Just Be Gorgeous!

Rating: 4/5

While the hot pink cover and beautiful, simple artwork by James Dignan first caught my eye, the author's fresh approach kept me reading. Esther Blum is a registered dietitian who wants us to know that we need to enjoy life. Truthfully, this book is more about knowing what is good for you and your body to eat than losing weight. Yet, Blum is also able to explain why she takes this approach, which, truthfully, any of us know by now that focusing on diets that want you to count calories and change everything about yourself obviously don't work.

Overall, the book offers very good advice in areas we don't usually hear about, from food in the bedroom, the right comfort foods for the bad days, and even includes recipes on some interesting drink mixes that are a little kinder on our bodies and waist lines. There are valuable pages on what supplements to take for specific but common beauty and health needs, though Blum does emphasize healthy eating over pills.

Truthfully, much of the really important information can be found in various places, from health class to asking your doctor, but the book is really a great reference and refresher for those bits of knowledge while also including information we might not realize was important about our nutritional experience. There are definitely some gems of health information included in this book that my doctor has never shared with me about being a woman.

This book may not be meant for everyone. Some readers may be put off by the fashionista leanings, and the idea that our lives may be very different than Blum's, but truthfully reading between the lines will help you get to the good parts that make this book more fun to read than any other diet or health book. Because the author lives, practices, and parties in New York, there is a focus on going out and having fun, but I think that overall, all of us could use all the information in the book at least once in our lives (especially around the holidays...when there is nothing BUT parties). This is book is cute, and cares only about making you feel gorgeous.