The Beauty Detox Solution: Bat-S*** Crazy

by Brooke on November 8, 2011

Post image for The Beauty Detox Solution:  Bat-S*** Crazy

I just saw on E! News some of the dumbest nutrition advice…

They were putting in a plug for a book called The Beauty Detox Solution.  It is written by Kimberly Snyder.  In her bio, it doesn’t even mention a solid educational background in Dietetics or Nutritional Sciences.  The difference between a “nutritionist” and a registered dietitian is education.  Anyone can say they are a “nutritionist.”  Essentially you can pay for a Clinical Nutritionist (C.N.) credential online for as low as $420 dollars… nothing clinical or evidenced-based about it.  To learn more about why a Registered Dietitian is the nutrition expert click here.

Let’s just review a few of the tips she gave on the show:

1)  Use Coconut Oil.  The most heart healthy oils are olive, canola, and corn – NOT coconut oil.  Coconut oil is high in saturated fat.  It is this fat that increases the bad cholesterol (LDL) in our bodies.  Unsaturated fats are healthy for the heart.  There are two types: monounsaturated fats (olive, canola, and peanut) and polyunsaturated fats (canola, corn, sesame, sunflower, safflower, and soybean).

2)  Onions purify your blood and help your skin look younger. What? I have never read one study on this.  If you have found a good peer-reviewed article send it to me.  Onions can be a great vegetable to use in stir-frys, salads, or soups but don’t expect these results.

3)  Don’t drink water with your meals, because it dilutes the enzymes and hydrochloric acid in your stomach.  She also mentioned that it doesn’t help with weight control either.  Where do these people get these ideas?  Our bodies need water to facilitate digestion and transport the products of metabolism (our energy burning system) including ENZYMES! Sipping water in between bites not only hydrates your system, but also helps your body realize it is getting full by stretching your stomach. It takes time for a full stomach to communicate with the brain and tell the brain that it is time to stop eating. Water can help speed up this process and may help prevent overeating.

4)  Use spices like cayenne pepper to increase your metabolism.  Spices are a wonderful alternative to use instead of adding salt to your food, but it won’t increase your metabolism with a dash here and there.  If you want to increase your metabolism go workout.

5)  Eat the skins of vegetables.   Finally, one I agree with!!!  Yes, please eat the skins of your vegetables and increase your consumption of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  However, I am happy when individuals eat vegetables period, let alone the skins :)

I understand the media and consumers like reporting and hearing about the crazy health and nutrition advice, because it makes for better TV.  It doesn’t, however, improve your health or beauty!

Cameo November 8, 2011 at 1:23 pm

Love your passion! Being that you are an RD I can see how these tips rub you the wrong way. But I think that the even more annoying aspect is that – for us lay people -we just get more and more confused. I have read a ton of books on the subject of nutrition and have heard quite a few times that CORN oil is terrible and that COCONUT oil is amazing. From what I have been lead to understand, coconut oil, though high in sat fat, is metabolized differently than most fats…and thus used more quickly for fuel. Have you heard this? As for the spices, I think I have read a dozen times that eating spicy food can help with weight-loss, but I always thought it was because it dulls the appetite, not because it speeds up the metabolism…

I feel like the more I read the less certain I am of anything!

I wish I could go back in time and study to be an RD. I really missed my calling….

Brooke November 8, 2011 at 3:13 pm

Hi Cameo,
Since, Summer touched on the spicy food question I won’t go into more detail on that one. She is also an RD :) Yes, coconut oil is broken down in our bodies differently from the unsaturated fats, because it is a saturated fat. The structures of each of those two types of fats are different. Saturated fats are called this because the structure is fully saturated with hydrogen atoms and the structure also doesn’t contain double bonds between the carbon atoms. Unsaturated fats do have double bonds. Therefore, the body does breakdown the saturated fats differently, but that doesn’t make them the better choice.

