FIT ME PINK BOOK CLUB...let the conversation begin!

OK...I started the book, YOU Being Beautiful: The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty. I've only made it through the introduction and first chapter so far, but I'm really enjoying it. There were a few tidbits that I found fascinating!

Outer Beauty Has a Purpose!
First, Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen made me seriously consider my own beliefs about the importance of outward beauty. We've all heard these beauty-based cliches, right?

• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
• Don't judge a book by its cover.
• Beauty is only skin deep.

Inner beauty is completely different than outer beauty. But we tend to link them together. Both are important. But outer beauty really does matter, as much as we sometimes like to pretend it doesn't (as evidenced by the wide use of these popular sayings.)

OUTER beauty, throughout history, has served a very important purpose. It sends a message to the world about how healthy you are! Long before doctors could diagnose one's health, outer beauty sent a very specific message to potential mates. Looks were the health assessment. Interesting.

A fun fact: the definition of beauty hasn't always been the same. In the Middle Ages, pockmarks were hot! It meant you'd survived smallpox, and wouldn't die from it later. And during times of famine, you wanted to be fat! It meant you had enough money to feed your kids.

ANYWAY, I don't think the book is meant to discourage those who don't see themselves as outwardly "beautiful," but is designed to give tips on becoming as such. I still hold firm to my belief that we really are all beautiful. But I do think that our outward beauty often correlates with how we feel about ourselves...whether we admit it or not. I know it affects me. I'd like to say that I exercise to be healthy. That's partly true, but honestly, I do it because I want to look healthy. And looking healthy means looking beautiful.

The Formula for Beauty...who knew?

While reading chapter 1, I learned one (unfortunate) thing that I can never change (without plastic surgery). My nose is too big (in proportion to my mouth)!

THIS was absolutely fascinating to me. Did you know that we are all built with inborn "beauty detectors"? We look at a person, and can instantly assess his or her beauty. It's a built-in reflex! This is because of the Fibonacci sequence (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13...), or the "golden ratio." There's a lot of reasoning behind the sequence (read the book!), but it occurs over and over in nature...from tree branching to the arrangement of a pine cone to the reproductive pattern of rats! There's a predictable pattern. And the golden ratio is 1.6. (Which, by the way, strengthens my belief that there really is a God who created this amazing world in which we live...EVERYTHING is organized!)

ANYWAY, this ratio is how we make quick judgments of those we meet. A symmetrical face following this ratio is truly "beautiful." Interesting. Supposedly the ratio of the width of the mouth to the width of the nose should be 1.618 to 1.

I was curious, so I got in front of the mirror with a ruler. My lips are exactly 2 inches wide. And at the widest part of my nostrils, my nose is about 1.375 inches wide. If I did the math right, my ratio is 1.4545 to 1 (divide mouth width by nose width). So my nose either needs to shrink, or my mouth needs to be wider. Oh well.

I also took the test (which determines how close the current ME is to the potential ME). It assesses all three types of beauty: looking, feeling, and being beautiful. I have a ways to go. My total, combined score was 111 out of a possible 160.

Chapter 1

As for the rest of the first chapter, it was all about skin care. I found it sort of boring, because for me, it wasn't all new. (I physically cannot go to bed at night without washing my face. I literally can't sleep. If I fall asleep while watching a movie and wake up to go to bed at 3 am, I still wash my face!) But it did give some interesting information on ingredients to watch for, proper skincare, etc. So it's definitely a worthwhile read.

I definitely agree that proper skincare is VITAL to looking (and feeling) beautiful. The times in my life where I felt the worst about myself weren't the times I gained weight...even after having a baby. The times I felt the worst were when my skin looked horrible! I have several vivid memories of complete strangers offering me advice on how to treat my acne. Not fun memories. I piled makeup onto my poor face trying to cover up the ugly blemishes. It made them worse. I (knock on wood) haven't had a flare up since my first pregnancy, which is why I try so hard to take care of my skin! Acne is extremely emotionally scarring. As are other skin conditions. So take care of your skin!

Comment-versation

Phew...sorry for the long-windedness. Have any of you started reading yet? What are your thoughts on skincare, or beauty in general? What are your reasons for exercising? Do you workout to BE healthy, or to LOOK healthy/beautiful? Is beauty only skin deep? Or does it really matter? Does your face hold the "perfect ratio" (unlike mine)? Give your thoughts!