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How do you spend the first five minutes of your day? There’s no better time than the morning to ground yourself and prepare your body and mind to set the tone for the day ahead. And since we only have about 25,000 mornings in our adult life, it’s time we made them count. In our Wake Up Call series, we take a look inside the morning routines of people we admire to inspire our own AM rituals and start the day on the right note. Up next, health entrepreneur and best-selling author Kimberly Snyder’s morning routine.
I’ll never forget reading Kimberly Snyder’s first book almost a decade ago—my mind was blown as I learned the secrets behind her journey towards optimal health. Her (now famous) Glowing Green Smoothie? Sounded crazy (think: a whole head of romaine) but it was as delicious as she promised. Food combining for optimal digestion? For me, it was revolutionary.
Snyder’s philosophy influenced my own path to finding what worked for me when it came to food—especially her deeply-held belief that a perfect meal should be abundant in fresh, natural whole foods and made with love!
As she says it, “Achieving true wellness feels like you are in a flowing, easeful river as you go through your life, even in the midst of ups and downs.” It’s this emphasis on mind and spirit as much as the physical body that first spoke to me and still does today; so I was thrilled when Snyder invited us into her Topanga Canyon home to share a morning in the life that she shares up in the mountains with her husband and beautiful children. Sure, we got her secrets to an energizing breakfast and she spilled her must-have skincare products, but mostly we talked about what lights her up from the inside out.
She says, “Success to me is feeling connected to your True Self and living from that place.” She certainly appears to have found it, so read on for our interview and a walk through Kimberly Snyder’s morning routine.
What drew you to the world of health and nutrition?
I wanted to feel better in my own body. For a long time, I had very low energy, bloating, constipation, a tremendous amount of acne, and coarse hair that wouldn’t grow. It was through my own journey and exploring myself and my body that I became really interested, fascinated and I’ll admit—obsessed—with health and nutrition.
I also had an initial interest in the space because I had a partial science and math scholarship during college, and I was really interested in biology. After spending a summer working in a hospital, I realized that I didn’t want to be a doctor, but I did want to be in the health space in some capacity. So it made a lot of sense when I came back to this field, and teaching people how to live and embody a healthy lifestyle came naturally.
Why do you think your approach to wellness has resonated with so many people?
I have always been very passionate about my methodology, but I’ve never forced it on anyone. My approach is as an informed, loving friend who shares my own journey being a woman and who wants to feel and look her best, just like everyone else!
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
It’s been my dream to have a sisterhood and tribal community space where we can gather and support each other. We were able to build and recently launch our Solluna by Kimberly Snyder app to host this community, which we call our Solluna Circle. And it really feels like a dream come true.
Another big highlight was the first time I made the New York Times bestseller list! It was so exciting and I remember where I was standing (a hotel lobby) when my publisher called me to tell me.
You are a multi-book author and just submitted your next one. What do you hope people take away from your books?
Though my six books all have different focuses, my main message is about feeling good, which I define as being connected back to your truth, your essence, and the unique soul that you are. When we’re disconnected from our truth, it leads to suffering, struggle, and self-doubt. This often means a lack of confidence and being confused about what to eat or how to take care of your body.
It’s from this deep connected place that we start to thrive and we start to live our best lives.
This last book that I just turned in is a practical handbook for creating your best life: everything from vitality and confidence, to your ability to create abundance and true love in your life. It’s the first time I’m giving my full playbook, and I’m very excited about it!
Describe a typical day for you.
A typical day rotates around my children and my practices. Before dawn, they’re both in the bed with me. I get them set up for the day and head down to the kitchen by 7:00. When Moses takes his first nap, and my older child is content playing, I settle into my first meditation for the day, as well as journaling and reflection.
And then, it really depends on the day, but I rotate recording podcasts, doing interviews, writing articles, calls, and other things that I have to do for Solluna. I’m also in the editing phase for this book. When Emerson goes back to school, all the recordings will be done while he’s in school! For now, it’s a bit of a juggling process.
My team knows that I’m very hands-on with the kids, and they’re very flexible and I’m so grateful for that. I do a lot of work in the evenings after they go to bed. I meditate and have time with my husband and then we both do quite a bit of work in the evening. This is how I’m able to fit in so much and be a full-time mom! The day ends with meditation, more journaling, and cuddling with Hubs.
What are your beauty must-haves?
