By Michael Aquino

Enough of the hairdresser. Enough of the manicurist. Beauty is mostly an outside thing, true, but it’s all up to you – how you live, how you rest, how you eat – to maintain your natural good looks. In this back-to-basics century, the beauty fundamentals – with a few tips from the ancients – still apply. From the old to the new, here are some out-of-the-box beauty ideas that are now the rage worldwide.

Sleep therapy.

All the coffee, beauty masks, and facelifts won’t make up for a good night's sleep. Sleep is the one time your body can fully relax and regenerate without the stresses of the outside world – so make the most of it. Going to bed at the same time every night works wonders. Wake up at the same time every morning. And don’t spend any extra time in bed - "The longer you stay in bed the more fragmented your sleep becomes," states psychiatrist Sonia Ancoli-Israel, author of All I Want is a Good Night's Sleep. If you're aiming for eight hours of sleep, for example, she advises spending only eight and a half hours in bed. Having trouble going to sleep? Here are a few simple reminders:

· If you can't sleep, get up after half an hour and do something else. Wait until you feel really exhausted, get back into bed, and try again.

· Put at least a few hours between dinner and bedtime.

· Limit alcohol, and eliminate caffeine after lunchtime.

· Prepare your sleep environment. Minimize the noise and light in your room. And develop any sort of ceremony that tells your brain it’s lights out. "Getting ready for bed should be a soothing, calming ritual," says Dr. JoAnne Weinrib, the director of Body Central, a health and wellness center in New York City. Once you establish the ritual, your subconscious begins to associate it with sleep.

Yoga.

Yoga, an ancient Indian exercise that consists of deep breathing, meditation, and static postures, is known to calm the mind and reduce stress. Today, yoga is taking hold as an alternative treatment for beauty and fitness. "Yoga is more than the latest exercise trend," says Lisa Bennett-Matkin, a senior instructor at the Yoga Zone in Manhattan, who turned to yoga to kick her numerous addictions (she had been hooked on drugs and alcohol). "Yoga completely changed my life."

"The key to it all is meditation," says Leonard Perlmutter, co-director of the American Meditation Institute. "Mediation works to align every thought, word, and action with conscience." To its adherents, yoga’s number one benefit is the peace of mind it brings. “Flexibility, strength, and looking good are just by-products,” a yoga adherent said. “If you know yourself well, you can do anything."

How old do you need to be in order to begin doing yoga? "Anyone — from a young child to a 90-year-old — can do yoga," says Bennett-Matkin. "It's best to begin with a teacher to learn proper breathing and form." If you don't have access to a class, you can also resort to using books, audio tapes, or video tapes.

Nourishment = beauty.

What we eat affects not only how we feel, but how we look. Some problems may actually be remedied with the food you eat. Similarly, the ugly (literally) consequences of a bad diet shouldn’t be readily dismissed with an “it’s all in your mind” attitude. Some examples of how nutrients really affect the way your body looks, courtesy of dietitian Elizabeth Somer:

· Hair - protein, folic acid, the vitamins B6 and B12, iron, vitamin C, and water are needed to help build a healthy blood supply, which carries oxygen to the hair and scalp and removes waste products. Poor intake results in a reduction of the number of red blood cells, which literally suffocates the hair and scalp. Vitamin C aids hair growth; poor intake results in hair that tangles or breaks easily. Salad for iron and folic acid; a piece of fruit for vitamin C; and a piece of cold chicken to boost iron, protein and the vitamins B6 and B12 will all aid your hair’s natural growth and beauty. Drink at least eight glasses of water – and more if you exercise regularly – if you value your hair.

· Nails - protein; vitamins E, K and C; iron; selenium; zinc – all these are necessary for nail growth and proper circulation to the nail bed. Deficiencies result in weak, slow-growing nails. Your nails’ beauty recipe? Use whole-grain breads for sandwiches; munch on at least five fruits and vegetables each day; and include several servings daily of the iron-rich foods mentioned above.

· Skin - protein, folic acid and other B vitamins, copper, iron, and water are necessary for healthy, radiant skin. The skin relies on the bloodstream to supply oxygen and nutrients and to remove the waste products of cellular metabolism. An inadequate supply of one or more of these nutrients cuts off the skin's nutrient supply, while allowing toxic waste products to accumulate. The result: dull, dry skin. To avoid any skin damage, eat whole-grain breads and cereals; fruits and vegetables; iron-rich foods; and drink lots of water. Drink extra water if you're quenching your thirst with iced tea or coffee, since these beverages act as diuretics.