Beautiful You with LeAnne

Beauty around the world! That's the "core" of this week's post. From Japan, to England, to Ethiopia, beauty is a vital part of a woman's existence. In America, we have access to the most amazing products. Whether it's organic creams, chemical fillers, or rare fruit-based skin treatments, we have as many choices as we do people! But step outside your country and you'll find the most intriguing and beneficial skin rituals! For women with PCOS, sometimes achieving our most magnificent beauty is a lot harder because we have so many things to address. But I'm here to tell you that, if you're willing, you can change your life with the new, amazing you! So, pack your suitcase, grab your passport and sunshades, and get on board with me as I "take" you around the world to discover some of the greatest beauty secrets you'll ever know!

Japan--Japanese women are known for having smooth, clear skin and silky, lustrous hair. For centuries, they created secret recipes to make themselves beautiful. There was a class of women in Japan, known as Geisha, and they were trained from early ages to become living works of art by exuding grace, beauty, and charm in literally every movement of their bodies! From the fabric of their robes to the skin on their faces, everything about Geisha and other Japanese women were smooth and flawless. One of the most common (and interesting) ingredients routinely used to achieve their beauty was nightingale droppings. (Yes, as in nightingale, the bird). The droppings are first sterilized by using a UV light, then is dried into a powder. Next, it is mixed with water and made into a paste. When this paste is left on the skin for a few minutes, then rinsed. it smooths and lightens the skin. It's a natural "bleaching" agent! Many Japanese actors and American celebrities have fallen in love with this product. Other natural wonders in Japanese beauty is Japanese Camellia Seed Oil and is used to make hair sleek and healthy. Rice bran and Japanese seaweed are also commonly used on skin and hair.

Nigeria--In this proud and culturally rich country, natural is better. In fact, it's everything. It's not commonly known that Nigeria has more natural resources than any other country. From oil to palm seeds, they make good used of everything the earth provides. Even their beauty! And it all starts with a good soap...Black Soap, that is. It's called Black Soap because it's color. Yes, it's color really is black! But it can be used on ALL races, and brings great benefits. Nigerian's make different variations of this soap, but the common ingredients are shea butter, palm kernel oil, olive oil, plantain skins, essential oil, and purified water. This soap is especially good for women with PCOS because it helps even out blotchiness and dark skin pigmentation. It's ingredients also create a smoothness in skin, not the taut or dry feeling that's left behind after cleansing with most soaps. Also, many Nigerian women find that gently "washing" their face with oil, then wiping with a moist cloth is the best way to clean skin while still preserving it's elasticity and natural glow and moisture!

England---Talk about the bold and the beautiful! British beauty secrets mostly resembles those of America, though some of them take a slightly more interesting approach. One ritual that emerged in my research, was steaming the face in herb water. This is done by simply filling a bowl with boiling water, throwing in the desired herbs, and leaning your face over it. This helps open the pores and remove impurities to reveal a more youthful, radiant glow. British women also believe that milk is possibly the best beauty product, but not applied topically. Just drinking a couple cups of good old-fashioned milk is what they do maintain their beauty because they believed it is one of the most complete "foods" out there as it contains a perfect balance of protein, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and essential fats. Milk does the body AND the skin a lot of good!

Remember that when you know better, you FEEL better! Know that being a woman is a gift and a beautiful thing. There's so much available to us, and not just around us, but around the world! Boosting your confidence and trying something new is what you want to focus on. PCOS doesn't have to rule you, and it doesn't have to be your primary focus. Reversing it, getting healthy, loving your life and loving your self is what deserves your precious attention. Part of loving yourself is learning what thrills you and amazes you. What amazes me is how, no matter where we are in the world, every woman has one thing in common; we're soft, feminine, treasured, nurturers, and have beauty in us that could bring the most savage world conqueror to his knees!
And remember, our passport to beauty hasn't expired yet! Next week, we "travel" to more exotic places to discover what makes them beautiful. Also, a few of my own tried-and-true recipes for skin masks, skin toners, hair strengtheners, and even dessert!