Summer November 8, 2011 at 2:20 pm

Does this crazy person have a webpage? The water-enzyme thing drives me nuts. Are C.N.s required to take even one class of nutritional biochem? I’d LOVE to review the requirements to get this title. I also want to put this link on her page so her readers are aware of this b.s.

Brooke November 8, 2011 at 3:02 pm

She does, but I don’t think it would be a good idea. There will always be someone else selling another crazy idea…

Monica Flannery, Holistic R.N. July 20, 2012 at 1:52 am

I am a RN and have learned many Holistic Tips that are evidenced-based. Water should not be consumed with our meals. It does dilute the enzymes that breakdown our food, you should hydrate before and after your meals. Physicians are just starting to aclnowledge the many benefits of herbs and many other Holistic Modalities: problem is the right must work with the left…which is why I am a Holistic RN with extensive degrees, and clinical studies that I have observed–>there must be a meeting of the minds: if someone verbalizes their superiority, I would queation That!!
We have so much to learn. Natural living is in All of Our Best Interest!! Good Health~

Brooke July 20, 2012 at 9:30 pm

Hi Monica,

Thank you for leaving a comment. I agree with you that health professionals should work together! However, to do this we need to speak one language – Science. I have never seen any research published in peer-reviewed journals about not drinking water with meals. Did you find these “tips” in peer-reviewed journals?

Summer November 8, 2011 at 2:36 pm

One more thing! (then I’ll digress) 😉

If spicy food “dulled the appetite”, all those folks inhaling flaming hots and hot wings wouldn’t have a weight problem. Some people are more sensitive to heat from spice and may not be able to eat a lot at one time, but this is altered by exposure. e.g. the more you are exposed to a non- bland diet, the more your tastes will change. Over time- that spice “bite” gives us a mini-endorphin release and we crave MORE heat.

cameo November 8, 2011 at 5:13 pm

Good point re: spicy food!

It’s sad that gimmicks sell and science doesn’t. This book is just a delineation of dozens before it that put a pretty girl on the cover and promise easy and fast results. Which is – sadly – what the public keeps showing they want based upon sales.

Ellen May 20, 2012 at 1:09 am

It’s unfortunate how almost everyone commenting on this book has not read the book, yet has already formulated a strong opinion against it. It’s puzzling. The book is the opposite of what “Cameo” says. It is all about NOT being about gimmicks; it is about simple science. Regardless of what the author’s background is, she sites science repeatedly throughout the book. She stresses that this is not a quick solution, a 21 day cleans or a diet to try for a few months. Rather, it is a lifestyle change, one that should be implemented gradually at one’s on pace, and altered accordingly. There is not right level of eating, some will stick at one phase, others will stay at another. It’s about eating and living clean, and reaping the benefits. Sure, it’s not easy and can be downright inconvenient at first. But getting on a path to true, holistic health takes time and commitment. It requires an open-mind, and a willingness to break away from what has been touted as mainstream healthy eating in America. I encourage everyone to at least read the book before passing judgement.

Angelica May 27, 2012 at 9:50 pm

I agree with you Ellen. I was about to post my thoughts on these comments, but you took the words right out of my mouth. People should definitely read the book before they start criticizing it.

Kristen @ swanky dietitian November 11, 2011 at 10:32 pm

This is too funny that you wrote this post. I saw this segment the other day and couldn’t believe it!
Ridiculous!! And a great rebuttal!!!

Lauren November 13, 2011 at 7:30 pm

I wrote a letter to In Style a few months back after I read some baloney by this same “expert”. She must be well-connected because she certainly isn’t getting this placement from her credentials. However, I am a fan of coconut oil and don’t see saturated fats as all equal. I also adore cooking with coconut oil. As far as drinking with meals that’s based on a Chinese Medicine tenet and does work well for those with digestive issues. I’m totally with you on the importance of degrees and can only imagine how this segment sounded.

