As a kid, I ate my dinner so that I could have dessert. My mother filled my head with other reasons to eat—like that carrots would keep my eyes strong, dairy would keep my bones strong, and spinach would keep my muscles strong—but I was oblivious to such added benefits. As an adult, I’m still obsessed with dessert, but now I’m equally obsessed with the added benefits of certain foods.

The saying, “You are what you eat” could not be more true when it comes to our skin. Our skin thrives when we eat a natural, wholesome diet rich with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and it suffers under a poor diet—no matter how many overpriced beauty potions we’re lathering on.

I need all the help I can get to look my best these days and if I can get that help while stuffing my face, you can be sure I’m adding the following beauty-full foods to my weekly shopping cart.

Fish for Compliments

Oily fish like fresh tuna, sardines, mackerel, and salmon contain essential fatty acids (EFAs) that actually reduce skin inflammation and keep our skin moisturized. These EFAs also promote elasticity, keeping those wrinkles at bay. Added benefits: research shows that the Omega-3s found in fish slow cognitive decline, remove plaque from our arteries, and improve brain function. In short, tuna is a pretty smart choice for dinner.

Go Nuts

Brimming with vitamins A and E, nuts protect our skin against pollutants and sun damage. Nuts are also rich in good fats that keep our skin nourished and smooth. Power snack on sunflower seeds, almonds, and walnuts and before long, everyone will be going nuts over how great you look!

Think Popeye

Popeye knocked back spinach leaves back like I knock back Guinness, and while I’m getting my iron requirements, he’s getting plenty of antioxidant vitamins B, C, and E. Vitamins C and E are a powerful anti-aging combination while vitamin B boosts energy in our activity levels, promoting that healthy glow. I’m adding spinach, watercress, and cabbage to my cart.

Don’t Forget Popeye’s Lady Friend

You can’t go wrong with olive oil. It’s good for your skin, hair, nails, and overall diet. It’s packed with the good fats, antioxidants, and vitamins A and E that help give us soft, supple, younger-looking skin. I’m adding extra virgin olive oil to my cart because, unlike other olive oils, extra virgin hasn’t been chemically processed. Popeye would be so proud.

Holy Guacamole!

The innocent-looking scaly avocado is loaded with good stuff to make us look like hot stuff. Got dry skin? Reach past that Chanel cream and toward this green, fleshy fruit; it’s packed with vitamin E and monounsaturated fats (sing it with me, “Not all fats are bad for me!”) that combat dryness to nourish our skin and hair. Going forward, I’m adding avocado to all my salads and sandwiches.

Egg-stra Credit

Unscramble your thoughts about eggs and cholesterol because eggs are actually good for us. The sunny side up is that eggs are a high-quality protein and they contain antioxidants that are easily absorbed into the body. When it comes to egging our beauty on, whole eggs are best because they contain vitamin E, vitamins B12 and other vitamin Bs, selenium, and protein, which are all good for your skin and hair. Added benefit: eggs are packed with the carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are crucial to keeping healthy eyes and sharp vision.

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.

Forget wham-bam-pass-the-dessert-ma’am; my food choices need to deliver more than just a quick sugar rush. Now, I eat to keep my heart fit and to make my jeans fit. I eat to increase my energy and to decrease my risks of a heart attack, stroke, and cancer. I eat to feel better, and hey, I eat to look better, too. Beauty really does come from within!

小時候，吃飯時，我會把飯都吃完，那樣我就可以有點心吃。但媽媽總是給我灌輸另外的吃東西的原因，例如蘿卜可以使我視覺銳利，奶制品可以是我骨骼強壯，菠菜可以使我肌肉結實，但我是在不知不覺中得到這些好處的。長大以后，我還是很喜歡吃點心，但現在我會注意平衡地從各種食物中攝取營養。

俗話“食如其人”對我們的皮膚來說是不可否認的真理。當我們采用富含抗氧化物、維生素和礦物質的天然健康食品作為日常飲食時，我們的皮膚會很健康。而當你享用一個糟糕透的飲食餐單時，不論你涂多少昂貴的護膚品都無濟于事。

這些日子，我需要所有能使我保持最佳狀態的幫助。當我吃得飽飽的時候就可以實現，你一定會看到在一周一次的購物中，我正把以下美容食品往購物車里塞。

贊美魚

含油的魚，像新鮮的吞拿魚、沙丁魚、鯖魚和三文魚含有必需脂肪酸（EFAs），而必需脂肪酸可以減少皮膚炎癥的發生，使我們的肌膚保持水嫩。這些必需脂肪酸還可以增強皮膚彈性，趕走皺紋。吃魚還有以下的好處：研究表明魚類中的ω-3 可以減緩感知能力的下降，清除動脈中的金屬，增強腦部功能。總的來說，吞拿魚是一個十分明智的選擇。

追求堅果

富含維生素A和維生素E的堅果，可以保護我們的皮膚免受污染物和陽光的傷害。堅果同時還含有好的脂肪，可以使我們的肌膚保持滋潤和光滑。把葵花籽、杏和核桃當作補充能量的零食，不久之后，每個人都會對你大吃一驚。

