A beautiful woman knows that beauty doesn’t just begin when she walks into a room. More importantly, it’s in her soul and she nourishes it every day through beautiful music, books, and thoughts, as well as enjoyable people, movements and food. In part trois of the Beauty Manifesto, I’m going to offer up my final credo of beauty: nourishment.

Step #11: Nourish Yourself with Beauty.

Pop quiz: On a table is a bag of Cheetos and an apple. Which one does the beautiful woman choose?

If you said, apple, you get a big A+.

A truly beautiful woman will usually choose the apple. Why? Because it’s natural, fresh and radiant, and she knows that what you put into your body, is also reflected on the outside.

When we are consciously being aware of ourselves and wanting to treat our bodies well, eating good food will follow.

On the other hand, Cheetos offer a moment of gratification; but the orange fingers—not that attractive—and chemical-laden, empty calories outweighs that moment. In other words, Cheetos are a taker, but the apple is a giver—of radiance, energy, and health.

Before a beautiful woman chooses what to consume, she questions, “Is this going to add or detract from my beauty?”

Let’s take this a little deeper:

A beautiful woman nourishes herself with beautiful things, including: self-respect, self-love, and self-care. (Tweet it!)

If you begin to remove one thing from your life that doesn’t add beauty (a thought, a trinket, a piece of clothing, maybe even a person), and replace it with something so sensational that it almost makes your heart stop, you’ll create a radical transformation in your life.

You will create your own beauty movement.

Step #12:  Dine Like a Lady.

At lunchtime, along the Boulevard St. Germain in Paris, cafés are filled with beautiful French women sipping wine, savoring their le plat and sharing delicious concoctions of desserts—mousse au chocolat, profiteroles, and macaroons. No guilt. No diets. Just pure pleasure.

How do those French women look so amazing and eat the svelte figure’s “forbidden fruits”? Simply, they dine; not feed.

In the Slim, Chic & Savvy program, one of the many components I teach on is the art of dining.  Not surprisingly, many women express that they have been bombarded with rule after rule of what they should and shouldn’t eat, but have rarely been taught the importance of how one should dine.  As a result, they’ve developed bad eating habits, less-than-graceful manners, and, for some, hated extra pounds.

When it comes to dining, most of the information in our culture has been focused on the science of nutrition—breaking food down into its components and researching how it impacts our bodies on a cellular level.

In this process, we’ve lost the sacredness of savoring delicious foods as a gift. We treat eating like one big scientific experiment where food is a controlled substance. We forget the lovely process and focus only on the end goal: “Will this make me fat?”

Mais non, said my French girlfriend Catherine, when I asked her if she counted carbs. “You Americans are fat because you don’t take the time to enjoy your food,” she exclaimed.  The French are known for their frankness, as well.  

The French taught me that how you dine is just as important as what you dine on. It’s about nourishing, savoring, and eating sans guilt.

Plus, knowing how to carry yourself at the table is not only a sign that you are an elegant and classy lady, which will always be a part of timeless beauty, but is also an indicator of healthy eating, which is très slimming.

Step #13:  Drink Like a Lady.

I have this friend who is a knock-out. Gorgeous with a capital G.  Sadly, though, when she walks into a room, her beauty is overshadowed in the minds of her friends by concern for her safety. You see, she has a habit of becoming dangerously inebriated.

If you’ve read my communiqués for any length of time, or know me personally, you probably detect two things: I love, love shared good food when perfectly paired with a bottle of wine.  In fact, I attended sommelier school because I wanted to be one of those wine snobs who could smell a varietal and vintage a mile away (still not that person, but, hey, I try).

However, my personal experience has been that after drink #2, beauty-points start going down really fast due to slurred speech, a case of the hiccups, running into things or people, and saying and doing things that your sober self would never allow. Trouble!

And, let’s face it: most of us have been there.  And, if you have, you know the shame and guilt that sweeps over you the next morning.

If you find yourself drinking too much on a regular basis, it’s time to be honest with yourself and change the behavior or get help if you need to.

Beauty is often found in moderation, especially when it comes to alcohol.

Step #14:  Move in Beautiful Ways.

I live in a small town in Colorado, where breathtaking beauty is always surrounding me. It’s in all things: the flowers, mountains, trees, water, birds, and even the crisp mountain air.

Part of living beautifully is through movement: a constant flow, an evolution, or, simply put, exercise.

Dancing, walking, boxing, practicing yoga, or moving your body in any enjoyable and strengthening way is a part of every beauty plan.

Since every little thing matters, beautiful women are always looking for little TLCmoments (like a brisk walk in-between meetings, or a stroll with the kids after dinner). Beautiful women are not confined to a gym.

Movement is also how we regenerate our bones, muscles, and heart. It’s how we become strong and full of vitality. A woman in motion has strength, which allows her to stand with proud posture, walk for charity, keep a clean environment, run around with her kids, and handle her life with grace and poise.

Movement is a beautiful thing (even when you’re sweating.)

Step #15 (Final Step):  Decide to BE Beautiful.

Before you walk into a room, it’s up to you to decide to be beautiful.

No one is going to give you permission. There’s no beauty fairy that knocks on your door and grants you a beauty wish. Regardless of the promises, no plastic surgeon can create it. All the miracle creams, designer clothes, or cute shoes in the world cannot make you beautiful.

Beauty is an inside job that shows externally. (Tweet it!)  

Since it starts from within, your beauty is your responsibility.

Once you own the belief of, “I am a beautiful woman,” The Universe works with you to create your most beautiful self—how you dress, think, eat, what you focus on, how you communicate, and your posture and poise as you sit, stand, and walk.

The decision is yours. Do you want to be the most beautiful woman in the room?

If so, the concept of beauty boils down to these questions:

Do you think beautiful thoughts?

Do you dress in beautiful ways?

Do you speak beautiful words?

Do you eat beautiful foods?

Do you make others feel beautiful?

Do you nourish yourself with beauty?

Do you move in strength and beauty?

Do you see beauty?

Do you show up for yourself and others in beautiful ways?

Open your eyes and behold the beauty that surrounds you.

You are the most beautiful woman in the room.

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed this 3-Part Beauty Manifesto.

Please share what you have learned during this 3-Week journey together in the comments below.

In Love & Beauty,

Tonya