Brooke November 14, 2011 at 4:17 am

That is awesome that you wrote a letter to In Style Lauren! It is not that I am against coconut oil. The E! News segment just made it sound like it was the best oil out there to eat and cook with and that is just not true. I was also worried that all those E! News viewers at home were going to run out and start cooking with ONLY this oil.

Tanya @ Dine, Dash, and Deadlift November 13, 2011 at 7:53 pm

THANK YOU BROOKE for writing this article! You said you found “nutritionist” certifications for as low as $420…a while back when I was looking up some of the “nutrition certifications” some of the trainers at a local gym had, I came across one for less than $200. All you had to do was take a test on-line and if you passed you paid $ and were then sent your certificate. Being curious I took this test. The questions were super basic things that anyone could have looked up in order to pass, i.e. – “which of the following is a fat-soluble vitamin”, etc. Also, turns out you only had to get a 70% on the test to be deemed qualified to possess this particular certification! NUTS! Do you know ANY RDs who regularly got 70% on ANY exams in college? No, because people with grades that low would not get in to an internship.

Okay, off my rant now! Thanks Brooke!

Brooke November 14, 2011 at 4:13 am

Hi Tanya! I am glad you liked it! The rant made me smile…so no worries :)

Ayla Withee, RD, LDN November 15, 2011 at 4:11 pm

Thank you for this post! I saw this woman on E news as well but could not remember her name when I tried to google it. I am SO incredibly tired of “detox diets”. Most are downright dangerous and honestly, a simple, healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables is “detoxifying”. Detox diets don’t cleanse the liver and kidneys, they stress them out! She also talked about eating sauerkraut before every meal….? Her tips were not evidence-based nor were they at all accessible to the average person! The whole water with meals thing was ridiculous too. You need water to HELP you digest. I think I probably need to do a blog on this as well because I could go on and on. Enjoyed yours.

Brooke December 7, 2011 at 12:13 am

Hi Ayla, watching her talk was like a train wreck. Please write a post on this too! The more RDs out there spreading REAL advice the better!!!

Dagny November 18, 2011 at 12:04 am

I’m not surprised to see Dr. Oz’s endorsement on this. You might expect such misinformation from a mail-order “nutritionist” but this man is an actual medical doctor! He’s just a TV personality now as far as I’m concerned.

Nutritionist Dietitian December 1, 2011 at 11:22 am

Thanks for your advice I appreciate the knowledge you have about the Dietitian. I loved reading this post and I will also share it with my colleagues and friends so that also have healthy and beautiful life.

Brooke December 7, 2011 at 12:12 am

Thank you! I am so happy that you enjoyed reading the post :)

Erika D December 14, 2011 at 9:00 am

Hi Brooke,

Just googled the “spicy foods increase metabolism” and came across this article: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/spicy-food-boost-metabolism/story?id=14290620#.TuhlSSNa9sw

Is there any merit to it?

Brooke April 26, 2012 at 2:59 am

Hi Erica! Since, there is limited research on this topic I would recommend exercise first as a means to increase your metabolism :)

Nutritionist Dietitian December 15, 2011 at 12:13 pm

Great post! For weight losing purposes people think that dieting is the good option, but to diet can be harmful for health too. It is important for people to know that they should Dietitian first.

Sam May 1, 2012 at 2:47 pm

Thank you!

My daughter is 23 and lives by this silly book, and can’t figure out why, after eating a glowing green smoothie, a green salad, and almost nothing for dinner, while working out like a mad woman, and chasing three small kids all day, she can’t loose any body fat. I tried to tell her to eat more, and I hear “Kimberly Snyder says….” It’s driving me a bit nuts. She bought into this book hook, line and sinker because “it was on Dr. Oz so it must be true” and that makes me crazy. She now has Chia seeds, and massive quantities of lettuce and eats almost nothing. She has decided that she is allergic to dairy, because KS says it’s bad. She never had an issue with dairy before she read this book.

