BeautyClub.org

By Debra Betterly, Ph.D., CLC

We can’t choose the body we want, rather we have to accept the body we are given. Our bodies are an amazing compilation of traits from all our ancestors. They are unique and allow us to have the physical experience of life. They are the vehicles of our soul. They are connected to our mind and spirit. Our thoughts and emotions can literally make us sick or heal us physically. However, if I asked 10 people if they liked their bodies, what do you think the majority, if not all of them, would say? On the top of most peoples list would be their dissatisfaction with their weight. Fact: Our current population is getting heavier even though as many as 40 percent of women and 24 percent of men are trying to lose weight at any given time. Unfortunately, our cultures expectation about body size has led to an unhealthy obsession with weight.

The underlying cultural view and the message given by the media is that being thin will make us feel healthier, more beautiful and happier. The media images bombarding us today are unrealistic and seem to lead us on a mission for the “ideal body”. Precious time and energy is being consumed by thinking about, talking about, worrying about, and trying to find the magic cure for fixing our weight. Even so, statistics prove that there is no magic cure. People who go on “diets” typically gain back as much as one-third to two-thirds of the weight within one year and almost all of it within five years.

Our self-worth becomes entwined with these messages. Because of our cultures obsession with thinness, it is increasingly difficult for us to see the beauty and diversity in different sizes and shapes. It is increasingly difficult for us to not judge ourselves and others by how we look rather than who we are. For, our true beauty is reflected in our soul, our passion, in what we do for others, and how we care for ourselves.

Learning to take extremely good care of yourself is a vital part of coaching. Taking a non-dieting approach that focuses on acceptance, physical activity, and normalized eating frees you from the “diet mentality” to do better, more important things with your time and energy. The non-dieting approach takes the emphasis off calorie counting, counting exchanges, scales, fat gram counting, and the “ideal body.”

Accept Yourself:
•Develop a positive image of yourself. Stop judging your self worth by the number on the scale, or your body shape or size. Work on remembering who you really are. You know, the essence of your soul, the you that is “brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous.” (See this quoted from Marianne Williamson’s Our Deepest Fear on my website, www.amazingjourneycoach.com on the free writings and assessments page). Stop any negative self-talk in it’s tracks and change it to something positive about yourself.
•Become more aware of the media and cultural messages that promote an “ideal” body shape. Remind yourself that such expectations are unrealistic. The images appearing in magazines are often computer generated, computer altered and airbrushed! They are not real!
•Put away your scale. It does not matter what you weigh. It only matters how healthy and fit you are. Also, weighing encourages weight obsession and measuring your self-worth by what the scale says that day.

Be Physically Active:
•We are born with the need to move! Choose movement that is pleasurable, rather than being active only to lose weight or compensate for overeating.
•You will find that when you are more physically active, you are likely to be more energized and feel good about your body and your health.
•Sign up for my new “Beyond Diets; Be At Your Best Weight” coaching package to help you progress through the six stages of change to a place where the old you no longer exists and your new lifestyle is as automatic as brushing your teeth!

Normalize Your Eating Patterns:
•Increase your awareness of physical hunger. Many of us have lost our ability to tune into our physical hunger cues because of the unhealthy relationship we have with food.
•Get calm about food. We live in a nation where there seems to be an endless supply of food. We can eat whenever and whatever we want to. Start listening to your body to begin using food in a healthier way-as fuel that can also bring pleasure to our lives.
•There are no “bad” foods. Choose a variety of foods that are both satisfying and health-enhancing. Keep in mind that quality and quantity of food eaten influences a person’s health. In moderation, all foods can be part of healthy eating.
•Tune into your emotions. Notice if there is a pattern of using food to try to resolve emotional issues. Are there specific feelings that prompt eating? Do you need more breaks from your routine? Is there a relationship issue that needs to be dealt with? If so, coaching can help you sort this out.

Finally keep in mind that change takes time and be patient with yourself. Seek out supportive people and environments and change because you’re a wonderful person—not because you want to become one.

