7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eat Well To Look Fantastic!, November 4, 2008
This review is from: The Beauty Diet: Looking Great has Never Been So Delicious (Hardcover)
From: www.BasilAndSpice.com
Author & Book Views On A Healthy Life!
A FirstLook Feature
Book Review: The Beauty Diet: Looking Great Has Never Been So Delicious (McGraw-Hill, 2008) by Lisa Drayer, M.A., R.D.
Lisa Drayer considers herself to be a beauty nutritionist and is also the author of Strong, Slim, and 30! A consultant to Maybelline/Garnier, a spokesperson for Crest Pro-Health and the Got Milk? Campaign, she has received the American Dietetic Association's Media Excellence Award.
The Beauty Diet defines our food by explaining how specific foods directly target the health of our skin, hair, nails, teeth, eyes, and general body. Beauty foods are:
* Nutrient dense--includes high quality proteins, healthy carbs, beneficial fats
* Micronutrient rich--containing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals
* Fresh--preferably locally grown
* Organic--preservative-free, and grown and prepared without pesticides, antibiotics, artificial colors, additives
* Unrefined--unprocessed and unbleached
* Fiber full--slowing digestion, improving satiety and slimness
Drayer's Top 10 Beauty Foods:
1. Wild Salmon--contains Omega-3 Fatty Acids; promotes skin flexibility, reduces moisture loss, improves acne; protects eyes, skin; eat as a whole food; vital nutrients listed
2. Yogurt (low-fat)--an important source of calcium, protein, and probiotics, it promotes strong bones, beautiful nails, good posture, and a nice smile. 1 cup of plain low-fat yogurt equals 450 milligrams of calcium, 2 grams of zinc, 12 grams of protein, B vitamins, potassium, and phosphorus.
3. Oysters--plays a major role in skin repair; contains zinc, selenium, protein, vitamins and other antioxidants helping the nails, scalp, and hair
4. Blueberries--ranked #1 in antioxidant activity by the U. S. Department of Agriculture; an anti-inflammatory, the fruit contains anthocyanins, vitamins, minerals, lutein, zeaxanthin, ellagic acid, fiber; protects the brain and urinary tract; 80 calories a cup
5. Kiwifruit--high in vitamin C; neutralizes free radicals; eat 2-3 a day to reduce clot formation
6. Sweet Potatoes--rich in beta-carotene, calcium and fiber; protects cells, helps prevent wrinkles
7. Spinach--rich in lutein (important to eyes), beta carotene, magnesium alpha-lipoic acid (aids in preventing aging of the brain) and zeaxanthin
8. Tomatoes--contains lycopene which is an antiaging antioxidant. Could help protect against sunburn.
9. Walnuts--only type of nut which has a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Assist in keeping skin smooth and may help relieve symptoms of eczema and psoriasis, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
10. Dark Chocolate--hmmm...sounds great! Protects the skin against damage from the sun. Drayer writes that "Topical chocolate skin products are currently available..." Avoid Dutch processed products, look for those high in flavanols, and only eat a small portion.
Drayer's choice of beverages: water and green tea.
Besides listing these top ten foods, Lisa Drayer recommends that we eat a large variety of fresh foods daily which will fight free radicals and improve health.
Further Beauty Diet RX Advice For:
* Gray Hair
* Dry Brittle Hair
* Hair Loss
* Protecting the Skin from the Sun
* Acne
* Teeth Whitening
* Beauty Myths Redirected
* Dark Circles Under the Eyes
* Exercise
* Dealing With Stress
* Battling Insomnia
An entire chapter is devoted to four weeks of meal planning, incorporating the Top Ten Beauty Foods, for a diet of three meals and two snacks daily, topping out at 1500 calories. Recipes are numerous and each includes nutritional analysis. Try: Egg White, Spinach, and Feta Scramble on Whole Wheat Toast, California Turkey Burger With Creamy Avocado Yogurt Spread, Quartered Figs Drizzled with Honey Yogurt Sauce and Toasted Almonds.
The Beauty Diet is an excellent resource for learning about how our diet benefits the body's needs, or causes accelerated aging and physical problems. It is especially suitable for middle and high school girls. I myself gave a copy to my 8th grader who suffers with teenage acne.
5 Stars
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Reference Book on Nutrients for Beauty, November 11, 2008
This review is from: The Beauty Diet: Looking Great has Never Been So Delicious (Hardcover)
This book is a keeper for its reference on what nutrients are needed for beauty, and is well-organized into what you need for various aspects of beauty (hair, nails, skin, etc).
I have found over the decades that what I eat (or ingest) influences my appearance more than anything. Beauty comes from the inside out. I am glad to see that there is a nutritionist writing about beauty that knows this is the case.
I have read numerous books on nutrition, even wrote one myself, but still found several new gems and tidbits of information, such as the fact that nail health correlates with the strength of the bones, the necessity of cysteine in the diet for hair, and the link between B12 and gray hair. There are plenty of beauty tips throughout, such as the necessity of using slightly acidic topical treatments and making a facial mask of egg whites and strawberries. She also dispels myths, such as eating gelatin for stronger nails.
At the back of the book are plenty of recipes for eating the "10 Top Beauty Foods" that Lisa recommends.
Lisa uses Demi Moore as an example of someone with healthy, shining hair. But I wonder if she knows that there is more to Demi's diet than just nutritious food: She eats a mainly raw food diet. Eating raw is one way to get maximum nutrients, as well as avoid the inflammation that often accompanies cooked food.
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