Health and Beauty Advice

Good Health and Radiant Beauty
Often Have the Same Source

Health and beauty advice are both based in learning to do those things that enhance the health and beauty you were born with.

We are instinctively drawn to beauty yet often deny that we ourselves are beautiful. Our vision has been clouded by the false images we see almost everywhere.

The media uses health and beauty advice to sell all kinds of potions and products that offer the promise of alluring beauty and superior health.

Exterior appearance, facial features, body shape or size, however, are not what truly makes a person beautiful. Radiance, true beauty, comes from within.

People we deem beautiful are brimming with vitality. Their warmth and joy create a glow that has little to do with physical attributes. Eyes that sparkle and smiles that dazzle are irresistible.

In many novels and fairy tales the main characters are beautiful or handsome. In this context, beauty often represents good deeds and kindness.

So, is it important to look good?

Yet, we need to keep appearance in perspective. It is important that we remain aware of why we do the things we do to look good.

If we are more focused on weight, clothes, or makeup than on what is in the heart, we may need to take a closer look at our priorities.

The overwhelming focus on physical beauty in our world creates a twisted obsession with outward appearance We are desperate to be loved for who we are, yet are rarely content with who we are.

Though certainly commercially-driven, I appreciate some of the videos I have recently seen on YouTube. This one exposes the falsity of flawless beauty which is promoted by the media.

Dove on YouTube

The distortion of beauty in the media can leave many women feeling fat, frumpy, flat chested and, quite frankly, ugly. How many of us are constantly on a diet? How many of us look in the mirror and yearn for plastic surgery to fix one of our many ‘imperfections’?

There are certainly reasons to diet, to exercise and to dress well. Our bodies are a gift and taking care of that gift honors the giver. Our worth and happiness, however, are never determined by our outward appearance.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. ~Proverbs 31:30

Beauty really is more than skin deep

Our diet has much to do with warding off illness and maintaining radiant health. A well-balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, is wise at any age. Numerous studies have been published on the power of vegetables to help prevent disease and contribute to overall wellness. Early research indicates that the benefits are related, in part, to the abundance of antioxidant vitamins. Dark-colored fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli and oranges, contain high doses of antioxidants.

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. And that list keeps on growing as researchers learn more about how nutrition affects health. For example, there is research that indicates that the antioxidants in blueberries may improve balance, coordination, and short-term memory and lower your chance of suffering from certain diseases.

Poor nutrition, on the other hand, may prolong recovery from illnesses, increase the costs and incidence of hospitalization or long-term care and lead to a poorer quality of life. When considering your individual diet, it’s always wise to check with a doctor. He or she can take into account any health conditions and special dietary requirements or restrictions that may apply.

There is much controversy, however, about what really is a healthy diet plan.

What works for one person's body is not necessarily the best weight loss advice for a person of another age or body type.

As we grow old, the beauty steals inward. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Healthy Aging

Developing a healthy lifestyle as we age can help us not only live longer, but live better. While factors beyond our control, such as genetics and environment, play a role in our health, it’s also true that wellness is related to the choices we make every day.

By adopting a lifestyle rooted in good nutrition, fitness, social involvement and continued learning, we can achieve a healthy lifestyle. And, it’s never too early or too late to get started and realize the benefits.

Another Dove video: this one on ageless beauty

Beauty... when you look into a woman's eyes and see what is in her heart. ~Nate Dircks

You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen. But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul's own doing. ~Marie Stopes

Taking joy in living is a woman's best cosmetic. ~Rosalind Russell

From Health and Beauty Advice to
ADvice FRom Mom Home Page