想想大力水手

我狂飲吉尼斯黑啤，就像大力水手帕帕狂吃菠菜葉一樣，不同的是，我補充了鐵，而他獲得了大量的抗氧化物維生素B、維生素C和維生素E。維生素C和維生素E是有效的抗衰老物，維生素B可增強我們的機體活動水平，使我們容光煥發。我把菠菜、水田芥、圓白菜都放進我的購物車里。

不要忘記大力水手的女性朋友

你千萬不能錯過橄欖油。這對你的皮膚、頭發、指甲，以及總的日常飲食都有好處。它含有好的脂肪、抗氧化物、維生素A和E。它可以使我們的皮膚變得嫩滑而有彈性，并減去歲月痕跡。我把特級原生橄欖油放進購物車里。因為特級原生橄欖油不像其他橄欖油，它沒有經過化學加工。大力水手會感到很自豪的。

神圣的鱷梨奶餅

潔白的鱗狀鱷梨含有的有益物質能使我們看起來氣色紅潤。皮膚干燥？放下那護膚品，拿起這綠綠的、肉肉的水果。它含有的維生素和不飽和脂肪（跟我唱，“不是所有的脂肪對我都有害！”）可以幫我們戰勝干燥，滋潤我們的皮膚和頭發。多說一句，我把鱷梨加到所有的沙拉和三文治中。

歌頌蛋制品

不要把雞蛋和膽固醇混為一談，因為雞蛋實際上對我們有好處。單煎面的雞蛋含有優質蛋白和抗氧化物，它們很容易被人體吸收。天然的雞蛋對美容來說最好，因為它含有維生素E、維生素B12、和其他B族維生素、硒和蛋白質，它們對你的皮膚和頭發都有好處。另外的益處:雞蛋含有類胡蘿卜素、黃體素和玉米黃質，它們能有效地使眼睛保持健康狀態，使視覺敏銳。

所有的真相

添加你喜歡的焙烤全麥食品到你的日常飲食中，例如面食、燕麥和面包。它們有助于你的消化和改善膚色。全麥食品含有鐵、維生素B，最重要的是，它含有纖維。纖維可以使我們排便正常。正常排便顯然是沒什么好笑的（但我還是忍不住會笑！），因為正常排便有利于毒素排出，從而使你擁有光彩耀人的膚色。我的皮膚很黑。

莓美麗

我喜歡吃漿果，所以對我來說，吃漿果一點都不困難。草莓、藍莓、山莓、黑幕、醋栗、蔓越橘，你的漿果、我的漿果，所以的我都吃。漿果含有抗氧化物維生素C和E。漿果有助于產生膠原蛋白，使我們皮膚光滑和令人豐滿。另外的益處：蔓越橘可以使我們保持尿道清潔和保持愉悅的心情，它會在不知不覺中讓你眉開眼笑。

你說番茄，我說好

番茄看起來新鮮、健康、成熟。而好消息是，食用番茄可以使我們也同樣新鮮、健康、成熟。番茄是維生素和礦物質的可靠來源。番茄，維生素C、維生素A含量高，同時含有純液體的強抗氧化物番茄紅素。越來越多的科學研究證明番茄紅素可以中和破環細胞和激發癌癥的有害自由基。番茄不會對你有害，所以吃吧。實際上，我會說糟糕透的笑話鼓勵人們向我扔番茄。我會燦爛地笑到最后。

蘋果汁屋規則

一個朋友，應該說只是一個相識的人，最近說我看起來有點“毫無光澤”，應該考慮下加點蘋果醋到日常飲食中。我不會告訴你，我怎樣反駁她（在心里），但我會告訴你，我是一個皈依宗教者。蘋果醋里含有的酶可有效去除死皮。它可以分解脂肪，有助食物消化，令你看起來光彩照人（或不像我那么“毫無光澤”）。

請給我番薯

番薯含有大量維生素A，是抗皺的作用物。為了光滑的肌膚，再給你自己一份番薯吧。

可可制品

一位諾丁漢的教授發現可可飲料含有豐富的黃烷醇，黃烷醇可以在2~3個小時內促進腦部腦部主要區域的血液流通。也許你會說，“確定那可以使我頭腦聰明，那對于臉蛋又如何呢？”不用擔心，Ian MacDonald教授的研究表明巧克力中可可汗的黃烷醇，可以增強腦部功能，有助于緩解失眠、疲勞和衰老。所以，把可可和黑巧克力放入我的購物車吧······

澆灌你的皮膚

我喜歡把茶包撲通一聲地放入沸水中，然后加幾滴牛奶，最好就是再來一些巧克力曲奇。這對我的心情非常好，但對我的皮膚不好。咖啡因會使皮膚干燥，糖會導致小痘痘還要。別無選擇——我們的皮膚需要水才能生存，而且大量的水才能茁壯成長。鎖住水分，長期有規律地給你的皮膚喝水，不僅僅只是規定的每天8杯，如果你可以做到。這樣你就可以使你的皮膚由里到外都得到滋潤。如果你一定要喝茶（像我那樣），喝綠茶吧。綠茶含有健康的酸類物質和蛋白質，可以改善我們的膚色。

忘記那一眨眼功夫就吃完了的點心吧。我的食品選擇要得到的不僅只是一種速溶糖。現在，我為了保持心臟健康和牛仔褲合身而吃，為了增強我的能量和減少患心臟病、中風、癌癥的風險而吃。為感覺良好而吃，當然還有，為美麗而吃。美麗是從內而外的！