I have been gluten-free for almost 6 years now. While I have never really worked out and eaten sugar and such, people always marvel that I'm not morbidly obese. With working out and eating healthier I've seen an even larger difference. Although I've kept on eating dairy, about 5 minutes on your blog was enough to make me want to swear off dairy and cheese for life! Thanks for this info, Kim!

I bought your book a few months ago and immediately switched to almond milk. My allergies improved some but in the last 10 days, I've given up dairy and almost all sugar besides fruit sugars. Right now I'm very sick with a cold but I have to say, in general my health has improved in the two months have I've regularly had GGS every morning. My question, though, is can giving up these sorts of things and adding more greens help with skin? I'm 25, almost 26 and still battle embarrassing acne on my chin area and up into my cheeks. I've only given dairy up fully about 10 days ago. Do you think this will help? I don't drink coffee or soda. After battling health issues that have stumped doctors for 4 years, I'm hoping this healthier eating plan will be a way of life that can get me feeling better again!

Hi Kimberly,
First I love your book! I'm curious, is there a detox program/seminar anywhere I could attend? In the book you had mentioned of something, but I'm curious if you offer anything or would recommend somewhere/or someone? I too, have the rippled nails, yellow-ish tint/eyes, dry hair, and have had that sluggish, bloating feeling. I've been making green smoothies for several months now and they always make me feel better (without that sickly full-bloating feeling). But, I need something to really get me jump started, sort of push! I do great in the morning, but its the remainder of the day that I end up feeling discouraged and depressed when I notice these things. Also, I find it difficult to toss healthy, snacks and meals together (that both my husband and I would enjoy together). I've purchased some vegan books and have tried several recipes but from what I read, eating vegan isnt necessarily eating healthy, which is what I want to learn to do!
Thanks for your time!

What about almond cheese? Is it okay to eat?

I've noticed most store bought almond and rice cheese is actually made with casein, which is dairy. Which obviously is not very good for you if you are trying to avoid dairy. You can find several recipes online for all sorts of vegan cheese recipes that look yummy.

I just found your website through Pinerest. I like your website to a point. Your website bans a lot of animal products. I grew up as many others did with animal meats and products. The problem we have towards following your recomendations are we have a daughter who was diagnosed with Dormant TB (non-contagious) last year. She went through the treament, health is slowly getting back to normal. Not only does she have to live with the fear of this thing waking up just by getting an severe cold, but she is also Anemic, Hypo Glaucemic and just recently discovered she has a Heart Murmur. Her body needs all the help we can provide. She takes vitamin suplements on a daily basis just to thrive from one day to the next. How in the world do you provide for someone who needs all the help she could possibly get? We have not seen a nutritionist due to college and work schedule. We do not eat at fast food resteraunts but maybe three times a year. All of our meals are cooked at home. We make all of our desserts. I try to implement fruits and veggies, but the prices to purchase them is getting outrageous. We plan on growing our own veggies this year. I cannot have chickens in my yard. We just don't have the room. We do get fresh farm eggs from my in-laws every once in a while. Their chickens can't keep up with our demand. We go through about thirty-six eggs weekly!! We do not drink soft drinks but on special occassions (about twice a year). We drink about 104 ouces of water daily and we drink a couple of cups of coffee (mine has natural sugar and creamer). What else can we do?

Hello Kristian. I use a supplement called AIM Transfer Factor for building my immune system. Let me know if you are interested and I will send you more info.

At home I eat organic fruits and vegetables, avoid all GMO products, eat only organic chicken and incorporate superfoods daily: Chia seeds, flaxseed, raw cacao power, spirulina, plant protein mix, goji berriers, raw honey. I make vegetable smoothies (from your website) and make the detox lemon/ginger, cayenne pepper drink (from your website.) Thanks
This is my concern. I will be at a dance convention for a week this summer. I will eat healthy for breakfast and lunch, but I have to eat the eveing meal at a restaurant. What would be the lesser of two evils: eat growth hormones/meal, or ingest muliple pesticides/salads. Fish will, no doubt, will be farm raised. The best I can come up with is fish and raw vegetables--as long as they are not on the dirty dozen list. Any suggestion would be greatly appreicated.

