The Beauty Diet (13 page)

diseases. This article points out that green tea polyphenols are photoprotective in nature and that green tea may help prevent solar UVB light–induced skin disorders, including photoaging, melanoma, and nonmelanoma skin cancers. In
another recent study by Jennifer Gan-Wong, M.D., a topical green tea cream was tested against a 4 percent benzoyl peroxide solution on people with moderate to severe acne. The results from the study revealed that green tea was just as effective in treating acne as the benzoyl peroxide.

Last, green tea may help keep you slim. In a weight-loss study published in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
, researchers looked at the effects of green tea catechins on body fat reduction and weight loss. Study participants were divided into two groups. For three months, the first group drank a bottle of oolong tea fortified with green tea extract containing 690 milligrams of catechins, and the other group drank a bottle of oolong tea with 22 milligrams of catechins. Other elements in their diets were kept constant. After three months, the study showed that those who drank the green tea extract lost more weight (5.3 pounds vs. 2.9 pounds) and experienced a significantly greater decrease in body mass index (BMI), waist size, and total body fat. Also, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol went down in the participants who drank the green tea extract. Researchers concluded that catechins in green tea not only help burn calories and lower LDL cholesterol but may also help reduce body fat.

Now get ready to learn about feeding your features for more beautiful skin, hair, nails, teeth, and eyes.

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Since beauty is my business, I'm always on the lookout for the latest trends in fashion and cosmetics. There are worse jobs than reading glossy magazines and noting Hollywood trends to see what's new! I love watching the Oscars with my friends, since they all have completely different tastes and opinions and their discussions get very lively. But while everyone else is critiquing the gowns and shoes and jewelry, I am looking at the stars' flawless skin and expert makeup. These are people who
really
know how to look good.
Their interest in beauty isn't just personal, it's professional. A great dress may get them attention on the red carpet, but a gorgeous complexion will get them the close-up when the cameras are rolling.

Do you have to be a celebrity to have movie star skin? Absolutely not! Gwyneth Paltrow may get exfoliating facial scrubs made with diamonds, but I can tell you how to boost the circulation to your skin by eating the right radiance-inducing foods. Scarlett Johansson was rumored to have
three
people carrying umbrellas to shield her from the sun, but I can show you how to protect your skin with an antioxidant-rich diet. The best beauty secret isn't a secret at all: when you eat well, you create star-quality skin from the inside out.

Once upon a time you had plump little cheeks and super-soft skin that lifted effortlessly into your baby smiles. When you woke up from a nap, your skin would be glowing and moist and irresistibly kissable. Come on, it wasn't that long ago!

Being skin is hard work, so over the years your skin has lost some of the suppleness it used to have. As the largest organ in the body, your skin has been busy regulating your body temperature and maintaining a barrier between you and the environment. It has been assaulted by soaps and sunlight and buffeted by dry winds. It has protected your organs from ultraviolet radiation, toxic chemicals, and germs. It has enabled you to sweat yet has prevented the vital water in your body from evaporating. It has given your face beautiful expressions, made you blush, and allowed you to feel soft caresses. Your skin has endowed you with your distinctive hair and given you fingernails and toenails to polish.

Over the years your skin accumulates damage—not just on the surface but also underneath. Free radicals break down
cell membranes and cause irritation on the cellular level. Your skin gets thinner, and the fat pads underneath diminish and shift, making your skin look looser while accentuating wrinkles. Collagen and elastin—proteins that provide structure and support for your skin—start to break down and are renewed at a slower rate, making your skin saggy and less elastic. With age the skin produces less oil, so it becomes more difficult for it to retain moisture and it becomes drier. The skin around the eyes usually shows the first signs of aging due to the presence of smaller and fewer oil glands there. As you get older, blood vessels in your skin become more fragile, taking away some of the radiance of youth. Some facial expressions, like scowling or squinting, start to etch lines in your face. If you smoke, drink alcohol regularly, or eat poorly, these habits will stress your skin even more. The rate at which your skin loses its firmness and elasticity depends on both factors beyond your control, such as your genetic makeup, and lifestyle factors you can control, such as your exposure to the sun, your skin-care regimen, and of course, your diet!

Your skin is a very strong indicator of your overall health. If you have not been eating a nutrient-rich diet, your skin may get oily and clogged, dry and rough, or flare up with acne. Eczema, psoriasis, and breakouts are
not
a normal and necessary part of life. Think of these symptoms as your skin trying to get your attention. They may be a sign that you are not meeting your body's nutritional needs. Once you get your diet back in order, your skin will reward you by once again becoming glowing, moist, and irresistibly kissable.

It takes three to four weeks for the skin to renew itself. Sometimes you'll want a quick fix to zap a zit and get you through the short term, but to regain your youthful glow, try my Beauty Diet and follow the super skin recommendations in this chapter for four weeks. Then reward yourself with a special event, because you'll be ready for your own close-up!

I'm sure you already know what your skin looks like. Most of us look in the mirror every morning, and for some of us it's a bit of a shock. What I would like you to do now is
feel
your skin. Check the texture of your neck and face. Does it feel firm and supple or crepelike and saggy? Does it feel plump or thin? Is it smooth or bumpy? Are there places that are dry or oily? Do you feel any areas that are stiff or inflexible?

You probably think of your skin as a very thin layer, but it consists of three layers. Once you understand the processes that occur there, you'll have a better idea why it is so important to supply your skin with the nutrients it needs to renew itself.

The epidermis is the outermost layer that protects the body from various environmental stressors. It also has cells that contain melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. Whether you are aware of it or not, the first thing you notice about other people is probably their epidermis—and it's the first thing other people notice about
you
.

The outer layer of skin consists of dead cells that are packed into a matrix of lipids (fats). These dead cells are continuously sloughing off, while cells in the lower layer of the epidermis are continuously proliferating, at a rate of millions per day. Cells from the lower layer work their way up to the surface through a differentiation process called
keratinization
. So the dry, flat cells on the surface of your skin today were actually once upon a time thick, healthy cells from below the surface.

The most important substances in the top layer of the skin are the keratin proteins and skin lipids. The stratum corneum (topmost layer) uses fatty acids, which is why consuming quality fats will give you quality skin. It also includes