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Authentic Woman: A Guide To Beauty, Body & Bliss By Leslie & Susannah Kenton

Definition of authentic: original, first-hand, prototypical, real, actual, genuine, as opposed to copied, pretended (source: Oxford English Dictionary)

Isn’t it what we all want deep down inside? To be true to ourselves? And isn’t it sometimes a struggle to find out exactly how to go about it? Believe me, this book delivers.

You FirstIt’s full of colour and energy and includes heaps of simple ways on how to start feeling really great about yourself. There are 17 sumptuous chapters that you can either dip into or gorge yourself on - we’ve sampled and nibbled on some of the ‘Calls To Action’. We’ve Played the Dressing Table Game and Shopped in Non-Ordinary Reality. We’ve splurged on Soul Food, Beautyfest, Eat Radiance and Dive Into Bliss. We’ve become addicted because, quite simply, when you delve into Authentic Woman you just want to keep coming back.

Leslie and Susannah Kenton are the co-authors of Authentic Woman. I spoke to Susannah for a while before Leslie joined us:

Authentic Women are as dangerous

How & where did it all start?
This is a story I’ve heard Leslie tell a few times and I know she won’t mind me repeating it. She was 12 1/2 years old when her half-sister was born with a physical, life-threatening defect - her intestines were actually outside her body. It was this that started Leslie on her journey because she decided to read everything and anything that might help and basically she passed on her knowledge and taught her parents how to manage. After that, it was a case of trying things out, experimenting along the way - and that included us, her own children! I remember the macrobiotic diet which was quite disgusting and we hated it but we compromised and ended up only having to eat it twice a week. We’ve always been into raw foods though - or ones that are as close to their natural state as possible.
How would you define beauty in a person?
Hmm - for me it’s all about the full expression of the individual nature of each individual person living a fulfilled life … and feeling passionate about it. How would you describe it?
(rather a stunned silence here but after a moment’s pause and some rather frantic thinking … “Happiness, I guess. When someone’s happy and looking really comfortable in their own body I don’t tend to notice what they look like physically, just that they look great.”)
Any tips on how to avoid all those external pressures that we’re bombarded with - especially teens - advertising, junk food, peer pressure, fashion, noise, pollution?
Probably the most important thing I’d recommend is to get into physical exercise instead of mooching around worrying about what you look like! Get away from the mirror. Stop worrying about your physical appearance and get into something that’s fun - it doesn’t necessarily have to be a sport. Why not try dancing - hiphop, salsa, whatever. It’s all about getting in contact with the real you and not worrying about the outside you. It has amazing results. I remember taking a group of teens into the Brecon Beacons in Wales and was astonished at how their attitudes changed by getting out and doing something physical.
Take advantage of nature - get out to the sea or a park, under a tree even, watch ducks. It doesn’t have to be complicated. When I was 15 I changed from an all-girls school to a co-ed one and I was really shocked at seeing so many girls just standing around watching the guys play rugby and not participating in any sport or physical exercise themselves. They were too busy worrying about their hair or their make-up or how their outfits looked.
Do you think media and advertising play a large part in this?
Yes. Many people are being manipulated by the media into thinking that physical appearance is what creates happiness - this is a lie. I was in the States recently and happened to be behind a couple of teenage girls who were talking about one of the Olssen twins being in rehab for drugs or an eating disorder - what really stunned me was what they were saying about her. I thought they’d be sympathetic but they weren’t - they were being very critical and I wondered how women could talk about each other this way.
Your book really emphasizes how food can affect us. Could you tell us a bit more?
Well, how you feel is often directly influenced by what you’re eating. If life doesn’t feel good or you feel depressed or you’re tired and drowsy a lot of the time, don’t always blame it on your hormones - have a look at your diet. If you want to be at peak performance for sports or maybe exams or just because you’re fed up with feeling so tired with no energy, or maybe you just want to have clear skin and feel energized - take notice of what you eat!
What foods are best avoided?
Highly processed foods and flour, fried foods, instant foods, energy drinks, sugar - these are all low energy foods and cause you to feel drowsy. They create a bio-chemical imbalance in your body and this, in turn, can lead to incredible mood swings.
Great stuffWhat would you recommend?
Keep it simple at first. Maybe start monitoring exactly how you feel after eating takeaway fish and chips or burgers … or sugar, lollies or ice-cream. You may notice you get some instant energy but then what happens a bit later? Perhaps your mood and energy levels go down. Try cutting out one thing at a time - it could be sugar or wheat - for a week and, again, monitor how it’s been for you - how you’ve felt. Experiment.
What can they be replaced with?
Try and eat as many foods as possible in their natural state - vegetables, almonds, dried fruits for snacking, salads. There’s a wealth of great fish here in New Zealand - try grilling it instead of having it deep fried in batter! A lot of us are gluten intolerant so you could try avoiding wheat - a lot of pastas, rice and breads have wheat in them but there are many alternatives and most supermarkets and various food places now stock gluten-free alternatives. Natural juices are brilliant and easy to make. Carrot juice is a lot different to what people think - it’s sweet and just about perfect with a dash of orange. The ideal Brain Cocktail!
You mention ‘the blueprint of the soul’ in your book. Could you explain this a bit further?
It’s a blueprint of each person’s uniqueness. It’s the core, the essence of each person. I think we choose to come here as we are and then it’s all about aligning your soul to how you live - to be true to yourself. We often refer to Seed Power - for example from the acorn comes the oak tree but it needs nurturing to reach it’s fulfilled state. Our souls are the same - we need to nurture what is authentic to our selves.
There are a lot of options and choices that teens have to decide on. What do you think is the greatest challenge?
Finding your own way and resisting what’s being taught in schools. Just because you’re taught a certain thing in school doesn’t necessarily make it right. Those that have vision and stay true to themselves often excel in spite of the schooling system. Another great challenge is trying to ignore the bombardment and manipulation from the media regarding physical appearance. Take no notice of what they say you should or should not wear or do. Come back inside yourself and listen to who you are.
Listen to the WhisperHow?
Our workshops and meditations on the site and in the book are great for this. Get your iPod (I’d be lost without mine!) and lose yourself in one of the short meditations like ‘Listen To The Whispers” or alternatively listen to some Baroque music. Make sure you’re in a safe place and can’t be disturbed. Maybe you need to lock your door or get away somewhere completely private where there’s no fear of anyone interrupting you or making fun of you. Or you could light a candle and just look at it for a while and then write for 20 minutes. Freeflow. Go back and see what you’ve written and if you come across a ‘juicy’ thought, spend time with it. Explore it further. Ask yourself “What do I mean by …”
Is the book for guys as well?
Absolutely. I was just interviewed by a radio journalist and he read it over the weekend and was very enthusiastic.
Dare to be different
Most important piece of advice you’d like to pass on?
Dare to be you - you’ll be the most help to others by being yourself because this empowers others to be themselves too.
Do what you love the most - trust yourself. Follow your heart. Don’t be a clone wearing what fashion dictates. Live out your blueprint.