The Whole Truth

Add whole grains—the brown whole meal versions of your favorite foods like pasta, cereal, and bread—to your diet and you’ll aid your digestion and your complexion. Whole grains are packed with iron, vitamin B, and most important of all, fiber, which keeps us regular. Being regular is nothing to snicker at apparently (though I can’t help myself!) as it flushes out toxins to leave you with radiant skin. I’m down with brown.

Berry Pretty

I love berries, so it’s no hardship for me to add strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, cranberries, your berries, my berries, to everything I eat. Berries are jam-packed (sorry) with antioxidant vitamins C and E, which help produce collagen to keep our skin smooth and plump. Added benefit: cranberries keep our urinary tract clean and happy, which is unscientifically proven to turn your frown upside down.

You Say Tomato, I Say Yes Please

Tomatoes look fresh, healthy, and ripe and the good news is that eating them will keep us fresh, healthy and ripe, too. Tomatoes are a reliable source of vitamins and minerals; they’re high in vitamin C and a great source of vitamin A, as well as being a solid go-to for the strong antioxidant lycopene. There is growing scientific evidence that lycopene neutralizes harmful free radicals that can damage cells and trigger cancer. Tomatoes are not bad for you, so eat up. In fact, I tell bad jokes to encourage people to throw tomatoes at me; I’ll be having the last beautiful laugh!

Cider House Rules

A friend, who is not so much a friend as an acquaintance, recently shared that I was looking a little “dull” and should consider adding apple cider vinegar to my daily diet. I won’t tell you what I said back to her (in my head), but I will tell you that I’m a convert. Apple cider vinegar is concentrated with enzymes that help peel off dead skin cells. It breaks down fat, helps food digest properly, and just makes you feel and look bright (or less dull in my case).

Pass the Potatoes, Please!
Sweet potatoes are full of vitamin A, which is known for being an anti-wrinkling agent. Treat yourself to second helpings for smoother skin.

Choco-lot

A University of Nottingham professor found that drinking cocoa drinks rich in flavanols improves blood flow to key areas of the brain for two to three hours. I hear you, “Sure that makes my brain pretty, but what about my face?” Well, Professor Ian MacDonald’s study suggested that cocoa flavanols in chocolate may enhance brain function to help fight sleep deprivation, fatigue, and the effects of aging. Yes! Adding cocoa and slabs of dark chocolate to my cart …

Water Your Skin

I like my water boiled with a tea bag plopped into it along with a few drops of milk and preferably a few chocolate cookies. This is all great for my mood, but not so great for my skin; caffeine is dehydrating and sugar causes zits. There’s no getting around it—our skin needs water to survive, and lots of it to thrive. Strap a water cooler to your back and give your skin long drinks frequently—more than the prescribed eight glasses a day if you can manage it, so you can moisturize from the inside out. If you must drink tea (like I must), make it green; green tea contains healthy acids and protein, which help to improve our complexions.liuxuepaper.com