I’m going to get to the 2nd component of my approach to holistic beauty, but first a little pop-culture commentary, because it’s all related anyhow.
Earlier today I watched the “Sex and the City” revival “And Just Like That.” SATC, by the way, is one of my all time favorite shows. The writing is just par excellence. Even though there was a lot I disagreed with about that show, it was more than a show it was a movement.
I mean it was kinda revolutionary stuff, these were older women, and by older I mean women over 30, carrying (pun intended) on and dating in a way that was typically (and still is to some extent) associated with women in their twenties – late teens and early twenties at that. I mean think about it, this show started back in 1998. I was in college at that time and I can remember so many girls from my Bible study getting engaged – most of them not over 21, none of them over 25. Like that’s what was still expected by many during that time.
Then here comes Sex and the City, with four single women in their 30s. Women who were not necessarily conventionally beautiful, yet even if they were they were pass the age (at least during that time) where it mattered, meaning a conventionally beautiful 23-year-old trumps a conventionally beautiful 35-year-old, you know in society speak. And just like that, they let a whole generation of women know that you don’t have to have it all together in your 20s. That you can still make crazy mistakes and be finding yourself through your love life, your career, family and friendships in your 30s and beyond.
It also helped to redefine what was sexy and who could be sexy. The show became iconic not only for its relatable storylines, but also for its style and fashion, which I think is also a form of beauty.
See, I’m tying this all together. So watching the show earlier today on HBO Max, it was refreshing to see the women showing their wrinkles, showing their gray. I wonder, in this youth obsessed culture – women dying their hair, putting filler in their lips and cheeks, getting face lifts and the like – if the show will start a new revolution where women feel free to grow old gracefully, or grays-fully.
But whether you embrace your wrinkles and grays or choose to dye and go under the knife, there are things you can do to help you look your best at any age.
This brings me to the 2nd component of my holistic approach to beauty – it’s what you eat and drink.
Now I know I’m constantly talking about being overweight and I love my cookies, cakes, ice cream, pizza and fries, but in addition to consuming those things, I also eat my fruits and vegetables pretty regularly. I may not indulge in them every day, but regularly.
It’s true what they say, what you put into your body is so important to how you look on the outside. For example, when I eat a lot of sugar, not only does it make me feel bad, but I can see it in my skin. I’m telling ya’ll, sugar causes wrinkles. If you know you are gonna have a bunch of sugar, I suggest pairing it with a kale salad or some shit like that, cause if not, you will see it all over your face—wrinkles.
Next, we’ve all heard this one before, and it still is news: drink lots of water. I started drinking lots of water because I’m cheap as fuck, and I wanted to save money on buying a drink. I’m not even talking about alcoholic drinks either, I mean just drinks. Drinks can add like $2-$8 to a meal depending on where you go, and water is free. When I would go to the mall with friends back in high school, and we’d go to the food court, I didn’t buy the drink; I got the free water. So that’s really how it started for me. Even now, I hardly ever drink soda. I can’t even remember the last time I had soda. I try to drink a gallon of water a day. That hardly ever works out, but hey, I try.
Finally, my number one tip about what to intake to make your skin look good, is green tea. I’m telling you, green tea does wonders, at least for me. Sometimes, when my skin be lookin’ all dry and scaly, with rough patches and such. You know, just like I need to exfoliate even though I already exfoliated? I drink me some green tea, and it clears it up – my skin goes back to smooth. My skin is pretty smooth anyway, so this may not work for everybody, but you should try it. Two cups of green tea a day, no sugar, for a week and see if you see a difference.
All right, there you have it, my 2nd component to my holistic beauty approach. Come back tomorrow for number three.
Until then.
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