by Allison Tannis, MS, RHN

Fairwinds Press, 2009, 303 pages, $27.50
isbn 978-1-59233-342-4

Allison Tannis is well on her way to becoming a household name among healthy Canadians. With a background in nutraceuticals (food with medicinal benefits), Tannis is also a dynamic educator and author. Her expertise is shared with alive readers both as a journalist and as a member of the magazine’s advisory board.

Feed Your Skin, Starve Your Wrinkles might suggest natural beauty care, but the title has far greater depth. With information on improving skin from the inside out, this book can help reverse one of the most prominent signs of aging–at far less cost and risk than other methods.

In her customary reader-friendly style, Tannis introduces the most effective skin-beautifying nutrients while focusing on 100 foods most essential to skin health. Among them is food high in vitamin C. Among the many studies referenced, Tannis cites one by British researchers who found reduced wrinkling in people with higher vitamin C intakes.

The body can’t manufacture collagen (essential for healthy skin structure) without vitamin C, and Tannis tells us exactly which foods are best for building collagen. (Bonus: This vitamin also holds restorative benefits for those with skin damage from smoking or sun exposure.)

Vitamin C is but one of several nutritional cofactors we need increasingly with age as the body’s digestive system becomes compromised, nutrient receptivity is reduced, and skin becomes deprived. We’re reminded that hair follicles in the skin will also be affected by nutritional corrections, and that hair health will simultaneously benefit from a skin-care diet.

Those foods that turn back the clock are comfortably divided into chapters on the foods that fight wrinkles (24 foods), those that moisturize (13 foods), and those that tighten, smooth, and fight sagging (18 foods). In addition, 17 foods brighten complexion, 18 foods fight puffiness, and still other foods fight acne and psoriasis. Each section is succinct, and current scientific findings are smoothly incorporated for a pleasantly engaging text that is easy to grasp.

Tannis is clearly committed to her audience. Where one study demonstrates how apples prevent wrinkles, she takes this information to the next level and tells readers specifically which popular variety ranks best. (Hint: Read the book to find out whether it’s Red Delicious or Fuji!)

With 50 wrinkle-fighting recipes–such as Spicy Maple Pecans and Rosemary Ginger Chicken–it becomes even easier to follow Tannis’ lead and “eat your way to firmer, more beautiful skin.”

Hélène Meurer enjoys reading and writing about healthy subjects in Victoria, BC.

Source: alive #315, January 2009