and organic
Non-Dairy milks (unsweetened) – Hemp, Oat, Flax, Coconut, Rice (no soy)
Basically, ALL vegetables and Fruits; ALL legumes (beans, lentils, beans); ALL nuts
Add yummy Nut Cheeses (Myokos is my favorite) and Hummus
I promise....more ideas, suggestions and product suggestions coming in my next blog.
There are a few items I recommend to eat in moderation, as they are high in lectins, therefore harder to digest: red kidney beans, soybeans, peanuts, potatoes, cashews, wheat.
Eating a clean diet, free of processed foods and sugars, can and will help you heal and look your best!
Tip and Trick:
Juice celery and drink 8 oz. every morning for a clear complexion and clean blood. Juice beets for an iron rich start to your day. Another favorite is equal parts spinach, green apple and celery together as a juice...YUM.
Make sure that the first thing you drink in the morning is juice or water to alkaline your body and drink water throughout the day. Hydration makes a huge difference in your complexion, your digestion and your skin's firmness and elasticity. Eating for BEAUTY is a real thing, so make sure you are what you eat…natural, organic, pure, clean, whole, real food.
I will continue to share a few great recipes, in the recipe section of my blog. Make sure to check them out, to help you along your journey to a healthy lifestyle and beautiful skin.
A great read and author (and future guest on my Podcast)
“Eating for Beauty”
https://www.amazon.com/Eating-Beauty-David-Wolfe/dp/1556437323/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=eating+for+beauty&qid=1558905084&s=gateway&sr=8-2
