How Are Health & Beauty Linked?

(This article may contain links to suggested products, some available in my shop, and some on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

A couple of years ago I watched a YouTuber use ordinary makeup to paint a woman's face on a potato. It was a simple spud, the size of your fist and, if you're still eating carbs, the type you might bake and fill with tuna mayo, but the end result looked like a girl most men would be happy to offer a drink to in a wine bar.

This is where we're at with makeup, these days - not only are we smoothing and enhancing, but commonplace contouring techniques see women totally altering features and face shape to the point of unrecognition.

Terrible skin from a bad diet and dark circles under the eyes from late nights at the laptop? There's a cream for that! Brittle hair and nails from a diet lacking nutrition? Here's serum so nobody would guess! Flabby round the middle from a fortnight of buffet food on a European cruise? There are pants to suck it in!

What repercussions does this have on health? It means we can treat our bodies horribly, fool ourselves that our looks are just unfortunate, and then use cosmetic products to cover up the evidence. Bizarrely, health and beauty are often viewed, in popular culture, as two completely separate and unrelated entities.

Of course when you take a moment to think it through, health and beauty are inherently interconnected. I mean, have you ever seen anyone looking hot in a hospital bed?

Physical beauty is a reflection of our choices, moment to moment, day by day; an outward representation of our inner state, both mental and physical. There's a lot of bad decisions we can often seem to get away with in our youth, but these compound and catch up with us when we hit our forties (if not before) and begin to show in our face, skin, hair, nails, body shape, and even our expressions and mannerisms, telling us that something is out of balance inside.

When we focus on improving our internal health - and that includes mental as well as physical - it naturally reflects on the outside. We glow from inside out, and no amount of slathering on a cream can change that.

In this article we'll talk through this holistic approach to beauty, discussing the optimal diet, salt and water, sleep, strength-building, toxins, and attitude.

A Diet Rich in High-Quality Meat

Counter to the narrative the vegan brigade is still trying to peddle, one of the most effective ways to enhance health - and therefore beauty - is through a diet rich in high-quality meats and animal fats. As it turns out, meat and animal fats provide essential nutrients to the body and brain, including protein, iron, and vitamins, which are needed for maintaining muscle mass, cartilage, energy levels, and overall vitality, not to mention mental clarity, stability and wellness, which are inherently beautiful! Choosing grass-fed can further enhance the benefits, providing a cleaner source of nutrition.

Lowering Carbs & Processed Foods

Reducing carbohydrate intake - in particular refined carbs which block vitamin and mineral absorption - can significantly impact health and beauty. Additionally, limiting processed foods is crucial as they often contain additives, preservatives, and unhealthy fats in the form of seed oils (e.g. sunflower oil, rapeseed or canola oil, corn oil, etc.) that are highly inflammatory and therefore deadly for both internal health and outward appearance. A low-carb, low-processed diet helps stabilise blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, and promote weight management, as well as improve skin clarity and elasticity.

Salting & Hydrating

When doctors tell you that "salt is bad for you" they're referring to table salt. Table salt is refined to leave the sodium but remove the other trace minerals needed to create balance with the sodium in our system. All salts are not the same and you definitely should not give up salt! Sodium plays a vital role in maintaining the body's electrolyte balance and supporting proper hydration, but it's essential to stay away from table salt and choose a high-quality sea salt that contains a complete set of trace minerals.

Alongside salt, proper hydration is crucial to help maintain skin elasticity, flushing out toxins, and supporting overall bodily functions. We must be mindful of the quality of the water we're drinking. Many opt to fit a reverse osmosis system to their home water supply. Or a more accessible alternative is the Klar water filter which is different to - and way better than - most other jug water filters because it filters out fluoride, heavy metals, microplastics, and pharmaceuticals, and remineralises the water while changing its pH to alkaline which supports body health.

Also note that the reason you may need to keep popping to the bathroom when you drink a lot of water is because your cells aren't absorbing the water you drink. The way to fix this is to put a dab of sea salt on your tongue before drinking water which will assist your body in absorbing the water rather than letting it pass straight through. And a hydrated body is a more beautiful body, of course.

Sleep Hygiene

There's a common misconception that simply getting a full 8-hours' sleep in a 24-hour period is adequate to support health and, while it's ideal to get that amount of sleep, the quality of our sleep, the time of night we go to bed, and our bed time consistency are far more important and strongly impact how we feel and therefore how we look.

