IT’S A LIFESTYLE, NOT A DIET: how Kimberly Snyder changed my life

by Christy Montenegro

It all started when one of my best friends introduced me to a new way of living….

It was the summer of 2013 and I had just come back from an amazing island hopping vacation in the Caribbean. I was tan and life was good.

My days weren’t the usual 8-5 Monday through Friday work schedule. I was living life always on the go and I used to call airports and hotels my home.

I was traveling, having fun and eating everything and anything. Delicious pastries in Paris, shark and bake in Trinidad and Tobago, churrasco in Guatemala, paella in Madrid and was almost convinced to try fried crickets in Thailand. I had accomplished my dream of working as a flight attendant and planned to enjoy it to the fullest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It’s all fun and games until your pants don’t fit anymore” slowly became a reality.

This new dream of mine also came with its cons. My eating habits became disoriented and I no longer felt as healthy as I had before. It took some time but I finally realized things needed to change. Lucky for me, the answer to my struggles came sooner than I thought. My best friend Lindsay, who is also a flight attendant, introduced me to the book that turned my world upside down.

“Kimberly Snyder’s The Beauty Detox Solution is a must-read that intelligently highlights the importance of incorporating large amounts of greens and plant foods in our diet.”-Dr. Mehmet Oz

This book didn’t teach me the common 5 week diet plan, which usually doesn’t give long term results. It taught me a whole new lifestyle and the long term benefits of a plant based diet. Reading Kimberly’s book gave me a new set of eyes and it dawned on me that you really are what you eat.

“We must respect how incredibly powerful our bodies are. Our body has the ability to heal itself, and it will achieve its highest potential if we clear the way for it to do so….. Each and every one of us has this potential for natural healing and beauty within us.”–Kimberly Snyder

What inspired me the most about Kimberly is that she wasn’t the average college graduate. Instead, she went on a three year adventure, which consisted of over 50 countries, in order to learn a variety of health and wellness traditions from different cultures.

In a way, I related to her in regards to the traveling. My reason for becoming a flight attendant was to travel the world by the age of 30, which I think I’ve done a pretty good job so far, but I still seem to have a travel bug with no cure.

My biggest take away from Kimberly has been my obsession for green smoothies. Their looks are definitely deceiving because they are absolutely delicious and have become a staple in my daily routine. You can find green smoothie recipes here and here.

Kimberly Snyder changed my life and I will forever be in debt for her priceless advice. Combined with exercise and a plant based diet, this is the healthiest I have ever been in all 27 years of my life.

 

Curious to learn more about green smoothies? Feel free to comment below!