*Please note that I am not a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist or trained counselor. I am not qualified to give out any emotional advice. I am a woman with PCOS, who is sharing my personal experiences in this blog and I ask you to consult a professional.

Beautiful You with LeAnne

It was such a wonderful revelation when I learned I did not have to live by my feelings. It was liberating and a great relief! Before I learned this valuable truth, my emotions were all over the place! I was glad I'd managed to lose a few pounds, but sad that I had so much further to go; hurt that I'd been spoken about so terribly by co-workers, irritated with myself that I was still bothered by the opinions of others; feeling victimized even by strangers (a new neighbor) who made comments about my height and weight, and beating myself up because I wasn't as far along in life as I should be. Imagine living life according to such feelings.....it was absolutely chaotic! There was very little genuine self-esteem, and besides going into total social seclusion, my relationships suffered, also. I felt like I was crawling out of my skin with misery! But one day, in the middle of another one of my one-woman pity parties, I heard someone say "You need to stop letting your feelings have a vote in everything. Feelings are fickle and, therefore, unreliable. We were given emotions to feel, but not to live by!"
Of course, this is me paraphrasing, but those words set SO many things in motion! As dramatic as it sounds, I felt like I'd been set free! Yes, PCOS was and is a royal pain in my backside and, most days, it made me feel like Ursula, the sea witch from The Little Mermaid. But just because I felt this way doesn't mean I WAS this way. There is a difference between feelings and the actual truth. The truth was that beneath that misery was a goddess of beauty waiting to uncover and share some juicy, life-changing secrets. And, slowly but surely, amazing things came to light, and I began to change. I thought of the person I wanted to be and, battered and bruised, began to walk in that direction. What's even better than all that, is that the same thing is about to happen to you!.....if you want it to. I'm here to help. And though it may be a long road, it's surely an exciting one! To make things a little easier on your road to winning the battle against PCOS, here are a few true beauty secrets to remember.

You Are No Victim!--You are not powerless, and you certainly are not "less than". PCOS does not make you less of a woman. In fact, it brings out the woman in you even more! What other species can war against something so difficult and draining, yet still come out laughing and strong, their ability to nurture still in tact. Only a woman! We were created as nurturing and uniquely feminine creatures; nothing will EVER change that. For good measure, and so it will sink in, I'll repeat myself: Nothing will EVER change the fact that you are a woman". Not infertility, not struggles with facial hair or male-pattern baldness, not rapid, excessive weight gain; not anything. You're not beautiful just because I say so, or even because you or anyone else says so. you're beautiful because that's the way you were created. You can argue that all you want, but this is the truth, not opinion. Being a woman is a beautiful, surreal thing to be. And to show our gratefulness for being it and having it, we first have to accept it and appreciate it. It must be maintained with grace and humility, and we should allow it to be uncovered for every one else to see. Remembering this is your first beauty secret.

Love Your Skin--PCOS can cause premature aging and, combined with unhealthy lifestyles and harsh weather conditions, this can wreak total havoc! Two of the best secret weapons? Exfoliate and hydrate. Using a gentle exfoliator on your face and skin about three times a week is like pruning and caring for a delicate, exotic flower. Sloughing away the "dead" cells to reveal newer, younger ones means dewy, radiant skin, and a more even complexion. But be sure to use a more gentle exfoliator for your face, since it's skin is more delicate! Follow up with a moisturizer that's thick enough to coat and hydrate skin, but still light enough so it won't clog your pores. Want a natural moisturizer? Try grapeseed oil! This oil naturally renews skin and deeply penetrates to soften and enhance skin tone.

Use A Masque...For Your Legs!!--Masques (or masks) or normally designed for the skin on your face, and there are a lot out there that do a fantastic job (I recommend using one that contains avocado and/or oatmeal). But what about your body? Generally, though it's only the face that has troublesome pores, it's the body that collects the most dirt and oil. Like teenagers, women with PCOS can also have troublesome spots on the skin that are plagued with acne and other oily, hormonal bumps. So before exfoliating, wet your skin, then apply a mask to the legs, thighs, and any other area you choose. Leave on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse off in the shower. That way, once the impurities are drawn to the surface of your skin by the mask, you can allow the exfoliator to slough them away along with dead skin cells. This will allow your naturally radiant skin to shine through!

