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Glow: A Prescription for Radiant Health and Beauty

©The Macrobiotic Guide - February 2005

Radiance, beauty…that elusive glow that we all seek to achieve. I would venture to say that we would rather look good than feel good. Unfortunately, you can't have one without the other. Like love and marriage, looking great is usually the result of feeling great...and conversely, if you don't feel well, it's hard to put your best face forward.

We love beauty, are drawn to it instinctively. But w hat makes people attractive and beautiful, whether famous or not, classically or not? If you were to analyze what is truly attractive, I think you would surprise yourself when you discovered that it wasn't really his blue eyes or her long legs, but their "glow." People that we deem beautiful are brimming with vitality. And that vitality allows them to walk with a straight, confident stride, head held high. That vitality is what creates their perfect skin and lustrous hair. Their vitality is what we find so attractive. We are attracted to health. We want to be near it and bask in its radiance.

Beauty isn't limited to surface appearance. It is the total sum of being. There are no absolute standards by which we judge beauty. It truly is in the eyes of the beholder, with each culture varying its concept of what is considered attractive. And while beauty changes from culture to culture and even season to season, with what's "in" and "out," what never changes is the fact that beauty is dynamic and whole, not the fragments of an image.

It is our birthright to be beautiful. By that, I mean that it is our nature to be healthy, to be our very best selves. That natural radiant glow comes from within and is not the result of artificial application of cosmetics to mask the truth. Our beauty--or lack thereof--is a simple reflection of our day to day life. Elegance, grace and beauty arise naturally from good health, with little need for enhancement or artifice. Our glow is from within, rather than purchased and applied.

The word "cosmetics" has its roots in the Greek word, "cosmos," a word used to describe the order of nature. By classic definition, to be beautiful was to be in harmony with nature. Beauty, therefore, is a reflection of natural harmony.

In contrast to the modern approach of dealing with surface appearance, there are many factors that influence our natural radiant health. Remember that the body is an interconnected being, not simply a collection of parts. Problems with the skin, hair, nails and overall appearance are clear reflections of internal conditions and no amount of lotions, potions, creams, oils, shampoos, rinses or powders will solve the internal dilemmas causing the complaints. They will simply mask the symptoms; the disorder will continue and the symptoms will perpetuate. We will spend more money and grow more despondent over our deteriorating appearance.

To achieve our own natural radiant glow, we must begin to understand the relationship between our internal and external conditions. As we grow more aware of the connection between health and vital beauty, we can begin to realize that our appearance is a reflection of our daily life--from our food choices, to exercise and activity, to our environment, to our attitudes and emotions. As with health, our natural radiant glow is something that we create daily, through the choices that we make.

Achieving naturally radiant beauty is actually quite simple. It really doesn't require expensive spa treatments (although they are a lovely indulgence to be enjoyed on occasion) or the expenditure of large sums of money for products to simulate the look we so desperately seek. By simply making choices appropriate to us, as humans, we can achieve the radiant health and beauty that is ours by virtue of who we are.

The Source of Radiance

Natural beauty is not just a compilation of perfectly arranged features, but is a reflection of the quality of our being. With no absolute standards by which to judge beauty; with every culture having decidedly different standards that they elevate to their ideal image of beauty, we can only take what is our gift and enhance it with the choices that we make.

Each day, people grow more aware of the connection between health and diet. In the same manner, we must embrace the idea that, like health, natural radiance is something that we create in our day to day lives. Achieving natural beauty is quite simple. The only "tools" required are a balanced, natural approach to eating, exercise, daily grooming, natural body care and a positive attitude. Understanding the power of our daily choices produces exactly the results we crave. We must realize that when we balance our bodies with nature, a beautiful, radiant appearance is ours, the result of the foods we choose to eat, the activities we pursue and the way we see the world around us.

Glowing health and beauty come from the same place. Each of us exist in an environment and our interaction with that environment contributes to the creation of humanity. As we all are aware, clean natural surroundings are essential to life. Clean air to breathe, clean water for drinking, bathing and cooking, sunlight, lush green vegetation and a peaceful setting create an environment in which natural radiance is easier to achieve. We have a certain degree of control over these factors with our choices in living space, leisure activities, our jobs and our understanding of how humanity impacts nature. The environmental factor over which we have the most control, however, is our daily choice of food.

We can safely say that food is simply a condensed version of our larger environment and is the material that nature uses to construct our human bodies. Minute to minute, second to second, new cells, muscles, tissue, body fluids and bone are being created or affected by what we choose to eat and drink. We are, in many ways, the creation of what we put in our mouths every day. Our health, radiance and beauty (or lack thereof), are the end results of what we eat. Understanding how to choose and balance daily food is essential, if we are to be radiant and vital as humans.

Beauty and Food

Food choices are the primary way in which we maintain balance in the body and keep our physical condition and appearance in greatest harmony with nature. We can begin to understand the power of food's affect on us, if we understand how it affects our bodies.

In general, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy foods, seafood, fish and other animal foods are considered to have more contracting, constricting or tightening effects on the body. Rich in hemoglobin, sodium and other contracting minerals, saturated fats, and heavy, dense proteins, these foods are very difficult for the body to digest, making it work hard and inefficiently to assimilate the nutrients. This difficulty and work, this added stress on the body, causes it to contract, producing a dry, constricted condition.

On the other hand, foods of vegetable quality produce a more relaxing, even cooling effect in the body. Rich in chlorophyll and potassium, as well as other more expanded minerals, the fats and oils in plant food are lighter, less dense and unsaturated. These kinds of foods provide us with fuel that burns more efficiently and allows energy to flow freely through the body, with no blockages to stagnate, which can cause everything from sluggish energy to dull skin and hair.

