I recently had the honor of speaking at an international conference on the future of Beauty and Health. My topic was the intrinsic relationship of inner health to outer beauty. I discussed at length the role of diet, supplements and topical therapies and how they all work synergistically to achieve this goal.
After the lecture, I was introduced to Brett, an attractive brunette who had just celebrated her 40th birthday. Brett worked for an international cosmetic company and after chatting a few minutes she said: "I really enjoyed your lecture, Dr. Perricone, and I'm fascinated to think that certain foods can really have an impact on beauty. Just about every woman I know, myself included, eat with our weight in mind - not our complexions!" Brett confessed. "But I can't help notice that my skin could use some major help. I think that I'm a prime candidate for your program!" Brett's skill and liberal use of her firm's products enabled her to disguise it, but upon close inspection I could see that her skin had lost the fresh radiance of youth and appeared dull and dry. She had also developed fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.
Brett was at a very vulnerable age - choices she made now would come to haunt her (or delight her) as she approached 50. "The late thirties and early forties are important times in our lives," I explained. "Women especially have to deal with hormonal and other changes. Now is the time to really pay attention to what you eat because your diet and lifestyle can either slow down the aging process or speed it up. And the first place this is visible in the face."
I asked Brett to give me an example of what she ate. Much to my horror, Brett admitted that rice cakes - especially the white cheddar flavor - were pretty much her dietary staple. "I live alone and just can't get excited about whipping up a gourmet meal for one- However, If I thought I could eat 'real' food and not gain weight, believe me, Dr. Perricone, I would!" she added.
I told Brett that she might want to rethink this philosophy as this innocent looking little snack food is quickly converted to sugar. Why? Because rice and corn have a high glycemic index,making these foods pro-inflammatory. And when they are "puffed," it really skyrockets of the charts, in fact their glycemic index is actually higher than table sugar! Eating a rice or corn cake generates the insulin response that causes us to store, rather than burn, fat. Brett admitted that even though she ate very few calories, she had a difficult time losing weight. "That's because the rice cakes cause an insulin release - which results in the storage of body fat," I explained.
Fat and Wrinkled?
If this was not enough of a motivation to change her dietary habits, I explained to Brett that storing fats was not the only down side of eating the sugars and starches that provoke insulin responses. When those foods rapidly convert to sugar in the bloodstream, they can begin glycating the protein in your tissues, which is equivalent to the browning that causes food to discolor and toughen in storage. The sugar molecules attach themselves to collagen fibers, which in turn link to adjoining collagen molecules, causing the loss of skin elasticity and resulting in deep wrinkles.
"That makes sense," Brett admitted. "But now what do I do now? I've been eating this way for years - is it too late to stop the damage?"
I explained that it is never too late to get started and emphasized that she think of this as a simple-to-follow, three-step program.
To focus on the glycation, I planned to start Brett on an anti-inflammatory supplement program that would include putting the power of peptides to work along with the dietary supplement, carnosine, a dipeptide (two amino acids) that has been shown to counteract the effects of glycation. I also added benfotiamine, a fat soluble form of Vitamin B 1 that has powerful anti-aging properties. I told Brett I would send her topical neuropeptide treatments to help with the wrinkles, fine lines and loss of tone that were starting to manifest on her face and throat.
First, however, Brett needed to be introduced to natural antioxidants. "I'm not going to give you a course in nutrition or biochemistry," I said. "Instead, you're going to base your food choices on the colors of the rainbow. Your sole criteria for food shopping is to choose deep, intense and vibrantly colored foods. However," I warned, "Cheese Doodles do not count. This rule only applies to foods made by Nature and not the laboratory."
Four weeks later Brett dropped by my offices, radiating with vitality and health. Her skin appeared smooth and supple. I was delighted to notice that the bloom on her cheeks was natural. In fact, her business affiliation notwithstanding, Brett wore no make up other than some light mascara and lip gloss.
"I can't tell you what a wonderful past month this has been," Brett confided. "I have always hated going to the supermarket - but by following your instructions I discovered how much fun it could be. I consider my shopping trips as a little gift to my well-being. Each time I challenge myself to find new 'rainbow' foods to add to the growing list. I even started keeping a journal!"
Brett showed me the journal, which documented her first color-themed shopping trip. She had started in the produce aisle, where she selected a variety of baby greens, red cabbage, broccoli, string beans, red onions and even redder tomatoes, purple garlic, red and yellow Bell peppers and a bright red chili pepper, alfalfa and broccoli sprouts and a wide array of fresh herbs, including basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano and dill. Next stop, the fresh fruit aisles. Here Brett had selected the bluest blueberries, brilliant blackberries and vivid red strawberries. Bright yellow lemons and vibrant orange cantaloupe, royal purple plums, a couple of deep red apples and red-black Bing cherries rounded out her selection. For condiments, Brett chose the rich green extra virgin olive oil and an assortment of green and black olives. At the bulk foods department, Brett chose dark red kidney beans, black and red lentils, golden oats and barley, warm brown walnuts, almonds and bright green pumpkin seeds. Final stop was the seafood department. Here Brett found rich red Alaskan Sockeye salmon and Maine lobster, along with deep pink Alaskan King crab legs and shrimp.
"The best news is that even after four weeks, I feel like I have just begun to discover the abundant world of Rainbow Foods," Brett added. "Each trip is like embarking on a new adventure. I believe I have undergone a total attitude adjustment regarding my food choices."
Brett really had undergone an attitude transformation and the benefits spilled over into many areas of her life. She had been casually dating Charles, a fellow executive, but it wasn’t until they began cooking and sharing meals together (a totally new experience for Brett) that the relationship really began to take off. For the past two weekends, they had driven into the country in search of the freshest Farmer's Market fruits and vegetables. And, they were planning a trip to an apple orchard in Vermont in the fall.
"You know," Dr. Perricone, Brett confessed, "before I started looking through that pair of rainbow-colored glasses you gave me, my life was essentially colorless. Now it is like a kaleidoscope of exciting new discoveries - every day! But what I find most amazing is how differently I look and feel!"