Hi Kim,

Thanks for your posts and guidance. I find I look forward to them so much.

I have an irregular period and I'm trying to monitor my blood sugar spikes. Will drinking green juice (just greens, no fruit, only lemon and ginger) in the morning on an empty stomach make your blood sugar spike? What about if it contains sugary veggies carrots or beets?

I find the GGS very sweet because I'm so used to drinking all-green juice.

Do you have any advice for me? Does keeping the fiber in the smoothie help with blood sugar spikes?

Thanks so much

Daisy

Great Article Kimberly!!
I need help finding gluten-free bread options. Last week, my husband and I was exciting to try Food of Life- Genesis 1:29 Sprouted Grain & Seed Bread that is a highly recommend product. I was surprise to see Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat and Organic Wheat Gluten listed as ingredients. What is the difference between a product with gluten vs. organic wheat gluten? Thanks.
When will you have a book signing in Atlanta, GA?

Hi Kimberly is difficulte for me to ride your cronic but i try I speak french and i have a question when your book are traducing in french. Your a source of inspiration and i buy a vitaminix and a use only for drink juce fruit i dont no make other recipt. thank you

Hi Kimberly,

You talk a lot about avoiding soda and diet soda and can say that I am now committed to that, I am horrified by what they actually do to your body, I had no idea!

I just want to clarify your position on soda water/sparkling mineral water?

Is this also bad for you, or are there specific times it is good to drink/not to drink.

Thanks heaps for all your advice!

I thought this to be written by a vegetarian. No meat not even Grilled chicken? Hmmmm no eggs? Really? I eat 7 egg whites a day. Nothing wrong with eggs, grilled (no hormone)chicken and (no hormone) Lean Beef. Most of what is written in this was very accurate about the various Junk Food Items, but I disagree on several of the solutions.

Leory its also about the anitbiotics in the chicken and ground beef.... Foster Farms (a leading brand) chicken says "No Added Hormones" but what you need is for it to say no added antibiotics :) in her book she talks about antibiotics... check it out.

All milk products really are part of that category- McFlurries, shakes, etc. :)

Hi!
For a Belgian, a lot of these meals and snacks look awfull. We are not used to such large amounts of cheese and grease ! I'm sorry, but some of these things look repugnant (like the nachos, bweeuk). So : although there is some(a lot) room for improvement in our diet, I think we are not doing so badly here....
Thanks for all the help!
Greetings from Antwerpn, Belgium

Hi Kimberly, thank you for your previous replies - I am very grateful :)

I love the healthy food alternatives your offer in this post. I absolutely love all your recipes and really look forward to your new book!

In a previous post you suggested I have 1 green apple and stevia in the GGS, and forgo other fruit as I still believe I have candida. I can't buy organic green apples in OZ at the moment, so was wondering what the next best choice would be for now?

Also, I can't seem to find raw tahini here - I bought an all natural 100% organic, unhulled tahini, but I believe the sesame seeds are toasted. Is that ok or do you ever make your own? Do your store in fridge or cupboard and you keep for how long?

Do you also have a fav brand of coconut oil? I don't love coconut flavored things and I did try cooking an egg in coconut oil a while ago, but all I could taste was the coconut - does the coconut taste penetrate all foods so much? I would love to try again, as I've read how much you like it. I'm still using grapeseed oil at the moment for your east west baked veggies.

I would love to read more posts on your fav make-up & skin care brands. It's a little expensive for me to import Sally b's to OZ. Would love your opinion on laser hair removal too!

Thank you again! Julia x

Very interesting to see milk on the list. I would have thought chocolate and ice cream would have been on the list too but perhaps are more classified as snacks rather than fast food?

while i never ever ever eat fast food, i think many do, it would be good to have a list of things they can order if they must have fast food. I know plant based diet is the best way to go but i have noticed many of your blogs put down animal products, it would be good to see some stuff that are better choices for those who are not plant based.

I try to eat mostly plant based, no dairy and no grains but i'm not a raw foodie by any means nor am i a vegan. so for those like me it would be nice to have choices.

I love your blog btw, and eat many of your recipes and have your green smoothie every single morning. because of the smoothie my sun spots and psoriasis have gotten better

Monica, read my post above!

