Courtesy of Fitzhenry and Whiteside Publishing/Lisa Petty
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Forget Botox, anti-aging creams, and chemical peels--if you want clear, radiant skin, head to your refrigerator, says Lisa Petty, author of Living Beauty.
After a quick scan of the cover, I expected to find chapters on foods that I should and shouldn't eat in Living Beauty--and probably some DIY beauty recipes--but I found much more. The book is a narrative that takes the reader through the body processes--it's sort of like a mash-up of a beautician, a nutritionist, and a naturopath telling you how to eat your way to healthy, beautiful skin.
The first section of the book tackles the immune system and digestive systems, which may seem odd, but as Petty writes, "keeping these two systems strong will help you melt away many of your health and beauty concerns."
One of the more interesting chapters focuses on the benefits of a Candida cleanse, to help rid the body of excess amounts of Candida fungus, which can manifest in a variety of ways including yeast infections, migraine, and eczema.
Petty also examines hormones, as even a slight imbalance can transform your skin. Women will also be happy to learn you can manage estrogen levels (and nasty mood swings) with a diet high in vegetables that contain phytoestrogens--they help block estrogen from receptor sites in the body, so the estrogen ends up being filtered by the liver.
Living Beauty also addresses sun damage, acne, age spots, rosacea, and wrinkles, offering up natural prescriptions for each of these issues. And while the first half of the book is devoted to the face, Petty takes time to also explore issues related to the health of hair, feet, fingernails, oral health, and the eyes.
There is also a key chapter near the end of the book on the regulation of cosmetics ingredients and the toxins lurking in many beauty products. The chapter is informative, concise, and well organized, but I would have preferred to see it earlier in the book.
The book is also packed with tons of tips, recipes, and worksheets to help you assess your nutrient levels. There's also a fantastic glossary, just in case you want to look up a cosmetic ingredient, such as palmitic acid (which, if you're curious, is derived from palm oil and often contains petrochemicals).
While it's a bit of a long read at 311 pages, it's an easy read, which goes a long way in my book. Moreover, even the most science-wary reader will be able to follow Petty's simple and creative analogies. All in all, Living Beauty is a great resource for people looking for a natural way to keep their skin healthy and youthful.
Cara Smusiak writes on behalf of NaturallySavvy.com about how to live a more natural, organic and green lifestyle.
More on Natural Beauty:
Nourish Your Skin with this Organic Blueberry Facial Mask
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DIY Pumpkin Foot Scrub
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