As a two-time cancer survivor, I’ve learned that it’s not just about the awesome medical community to help treat any given situation, it’s also a 360-degree approach including clean eating, active being and non-toxic living. So when I received an email from Dr. Oz’s production team to be interviewed on the show, I jumped to respond. It wasn’t the publicity on national television that intrigued me; I was thrilled to engage in a healthy conversation on a show that inspires people to make healthy changes.

I was invited to speak as a clean eating ambassador of sorts to discuss the Alkaline Diet. Dr. Oz was incredibly friendly and excited to talk to me about this plant-based eating approach. Since my cancer reoccurrence, I changed my eating habits and lifestyle. My diet has been largely an alkaline one, so it was easy to share my knowledge and expertise in this area. Plus, it was a lot of fun being dolled up with makeup and discussing my favorite green beauty brands in the dressing room.

The segment began talking about the Alkaline Diet where people test the pH levels in their saliva or pee. Yes, it sounds hokey. But I did it…at least in the beginning.

When I started looking to change my habits, I was curious for the data. Coming from the Standard American Diet, where I consumed soda, white starches and meat regularly, my body was very acidic. The media showcases contradictory literature that claims cancer and other diseases grow in an acidic body, while longevity improves with an alkalized one. After many conversations with my doctors, naturopath and nutritionist, I learned that no doctor is going to tell you not to eat more veggies. So I started focusing on consuming alkaline items including green smoothies, plant based salads and other nutrient dense whole foods. I found that my body not only looked better, but felt phenomenal. Furthermore, my scans have shown “no evidence of disease” after two years of conventional medicine, staying active and eating alkaline foods.

Dr. Oz broke down our conversation to focus on four strategies to eat clean on the Alkaline Diet. I’ve added a few of my own tips and recommendations to keep it simple and manageable.

1. Plan Your Meals Around Vegetables

• Do you like smoothies? Check out green ones.
• Instead of chips and breaded snacks, look to make homemade guacamole or hummus and eat with veggies.
• If you like pasta, try spiraling your squash and/or zucchini and topped with hot marinara for your very own veggie pasta.

2. Balance Your Meals with Lean or Plant Based Proteins

• Be creative. Add beans to soups, salads or throw a bunch in a pan for a vegetarian delight. See our Instagram page for weekly images and ideas for inspiration.
• Think protein-packed grains like quinoa with beans for this beautiful, stuffed pepper recipe.

3. Include Citrus in One Meal Per Day

• My morning routine includes a mug of warm water and lemon daily.
• I also love infused waters and often use lemon, orange and lime.

4. Avoid Liquid Sugars

• I loved diet sodas, pretty mocha coffees and even Hawaiian Punch, but I gave it up and feel thinner, stronger and seldom ever bloated.
• I now drink Kombuchas, green tea, and infused waters. Check out #Infusedwateroftheweek on Instagram.

Check out this DoctorOz.com video highlights and show promo. If you like this segment and want other clean eating tips, please follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.