I  am a recovering skin care junkie. I have been wearing anti-wrinkle creams since high school and have tried dozens of potions and lotions, made with every "magic" ingredient on the market, from Vitamin C, to collagen, to Retinol, to amino peptides.  I have sampled creams from  drug store quality to moisturizers that cost…well…as much as a monthly car payment.  High end moisturizers are a luxury that not many can afford, but it turns out that the ultra-expensive stuff might not be necessary for us to keep the crow's feet to a minimum.   

Several years ago, Dr. Andrew Weil made headlines by proposing that our dietary choices have a direct effect on chronic inflammation and illness in the body.  On his blog, DrWeil.com, he states that,  "Chronic inflammation is the root cause of many serious illnesses… Stress, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition, and exposure to toxins (like secondhand tobacco smoke) can all contribute to such chronic inflammation, but dietary choices play a big role as well."

Guess what Divas?  Your skin is the largest organ of the body,  and it will have the same inflammatory response to foods as your internal organs.  Do you wake up after a night of eating too much sugar and white flour with a puffy face?  That's  because sugar and white flour cause inflammation! 

According to Dr. Weil, inflammation can "result in such skin problems as sensitivity, puffiness, extreme dryness, hyperpigmentation, lines, and wrinkles."   If you want to improve the condition of your skin,  you can skip the $200 moisturizer (but please, Divas, NEVER skip the sunscreen!) and go to your grocery store instead. 

The fierce lowdown on anti inflammatory eating is as follows:  Cut out processed foods, such as breads, crackers, snack foods, and chips.  The cardinal rule of anti-inflammatory eating:  Get rid of ALL white sugar and white flour, both which in this Diva's book, are POISON (more…much more on sugar and white flour to come in future blog posts).   Avoid red meats and large quantities of diary.  Go for whole grains, nuts, beans, soy products and fish.  Include as many colorful fruits and vegetables as possible as well as "good fats," such as avocado and extra virgin olive oil.   Limit alcohol, or even better, avoid it all together. In addition to the foods you eat, make sure to get plenty of water, at least 8 glasses a day, and more if you are physically active. Find full information on Dr. Weil's diet at http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02012/anti-inflammatory-diet  

Most importantly, by following an anti inflammatory diet, you are not only improving your skin, but you are eating in a way that will help prevent a whole spectrum of illnesses, from heart disease, to arthritis, to Alzheimer's.

While I would never advise the Divas to chase the appearance of a twenty year old, all of you deserve to look as fabulous as you feel.   I am not telling you to ditch the moisturizer, but I am suggesting that what you put inside is possibly just as important as what you lather on the outside.  And of course, wear your sunscreen!  Proper eating and hydration, along with feeling good about yourself, and living the life you love,  will give your skin that healthy glow at any age, for now and for years to come.

Namaste, Divas!

© 2012 Ilene Evans

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