Please write a real book on nutrition! I have been eating mostly veggies, lean protein, and healthy snacks and working out 5 times a week for the last three weeks, and I lost 5 pounds in that time. I went from a couch potato lifestyle and felt horrible, was always tired, and lived on coffee and junk food, am overweight and come from a long family history of heart problems. A month ago, I changed my mind, and my life style. I got rid of all of the packaged foods, bought a wide variety of veggies, beans, grains, chicken, lean beef and pork, found the local green grocer and I am on my way. I will not live on smoothies, although I do love them and make them, but they are not my first source of food. When I do make them, I use a variety of fruits and veggies in them, not just greens. Carrots and apples are one of my favorites. (I have a vitamix and it makes it into a juice)

This woman does not take the differences in people into account. If I ate like she says, I would be sick as a dog.

Thank you for setting people straight!

Brooke May 2, 2012 at 2:40 am

Hi Sam, Thank you so much for your posistive feedback. I really enjoyed reading your comment and will get working on that book!

Dr. V. Peña May 31, 2012 at 8:36 pm

This is an excellent comment indeed. You couldn’t make it up! Wisdom and experience v. Youthful fad… I say you should simply continue as you are doing and let your results speak for themselves. Eventually your daughter will realize that Ms. Snyder is full of hot air and that the real role model has in fact been in front of her in flesh and blood all along: her own mother.

People are prone to latch on to programs, books, and other belief systems which provide a seamless, coherent plan for their goal which requires only pig-headed devotion without the need for much thinking, which can be far more demanding. No one is immune and only we can snap ourselves out of it.

Best of luck with your own health which you have clearly taken real charge of.

Dr.V. Peña

Sam June 10, 2012 at 4:19 am

Thank you Dr. Pena, I am trying very hard.

For all of those critics out there, yes I have read the book, cover to cover, I own it. I still do not agree with Kimberly Snyder. Not all things work for all people, and I watch my daughter get sick, and actually gain weight by following her plan. *Some* people may benefit from it, but the majority of people would not. I think you should consult a medical doctor and a diatition if you want to truly modify your diet in a positive way! Many of the “Quoted Studies” in this book are NOT peer reviewed! That makes a difference. Anyone can publish a “study” but there is a big difference between “research” and a Peer Reviewed study that has been published and stands up to scrutiny.

Esti May 11, 2012 at 6:33 pm

Hi Brooke!
Thanks for the rant! I laughed the whole time. Do you not agree with Kim’s “fruit until noon” idea and its detoxifying effects either???

Tannis May 17, 2012 at 5:11 pm

I bought the book and have been trying to follow it. It’s very hard to do all i can think about is a juicy burger LOL.

Brooke June 8, 2012 at 3:25 pm

Hi Esti,

I only commented on the tips from Kim’s book that were on E News. However, I believe in healthy balanced meals and that one food group alone is neither the cure nor the problem.

sabien June 9, 2012 at 2:13 pm

I wad just wondering if you have ever read the book. I seems to me that you are only commenting on a few things that you don’t believe in and you seem to ignore the comments thar don’t support what you believe.

Amy June 6, 2012 at 5:56 pm

I started the virgin coconut oil detox after much research. Why don’t you support them?

Brooke June 8, 2012 at 3:46 pm

Hi Amy, I support the scientific system that depends on peer-reviewed scientific journals. Since, more and more information is available to the public it can be difficult for most consumers to judge which claims are valid, or otherwise well-supported. The peer review process occurs when qualified experts review the scientific journal before it is published, therefore, studies with limited data or fundamental flaws are not mistaken as reliable. At this time, much, much more research needs to be done on coconut oil.

Sit tight; I’m preparing a blog post about coconut oil soon.

