Beauty on a Budget

Most of us don’t have the money that the movie stars have to spend on surgery, procedures, a personal trainer, a personal chef (wouldn’t that be nice?!) and all the other things think it would take to be beautiful. And, frankly, most of us put everything and everyone before ourselves.

So before you choke on your coffee with what I’m going to say, take a deep breath and ponder these words…

Beauty comes from within. Yes, people can be beautiful to look at but once you get to know them they’re not so beautiful for whatever reason. The saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is 100% true.

Ok, so now that you think I’m totally full of it and you’re mad because you think you’re wasting your time, stay with me just a little longer. And yes we will get to all those ever important questions, but we need to lay the foundation before we build the house.

Let’s take an inventory:

-Are you drinking enough water? Current recommendations are that you drink one ounce for every Kilogram you weigh, every day. If you don’t know how to convert pounds to kilograms, Siri or the internet can help you. 🙂

-Is your diet filled with organic fruits, vegetables, and healthy protein? Are you excluding, or at least minimizing, processed foods?

I’m not going to go into how bad processed foods are for you. That could be an entire blog in and of itself. But just know that “organic” is important because the chemicals that are used in non-organic foods are toxic, not only to insects but to us as well, just on a much smaller scale. Much of these toxic chemicals are stored in our fat cells, leading to an accumulation over time and I’m not talking about the waistline. 😉

-Are you getting some form of exercise?

We all know that exercise helps the body stay healthy but it also releases endorphins which naturally help you feel good. Personally, I try to exercise outside as much as possible because it helps two categories. See below.

-Do you spend enough time outside?

Sunlight enables your body to make Vitamin D. This “sunshine vitamin” may protect against many disease processes including osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon. Sunlight also naturally protects against depression, insomnia, and an overactive immune system.Yes, you should wear sunscreen to prevent skin cancer and premature aging of the skin, but you also should get some natural Vitamin D.

-Do you take time for yourself?

We all have busy lives and all have other responsibilities. But my favorite saying is, “You have to take care of yourself first before you take care of anyone else.” I find this saying so profound and yet most people automatically put themselves last. In fact, this behavior is so prevalent in our society that every time you get on an airplane, they remind you of this. You know when they tell you if there’s a loss of cabin pressure and the oxygen masks drop, put yours on first and then help your children or whoever…

-Do you have people in your life that nurture you?

Relationships are very important. That’s really what life is all about, right? If you’re noticing that your relationships have a negative impact on you then seek help. Utilizing a counselor, a minister, a rabbi, someone who is trained at helping relationships is essential. If you find that you cannot turn things around, it might be time to let that relationship go.

-Do you practice gratitude?

Thinking about why you are grateful is very important. None of us have an easy, perfect life. We all have trails, tribulations and struggles. But we all have some good in our lives too. If you start paying more attention to the good and less to the bad, your outlook on life will change dramatically.

-Lastly, do you practice what you preach?

Are you following what your heart tells you? We all have thoughts, beliefs, dreams, and desires. Are you living those? If not, ask yourself, “why not?”

Well, I hope that inventory was helpful for at least some of you. Beauty comes from within. If you are taking excellent care of your mind, body, and spirit, you will glow with beauty. And it really doesn’t cost all that much. 🙂