“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” Though decades old, this fantastic line from the Grimm Brothers’ tale of Snow White perfectly portrays the troublesome thought consuming the minds of many modern-day women, depriving us of peace and self-esteem.  I recently read something that rattled me to my very core- a survey showed that only 4 percent of women perceive themselves as beautiful.  Evidence of this alarming mindset can be found everywhere, and unfortunately, it is no secret that women often confuse physical attractiveness with self-worth.

The media is largely to blame for our cultural frenzy with physical beauty.  But, we too, must take some responsibility for allowing Barbie, supermodels, and celebrities to define the standard of feminine beauty in America.  Not measuring up to this unrealistic standard has created a world of mental and emotional disorders, and chronic illnesses.  Still, the media seems to cloak their destructive influences with a shiny red coating, making it almost irresistible to ignore, enticing us to bite into the juicy apple of temporal beauty.  Many gnaw at that delectable, yet deadly fruit, and slip into a deep sleep- here, their internal feminine fire goes out.  Woefully, as a result, nearly half the U.S. population battles with depression, and almost 30 million people (85% of whom are women) in the U.S. struggle with an eating disorder.

You may recall, in the beloved fable of Snow White, ‘twas the queen’s distorted definition of beauty, along with her obsession with being so, that led to her downfall.  Like the queen, many women hungrily seek after an unrealistic, unobtainable beauty standard.  In doing so, women become objectified- plastic, hollow, and often become a slave to society’s definition of perfect.  Unfortunately, not only are women becoming objectified by current societal trends, but women are becoming distracted from their uniquely feminine characteristics- the very same characteristics that have molded society’s morals for centuries.

The simple reality is that femininity, in itself, is special, as explained by the passionate James Brown lyrics, “This is a man’s world. But it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl.” Women bring with them into the world a certain virtue, a beautiful divine gift that makes them adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement in relationships and in cultures. These virtues are internal and cannot be measured on a scale, in sizes, or in shades of red or pink. The real beauty of a woman is written on her soul.

Should society continue its infatuation with artificial beauty, the true value of womanhood can only be expected to suffer the same fate as the evil queen. To prevent this devastation, women need to begin to understand the true worth of internal beauty. Through daily reminders of who we really are and what we are really made of, self-criticisms can be replaced by positive thoughts and gratitude for who we are and what we can become. The true value of womanhood is reflected best when she is “happy while she works,” focused on others, and engaged in activities that beautify our society.

We are tickled pink to be celebrating Women’s Health Month this October. This week’s recipe is exactly what we need to get us powered up in the morning. Enjoy our delightful Tickled Pink Smoothie as a nutritious snack or breakfast!