One solid reason people who work alternating shifts often look tired is because their circadian rhythm gets thrown out each time their shift changes. Their body starts to get into the swing of the 6-2 shift, then everything gets disrupted when they move onto the 2-10, and then again onto the 10-6 - and lather, rinse, repeat...

Also, the world is brighter and noisier during the day while a nightshift-worker is trying to sleep and the sunlight peeping through the curtains, the neighbours' kids running about, neighbourhood traffic, and just basically others simply going about their day wreaks havoc on sleep quality and therefore health. Some heavy sleepers could sleep through a violent thunderstorm accompanied by a fog horn, but for the lighter sleepers among us, a few drops of rain on the window is more than enough to wake us up in a blind panic.

One way to counter both the light and noise issues is a good, comfy sleep mask incorporating bluetooth headphones, linked to a white noise app on your phone offering a variety of soothing sounds to drown out the world. As a side note, brown noise (a variation of white noise) is the one you need if you're trying to drown out the thud-thud-thud of a heavy-footed upstairs neighbour. While it's far from ideal to have the internet stuck to your head all night, you have to pick your demons and a bluetooth sleep mask is worth its weight in gold as quality sleep trumps everything else where health and beauty are concerned.

Building Strength

Muscle strength is desireable not only for its longevity benefits but for how it shapes the body to look more attractive. We used to believe it's necessary to thrash ourselves insensible in the gym for several hours a week but it turns out we were just doing it wrong, and latest research shows that a 15-20 minute session of intense resistance training once a week is entirely adequate to attain most people's idea of an ideal body. And these days, many aren't even bothering to go down the gym or convert the spare bedroom into a weights room but opting to use resistance bands that cost almost nothing, weigh almost nothing, and take up almost no space, and you can shove them in your bag when you travel.

If you haven't met resistance bands before, you're in for a lovely treat. They're basically giant stretchy bands of varying elasticity that you use instead of lifting weights to create resistance during a workout. You can find resistance band workouts on YouTube to see how to use them. This might just change your life and give you back hours of your week.

Removing Toxins

On face value, removing toxins might sound irrelevant when it comes to beauty, but its relevance becomes clearer when we realise that our mitochondria (like tiny body batteries) break nutrients down into energy. If they have to get busy with the job of clearing out endless toxins from the body, such as the chemicals in toiletries and household cleaners, they can end up with too much on their plate leaving us lacking energy and tired. And tired is NOT beautiful.

Because they're aware of the health implications, many savvy natural health experts these days have got rid of mainstream toiletries and household cleaners altogether and switched to using basic kitchen ingredients such as bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice for cleaning and deodorising, and coconut oil, olive oil, lard, and dripping/tallow (beef fat - don't knock it 'til you've tried it) for moisturising.

If you're not keen on letting go of soaps and perfumed products entirely, maybe switch to a charcoal soap that cleans effectively but doesn't contain the usual toxic chemicals that can dry out the skin. Wear a gentle blend of essential oils offering a specific desired effect on the mind and body. When I need a quick boost of energy, I roll a bit of Wake Up! on my wrists and the citrus fruit essential oils gives me a quick mood lift that actually makes me smile!

Attitude Matters

What's attitude doing in an article about beauty? Quite a lot, actually. Our emotional well-being significantly impacts our physical appearance. Angry, bitter people are often perceived as unattractive, and this isn't just a matter of opinion. Negative emotions can manifest in our gait, mannerisms, and facial expressions. Chronic anger and bitterness can lead to furrowed brows, tense muscles, and a generally unapproachable demeanour.

Conversely, a positive attitude can enhance one's appearance. Happiness and contentment are often associated with relaxed features, a more open posture, and an inviting presence. Smiling and laughter not only make a person appear more attractive but can also promote physical health by releasing endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals.

Moreover, a positive attitude can influence lifestyle choices that contribute to both health and beauty. Optimistic individuals are more likely to engage in activities that promote well-being, not only crucial for maintaining good health but also for achieving a radiant complexion, shiny hair, and a fit physique.

In essence, beauty is not merely skin deep. Our attitudes and emotions play a big role in how we are perceived by others and in our overall health. By fostering a positive outlook, we can enhance both our inner well-being and our external beauty.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there's no getting away from the fact that the path to achieving real beauty lies in the choices we make with our lifestyle. By focusing on a high-quality, low-carb, meat-based diet, quality sea salt and water, sleep hygiene, muscle mass, clean air and products, and the right attitude, we can enhance our internal health and, consequently, our external beauty. Remember, when you fix the inside, it shows on the outside.

Did you like this post? Do share it with others!

Where would you like to go now?