The Truth About Beauty: Transform Your Looks and Your Life from the Inside Out

Reviewer's Bookwatch, May, 2005 by Linda Davis Kyle

The Truth About Beauty: Transform Your Looks and Your

Life from the Inside Out

Kat James

Beyond Words Publishing, Inc.

Suite 500, 20827 N.W. Cornell Road, Hillsboro, OR 97124-9808

www.beyondword.com

ISBN: 1582701008 $17.95 361 pp.

The Truth About Beauty: Transform Your Looks and Your Life from the Inside Out by Kat James grew from the author's obsessing to be thin to be beautiful and manifested as a full-blown compulsive eating disorder that ruled every minute of every day for 12 long years. Even while she was a successful spokesperson for major cosmetic brands and a TV makeover guru, who concentrated on making others appear beautiful, she was damaging her own beauty and health. At age 26, when a liver problem--arising from her eating disorder--threatened her life, she began her transformation toward better health.

As she searched feverishly for answers to restore her health, she was appalled at the bias against useful alternative health care approaches. She boldly explains to newcomers to alternative modalities that the true motivation of the prejudice the traditional health care industry clings to lies with its bedfellow, profitability, from patentable synthetics and pharmaceuticals. Nevertheless, she recognized the inextricable link between health and beauty and strode along a pathway to her most beautiful self. In The Truth About Beauty, James shares her journey and hopes to inspire others with "the incentive and tools" to take control for a better life (p. xix). She names tool number one as the "magic motivation" and defines it with the motto, "Think Health and Beauty Will Follow" (p. 26).

She blames not only herself but also a culture that embraces advertising images that promote the myth of perfection (p. 14). Her goal is to jump start the efforts of others to feel and look better by educating her readers to be conscious of and to insist on quality, health-supporting foods, health care products, and cosmetics instead of embracing nutrient-deficient foods and synthetic products that have been scientifically documented as detrimental. She encourages readers to think about what they feed their bodies and minds and souls and to read labels and to question and search for nutrient-dense foods and natural products that can serve their best interests rather than being duped into a white- knuckled, never-let-go "brand loyalty" that rewards companies for over advertising and fancy packaging rather than the merits of the foods and products themselves. Rather than creating a feeling of deprivation with new choices, she invites readers to recognize the modifications as upgrades for a better life.

If brand loyalty is important to you, then this book is not for you; but if you already have begun to explore to find health-giving natural foods and natural products, then this book will enhance your efforts. James would be the first to suggest, however, that you not follow her lead blindfolded. Instead, always continue to read and study and question to find what works best for you. Even some of the companies that she recommends as having natural cosmetics may fall short of your own goals when you read the ingredients listed. So make your own choices. James's book includes a hefty Resources Guide, an extensive bibliography, and a useful index. Find a comfortable place to read The Truth About Beauty, because Kat James will enchant and engage your interest to such a degree that you will not be able to put down the book easily. James's book is a must read if you care about yourself and your loved ones.

Linda Davis Kyle, Reviewer

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