Eat Shrink And Be Merry

Yesterday, Greta wrote about Brazilian Berry Splash which is a good source of the super-antioxidant, the acai berry. Acai is the latest rage in fighting harmful free radicals that can damage our bodies, especially our skin, causing premature aging. If deepening crow’s feet, undereye wrinkles, and laugh lines are getting you down, forget the ACME Miracle Wrinkle-Busting Cream. What you need is to get more antioxidants like acai into your daily diet. Beauty from the inside out is the ticket!

In fact, well-known dermotologist Dr. Nicholas Perricone, author of bestsellers, The Wrinkle Cure and The Perricone Prescription, appeared on Oprah not too long ago to unveil his Top Ten Superfoods. What was #1 on the list? You guessed it! Acai berry! That, along with eating fish or fish oils, and avoiding sugar (the arch-enemy of healthy skin), are the mainstays of his anti-aging regimen.

Of course, there are other superfoods that have potent antioxidants, too. Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables are good bets for good-looking skin as we age. Deep green leafy vegetables are crucial to a healthy, glowing complexion. I recently spoke to a naturopathic doctor in Ottawa about how poorly my skin looks in February with the cold climate of the nation’s capital. I was really harping about it, cursing my fine lines that seem to be getting fuller and fuller with every glance in a mirror. “Help! S.O.S. Save Our Skin!” I begged. She had absolutely gorgeous skin, and told me that when her face gets the February Blahs, she eats a big tub of blueberries. Gorges herself on them. She swears that within two days, her skin looks like a baby’s bottom (a clean, diaper-rash-less bottom, that is!) Again, super-antioxidants to the rescue!

Because we don’t eat nearly enough of the foods that contain potent antioxidants, I really like the idea of supplementing with super-duper whole foods like acai. Let’s face it, the average person isn’t going to eat vats of blueberries, buckets of pomegranate and drink cauldrons of green tea. Sure, every little bit helps. But if you have super-concentrated sources of free-radical fighters, like acai, it makes sense to go that route, too. Other super-concentrated food juices to try are Goji, mangosteen and Noni. They’re usually distributed through multi-level marketing firms, but I’m also seeing them now in some well-stocked health food stores.

Acai ya later!