Want Glowing Skin? Eat lots of Fruits & Veggies!

When someone truly feels great, they radiate well-being from their skin. It's called a "healthy glow," and we'd all like to have it. That's one reason why tanning became so popular; people are trying to achieve that "glow." I can tell you the secret of radiant skin, and you won't need extensive exposure to UV rays to achieve it.

Scientists have investigated what constitutes a "healthy appearance." In a study published in 2009, researchers allowed test subjects to turn a dial that would manipulate shades of skin color on photographs of Caucasian faces. Increased yellow skin tones were preferred, which would explain why tanning is so popular. But when the researchers separated out the various colors and shades, they discovered people preferred the lighter skin but yellower tones as opposed to the yellow but darker tones achieved by tanning. These yellower but lighter tones come from eating a diet rich in carotenoids.

These findings hold true for all races. A 2010 study included African, Asian, and Caucasian faces and demonstrated that coloration consistent with increased carotenoid consumption was preferred. Further, a 2012 study showed carotenoid-based coloration improved in just six weeks when college students went from eating three servings of fruit and vegetables a day to the recommended minimum of nine servings a day.

With my Starch-Smart® System, I teach my patients that their health comes from the food on their plates. Energy radiates from the sun and transfers to the plant. As plants grow in the sunlight, they absorb nutrients from the soil. Nature gives us the sun's energy and the soil's nutrients in colorful little packages we call fruits and vegetables. As we eat plant foods, we absorb the carotenoids that color nature's packaged foods. Skin that "glows" with health is the result. My article "Go Green for a Healthy Glow!" chronicles the transformation of one young man who took charge of his health to improve his skin--and his family's well-being! You can do it, too!