Laura DuPriest, an author, television personality, former fashion model and internationally recognized beauty expert tells us how to improve ourselves without cosmetic surgery.

Although “A Beautiful New You” is not recent, it remains a classic self-help book focusing on things about our appearance that we can change on our own. It is full of common sense and down to earth advice which we often tend to forget.

“This book won’t make you five foot eleven if you are only five foot two, but after reading and using this book to transform your life, you will walk tall from the inside out. Your makeover will reach far beyond your reflection in the mirror. It will make over your attitude, your self-esteem, and your entire life” says DuPriest.

One of the main problems that we, as women have to face, is the fact we let beauty escape within our grasp. And when we look at ourselves in the mirror, we simply avoid that which we don’t want to see.

Denial is the first obstacle we must face to recapture our beauty. But it is also never too late to change the way we look! Our physical appearance has an impact on the people we meet. A well-groomed appearance indicates pride and self-esteem, among other things; the way we dress reflects wealth, social status, business status and so on.

Throughout the book, the author reminds us that we must take care of ourselves because nobody else will. We are responsible for breathing, eating, sleeping, or making enough money to live on. However, these duties must include our emotional needs.

We do not necessarily need money, or be a fitness or beauty expert to succeed in transforming our mind, body, and spirit. But we do need faith to take the first step and we must act without wasting any time.

Many of us acknowledge that we do not set aside enough time to take care of ourselves. However, there are many busy women who still find the time to look after themselves.

“The reality about time is we all have the same amount. Time is the great equalizer!....You must take control of your time instead of allowing “time” to control your life” says DuPriest.

Trying to be all things to all people will eventually take a toll on your physical and emotional health. Resentment, bitterness, and loneliness are beauty killers. You deserve to spend time on you. When you take time for yourself, you are acknowledging your importance as well.

The answer to a beautiful, healthy and fit body lies in our mind. No diets, no gimmicks or tricks last a lifetime. The secret to having a beautiful body is to regain control over what we eat. It is easy to get stuck in our busy schedule and to forget that we have control over our lives. We know that it is important to eat right and exercise regularly to get into shape but how many of us really do it?

“Beautiful Eating” is one of the best chapters of the book. DuPriest tackles the subject of food in her usual down to earth manner. She doesn’t shy away from saying the truth especially where diets are concerned:

“My way of eating is not about dieting. I learned the hard way that diets don’t work. The trouble with any diet is that eventually we revert back to eating normal food again, in some cases fast food or other poor food choices, and the weight returns…You can’t win the food game by stacking the deck with dieting tricks. The only way to get the body you’ve always wanted is to give your body what it wants and needs…nutritious and healthy food”.

Our body requires regular doses of highly nutritious food more often than we might think. The author cautions six small meals a day rather than the traditional three habitual meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. When we eat a large meal, our body cannot use all the calories we consume therefore the surplus will get stored as fat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it brings fuel and energy to our body. Most of all it will prevent us from binging or overeating at lunch. The key to a healthy look is to eat not to starve.

Laura DuPriest highlights the importance of protein which regulates blood sugar and boosts metabolism. Protein also supplies the amino acids and other important nutrients to our muscle tissues. But most of all, proteins curb your appetite. When you add protein to your diet you will not feel hungry which is essential when you are reducing the quantity of food.

The best food for our body is a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and some fats. Diets which restrict you from eating the items our body requires have a harmful impact on our health. It is wrong to believe carbohydrates and fats are bad. Fats play an essential role in our metabolism and they keep our skin, hair and nails from getting dry. On the other hand, carbohydrates give immediate energy and help regulate blood sugar.

The author also gives some excellent advice concerning skin care. Before reminding us of the bad habits we should avoid to have a good complexion, she mentions a humorous quote from Estee Lauder who famously wrote: “You have only one face. Take care of it”.

We are aware that sunbathing, smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, and stress are not good for our skin but we often ignore the truth behind many skin care myths.

The first myth created by cosmetic brands leads women to falsely believe they need to buy expensive facial products to have a smooth and glowing complexion.

Cosmetic companies also lure you into thinking you have a lot of needs so that they can sell you the solutions. Once you have been told the issues at stake, you are introduced to exquisite packages of expensive cream with complicated scientific names. However, expensive beauty products do not necessarily work better. In fact, many moderately priced items have the same active ingredients as the high priced ones. And any good dermatologist will acknowledge this.

“Stop buying in to the myths at the cosmetic counter. Avoid spending money just to get a new jar of magic” says DuPriest.

We also hear that creams can repair wrinkles. But this is not true because no cream can erase a wrinkle, it can at the most diminish the appearance of one.

Another myth is that we need a different cream for the eye, the throat and the face. In fact, the skin on our face and neck, including the eye tissues, functions and can be treated the same way. Moreover, eye creams or eye gels do not get rid of dark circles under the eye. And finally, no cream can restore firmness to the skin except for cosmetic surgery.

The leitmotif of this book is that what we experience in our lives is a result of the choices we make. We are solely responsible for taking the decisions regarding our lives. Nobody else will do this for us. In other words we can live the life that we desire. We can and should take care of ourselves. It’s our right to be beautiful and glamorous and feel good about it.

This practical guide also features heartwarming and moving personal stories of women whom Laura DuPriest has helped change their look. But what this book truly brings is hope with the power to live a better life. In a simple and engaging manner, Laura DuPriest finds the right words to motivate her readers. Her common sense and down to earth approach bring a much needed rational perspective to the topic of beauty. Beauty is not just an appearance, it is also the fulfillment of a choice or in the words of Carol Burnet: ” Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me”.

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