Beauty Skin

The Secret to Beautiful Skin

By Laura Carpenter

What's the key to a clear complexion?

Amazingly, the secret lies in your cupboard. We sifted through the hype to bring you the beautiful skin secrets of three experts. They'll tell you why a cover girl's complexion is only a bowl of blueberries away.

ARE YOU READY?

Change Your Diet

It wasn't until recently that skin care gurus switched from prescribing creams to focusing on food.

"Beautiful skin on the outside begins with good health on the inside," explains Nicholas Perricone, M.D., author of The Wrinkle Cure (Warner, 2005) and Dr. Perricone's 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity (Ballantine, 2006). "You'll never look your absolute best unless you eat right." After all, food nourishes every part of your body, including your skin.

One of the best incentives to eat for beauty is that your overall health will improve along with your skin. Not only will you get a silky, rosy complexion, you'll also have more energy. "Healthy people are easy to recognize," explains Evelyn Lauder, senior corporate vice president of EstÐ"©e Lauder and author of In Great Taste: Fresh, Simple Recipes for Eating and Living Well (Rodale, 2006). "They stand straight, their eyes sparkle and their skin glows."

A Skin-Smart Menu

Three of the best foods to put on your grocery list to promote better skin are:

Buckwheat

This seed is rich in a substance called rutin, an anti-inflammatory antioxidant which can improve your complexion. Rutin reduces blood pressure and strengthens blood vessel walls, and can even help prevent varicose veins. Bonus: It delivers more protein than other grains, so you'll stay fuller longer. "It's a great weight-control ally," says Perricone. It also puts carbs back on the menu! Use buckwheat flour in your favorite pancake recipe or add cooked buckwheat to a warm winter stew for a hearty flavor.

Olive Oil

Opting for olive oil over butter is a great first move. For the best results, choose extra virgin olive oil. It contains higher levels of polyphenols, compounds with antioxidant activity, according to Richard Asarch, M.D., of the Asarch Center for Dermatology, Laser and Skin Rejuvenation in Colorado and author of The Beautiful Skin Diet, (Ideal, 2003). Antioxidants protect against Ð'- and sometimes even reverse Ð'- the skin damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable oxygen molecules produced by pollution, sunlight and cigarette smoke. When cooking with olive oil, be careful not to turn up the heat too high when cooking or the oil will lose its nutritional properties.

Cherry Tomatoes

Lauder recommends these sweet, flavorful treats straight off the vine. "I pop them into my mouth as if they were candies," she admits. Seeing as how they're packed with antioxidant-rich lycopene and vitamin C, we can hardly blame her.

Palate Palette

What's the best way to boost your skin-friendly antioxidant intake? Plan your meals around color. Deeply hued produce nourishes your skin with a wide range of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Each hue represents different antioxidants, so the more varied your plate's palette, the better. Mix deep green leafy vegetables with yellow and red ones for an antioxidant boost.

Blueberries

"The many benefits found in the blueberry lead to extended youth and beauty," explains Perricone. Blueberries neutralize free radical damage to collagen cells, which keeps your skin supple and strong.

Veggie