Rating: 
Summary: I am so glad I purchased this book!
Review: This is the first health/beauty book that I have been excited about in a long time. As all of the other reviews explain, Kat James places an emphasis on overall health improvements by what she calls "simple upgrades". Beauty and weighloss are considered a result of improving your health.
I just finished the book 3 days ago and the only "upgrade" I have made so far is I have reduced/eliminated diet sodas and coffee from my diet and I am now drinking green tea. I can not believe the amount of extra energy I am having. I'll be honest, I am not a big fan of the taste of green tea, but it has definitely been worth it. It's not bad, but it's not great either. I am hoping I will grow to enjoy the taste. I would now like to buy a juicer and start taking vitamins and supplements.
Her section on skin care has confused me a bit. I am fortunate to have fairly normal skin, and her information is geared towards women with acne and other skin conditions. I am afraid the products she suggests would be to harsh for me. There is little information on a daily skin care routine for someone with normal skin.
Overall, this is an excellent book if you would like a holistic approach to improving your health and beauty.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Stuff for Just About Anyone
Review: After talking to a friend about my concerns over my son's acne and my own thinning hair, it was suggested by two different people to get my hands on Kat James' book "The Truth About Beauty". Of course, being a guy who likes facts, I immediately went to the charts in the book that list both the conventional and the non-drug options for dealing with these issues. I was amazed at the diverse collection of information, not only on those, but on so many other issues I had been dealing with, including sensitive, dry skin and even the over the counter drugs I'd stocked my medicine cabinet with. I also liked the medical references in the back. The information was so compelling, I couldn't help but venture outside the skin section to the section on food, which was clearly the author's first passion, as she had transformed herself dramatically with the very unusual principles that made up these great chapters.
After reading this book, I find myself irreversibly affected in my choices, which began to change from the first day after reading it, and have continued to change. First, I quit coffee and am now addicted to Teeccino, the brewable coffee dead-ringer that has me feeling so much better. I am also off my morning juice and using better products on my thinning hair, taking supplements that are giving me a marked increase in energy, and even a serum on my face, which has made my skin feel much better.
What really surprised me was the author's uncanny understanding of the average American palate and sensibility. She doesn't expect everyone to like unsweetened yogurt or plain green tea, which is why she offers tastier options like alternatively (not synthetically) sweetened yogurt, or green chai, Earl Grey green or even the hard to find vanilla green tea (the rare source for which she lists in the incredible resource guide, which is alone worth ten times the cost of the book). Consistently anticipating every craving and "itch", she also lists "upgrades" to soda and to coffee, and even the best artisan chocolates that are all far healthier, and far better tasting than any "health food" I ever imagined. I feel that my intrepidness toward both "health food" and dowdy health food store body care products were abolished, and completely taken care of here, and for that reason I feel that my lifestyle changes are permanent, because I have no reason to go back to making the choices I did before, or feeling and looking the way I did before. I feel that as someone who has never gotten around to getting informed about this stuff that I have just jumped painlessly to the head of the class (the book is an easy, entertaining read), and am indebted to the friends who recommended this amazing book.
Rating:
Summary: This is not a quick fix...it's a lifestyle change.
Review: For those people missing something and searching, Kat James may be the facilitator that can bring it all together. If you are a dieter and quick weight loss is all you are looking for, this book is not for you. If you are into outside fixes while leaving the inside a disaster, this book will not work for you. However, if you are looking to break the yo-yo cycle she offers a lifetime of positive changes for those people interested in doing the work. That means simply, no more band aids for symptoms of health and wellness. She encourages and inspires a mentally ready individual through natural means. If you are prepared to absorb even just one piece of Kat James and her life experiences the book is worth its price in gold. Believing this because the first action usually leads to more, I know because I was the overweight sugar addicted woman who bought her book 6 months ago. One change leads to another. I have lost 12lbs. the healthy way, I enjoy life, I look better, feel more energetic, and exercise has become a necessity instead of a chore. For me, it's like the best kept little secret to life was shared and I can't believe I've been missing out for so long.
