The Beauty Diet (41 page)

Avoid alcohol.
A glass of wine may make it easier to fall asleep, but drinking before bedtime increases the likelihood that you will wake up during the night. If you enjoy a drink at night, it's probably best to limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage with dinner.

Eat dinner early.
Too much food before bed can cause distention and discomfort, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. Also, fat takes longer to digest and may cause distention at night. Lying down makes heartburn worse, and
heartburn itself makes falling asleep more difficult. Heartburn also awakens sleepers with middle-of-the-night discomfort. Avoid large dinner meals and wait at least two hours after eating before going to sleep.

Avoid spicy foods.
Spicy foods can contribute to heartburn, which can make it difficult to fall asleep by causing discomfort throughout the night. Watch out for chilies, curry powder, and other offenders.

Exercise early.
Exercising right before going to bed can make falling asleep more difficult, as it wakes up your system, revs up your body temperature and metabolism, and can lead to increased alertness. It is best to complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime. In general, exercising regularly makes it easier to fall asleep and contributes to sounder sleep. However, exercising sporadically or right before going to bed will make falling asleep more difficult. Late-afternoon exercise is the perfect way to help you fall asleep at night.

Don't smoke.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, new evidence suggests that smoking may negatively impact sleep. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University compared the EEG recordings of a group of cigarette smokers with those of a group of nonsmokers. They found that smokers spend less time in deep sleep, especially in the earlier part of the night, and they are more likely to report feeling unrefreshed after sleeping. Nicotine in tobacco products is a stimulant and contributes to sleep problems.

Have a small bedtime snack.
A glass of warm milk 15 minutes before going to bed will soothe your nervous system. Milk contains calcium, which works directly on jagged nerves to make them (and you) relax. You can also try a cup of hot tea. Most stores have special blends of herb tea designed to help you get to sleep.

Check to see if you have sleep apnea.
If you sense you aren't sleeping well, or if your partner notices you are snoring or waking up repeatedly because you can't breathe, go to
a sleep clinic and find out if you have sleep apnea. This disorder interferes with your ability to get a good night's rest. Once it is corrected, you'll sleep better and have more energy—and many people report they are able to lose weight more easily.

Now that you are armed with my nutrition and lifestyle tips for feeling and looking fabulous, it's time to put it all into practice. To get started, turn the page to begin my delicious Beauty Diet!

Welcome to the Beauty Diet! Each breakfast, lunch, dinner, and beauty snack on the four-week meal plan that follows contains at least one of my Top 10 Beauty Foods. By following the plan, you can maximize your intake of beauty nutrients while enjoying delicious recipes! I am confident you will savor the variety of flavors in the different meals and snacks, and the best part is you won't have to worry about your waistline because each day averages approximately 1,500 calories to help keep you slim. If you follow my Beauty Diet diligently, you can expect to see improvements in your appearance in about four short weeks.

The Beauty Diet menus form a four-week meal plan that you can follow on 28 consecutive days. Recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks appear separately after the four weekly menus, and are listed alphabetically. You can feel free
to mix and match the recipes within each week as you desire. As long as you use recipes from the same week, your weekly averages will reflect the nutritional analysis following each week's plan. After four weeks have passed, you can feel free to resume the Beauty Diet by starting again with week 1's meals and beauty snacks.

While I feel the menus provide you with the most flavorful and foolproof approach to consuming your daily quota of beauty nutrients, please keep in mind that you can use the Top 10 Beauty Foods to create your own meals and snacks. If you choose this more flexible approach, I recommend that you include at least one Top 10 Beauty Food in each of your three meals and two beauty snacks every day, and make sure that your daily calorie intake remains at approximately 1,500 calories.

Enjoy the Beauty Diet—and all of the glamorous beauty benefits that come with it!

MONDAY

Breakfast:
Egg White, Spinach, and Feta Scramble on Whole Wheat Toast; 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt with ½ cup mixed berries

Lunch:
Lemon-Grilled Chicken over Mixed Green Salad with Yogurt Dill Dressing

Dinner:
Sautéed Mediterranean Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Broccoli over Whole Wheat Spaghetti