The Hormone Factor with Dr Libby

Posted on 7 September, 2018

In today’s modern world and with the internet (and Dr Google) at your fingertips, no matter what your concern or issue, it is easy to get befuddled by the variety and often conflicting advice.

Amidst this confusion enters Dr Libby Weaver, with her sensible, evidenced-based and logical guidance that is a voice of educated and reassuring reasoning that whatever our concern, we can address it with a no-nonsense approach. Dr Libby has written and spoken on a wide variety of topics, from nutrition to stress management, and has most recently added a new book to her repertoire: The Beauty Guide: Your body, biochemistry and beliefs.

Full disclosure: I am a HUGE Dr Libby fan. In today’s world of fad diets, marketing which at its core is telling us that as we are we are not enough but we will be better with (insert today’s random product), and guru’s touting that they have the answer (the one, true and only answer which you must adhere to in full), Dr Libby is a calm and vibrant sense of hope and reason, with sensible, applicable and relatable advice of how we can improve our own experience for ourselves. I was beyond thrilled that Dr Libby’s most recent book has turned to the concept of beauty and what that means for each of us.

Dr Libby will be in Canberra next Tuesday 11 September as part of her 24-stop Australasian tour The Hormone Factor live event. We caught up with the author and nutritional biochemist to find out more about her latest book and what’s in store.

Dr Libby, your past books have helped us understand the impact of the way we live our lives on our health, encouraging women to slow down and embrace balance, and have focused on nutrition and health. What lead you to want to now explore beauty? 

For far too many women, their relationship to beauty is based on what they see in magazines and on social media. We don’t realise the impact that being exposed to so many images of what is perceived to be ‘beautiful’ by society is having on us—the perception of deficiency, of a belief that we aren’t enough the way that we are, that it is driving for so many women. I want to put women back in the driver’s seat of their own perception of beauty, redefine it, and to recognise how their beliefs and values create their own sense of worth.

What are your views of the beauty industry? Are you noticing any trends or themes?

These days it is possible to obtain ‘fake’ versions of beauty bits that we may not be satisfied with. If we are dissatisfied with our nails, for example, it is common for people to get acrylic covers. If your hair is thinning, you can get hair extensions. We also tend to cover myriad ‘flaws’ such as blemishes, dry skin or dark circles under makeup. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. It can be fun and bring you great pleasure, so by all means do it.

Yet I cannot encourage you enough to also work on your beauty health from the inside out. Your nails, skin and hair can be a reflection of numerous interior processes, including nutritional status, protein metabolism, thyroid function and bone health. If these issues aren’t addressed, my concern is that more significant health challenges could become apparent in the future.

In our age of social media and the associated concern of social comparison, what advice do you have for women to protect themselves from the negative impact of the comparison culture?

When we look at an image of someone, we don’t always know if something has been plumped up from injections, surgically adjusted or tattooed to look fuller and more defined. What tends to happen in our minds, when we see a similar style of image over and over again, is we start to think that is what ‘normal’ looks like; that what we’re exposed to through advertising and social media is how we are all supposed to look. We compare ourselves to what we see and if we don’t look like that, our mind might tell us that there is something wrong with us and that there are (many) things we need to change.

But we always have a choice. So, if you have become caught up in a culture of comparison, spending your time looking at images that make you feel inadequate, bad about yourself, or anything less than the beautiful person that you are, I want you to choose love – to make a conscious decision about what you give your attention to. Because life is too short and you are too precious not to.

How do you hope to change the dialogue for the next generation of women, and what advice do you have for those who are carers and role models for this next generation?

We need to make sure that the next generation of women understand the images they’re seeing might not be the way people look in real life; that they may have been enhanced for a more flawless finish than what is possible without filters and editing. I believe we need to be more transparent and ensure that younger people (and older ones for that matter) are acutely aware that what they are seeing may not be attainable in nature.

Because too many of the younger women I speak to believe what they see, and ingrained in them is a belief that they are failing or ugly or not good enough if they don’t match up to what they see. We need to help them nurture a belief in themselves so that they are less vulnerable to the judgements and passing comments of others and the pervading ideals of beauty put forward by popular culture.

I’m full of hope that we can have a positive impact and truly believe we can help our young girls develop a strong sense of self-belief by choosing how we compliment and validate them. Let’s tell them that we trust in them to make excellent decisions, that we believe in them to become whatever they set their hearts to. Let’s tell them they are beautiful but also focus on all the other qualities that we see in them—their kindness, their leadership, their strength, their independence.

What is your number one beauty tip?

Consider whether the parts of your body that sadden or frustrate you are simply messengers asking you to eat, drink, move, think, breathe, believe or perceive in a new way. See them as the gifts that they are, opening you to a new way of living, learning and deeply appreciating who you are and your life.

The essentials

What: The Hormone Factor with Dr Libby
When: 7-9pm, Tuesday 11 September
Where: Australian Institute of Sport, Leverrier Street, Bruce
Tickets: Book your tickets online.