Stella June 8, 2012 at 4:30 am

Have you read the book? Yes, I know you’re an RD but that does not mean what you know is all that is right. Please read before you judge this book. It is not easy to follow as it is a serious lifestyle change but it totally worked for me. I lost the last 15 lbs by following her book. I feel great because of this.

Amy June 8, 2012 at 12:02 pm

I totally agree with you Stella when you say this rantasouras rex rd isnt a nutrition Goddess herself. An RD doesn’t make you an authority although I’m sure you have more knowledge than the average person.. DR. Fife in the Coconut Cure went through many years of research into virgin coconut oil to scientifically discover and prove his point. Get over this annoyance and move on. Maybe write your own book and photo shop it until you feel you look beautiful.

Amy June 8, 2012 at 3:59 pm

I see a lot of comments here putting this young lady down that have nothing to do with the argument….. How are those acceptable and mine not?

Brooke June 8, 2012 at 3:57 pm

Hey Stella,

The research I have seen has not convinced me, but if it works for you that is great. Thanks for commenting!

Brooke June 8, 2012 at 3:53 pm

Hi Amy,

I love that there are so many dissenting opinions on my blog. However, personal attacks have no place in any discussion. Please keep your passion focused on the arguments, and not the arguers.

Thanks!

Amy June 8, 2012 at 4:38 pm

I replied on the wrong comment. There are a lot of comments on here that put this young lady down. How are those ok and mine not? Maybe because they agree with you? I’m sure this girl means well regardless of the truth. In my opinion, people should never accept anything, like her book, like this blog, as fact and should always research more.

Emily June 8, 2012 at 4:29 pm

Just because someone is an MD, doesn’t mean they know anything about nutrition. MD’s don’t take very many, if more than one, nutrition related classes, so usually their knowledge about nutrition is the same as a ‘lay person’. RDs, on the other hand, can take upwards of 15 classes depending on their credentials (MS, PhD)…and that’s just to graduate with their degree, not including the classes they take to maintain their credentials…so yeah, I would trust an RDs nutrition knowledge over and MD any day!

Ayla Withee @EatSimply June 9, 2012 at 10:25 pm

I have been following the comments on this blog post and it has been fascinating. Obviously people feel very passionately about this topic and I commend you Brooke for initiating and continuing to engage in this debate. I think some of this stems from those folks that have had some success with this diet. The truth is, making big changes like the ones suggested in this book probably will result in weight loss. You will find this to be the case with any diet. Does that mean it is sustainable long term or good for your health? I don’t think it does. It is important that people don’t blindly do these types of things without understanding what happens in your body. Truth is, a lot of the suggestions in the book will get you to ultimately cut calories but there will be no detoxing going on. THIS is precisely where the training of an RD is so valuable. Are there other professionals who do a good job out there? Yes, of course. No one says that we are the ONLY authority on the subject but we are certainly one of them. I didn’t go through years of chem, bio, and nutrition classes plus field training and well over a thousand hours of continuing education to not defend that! No one is suggesting that you must only listen to RD’s but please do at least question the validity behind any claim or recommendation, no matter where they come from, before you mess with the only body you’ve got!

Ayla Withee @EatSimply June 10, 2012 at 9:04 pm

If you have been following this conversation, you might be interested in this TED talk by a MD, and epidemiologist called “Battling Bad Science”. It is a great video and well worth the 15 or so minutes to watch. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4MhbkWJzKk

Sabina July 1, 2012 at 2:18 pm

I have to defend this book, I understand its not for everyone but after years of going to doctors with health complaints I switched to a detox lifestyle and have seen dramatic improvements. I was by no means unhealthy or overweight before but had skin complaints, thinning hair ect even after cutting out gluten. All you need to do is look at someone who follows a high raw cleansing diet to see the benefit.

Dar August 13, 2012 at 11:27 pm

Hi Brooke,

I just wanted to ask your opinion on her “Glowing Green Smoothie” (you can see the recipe here http://www.kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2009/07/11/green-smoothie-recipe/). Is it, or any green smoothie any good for you? She suggests you drink it everyday but I’ve read some stuff about green smoothies suggesting they’re bad for your health so now i’m not so sure. If you can’t eat fresh leafy greens then what can you eat??

