“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine OR the slowest form of poison.” — Ann Wigmore, Natural Health Institute
Hello, kale. Hello, blueberries and astragalus root. I actually eat these foods, not because of the antioxidants, not just because they ward off cancer, but because I want great skin, glowing skin – amazing skin! There are also things I don’t eat, such as “gluten” or deep-fried foods, because I find they negatively affect my dermis. My vanity steps in when it comes to food. I want to control my skin tone (including acne), stave off wrinkles, and try to avoid looking like last night’s party. Instead of solely relying on face creams or doctors with needles to fix things, I proactively and diligently take care of myself, and that includes eating with purpose. In fact, I believe you can work on everything from the inside out, and the other stuff we do is just finishing touches.
Think about it. In life, there are three scenarios where we conscientiously consider the optimal food intake: training for the Olympics, being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, or carrying a child (firstborn). When the stakes are high — when a gold medal or your life is on the line — it becomes easy to embrace the idea that healthy eating may make a difference; that fueling your body with the right types of foods could help you achieve extraordinary goals, and it may be important to avoid those that are counterproductive. But what about all the life scenarios in between? What if you are not training for the Olympics, facing an illness or pregnant? What about the thought of living your life to be the best and optimal ‘you,’ including consuming foods that enhance? Let’s take it one step further. What if you could eat to look even younger, clear your skin, and prepare your body for any of the enemies (fighting cancer, a pandemic)? Why wouldn’t you?
It is because there is always the naysayer in us. The one that says, “But, I want to enjoy my food,” or “It’s too much work,” or even, “When it comes to skin, I’ll just use a face cream.” First, this does not mean forfeiting great skin products; it is not one or the other. I wash, tone, and hydrate obsessively and diligently (I recommend Ultimage and Derma-V by Vivier). I also get regular facials (SilkPeels), and Botox and I have a close relationship. I absolutely feel that I need to look after my skin from the inside out. Second, eating healthy does not mean food has to taste like styrofoam or drywall. I love to cook, and I love to eat, but I consume foods that are good for me and my skin. Eating healthy does not require an onerous amount of skill, nor do you need a grocery sherpa to carry carts of food or track those healthy ingredients down. You just have to know what is good for you and find a way to consume those foods regularly and as close to the raw form as possible, and that does not mean you have to compromise taste.
Most people think of healthy eating as bland, challenging to make, or impossible to feel satisfied by something with the word ‘tofu.’ They also believe that broccoli or kale are foods you must force yourself to eat (or stuff in the back of your chair like my son, Chase, does), or that chicken tastes better in a deep-fried form or when you add sauces (like hoisin) for them to taste great. When you know how to prepare food in its purest form, you can have an extremely healthy diet that will do your body right and taste gourmet/amazing/incredible. You can eat with purpose without compromising taste.
So if you want great skin, increase your intake of superfoods (broccoli, kale, blueberries, pomegranates, and astragalus root) in their purest form and don’t smother them with cream or deep fry the nutrients out. Consider the benefits of a diet that enhances your appearance. Look at what you love to eat and see if there is a way to get/make that food without the additives that may be counterproductive or prepared in a way that destroys the nutrients you are seeking. Having great skin is simpler than you think and oh-so-delicious!
Dr. Ann Kaplan
Author of Eating With Purpose- Gourmet Cookbook for the Heeled @annkaplan_ownit
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