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Challenge of the Month
Honor yourself this month by taking extremely good care of yourself:
•Try a great new healthy recipe each week using all the wonderful fresh produce available this time of year.
•Take some time to plan your meals each week and prepare your grocery list accordingly.
•Have fun being active! Try a new activity each week such as biking, swimming, in-line skating, walking with friends or family, hiking a bluff, or putting on some tunes and dancing the night away in your own living room.
•Stop any negative self-talk as soon as you notice it and change it.
•Repeat a positive affirmation such as “ I will treat my body with respect, giving it enough rest, fueling it with a variety of foods, exercising it moderately, and listening to what it needs.” Each day.
•Compliment someone for something other than how they look. Tell them what is really great about them! (Do this for yourself too!)
Now add a couple of your own:
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About the Author

Debra Betterly is a Life Coach whose specialty is midlife mastery. This article is derived from her newsletter, “Second Acts”, a spirit-mind-body approach for women re-inventing the second half of life. Please visit www.amazingjouneycoach.com to subscribe to this free monthly eNewsletter. Debra is also the author of a video eCourse called “A Better Way to a Better Body” at www.dietschmiet.com

By Ric Wiley

Aromatherapy is a method of using the aromatic oils which have been distilled from plant sources to engender a feeling of well being both physically and psychologically. Safe and correct use has been shown to benefit the physical and mental well being.

There are many aromatherapy oils which are used in the art of aromatherapy and these are too lengthy to list here. However, there are many benefits to be had from aromatherapy oils but you need to understand that there can be some drawbacks for use in aromatherapy although many people say there are greater benefits.

There are two ways in which essential oils are used in aromatherapy. These are by inhalation and by application to your skin.

Inhaling aromatherapy oils is where the vapor given off by the oil is inhaled into the lungs. This is thought to incite the brain and cause it to trigger a reaction to the oil. It is also thought that there is a physical well being by breathing the vapors directly into the lungs. Remember that safety is of the utmost importance and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions as otherwise a reaction, possibly very severe can take place. It is important to remember to consult a trained specialist before using aromatherapy oils.

The other method of using aromatherapy oils in is by application to the skin. It is thought that when oil is applied to the skin it is absorbed into the blood stream and is useful for many health, beauty and hygiene conditions. Again, I must stress the safety aspect as aromatherapy oils are usually very strong and it is important that they are always diluted before you use them. To dilute them a carrier oil is needed and these are oils such as grape seed oil, sweet almond oil and apricot kernel oil.

Another way that aromatherapy oils can be used is to act as an insect repellent. We are all familiar with the use of citronella in candles. I find these excellent as a way of keeping bugs at bay.

Aromatherapy oils can also be blended together and this can be done with a carrier base but not always. Combination oils can have even more benefits in aromatherapy as they then offer a combination of uses. The Internet has many sites where you will be able to find recipes for blending together different oils with their uses listed as well.

The term aromatherapy is a fairly recent phrase first thought to have been used in the 20th century but the practice of aromatherapy has been around for well over 1000 years.

The Egyptians are thought to have developed a way of distilling oil from cedar wood and the Chinese have used plant and herbal incense from a very long time which they burned to give a feeling of well being.

René-Maurice Gattefossé, A Frenchman, is first thought to have used the term aromatherapy after he supposedly treated a nasty burn with the nearest liquid to hand which turned out to be oil distilled from lavender. This wound healed quickly and it left no scaring. This started his in-depth research into essential oils.

We are now becoming more aware of natural products after we have relied on synthetic drugs for many years and aromatherapy is growing in popularity. Most of us prefer to use natural products, such as aromatherapy oils, to sooth and heal our minds and bodies. Gattefossé would have said, Long Live Aromatherapy, but he would have said it in his native French. Using essential oils for aromatherapy is natural and is an excellent way to help calm and sooth our troubled 21st century lives.

Ric Wiley is an Internet Marketer who enjoys writing about a varied range of subjects. A reformed smoker and heavy drinker he now spends a lot of time exercising, keeping fit and running. Check out his latest site at http://www.first-choice-health.com

By Lori Stryker

Natural beauty is the ideal many people strive to achieve when they purchase make-up, creams, shampoos and other forms of cosmetics. But what really constitutes natural beauty, and how can it be achieved?