Thanks for your post and information!!

Brooke August 17, 2012 at 2:11 am

Hi Dar,

I think you made a great point when you said, “if you can’t eat fresh leafy greens then what can you eat??” There are so many more benefits you can get through eating vegetables than just drinking them. Consumption of a smoothie like this would just depend on your overall health goals and health history. For instance, if a client of mine had diabetes I may not recommend this type of smoothie for them based on the number of fruit servings in the drink. I also recommend for calorie control to eat your food and not drink it.

Kayla Cait November 19, 2012 at 6:00 pm

After hearing some Snyder hype on tv, as an RD, of course I wanted to see who this lady is?? I stumbled upon your site and well, I already love it. So good to see some good fact checking! Ughh it’s so sickening to see yet another misleading credential floating around out there.

Brooke November 19, 2012 at 6:05 pm

Thanks Kayla! It is amazing what some consider good research and sad how that data gets interpreted into misleading information.

Nicole March 16, 2013 at 10:02 am

Hmmmm, perhaps you should actually read her book. I’m not saying you would agree with everything, there are many different theories on nutrition, but it is highly unfair to publicly blog and discredit when you have only seen a short segment on a tv show.

If you actually read her book you would see her main message is for people to up their intake of vegetables, particularly leafy greens. The whole ‘Glowing Green Smoothie’ idea is a way to get a high amount of varied greens into a persons daily diet. There are also numerous other whole food recipes for people to cook with if they prefer not to drink their food. I really don’t think that is a negative message or poor nutrition.

To be honest, i can’t believe you suggest corn oil as healthy when most corn is GMO. There are no long term studies on the effects GMO has on humans. Unfortunately a lot of studies are funded by industry to support and increase there sales and are not a reflection of what is really healthy for us.

I respect that your trying to put a positive message out about accurate and inaccurate information, but to be taken seriously you need to do your research before discrediting someone.

On another note, can i say your blog name ‘Bitchin Nutrition’ sounds very negative. When i came across this site by accident it sounded very negative and unprofessional. It indicated that you where out to discredit anyone that you disagree with. Perhaps a more positive blog name would be more appropriate if you are wanting to spread the word of good wholesome nutrition. I’m sure more people would access your site. Most people i know that are interested in nutrition prefer to follow sites that inspire and make them happy. I’m sure you would have more followers and a better chance at spreading your message if your blog name was positive and if you fully researched anyone you are out to discredit.

Brooke April 15, 2013 at 1:48 pm

Hi Nicole, thank you for your comment. I agree that getting Americans to eat vegetables regardless of their color is a positive message. I won’t go into detail about GMO/organics at this time and will save that for a blog post. However, I took a whole grad class on just that subject and am very familiar with the research. As for my name, http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/bitchin‘.

Christine April 2, 2013 at 5:18 am

Wow. I stumbled upon this after a search for Kim Snyder. I think she has some good points and I am a RD. I do not agree with everything she says but I see no harm. I certainly do not agree with everything the ADA has to say. Yes, I worked hard for my degree and internship but I feel there is more to be learned. She does not “”promote” coconut oil per se. She discusses the benefits of limited servings…not copious amounts. Calm down and be open to nutrition concepts outside of the ADA. It is embarrassing that RD’s are taught to have such a superior attitude. I am very proud of my education and hard work but am open to other concepts. Just saying.

Brooke April 15, 2013 at 1:57 pm

Hi Christine, this post was only about the comments made on E! I also worked hard to get a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics, a Dietetic Internship, and a Masters of Science in Nutritional Sciences. I am very open to hearing about other nutrition theories, but draw the line at accepting them when more research is needed or limited research is present. Without science we are just providing opinions.