While plant-based eating has become popular culture now, being raised a vegetarian during the 80s was challenging. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved being a vegetarian, but I was definitely an outcast at school. My mom was a total hippie too made nut meat before it was cool and poured us goat’s milk to avoid the lactose. And my dad had long hair with a mustache and drove a vintage blue Volkswagon Kombi. You can imagine how my school drop-off went down, haha. To this day, I still haven’t eaten meat (I’ve tried fish, prawns, and chicken but no red meat) and despite the teasing and numerous questions at school (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked “where do you get your protein?”), now I am grateful to my parents for raising me on a plant-based diet. There are so many health benefits of a plant-based diet, and we tapped an expert for all there is to know.
Research shows that a plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. The most studied diets are the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and the MIND diet which are all rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals that help lower blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduce the risk of diabetes and help to maintain a healthy weight, which all in turn help reduce your risk of heart disease. And then there are the environmental benefits—UN experts say switching to a plant-based diet can help fight climate change.
Fellow plant-based outlier, Kimberly Snyder was really at the forefront of this trend. The holistic nutritionist helped to spearhead this green lifestyle movement when she moved from New York to Los Angeles in the early 2000s touting the benefits of her iconic Glowing Green Smoothie (more on that later!). Her passion for nutrition and plant-based living quickly drew the attention of major celebrities like Drew Barrymore (she’s still a fan!), Channing Tatum, Kerry Washington, and more—and it’s easy to see why. Synder is a vision of health and wellness. But it’s not just aesthetics, she has a vibrant energy that we all want to tap into.
After the success of her first book, The Beauty Detox Solution, Snyder has built a community (and budding empire) around her plant-based philosophy which now includes a Melrose Avenue juice bar, a supplements line called Solluna that includes “soil-grown” probiotics, and two more New York Times best-sellers, The Beauty Detox Power, and The Beauty Detox Foods.
“When I started to transform my lifestyle, I always felt instinctively drawn to being plant-based,” Snyder tells me. “I started to think of things in terms of energy and that go beyond numbers such as the ways that we digest, metabolize and detox. I also learned about being vegan when I started studying yoga and meditation and being plant-based because it supports meditation and lightness. Then I started understanding how things are so interconnected, and the environmental consequences that come from eating meat. It became very clear to me for many different reasons!”
Snyder further outlined that our bodies are designed to eat a diet primarily made up of plant foods: greens, fruits and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, and nuts. “With this type of diet, we flourish and derive all our necessary nutrients, while also keeping our bodies toxin-free and looking our most beautiful,” she adds. With more and more people interested in longevity, decreasing the risk of disease, the gut-brain microbiome, and saving the environment, Snyder predicts the plant-based way of life will only continue to gain momentum. “The more people awake, the more plant-based will continue to rise!” she says. Below, Snyder dives deeper into the health benefits of a plant-based diet, how to get started, and what to avoid. And don’t forget to scroll to the end for her Glowing Green Smoothie recipe.
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Is a plant-based diet healthier?
Yes, three reasons below:
# 1. Better digestion & cleansing.
A plant-based diet has so many amazing benefits for your body overall, but better digestion and cleansing are such a fundamental part of it. When you overload on animal protein, like meat and dairy, the digestion of these proteins produces toxins in the body and slows down the system. This often causes gas, bloating, constipation, and increased toxicity, which leads to lots of health issues down the road!
When you switch to a plant-based diet, by default, you start to eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds to fill in the gaps in your diet where animal products were. Plant foods have the most nutrients and fiber in them per volume. The side effect of eating a plant-based diet is getting many more micronutrients and a lot more fiber, which helps optimize digestion and ongoing cleansing. As a result, digestion improves and your body is less toxic overall.
#2. Weight loss & increased energy.
A plant-based diet also has such powerful weight loss and energy-boosting benefits when done correctly. In general, weight loss is a typical side effect of eating a diet rich in whole, plant-based foods because you hold onto less acidic and toxic waste, which is stored in fat cells. Plus, when you free up energy from digestion, it can go into cleansing and detoxification and aid weight loss.
In addition, filling up on fiber-rich plant foods means you usually get full after eating fewer calories. Fiber regulates blood sugar and creates a feeling of fullness and a sustained release of nutrients into your system so you don’t burn out or crash. The result is feeling lighter and more energetic all around.
#3. Beauty & anti-aging benefits.
As I always say, outer beauty is a reflection of inner health. The side effect of eating more plant foods and less toxic animal products is that true beauty stems from the inside out. Going back to the root of digestion and cleansing, when your system isn’t overloaded with toxins and heavy waste, it has more energy to strengthen and repair cells from within. The result is brighter eyes, stronger nails, glowing skin, shiny hair, and reduced wrinkles.
How is going plant-based different from being vegetarian or vegan?