Rating:
Summary: A positive approach to upgrading personal beauty routines
Review: Holistic health advocate Kat James isn't just presenting another 'how to' beauty book: The Truth About Beauty shows readers how to achieve the most results without drugs, deprivation, or surgery. These lifestyle upgrades include shedding destructive mind-sets as well as taking advantage of gentle products which can revitalize skin and return gloss to hair. The Truth About Beauty is a very positive approach to upgrading personal beauty routines.
Rating:
Summary: Well researched and transforming
Review: I absolutely LOVE this book! So many beauty books recommend ways to cover up your imperfections - or they suggest complicated cleansing routines with a myriad of products. Not this book. Kat James tells her story of her own personal transformation - done not with surgery or body breaking workouts - but with whole foods, vitamins and a positive attitude. Her theories are sound and it is obvious she has done her homework. The list of resources in the back is worth buying the book for! This book is so jam packed with good info, I find myself rereading parts - and keeping it handy when I visit the health food store for my supplements. I have also taken her suggestion and ordered a shower filter. I can't wait to see the results!Thanks Kat James for a fabulous book and for the inspiration! I would also like to recommend Absolute Beauty by Pratima Raichur in addition to this book. Both of these women are on to something! Edited to add: I finally bought the shower filter - and I am truly amazed. My hair, which was once coarse and tangly - is now smooth and I am not having to use the extra conditioner. My scalp is no longer flaky, dry and itchy. But the difference in my skin is wonderful - I have had red, blotchy, itchy skin for the longest time. I even thought I had rosacea. I tried every single skin care line imaginable to cure this - but to no avail. I was constantly hiding my skin behind foundation. After a week of the shower filter, my skin is a NORMAL color. No more redness, no irritation, no soreness, no dryness. I am so happy that I followed this suggestion - it has made the biggest difference! Only two weeks into her suggestions on supplements and the shower filter and I look A LOT better! Thanks again!
Rating:
Summary: Kat James knows her stuff!
Review: I have never read a book that is so full of on-the-money advice about health and beauty. I have followed many of her suggestions from kitchen and bathroom cabinet makeovers to a shower filter and new supplements and beauty products. The difference in my skin and hair is unbelievable. This is the "other side of the story" that you never hear from the cosmetics industry. Her Resources section is unbelievable.
Rating:
Summary: I Wish I Knew This 20 years Ago
Review: Kat James tells the real truth about becoming your best glowing self through food, household product, and exercise improvements. I already know the diet and exercise suggestions work, and now I got inspired to finally throw away all the quick fix cosmetic poisons in my bathroom. The link between the fear that marketing creates in us and the need to consume and use more products really comes through. The list of resources, books, web sites, and products is a very good start for the novice. I wish that I knew all this information when I was 20.
Rating: 
Summary: Revolutionary?...Maybe for some
Review: Like one of the other reviewers, I was expecting something more. The book is certainly "revolutionary" for those who have not already discovered a naturally healthful way of living. But, for those of us who have, much of the information is old news. The resource guide is great. However, I feel that going "all natural" when purchasing products is very costly for the average person. I don't spend a fortune on clothing, spa services, etc., and still cannot afford to use products purchased exclusively from the health food store. I feel I should have saved the money I spent on this book.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, Thank you!
Review: Next to the Holy Bible, this is the most life changing book I have read. The information in this book is enlighting and depressing at the same time. I am so disheartned to learn of all the chemicals and toxins allowed/ignored by our government and regulators such as the FDA. I now have a better idea of why 1 in 3 people get cancer among other health problems. This book touched on a lot of vaulable informtion that I would have prefered more details but at least now I am aware. This book has started my journey to research more information on how to safegurad myself and my family in this toxic world and flat out lies in advertisments. I have since bought another copy to lend out to family and friends and have advised many more to buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Will change your life
Review: Next to the Holy Bible, this is the most life changing book I have read. The information in this book is enlighting and depressing at the same time. I am so disheartned to learn of all the chemicals and toxins allowed/ignored by our government and regulators such as the FDA. I now have a better idea of why 1 in 3 people get cancer among other health problems. This book touched on a lot of vaulable informtion that I would have prefered more details but at least now I am aware. This book has started my journey to research more information on how to safegurad myself and my family in this toxic world and flat out lies in advertisments. I have since bought another copy to lend out to family and friends and have advised many more to buy it.
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