Remember that Beautiful You is about YOU!....No one else! There are more secrets to come next week, but only a few will be revealed at a time so that you'll have time to practice and gradually incorporate these tricks and hints into your routine. It's up to YOU to do YOUR part in contributing to YOUR happiness! You're not alone, woman soldier...we're in this together. And, before it's all over, we'll be writing and living out our own amazing stories! Next week will bring more beauty secrets and I'll also share jeweled pieces of encouragement from my wonderful friends all over the world (Nigeria, Ethiopia, England, Scotland, and Japan). Stay tuned!

*Please note that I am not a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist or trained counselor. I am not qualified to give out any emotional advice. I am a woman with PCOS, who is sharing my personal experiences in this blog and I ask you to consult a professional.

Beautiful You with LeAnne

I recently wrote an article titled "Your Beautiful Way: 10 Secrets To Getting Gorgeous and Winter Ready!" (available on voices.yahoo.com). The purpose of this piece was to share my best winter beauty secrets and, while I knew I'd enjoy writing about one of my most favorite subjects, I had no idea how absolutely exciting it would be to share them with the world! Instructing the best way to hydrate, exfoliate, and moisturize was Secret #1; by the the time I'd reached Secret #4, I'd poured a lovely glass of wine, popped a brightly-colored bowl full of popcorn, and settled in to write and enjoy "reliving" my favorite beauty tricks and tips! There seemed to be a permanent smile plastered across my face as I happily typed away! Who doesn't love beauty of some sort? Makeup, natural conditioners, green tea toners for bright, youthful eyes....this article was a goldmine on achieving easy, breezy, winter beauty.
But then my fingers suddenly froze in mid-air, hanging distractedly over the keyboard. All of my thoughts seemed to form into one question: Exactly who am I helping? I couldn't think of an answer right away. My peers? Teenage girls? Or maybe women already loving the skin their in. But what about the ones who don't? Women who's skin discolorations that actually needed medical attention, not just good exfoliation. Women with skin conditions that even prescriptions can't cure. Facial hair and male pattern baldness, quicker aging and skin pigmentation. Even excessive weight gain around the mid-section, something incredibly difficult to reverse! With a wide range of symptoms as dreadful and disheartening as these, we struggle to even think of ourselves as attractive, let alone beautiful or gorgeous. Our problems go beyond fixes for broken nails or our best winter shade of lipstick. Instead of asking ourselves how we can still look glamorous while pregnant, we instead have to spend hours in doctors offices getting help for infertility. PCOS has plagued some of us and not only warped our bodies, but also our way of thinking. But it doesn't have to! I quickly realized that there were more than just certain types of women that needed help in reaching their best "get gorgeous" potential. I also realized that, especially for women with PCOS, real beauty starts with the mind.
Do you know that there are many "secrets" for women with PCOS to discover! Did you know that? Has it ever crossed your mind that there is a physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, magnificent beautiful you that is waiting to be uncovered? Imagine yourself with dewy, glowing skin and thick, shiny, voluminous hair. You no longer struggle with infertility and your energy is positively through the roof! You've conquered PCOS and are now sharing your success with other women around you. That's one of the most important steps to winning in the battle against PCOS; envisioning yourself as already being the woman you want to become. And you should always remember that your thoughts become things. Therefore, whatever you feel or think about yourself should always reflect something great and amazing, so that those same great and amazing things can "manifest" in your life. Yes, I'm sure it sounds a bit hippie-ish and whimsical, but I know it to be true. Instead of thinking of the past struggles in your war against PCOS, envision yourself not only victorious, but happy and thriving. Next week, in Beautiful You with LeAnne, we'll begin to uncover some beauty secrets specifically targeted to women with PCOS. They're quick, easy, and their benefits are almost instant! You have a life, babe. Do you want to look out the window, watching it go by? Or get out there and start living it? You decide.