Going plant-based is predominantly focused on consuming more plants vs. the focus being on what you omit from your diet. All of these ways of eating are plant-forward, but they are quite diverse in that some people include small amounts of animal products. A vegan diet totally eliminates all animal products. In addition, vegans focus on protecting animals by avoiding all animal products. Plant-based is more inclusive for everyone. I don’t think it has to be all or nothing, especially when people are transitioning. I also personally often avoid the word “vegan”, because it can feel polarizing to some.
As a vegetarian since birth, I am constantly asked how I get my protein. Can you please share some of the ways you can get protein with a plant-based diet? Should you supplement with a powder? If so, which one do you recommend?
The protein question is one of the most commonly-asked questions I’ve gotten when it comes to making changes to diet.
Hemp, brown rice, pea, pumpkin seeds, coconut, and chia seeds are typical protein sources in vegan protein powders. Each of these ingredients provides the body with easily-digestible protein along with a range of additional nutritional benefits. You’ll often see vegan protein powder formulations with a combination of a few of these sources, offering a fuller range of amino acids and higher protein content.
I am personally a fan of protein formulas that include protein from organic hemp seeds, along with a variety of other plant-based sources. Hemp is a plant that has not been subjected to genetic modification. It is extraordinarily hearty, so it doesn’t require farmers to use pesticides, making it a wonderful, safe source of protein!
I’ve been having daily protein smoothies because it’s a great way to get protein count up in an efficient way, especially if you are pregnant, training, or simply looking for a healthy and filling snack option.
Protein bioavailability is an important factor in deciding what type of protein supplement to use, which is why I always recommend finding a quality vegan protein powder. With so many choices in a truly saturated market, it can be a bit confusing and all protein powders are not created equal. Proper ratios, supportive ingredients to maximize optimal absorption (such as enzymes and probiotics) and sourcing are just a few of the considerations. I always recommend looking for non-GMO, organic powders that list complete amino acid profiles on the label.
Protein powders I recommend are:
Vega: I personally know and trust the formulator, and I know a great deal of research and testing has gone into making a superior product that is non-GMO and boasts 30 grams of protein per scoop/serving.
Sunwarrior Organic Warrior Blend: Medium-chain triglycerides from coconut then join this dynamic fusion to create a unique plant-based protein amino acid profile, containing Arginine, Lysine, Leucine, and branched-chain amino acids.
How do you make the switch to a plant-based diet?
Remember it’s all about progress and not perfection. No matter what we put into our bodies—organic vegetables, superfoods, the purest water—it’s the thoughts we think, the words we use, and the actions we take that help define who we are and that ultimately shape our lives.
It’s about an inner and outer transformation, which may not be instantaneous, yet it can happen relatively quickly when you incorporate the best nutrition and incorporate the Beauty Detox lifestyle with my Four Cornerstone philosophy which involves food, body, emotional wellbeing, and spiritual growth.
Start with choosing one or two tips around each cornerstone and slowly implement these into your daily life. Keep track by journaling each day and noticing how your body feels, listening to your body’s needs, and making adjustments where needed.
What does the plant-based plate look like?
When I’m cooking batches of food, whether it’s a meal or dessert, I always store it, pre-portioned, in separate containers. That way, when I reach for it next time, I’m not tempted to over-serve myself. I also recommend stocking your fridge full of raw veggies and salad. These foods are loaded with fiber, so they tend to fill you up before you can overeat. Additionally, it’s easy to mistake dehydration as a hunger cue, so make sure you’re staying hydrated with plenty of lemon water throughout the day, which will help curb your appetite.
I recommend stocking the kitchen with plenty of fresh produce for optimal health. I advise my clients to start every day with my Glowing Green Smoothie (see recipe below), which is loaded with fresh fruits and veggies. For a big time saver, I recommend making it in batches to freeze for later use, which is also a great way to use up extra produce before it goes bad. I always have fresh lemons on hand, which I squeeze into hot water every morning, add to my smoothies and throw on salads, for an immunity and detoxification boost!
I’m a big fan of having foods for gut health on hand in your kitchen at all times. These include raw sauerkraut, which is loaded with probiotics for supporting the gut, and fresh ginger root for digestion. To supplement gut health, I recommend taking an excellent probiotic supplement every day, like my SBO Probiotic.
Lastly, I encourage filling the pantry with dry staples like quinoa, lentils, vegan protein powder, organic spices, and chia seeds that you can always have on hand for quick meal options when you’re running low on groceries. You can save money by shopping the grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts in bulk online or at co-ops.
What are some foods to avoid on a plant-based diet?
Eliminate dairy.
What’s more, ditching the dairy could mean stronger bones. Crazy, right? As shocking as it may sound, recent research has begun to debunk the link between dairy products and bone health. In fact, in one study, researchers found that women not only gained no bone-strengthening benefit from drinking more milk but that drinking three or more glasses per day was associated with a significant increase in their risk of bone fracture.
Cut out meat.
When you cut meat out of your diet, you will make up for that food group with higher proportions of heart-healthy whole grains and nuts, as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables. As a result, you’ll likely be getting higher amounts of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Eliminate refined sugar.
Refined and processed sugar…