Many consumers, in an attempt to cleanse, tone, moisturize, mattify, shine, colour, enhance and so on, have overloaded their skin and their cabinets with too many needless products. Experts have found that 63 percent of all women complain of having developed ’sensitive skin’, and many of these complaints can be traced back to an overcomplicated skin care regimen (Fairley, 2001). In contrast, the needs of human skin are simple. They are cleansing, moisture, nourishment and protection. Skin which suffers from burning, reddening, pimples, rashes and other symptoms similar to these may be caused by or made worse from adverse reactions to the cosmetic products overloading many women’s cabinets. Often many of these products claim to alleviate or eliminate the very symptoms they are causing (Begoun, 1991).

When selecting skin care, it is best to choose a product formulated for your skin type. Everyone’s skin is individual and varied, but to assist in product selection, and in understanding what your own skin needs, the following skin types have been generalized.

Balanced, which is neither oily nor dry, and similar to the skin type of children.
Oily
Dry
Sensitive, which is a condition involving reddening, burning or rashes when a cosmetic is applied.
Problem, which is prone to acne and breakouts.
Combination, which is most skin, containing oily and dry patches.

Beautiful skin can be obtained by making good choices for your skin, such as using cosmetic products and make-up which are truly natural. Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, water and healthy oils (such as polyunsaturated fats, essential fatty acids found in flax seed oil, olive oil, etc.) all assist in achieving and maintaining healthy skin. Lastly, adequate rest, sleep and exercise also contribute significantly to beautiful skin.

Simple Skin Care Steps:

Gentle cleansing - depending on your skin type or preference, choose a natural soap.
Toning - use a toner which is alcohol-free, infused with essential oils
Daytime moisturizing - light or rich skin moisturizer
Nighttime moisturizing - use facial oils formulated with essential oils

Make-up:

Choose make-up which is made with all natural ingredients and colours, regardless of one’s age. All faces look fresh and naturally beautiful when colours which reflect the earth’s vibrant range of hues are applied. Rainbow-like colours, or deep, dramatic shades cannot be obtained naturally in make-up without synthetically derived colours. These colours rarely look natural, are often trendy and go out of style quickly.

Great looking skin does not mean flawless, masked skin. Rather, lets reconstruct our notions of what constitutes ‘beautiful skin’ and ‘beautiful faces’, because perfection does not exist in the natural world, nor does it exist in human beings. Computers, cameras, lighting and other sophisticated technologies create “flawlessness”, to create an ideal image no one can attain. Instead, beautiful skin and natural beauty is skin that is free from harmful chemicals, hydrated from within and on the surface, fed with balanced nutrition and wise food choices, and regulated with reasonable exercise. A positive outlook on life and an optimistic perspective also contribute to natural beauty, inside and out.

How the organic make-up company Can Help You Achieve Your Own Natural Beauty

Our products are made fresh for you once we receive your order. We do not stock inventory, so our cosmetics do not require powerful shelf life lengtheners or potent synthetic preservatives. The preservatives we use are natural, such as wheatgerm oil, grapeseed oil, tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) and/or ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
While our products do not need refrigeration, our creams, as they contain water, are best stored in a cool, dark place, away from steam, light or unnecessary exposure to the air.

Our packaging is simple, without fancy and unnecessary labels, boxes or inserts. We believe very strongly that the purchasing power of your money should be directed towards a natural, high quality product, rather than wasted on packaging.

We invite you to give our natural products a try. We do not make any unrealistic or unscientific claims, such as anti-aging or wrinkle elimination, which are impossible in any cosmetic. We develop our products based on sound scientific principles and the physiology of the skin. Our products will convince you on their own merit, since they are natural, vegan and an excellent alternative to conventional cosmetics and make-up.

If you have any questions, please contact us at www.organicmakeup.ca.

Interested in selling our products? Contact us to discuss how we can assist each other to bring our safe, natural cosmetics and make-up to interested consumers.

References:

- Begoun, Paula (1991). Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me, Beginning Press, Seattle.
- Fairley, Josephine (2001). Organic Beauty, DK Publishing, London.
- The Organic Makeup Company can be located at http://www.organicmakeupcompany.com
About the Author

Lori Stryker has been researching and developing all natural skin care and make-up for the purpose of offering men and women safe natural cosmetics for everyday use. She brings to her research a specialist in human biology from the University of Toronto, coupled with a professional home economics degree and an education degree from the University of British Columbia, fusing chemical and biological knowledge with food family and textile sciences.