*Please note that I am not a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, or trained counselor. I am not qualified to give out any emotional advice. I am a woman with PCOS who is sharing my personal experiences in this blog and I advise you to consult a professional.*

Beautiful You with LeAnne

I'm in love with you. I'm in love with everything about you; your eyes, your spirit, your heart, your drive, your nurturing, and your smile....There's nothing about you that I haven't fallen for. Sounds a bit strange, doesn't it? Especially coming from a woman you've never met before; a woman you've never spoken to, seen, or even heard of before today. But what I say is true. The magnificent, beautiful you is so fall-in-lovable and amazing, that you're out of this world! Once you believe this truth about yourself, even your naysayers will ask, "Who's that girl?!"

They'll be asking this about you! Allow me to explain.....

Being "in love" can be defined as a deep and tender feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness. After seeing the pictures submitted for "The Many Faces Of PCOS", I saw every reason to fall in love with those women who are just like me. And I saw every reason why those women should love themselves! These were women who were fighting and winning the war against PCOS; women who realized they were not handed a death sentence, but given an opportunity to show what fiery strength they had. In those pictures, I saw this: gorgeous, bold, and courageous creatures who desired to live a free, happy, and zesty life! Not even Gone With The Wind could make me cry, but after seeing so many different "mirrors" in those pictures, I was moved to tears, and wanted to share my story, too.

My name is LeAnne. I am 31 years old, and I have PCOS. I was diagnosed in 2005, but knew long before that there was something wrong. I was 22 when the symptoms first began. I'd been on the phone for nearly three hours with my best friend in California when I'd suddenly gone quiet, trying desperately not to wince in pain at the throbbing in my stomach. I finally confessed to her that in just 3 months, I'd gained about 40 pounds and couldn't understand why. How is it possible to gain so much weight after months of cleaning and dusting my night away while singing Cher at the top of my lungs?! Cleaning and dancing at the same time was sure to burn at least a few calories, right? That, combined with snacking on yogurt and carrots instead of Taco Bell, should have at least kept me in my favorite pants. But my body kept gaining, especially around my mid-section. After hearing my concern, my best friend immediately urged me to make an appointment with my doctor. As scared as I was, it still took me nearly three years to get the nerve to see my primary care physician. That's when I was told I had PCOS. I was relieved! Not because I had an illness, of course, but because this "thing" actually had a name. I wasn't crazy. My symptoms were real and, even better than that, they were treatable! However, my excitement was short lived because with that newly found information, came a new set of problems and realizations. My doctor didn't really seem interested in getting me better, but instead wanted to "fix" me with medication and push me to lose weight so that all of my "problems" would go away. This was the same doctor who'd told me just moments before that there was no cure for PCOS, which meant that my "problem" wasn't going anywhere. Metformin, birth control, and prescriptions for appetite suppressants were being shoved at me from every angle.

But what about my feelings?! How would I deal with infertility, skin discoloration, and even the threat of morbid obesity? In a world where women were already expected to be dainty and perfect, how could I fit in? Now that I was diagnosed with PCOS, how would I live a normal, happy life? It took me six years to find the answer to these questions....but when I did, it was like discovering the juiciest, most delicious secret! My worries gave way to excitement and passion and, from that, my life and body began to transform.

Lean a bit closer....are you listening? Great! Because I'm going to tell you everything I know.

Beautiful You with LeAnne is your entry way into a new life. It's goal is to be a place where you can determine how to become your most magnificent self. This blog will enlighten you to new and powerful weapons to fight PCOS and uncover your own amazing physical and mental beauty, the natural way! What you can discover is so surreal, you won't want to just take pictures. You'll want to be on the cover of a magazine! I can help you there. Follow me!

*Please note that I am not a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, or trained counselor. I am not qualified to give out any emotional advice. I am a woman with PCOS who is sharing my personal experiences in this blog and I advise you to consult a professional.*