She's a New York Times bestselling author and the founder of L.A.'s super-hot Glow Bio juice and smoothie shop, but Kimberly Snyder's real claim to fame is her client roster: In addition to BRIDES beauty columnist Drew Barrymore, Snyder counts Kerry Washington and the Sisters Mara (Kate and Rooney) among the many superstars she helps stay ultra-healthy and unspeakably gorge.
So basically, how could we not ask her for her Dos and Don'ts when it comes to pre-wedding cleanse diets?
Brides: To lose weight for their weddings, so many brides try cleansing for the first time. What are your tips for newbies? Should they start with a short cleanse? Say, just a day or two?
Kimberly Snyder: Cleanses are wonderfully helpful when you need extra support to get back to a healthy lifestyle, or if you've fallen far off track and are giving in to your addictions and cravings so much that you feel you need to hit the "reset" button.
If you're new to cleansing you can do a beginner's type of cleanse. At Glow Bio that would be Level 1. Regardless of the number of days, it's important to prepare for—and break—your cleanse properly, as I outline below. That's even more crucial for newbies.
Brides: Would you recommend veggie juices over fruit? Or a combo of both?
KS: There seem to be a lot of generic cleanses out there, or "build your own." For maximum efficiency, there should be a strategy in the cleanse design. Veggie juices are great for mineralizing and alkalizing your system, but fruits are the most cleansing foods of all.
There's nothing random about our cleanses at Glow Bio. I recommend you consume the drinks in the specific order each day. There is strategically placed fiber to help escort toxins out of the body and also stabilize your blood sugar levels. Specific boosters are included along the way to help "debloat" and flush out water weight, to help your system function more efficiently, enhance immunity and optimize digestive function.
See more: The Best Pre-Wedding Juice Cleanses for Weight Loss, Glowing Skin, and More!
Brides: Is it a good idea to toggle back and forth between juices and smoothies so you're getting fiber and aren't quite so ravenous?
KS: Again, I feel it's important to spend your hard-earned money on an expertly designed cleanse. For the cleanses I design, the fiber-filled Glowing Green Smoothie is placed at the beginning and end of the day, to help maintain blood sugar levels and provide fiber to help sweep up toxicity that's being kicked up by all the enzymes from the juices and smoothies. Without this fiber to sweep matter out, it's possible to reabsorb some toxins back into your system. The definition of a cleanse is that the toxins and waste have to physically leave your body.
I often see people swing back and forth between an acidic diet, then doing an all-liquid fast, then feeling so imbalanced and deprived from the all-liquid fast that they go right back to eating heavier or less than ideal foods right afterwards. That does no good at all, and can mess with your metabolism. Choose your cleanse wisely.
Brides: How can cleansing brides keep their energy up? Not with coffee, right?
KS: There are so many other great food options for keeping energy high without coffee! I recommend starting the day with a Glowing Green Smoothie, which is packed with nutrients that will give you a serious energy boost. This should be part of your long-term lifestyle, even when you're not on a cleanse!
If you're optimizing digestion, you'll have more energy. You don't have to do everything at once. It's not all or nothing. Any improvement you make will help! But this helps: eating proper Beauty Food Pairings, taking probiotics and cutting out gluten and dairy. Be sure to stay hydrated and stick to whole foods.
See more: 10 Foods To Avoid Before Your Wedding
Brides: What lifestyle changes should brides make while cleansing? Sleep more? Drink tons of water?
KS: Everyone's different. If you're feeling tired, which can happen from your body shifting a great deal of energy to focus on cleansing, then you should respect that and take it easy. On the other hand, some people feel a great deal of energy and are comfortable working out or going to yoga class. Listen to your body.
Since everyone's starting at a different place when they go into a cleanse, they may react in a different way. As toxins surface, your body may feel the effect of them much more than when they were pushed way down into your system and lying dormant. You may experience the "worse before better" scenario, but the good news is that your body is ridding itself of toxins that were holding it back from perfect balance. You may or may not experience the following symptoms: headaches, light-headedness, skin eruptions, body odor, coldness, fatigue. Be sure to drink lots of water and rest when you feel really tired. If something extreme comes up, go see your doctor.
Brides: Can brides have a glass of wine or champs while cleansing?
KS: No. Sorry! And I recommend cutting out alcohol for at least two to three days leading up to your cleanse. It's really important because your liver is your main detoxifying organ, and you want it to be at work with the toxins that are now being kicked up from within your body, not adding more toxins during your cleanse from alcohol.
Brides: In terms of timing, when should brides attempt a cleanse? Should it be early on, to spark motivation? Or later, to shed a few pounds right before the big day?
KS: Remember that cleanse programs are really designed (or should be) to help get you back on track with your ongoing cleanse, which you must do continuously. You don't just clean your house a few times a year. And so it is with the body. Toxins and metabolic wastes are constantly building in the body. If you want the best results, you have to think of "cleanse" as a verb, not a noun. You have to cleanse constantly, not just do a cleanse here and there, only to go back to your normal way of eating.
So I recommend going on a cleanse right away, then using that as motivation to embark on a healthy, long-term, balanced eating lifestyle. You can always do another cleanse right before your wedding if you feel you need it. But if you're eating great all throughout your engagement and staying active, you might be feeling great already!