Girl crush, health hero, veganista: our Guest Editor this month is none other than the Skinny Bitch herself, Kim Barnouin! Kim’s quick wit, irreverent charm and down-to-earth approach to diet and lifestyle had us at hello when she released her first book, Skinny Bitch
, back in 2005 – and we’ve been hooked ever since. This self-proclaimed “no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous” had us both doubled over in laughter and doing a double-take in the grocery aisles. The Skinny Bitch empire has now expanded to cookbooks, video – even a website, Healthy Bitch Daily (one of our faves, natch)! We adore Kim for her vibrant personality, her inner beauty, and for inspiring us to embrace our unique fabulousness day in and day out. Stay tuned all month for her words of wisdom, favorite tips and tricks, and a detox diary to remember. Here’s Skinny Bitch…
Hi everyone! It’s the Skinny Bitch here. I have the honor of being your guest editor for the month of August. I feel so fortunate to be a part of such an amazing website and community! To me, Chalkboard has it all, and I love what it promotes. I am a vegan who considers myself a foodie; I’m a girly girl who loves my beauty products; I’m an interior designer wanna-be who loves reading about style and home. This is why I can’t get enough of The Chalkboard – I get it all in one place.
Anyone who knows about me or my books knows about my healthy lifestyle philosophy: it’s not just about eating healthy foods, it’s about incorporating a healthy mentality into every aspect of life. And that philosophy didn’t just appear out of thin air. I never realized how important it was to have a healthy home environment until my son got sick. I never realized the power food had on my health and mental state until I got sick. And I never thought about the lotions and perfumes I put on my skin until I got pregnant and discovered how some of the harsh chemicals in them could get absorbed into the bloodstream and potentially harm my growing baby. It was all a huge wake-up call.
Maybe it all seems overwhelming at first – trying to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into all aspects of your life – but trust me, it seemed that way to me as well! I took it all step-by-step over a long period of time. The Skinny Bitch lifestyle isn’t about how much you weigh, what size you are, or beating yourself up with rigid rules. It’s about enjoying your food and loving your body, all in the healthiest way possible. That takes time. And that’s okay.
The great news is that we now have more healthy products and healthy foods than we could ever need right at our disposal! There are so many health conscious and eco-friendly companies nowadays that are making shopping super easy and affordable. If you had asked people a decade ago about being vegan they would have told you it was a hippie diet, but it has now become the diet of choice for millions of people – even a former president! But the best news is this: there is room for everyone when it comes to the food you choose. Whatever way of eating you choose, enjoy it – just try to make it a healthy one. It’s true what they say: you can have your cake and eat it too!
Love,
Kim
