Hi Guys!
What a lovely weekend we had here in the Northeastern part of the United States. I headed out of the city for a relaxing weekend in the country. I start traveling again this week. Yesterday I hiked, and pretty much all day long today I have been sitting on this porch, reading and now writing this blog. What a nice way to celebrate the birth of SPRING!! Happy Spring!
We may all energetically feel the urge to spruce things up in this new season, either around the house or with our wardrobe. It also applies to our kitchen and our foods, and it may be fun right now to explore some foods you may not be as familiar with. Here are 5 I love:
1. Bitter Melon: It is a little funny since bitter melons are a beauty food, since I will lovingly say that they are indeed quite ugly themselves! The look like deformed, gnarled old cucumbers. Besides their outer appearance however, they are a wonderful tropical fruit that has several compounds, including charantin and plypeptide-P, which makes it a powerful food for blood sugar control and helping us process sugars well. Too much sugar in our system can lead to inflammation, which can lead to cross-linking and then wrinkles! Bitter melons help reduce these aging processes in our body, and also suppresses our urge to eat sweets. We can juice it or work it into our salads, if you don’t mind bitter things. An Indian doctor I know sautes it with spices and gives it to his diabetic patients.
2. Dandelion: Yes, the weed! Instead of being looked on as a pesky nuisance, dandelion is quite useful for us to ingest. 
It is best known for its important benefits for restoring and supporting liver tissue, thereby helping us detoxify. You can find dandelion leaves at health stores, as it is coming into season now, and work it into your Green Smoothies. Be careful though, as the taste is quite strong. A few leaves at a time are good. There are also good herbal teas which have Dandelion, such as the Yogi Detox and Peach Detox tea, which I really like!
3. Kelp: Gotta love the sea vegetables! Kelp is my new favorite. It has over 60 minerals and trace elements, and 21 amino acids. It helps promote the health of our glands, including the pituitary, adrenal and thyroid. Because it contains iodine and helps stimulate the thyroid gland, and thereby our metabolism, it has been noted by some that it helps with weight loss. It helps neutralize heavy-metal pollution and radiation in the body. It is also amazing to make our skin and hair healthy. Soak and add to salads!
4. Nopal cactus: Aka prickly pear cactus. This is traditional food throughout Latin America. This happens to be one of the highest food sources of calcium. It also helps us process sugars efficiently. If you can find it, slice up and eat raw in salads!
5. Curcumin (Turmeric): We’ve talked about this wonderful herb before, but it bears mentioning again. It has amazing antioxidant properties and helps prevent oxidation- which we can think of as the internal rusting on the insides of our body. Not beautiful! Oxidation occurs with free radical damage, which curcumin helps prevent. It also helps clean up metabolic waste and protects and restores the liver! I throw a bit into recipes and salad dressings. It will turn your dish bright yellow!
Have an amazing, beautiful, start to the week and SPRING. If you slipped up a bit on some of your New Year’s resolutions or some of your health or life goals, NOW is a great week to restore those promises to yourself. No time like the present to take advantage – while forgetting anything we’ve done, or not done, in the past.
Lots of love!
Kimberly
About Kimberly Snyder
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Kimberly Snyder is a highly sought after nutritionist for many of the entertainment industry's top celebrities and author of the best-selling book, The Beauty Detox Solution. She prepares food for her clients on Hollywood’s biggest film sets and gets them camera-ready for roles and red carpet events... 
Funny, you went to the country this weekend and I went into the city!
I did enjoy a long walk in the park near me yesterday and one in Central park this morning! 
Thanks for all the tips, I will have to seek out a few of these bad boys! 
Wow! That is funny.
I am so hapy it was sunny over the wkd because today is not at all!!! I really appreciate silence and walking in the woods now- I don’t take it for granted at all!
Hi Kim,
I will try the raw nopal which I eat regularly in Mexico but always was cooked so this will be my first time trying raw.
Some people that are really into nopal, they said that it helps to slow down aging process and they eat it in a smoothie with pinapple and lime! It test really good!
Wow! That sounds like a great smoothie!
I googled this but I still cant tell which fruits or vegetables belong to which seasons! And i go to my local farmers market, but some of the fruits and vegetables are shipped in from other states and some are – i dont know where they are from…
HI Nini,
I get the cactus from Wholefoods even though it isn’t local…the turmeric you can get in the spice aisle at your local health food store. I’m seeing bitter melon around in Asian markets so I do believe it is coming season. Bitter melon grows in the Carribean and warm places like Florida.
Thanks!
Hi Kim, LOVE your ideas and try to do most of them BUT I went to 2 health food stores today and asked for bitter melon and the cactus you suggested and neither of them knew what I was talking about. Where do we find these things? Thanks and have a great day. Hugs
Hi Love! Where do you live? In NY I get the bitter melon in china town and the cactus at Wholefoods.
I actually really like dandelions, I can’t wait to try out the cactus though
thanks for posting!
You’re welcome! I am really digging the cactus right now.
Love, love, love your website
It provides the best info. I saw on twitter that you enjoyed some ice cream today, and I had to tell you about the most amazing ice cream . . . vegan, raw and glorious! It’s by Blue Mountain Creamery. I have fallen in love with the choc, which is amazing with a sliced banana 
Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge!
Thanks love!! What is the base of the Blue Mountain Creamery?
hi kimberly ,
few years ago i was eating the right way no sugar , gluten free etc… and i felt amazing since i had my 2 kids well i’ve been eating really bad !!!!!!:( and i feel like crap !!!!! … i want to get back in the swing of things but i’m having a hard time cooking for my family and then making the meals for myself !!!! i never know what to eat in the morning, lunch or supper . it’s like i can’t remember anything of what i used to eat !!!! can you help me out with suggestions for breakfast, lunch,super and maybe some snacks that i can bring to work and that r easy to make ….
thank you for your time and your knowledge !!!
juju
Hi Juju! Our overall diet needs to be individualized. Be sure you are having lots of greens and salads. Simple is better! Quinoa and millet are better than rices and all wheat products. Try having the Green Smoothie for breakfast! Avoid heavy food in the morning which could weigh you down.
If you are interested in a nutritional consultation, where I evaluate my client’s background and create a diet plan, you can email info@kimberlysnyder.net.
Love, Kimberly
very informative.
it is really a great informative article.
It is really a great informative article. I hope to see more of this kind in future.
Hi Kim,
I have a question about vinegar for salad dressing. I love to make my own dressings using different oils and vinegars, but it seems that you only recommend raw apple cider vinegar from reading your blog. Is this correct or are there other vinegars you recommend? I love your blog and hope you are doing well!
Hi Jamie!
Raw apple cider vinegar is the only non-acid-forming vinegar, and that actually has health benefits. So I have said goodbye to all others, including my old fave of balsamic vinegar. I don’t miss them anymore!
Come visit me again. xx Kimberly
Hmn.. the food featured here are not familiar to me, although they look great. Does these food really taste good? I would like to try them. Where Can I buy some of them. I am in the Philippines.
I will try this yoga tips thanks for that