Beauty is literally more than skin deep. It starts from the inside, from your diet and your mindset.
Despite the marketing juggernaut that is the multi-billion dollar beauty industry, working tirelessly to make us feel bad enough about ourselves to spend our hard earned money on their products, I see the tide on beauty turning.
We’re more educated, we’re defining our own ideas of what is beautiful and we’re keeping it simple.
This is what I’ve learned about beauty and how to nurture it from the inside out.
The “no diet” diet is the only sustainable solution for eating and looking well.
Finding what foods work for you and sticking to those is the true definition of a diet. Think abundance, not restriction. Eat real food (stuff that’s grown, not made in a factory), notice what gives you energy and what depletes you and pay attention to when you’re getting full.
It can be useful and convenient to adopt general principles such as those of the Mediterranean diet, the Blue Zones diet, vegetarianism if that works for you.
Supplements can add great nutritional value and support your health goals. I’m using Vitable right now, which tailors supplements to your personal circumstances in daily vitamin packs.
Adopt the 80/20 rule (allowing yourself regular treats) and do planning and meal prep when you can.
Stay hydrated with water, drink coffee if you like it, one a day is probably enough.
If you’re not sure where to start, or need a reset, I love the Clean Eats 21 day programs. They start with eliminating processed and inflammatory foods, which can be added back in when you’re finished the program.
Natural is in.
The “no makeup” look is having a moment and I love it. Not only is this embracing unique and natural beauty, its better for your skin to not be caked with chemical products like foundations all day. So the more you go natural, the better for your skin, and the better you look.
Invest time, energy and money creating good looking skin rather than relying on expensive cosmetics that overpromise and underdeliver.
The age-old beauty routine of cleanse and moisturise has stood the test of time, and having a regular morning and evening program suited to your skin really does reap results. A quick consult with a beautician (who isn’t trying to flog you products) will give you the recipe of products that meet your skin’s needs.
Adjust as necessary for time of year and time of life.
Mindset matters
The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
Audrey Hepburn
Loving yourself is the true secret to beauty. When you love yourself, you carry yourself through life with absolute confidence, an acceptance of your strengths and embracing where you need to grow.
When you love and accept yourself it is easy to invest time, energy and money in looking and feeling good because you know you deserve it.
You know when you’re depleted, burned out, lacking sleep or good nutrition and because you love yourself you take steps to heal, nurture and course correct.
Learning to love yourself is the hardest relationship journey many of us make. This road is often paved with trauma (small and large), incorrect self beliefs, toxic relationships and negative habitual thinking. It takes great courage to walk this road, but its the most valuable journey if you’re brave enough to give it a go.
If you need professional help to start or complete this journey, please do yourself a massive favour and find the best therapist you can.
Even a short guided meditation on loving kindness can shift your mindset considerably. I use Insight Timer for my daily meditation, its free and has an epic array of tracks.
A short note on exercise.
An exercise regime that includes cardio, strength and stretching, at least 20 minutes every day leads to a healthy, strong, beautiful body.
Find what turns you on and make time for it.
Keep it simple
If I were to calculate the number of hours and dollars I have spent trying to achieve an unattainable beauty I’d never get over it. Complex beauty routines, injectables, and so much time feeling not good enough.
Well now, quite simply, I’m saying “enough” and embracing my beauty in my way.
Taking good care of myself, my diet, my body and my mind, ever so grateful for how well it has served me so far.
I hope this modern approach is here to stay.
I hope sharing this with you sparks a little shift, if you need it, and you’re all the better for it.
the-well-club.com 