You're Beautiful Damm It!

Monday, December 2nd 2002

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By Maria Deveson Crabbe, CEO Aussie Bodies and Author of Your Body Your Life

I was recently floored to hear Halle Berry say she gets "brutal" in criticising her own face, the multi-million dollar face of Revlon. How can women like this not appreciate what they have? The sad fact is that very few women are ever truly happy with their looks or their bodies.

Since high school I have been surrounded by dissatisfied girls. Those who were big wanted to be small, early developers were squashing their boobs down flat while late bloomers were overcompensating with padded bras. For my own part, I wanted bigger hips because I had a little boy's body - or so it seemed.

Today we have it easy with many quick-fix options like botox, implants and liposuction. And while the investment in our bodies seems to have steepened, our ability to know where to draw the line seems increasingly compromised. Some of us don't quite know when to stop. Are we forever destined to chase our own tail in this pursuit of self-improvement? If it's not making us happy, can it really be self-improvement at all?

Mindful that many of us are beating ourselves up for not fitting the ideal body type, I went to work on my recent book determined not to make it another "how to become a supermodel" manual. But I was also trying to avoid the cliché that beauty comes from within. I wanted women to believe: "Hey, it's ok to want to be beautiful." By giving them the keys to understanding their bodies, they would have the confidence and empowerment to achieve this. I wanted them to understand the importance of good health, but I wanted to take them through the front door: skin, hair, nails, body shape, all the things we've been hung up about our whole adult lives!

By improving your emotional wellbeing, you improve your health. By improving your health, you invariably improve your appearance. For many women who approach me for advice, appearance overrides health and negatively impacts emotional wellbeing. Poor dieting is a classic example of this. Upset about their appearance, they take on a diet too low in protein and too high in sugar (carbohydrates), depleting their serotonin levels. This results in depression and mood swings. Not to mention the added depression when their weight bounces back after such a restrictive diet.

I find that when I focus on my own health and get to learn the complexities of my own body and how it functions, I feel so much better about myself. By appreciating this innate perfection, I am happy to let a few "imperfections" slide, whether it's a bad hair day or four generations of bad genetics.

Nutrition is a great starting point for so many women. I have seen so many friends and relatives experience a change of diet, followed by a change of body, then a whole change of outlook. Having proved to themselves they can successfully overpower those genes, they can take on the world, applying this newfound confidence to so many other aspects of their lives, such as career and relationships.

It's important to let yourself make mistakes, even laugh at them. Believe me, I've done plenty of laughing over my 10 years running a health food company! Being in love with a beautiful partner or having close bonds with friends and family is tremendous help in keeping up your spirits and maintaining perspective. Yoga and meditation are excellent ways to remain peacefully in the right mindset with the right priorities.

Never be daunted by the length of the journey with its peaks and troughs - focus on one step at a time and be happy that you are taking better care of your health along the way. Once you better appreciate your body you can set goals that will help bring out your best, rather than waste futile and exasperating effort transforming yourself into someone you cannot be. In essence, the more you get to know yourself, the more you understand you have already achieved your personal best, and the rest is just for fun.

ASK MARIA

Q
You write in your book that fruit juice is essentially sugar. But surely all the vitamins and minerals make it good for you?
Kelly, Christchurch

A
By squeezing juice out of the fruit, you are basically isolating the sugar content in one concentrated drink. Some of the sugars are fairly fast absorbing ones, which means they triggers insulin and put your body into weight gain mode. The best way to take advantage of all the vitamins, minerals and fibre in fruit is to eat it from the source, in other words eat the orange instead of drink the orange juice, as the fibre and other nutrients lower the Glycaemic Index (GI) letting the carbohydrates absorb more gradually. If you find you cannot part with your juice, simply save it for when you've just done some exercise or ensure you drink it alongside a high protein meal which will offset the sugar 'spike' and prevent weight gain.

Q
I keep hearing conflicting reports about soy. Is it worth the risk?
Peta, Wellington

A
There has been a bit of scaremongering with regards to soy as there are some companies who feel threatened by the mounting positive research. To date there has been no scientific evidence which links soy to cancer, impaired brain function or any other disease or condition. Yet there is a wealth of evidence in support of its benefits for stabilising cholesterol levels, improving bone density and regulating hormones. Soy is one of the oldest foods known to humankind, and has been a staple of Asian diets for centuries, so you have nothing to fear.

Q
I recently went on a low carb diet, but experienced frequent headaches. Is this normal? How can I prevent this?
Joanne, Auckland

A
I advise gradually lowering your carbs when on such a program. There is sound philosophy in lowering carbohydrate intake but a lot of people take this to extremes, cutting out all carbs in one fell swoop in the hope of rapid results. A sudden lowering of blood sugar after years of consistent eating patterns will surely have some side-effects, and headaches are quite common. Try slightly increasing your intake of low-GI carbs which will have minimum effect on weight gain.

Q
I'm fearing the onset of yet another spell of PMS. What change of diet would best prepare me for this?
Georgina, Auckland

A
First, please do not fear. Take a little quiet time of reflection to understand and appreciate your body's natural cycles. It is wise to increase your soy products and keep your protein intake small and regular, while having modest amounts of carbohydrates and PLENTY of non-starchy vegetables. If herbs and supplements such as Dong Quai, Black Cohosh, Cramp Bark, hibiscus, pennyroyal and nutgrass are suitable for you, then commence taking them 4-6 days after ovulation.

Reproduced unabridged from an article originally published in New Idea magazine, with the kind permission of Ebody.

The following products are all useful for Natural Skin Health:

Clarifying Toner
Cleansing Cream
Deep Cleansing and Vitalising Clay Friction Peel
Eye Solace
Liquid Vitamin E
Manuka Cleansing Shower Gel
Nourishing Body Lotion
Rosehip Oil Hydrating Mist
Waihi Bush Organic Flax Seed Oil 500ml

Related health information can be found here:

Acne
Cellulite
Efamarine for healthy skin, hair and nails
Levels of protein, carbohydrate and fat in Food
Protein - a macronutrient so often overlooked
Skin Health
Soy isoflavones for disease prevention
Suffering from menopausal or menstrual problems? Then consider Dong Quai - the queen of female herbs
Vegetable juices
Weight loss naturally

Related articles can be found here:

Botanical skin care from Trilogy

Exfoliation

MSM Cream for problem skin

New Zealanders need zinc

The Story of Bod Skincare

The traditional balancing herb for women

Trilogy - looking good, feeling good

Trilogy Rosehip Oil - why it's so good for the skin

If you need help or advice, you are welcome to email our naturopathic team with your health question.

Disclaimer: The health information presented here has been written for the New Zealand health consumer. It is of a general nature and is only intended to provide a summary of the subjects covered. The information is not intended to be comprehensive or to provide medical advice to you. While all care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, no responsibility or liability is accepted, and no person should act in reliance on any statement contained in the information provided. All health ailments should be treated by a qualified health professional.

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