Within the plant kingdom, it is said that whole grains lie at the center, since they are the perfect fusion of seed and fruit in one organism. It is said that whole grains are also the perfect reflection of the balanced proportion of energies of the earth (seven to one), which is reflected in the balance of carbohydrates to proteins to minerals, each being seven to one, making whole grains quite balancing for us as humans.
On top of that, whole grains are composed of a quality of carbohydrate that is most nourishing to us.

The complex carbohydrates in whole grains are made up of small, tightly bound molecules of glucose, which are gradually broken down and not actually absorbed until they reach the small intestine. On the other hand, the simple carbohydrates found in sugar are composed of many, loose molecules of glucose that lack the cohesive nature of complex carbohydrates. These carbohydrates, in the form of sugars, will bypass the digestive process of the small intestine and absorb rapidly into the bloodstream, producing chaotic fluctuation in our metabolism...and we all know how that can affect both our health and our looks.

It's all about balance and understanding how to dance as close to the center of that personal balance as possible. There is no such thing as perfect balance or perfect health or perfect beauty. But understanding food and creating internal harmony allows us to walk the tightrope that is balance with a bit more confidence, with delicate swaying to the left and right. We stay on the rope with fewer close calls.

Choosing foods that are closer to the center of balance creates a calmer polarity in the body. The energy within us is less extreme. Choosing foods that are extreme, however, will create an atmosphere of tension and stress in the body as it struggles to maintain some kind of equilibrium. If that kind of extreme energy continues in the body and becomes its normal state of being, it becomes quite difficult to maintain. We begin to tire and wear down, with our vitality fading and our natural glow growing dim. Imbalance in the body that is allowed to continue, will result in symptomatic conditions of the hair, skin, nails and overall appearance.

Foods like whole grains, beans, bean products, seasonal fruits and vegetables are all easily balanced within the body, because their energies are not extreme…and their nutrients are many. On the other hand, foods like animal protein, sugar, eggs, alcohol and dairy, will be will lead to the need for a lot of work on the part of our bodies to maintain energy and balance. Over time, rather than maintaining a vital, well-toned, firm body, we will experience the extremes of tightness in the muscles and joints, along with loose, flaccid skin, swelling and lack of defined character...not to mention that we'll always feel less than great.

As you can begin to see, food has a direct effect on how we look. Eating well will create the foundation upon which we can build our vitality, which will show itself as natural, radiant health and an enviable glow. Diet and lifestyle influence our appearance as they affect our health and vitality. Our skin, nails and hair reflect the affect that our life choices are having on our overall well-being. Eating and living well will not only maintain, but can restore our body to optimum health and our appearance to natural radiance.

Finally, knowing that there is no perfection in beauty, accentuate the best in your appearance and see yourself as the naturally radiant, healthy being that you are. As you think, so you are. Living in harmony with nature, you will begin to radiate a deep, spiritual beauty that will light every part of your being and life.

The Body Scrub

The most amazing remedy in the world--and you don't have to cook a thing. If you take showers or baths, you can do this one. This remedy activates circulation, promoting clear, soft skin, by helping the skin eliminate toxins from the body. I mean it when I say that if you take nothing else from this book--if you don't ever cook a vegetable--scrub your body. It will change your life--and you'll really GLOW.

Quarter fold a cotton washcloth (or use a cloth spa glove from the pharmacy). Using hot water, wet the cloth and begin to scrub your body (without soap), rubbing gently with just the weight of your hand, until your skin turns pink all over. Start with your hands, rubbing palm and back side, between your fingers and work your way up your arms toward your chest. Next, rub your chest and back, but for women, avoid the breasts and for men and women, the genitals, but scrub your groin area. Work your way down your belly, scrub your buttocks and then work your way down your legs, front and back to your feet, scrubbing the tops of your feet, between your toes and even the soles of your feet.
At first, you'll notice that your skin turns a mottled pink. As the body breaks down accumulated, hardened fats, your skin will turn a uniform, rosy pink in minutes.

One month of faithful scrubbing and you=ll notice a new softness to your skin--and you=ll be addicted. In about two months, you'll find that you no longer need moisturizer, that you don't have flaky shins or crusty heels. For the best results, scrub every day.

Salt & Malt Scrub

I love to do this scrub every spring. It's great for freshening the skin after a winter indoors. Lightly exfoliating, without being abrasive to the skin, the warm, wet salt removes dreary winter skin and the wheat malt seals in moisture for supple soft ready-for-spring skin. Once a year is enough for this luxurious scrub--particularly if you=re scrubbing your body regularly.

2 pounds (at least) refined sea salt
2 pounds barley malt or honey

Take a hot shower and rinse the body very well. While still wet, rub generous handfuls of salt gently over the skin. Don=t apply a lot of pressure, as you can damage the skin--just a gentle rub. Rinse well with warm water and again, while wet, rub a thin layer of honey over your skin. Rinse well and pat your newly moisturized skin dry, go out and enjoy the warm spring air.

Christina Pirello is the inspiring Emmy Award winning host of the television series, "Christina Cooks," airing on over 135 public television stations nationwide, 50 countries internationally, through the Discovery Health Network, and on Comcast's CN8 Network. Christina is the author of three best-selling books: Cooking the Whole Foods Way; Cook Your Way to the Life You Want; and GLOW, A Prescription to Radiant Health and Beauty. At age 26, Christina was diagnosed with terminal leukemia, and deciding to forgo conventional medical therapies she turned to macrobiotics and cured herself. Today Christina teaches whole foods cooking classes and conducts lifestyle seminars and lectures nationwide on the power of food in our lives, in a variety of settings - from natural food stores to corporate boardrooms to Network TV.
No lives are left unchanged when she leaves the room.