That's great Monica. The animal products at fast food establishments are particularly low quality, so it is very hard for me to recommend anything there.
Even if someone eats some animal protein, they'd be better off saving occasions to get a better cut of meat somewhere else.
It's great that places like Subway carry avocado, by the way. xx

Hello there!

I am sure you are quite busy but I do have a question for you. You are very inspiring and truly life changing for people. I have a healthy family ( hubby and two baby boys) My youngest will soon be one and I will be weaning him from nursing. Would you recommend almond milk or coconut milk for him? Or any other great ideas of good protein/fat beverages for a kiddo this young? We don't do dairy for my 3 year old either but did when he was just turning one. We soon stopped due to constipation for him. I would LOVE your input.

HI Jonnie,
Thank you!
A great food for your one year old is bananas mashed with avocado. Each child reacts to different milks differently- see which one he does better on. You can make banana shakes or throw in some acai.
For one of my clients' one-year olds I make the chia pudding, blended with whole young coconut meat and water, and they love it so much. Chia seeds and other ground seeds/nuts blended into the milks are a great option as well. xx

Great post, Kim! So important that kids learn early on (by example) what foods they should be eating. I used to pull into mc Donald's when I was starving but your amazing recommendation of chlorella tablets have managed to curb my hunger long enough for me to get to decent food!

Wonderful! Chlorella does help!

I guess I have to stop eating then. lol Thanks for this post. I definetly NEED some alternatives.

Alexis, even simple steps, like keeping almonds and apples stocked at work, in your car etc. to prevent starvation-induced fast food eating, can be a big help! xx

great article ,Kimberly, keep the work up. It is about time that the US returns back to Whole Food.
Many patients I had/have, especially Kids ,really don't know what reall Food looks like anymore.

Barbara, it's great that you do, and can help inspiring your patients as well!! xx

Hi Kim

Are the flavored Vita Cocos ok to drink? Or should we just stick with the Pure flavor? Also, can you post your Puerto Rican GGS recipe... pretty please ;-)

Oh yes, the Puerto Rican GGS! I am drinking one right now- wish I could show you the picture of me sitting her drinking it while I write you. :) I will post!!

The flavored Vita Cocos are high in sugar- stick with regular. xx

As some one who is trying to lead a diet free of gluten, meat & dairy. What tips do you have for when you are on the go? I find that I can easily stick to my diet when I am home and able to prepare for myself and my husband's work day...but it is inevitable that when traveling either by car or plane, visiting family, and other similar situations that make it very difficult to maintain the "plan". So what do you suggest we do for these situations? What advise do you have? Or what options on the "fast food " menu are better, maybe not the best, but better when in a tough spot. Living in the midwest also makes this very difficult as there is very little healthy options...

Hi Brittany,

Check out my travel snack blogs. Even when visiting family, just try to begin your dinners and lunches with some kind of raw veggie or green salad.

I believe that Subway carries avocado now, so in a real bind you could get an avocado and veggie salad or sandwich from there!
xx

Hi Kimberley
I have bought your book and am wanting to start with the Glowing Green Smoothy but Kale is not readily available here. I am trying to grow some, but can you suggest a suitable alternative ingredient please?
Many thanks
Kathy

Source whatever local dark leafy greens you can find- collards are great, as is swiss chard, spinach, arugula, etc. I rotate my greens a lot! xx

Thank you for this article. I have your book and am having the green smoothies, not regularly yet. It is difficult because I don't have the time to make the recipes and I lose weight very quickly. I am 105 lbs and don't want to lose I'd rather gain weight. I don't know how to eat healthy and gain weight. I have a 10 year old daughter and am trying to have her eat healthy but she is not getting enough nutrition and always getting sick quickly. Guess I don't have enough recipes. I really want to do this, fast food is just disgusting to me and sometimes when she is out of school and really hungry it is so convenient to give in to fast food. I hate doing that but she'd rather a filet fish than a salad when she is "starving" after school. Thank you for putting the substitutes. Kim if you or anyone can give me more ideas I will be grateful. I want to make sure she is getting nutrients but at this stage she is growing and always hungry. She is not overweight but I want her to enjoy her healthy meals. She is allergic to nuts.