I’m a big fan of Ayurvedic oils and do weekly abhyanga massage, which is a warm oil massage with some warm herbal oils. I use sesame oil and a hair massage for my hair. Of course, I use our full Feel Good Solluna line of skincare, which is high performance and non-toxic. We include ingredients like stable vitamin C (ASC2P), a botanical alternative to retinol, plant stem cells, and more. I have to say, it’s amazing!!
Tell us a few things we’ll always find in your refrigerator?
Kale, spinach, microgreens, sprouts, apples, carrots, and bananas. Also, coconut water and coconut yogurt (I love the brand Harmless Harvest.) We mix things up that are seasonal. I also keep my nuts in the freezer and have a lot of almonds because I make almond milk almost every day and like to keep them fresh in the freezer.
And what about your pantry? What do you always have on hand?
I always have seaweed wraps. We’ll make our own avocado rolls at home. I have basmati rice and a range of spices. All the different Ayurvedic spices including cumin, coriander, and turmeric. We also have gluten-free pasta, which I make for Emerson, my older son.
What do you drink when you wake? And what’s for breakfast?
When I wake up, I drink hot water with lemon and then my Glowing Green Smoothie at room temperature. About 30 minutes to an hour later, depending on the day, I usually eat a gluten-free wrap with avocado, hummus, sprouts, and tomato.
What’s the number one kitchen tool you recommend for beginners?
A Vitamix—it makes life so much easier. It’s easy to clean and blends the food so that you get the most nutrition out of your food.
How are you staying healthy during the pandemic?
I focus on my Four Cornerstones: Food, Body, Emotional Well-Being, and Spiritual Growth. This is the philosophy that I teach to my community and my clients. It’s based on the truth that our power lies in our wholeness.
Food-wise: I maintain a rhythm anchored in my morning routine.
Body-wise: my main form of exercise right now is going for walks during the baby’s second nap, around the mountains here where I live, for an hour. It’s a time where I clear my head and find stillness. I’m in nature, which is a really important part of my day.
Emotionally: I stay connected to our Solluna community and to our circle tribe. I journal and process daily, which I believe is an important part of growth.
Spiritually: I meditate twice a day. I find this time truly essential. The most essential of all actually!
What are your favorite cookbooks and why?
I have to admit that I don’t cook out of any cookbooks. Ten years ago when I was starting out, I worked at a raw food cafe in the East Village of New York and learned a lot about flavor profiles and combining. I learned that I prefer to see what looks good at the farmer’s market and throw things together. Often what I eat is actually very simple. Additionally, sometimes I like to look around, and I love to provide inspiration to others with my own recipe ideas, but I’m just not a cookbook person myself!
What is regularly on the menu in the Snyder kitchen?
Smoothies, such as Powder Protein Smoothies and Glowing Green Smoothies, as well as a lot of one-pot meals, soups, stews, and stir-fries. We almost always have sprouted brown rice and I make a lot of bowls. We eat black beans, lentils, cooked kale, and salads.
We have a garden here and grow a lot of our vegetables. For me it’s really about the quality of the ingredients, so bowls and one-pot meals and soups are really our staples, besides the smoothies.
One meal I always make at home is Kitcheree because it is a complete meal with healthy fats, protein, and carbs. It’s easy to make and full of delicious Ayurvedic spices.
What supplements do you take every day and why?
I take all three of my Feel Good Solluna supplements which are my SBO Probiotics, Digestive Enzymes, and Detoxy. This triad balances your whole body and benefits everything—from glowing skin, healthy hair, high energy, more calmness… pure radiance!
How can someone get started on a path to healthy eating if she doesn’t know where to start?
Start with your morning routine, and build up from there! My morning routines include meditation, hot water with lemon, taking my SBO Probiotics, and then drinking a Glowing Green Smoothie!
What is something each of us can do to live a more radiant life today?
Take a balanced approach. Know you are already beautiful and amazing—now, you’re working on connecting more deeply to your True Self.
I would stress how important it is to put some focus on all of the Four Cornerstones versus too much focus on just one. Many people over-value food, for instance, and if they don’t also balance their stress and emotional well-being, they’ll still experience inflammation and poor gut health, as well as other physical issues.
You can commit to drinking hot water with lemon every morning (Food), focus on going for at least a 15 minute walk every day (Body), journal or join our Circle community (Emotional Well-Being), and commit to meditating every morning, even if it’s five minutes to start (Spiritual Growth!)
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