Hey Jackie,
Check out my blogs on healthy snacks for kids. Hummus and veggie sandwiches, avocado sandwiches, black bean and brown rice burritos are a few choices- simple and filling. Kids do really great on the Glowing Green Smoothie as well as the Rainforest Acai Shake (some of my clients' kids call it the "purple shake" :) ).

If you are trying to keep weight on, keep up with your healthy fats like soaked almonds, walnuts, avocados, coconuts, etc. These are easy things you can keep around to eat, so you don't have to make complex recipes all the time.

Keep in touch! xx

Question about Avacado? Does it matter it the Avacado is not organic? Some has said that the outer protects against the pestcide. However, I'd like to know, have they been genectically motified, too?

Ive been on the beauty detox plan for a few months now and only craved bad food for the first few weeks. Then, everything seemed gross and I had no desire to eat unhealthy. Lately I have been having cravings... This entire list looks yummy! Especially the fish filet, nachos and pepperoni pizza! Why am I having these cravings???!!! Help! I don't want to slip!

Cravings are a natural part of the process of deeper detoxification, as old residues arise to the surface. Reread the section in the Beauty Detox on cravings, and overcoming walls.
Keep yourself strictly on the GGS, the Probiotic & Enzyme Salad, salads, etc. even if you aren't completely perfect 100% of the time. Over time the chlorophyll and other phytonutrients will help your body rebalance. Be patient and gentle with yourself.
It took me 2 years to fully get over my cheese cravings! xx

Thanks love this article! I am going to repost on my fitness site!

Great, thank you!

This sounds like common sense my problem is I wish I could have someone else cook for me since I have to cook for my kids and they like some healthy stuff. I need a mail order food plan that doesn't cost an arm and leg for me.

Focus on simple recipes- simple is better. Smoothies, salads, etc. Even cutting up veggie sticks and eating with hummus would be an easy improvement!

Taste is inversely proportional to healthiness. The better a food tastes the less healthy it is for you generally.

Everything in moderation, plus exercise is my motto. Giving up good food for a person that has a palate, is like giving up color vision.

Hey! I don't eat any of these things and they all sound gross to me. It's funny how the longer I stick to the plant-based diet the less I want that other kind of food. I feel like I'm really on the right track but I still do get cravings for certain foods.

Hi Kimberly,

I just can't stop reading this blog since I found it, and I wanted to thank you for this!
I went through big nutrition changes in year 2010 winter with a guidance of an Nutritionist and she had actually introduced me to GGS, I really loved it and don't know syy I stopped it? We moved to another country,middle East where I sort of went back on my old bad habits,having Starbucks coffee every morning,and that lead to even more
sugar gravings and started getting sick and all the bad things started coming back again.. Candida over grown and that really put stop on everything+ I'm having acne spots again,SO I said to myself that's it. I can't order your book from Amazon to this country since I am afraid it will never arrive, and i have to wait two more weeks until my mother comes and she has ordered your book to me,really, can't wait! I started the green smoothie every morning with hot lemon water before that and i am already feeling much more energetic during the day. One question came to my mind that where could I order Kombucha Tea and is it suitable for me know since I still might have some candida over growth?? Thank you already for you response and I just can't wait to get back that glown on me inside and out;)

Hi Charotta, I'm curious, what does candida/overgrown feel like (stomach, skin, etc.) What do you find some of the symptoms are with you? I swear I'm going through that same issue but I can't get anyone to hear it. Thanks!

I have only recently discovered you and your book...and I am already a big fan! I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years and follow a lot of your nutritional advice already. However where I struggle is with a quick and easy protein source for on the go. I eat Tofurky for a quick option for lunch without having to cook up lentils or beans etc... I already eat an almond and red walnut mix in the morning and I do cook at night...but it is the on the go lunch that I seem to have a challenge with what to select. I know Tofurky is not a good option but it is sooooo easy! Do you have better suggestions for quick snacks and easy lunches to pack for work for a vegetarian that does not require cooking and is high in protein?

Love it - great list! All those fast foods listed literally make me physically ill, except for when I'm able to get them places with hormone-free dairy and meat. GMOs just freak me out, so I can't imagine taking chances with them. And Pesticides? Gross. Haven't eaten anything with MSG in many, many years due to an MSG sensitivity