Word: Rick Twombley

I’ve always been a huge believer in the old adage “You are what you eat.” Consumers spend millions of dollars a year on moisturizers, toners, acne creams, chemical peels and Botox without realizing that some of the strongest (and cheapest) wrinkle and blemish fighters can be found in your local market. Over the next months, I will highlight some of these super foods and their benefits regarding health and beautiful skin. I’ll also demonstrate ways to integrate them easily into your daily diet.

One of the most literal examples of becoming what you eat occurs in a book written by demented children’s book author Roald Dahl. Now, if you’re anything like me and were a child of the 70’s or 80’s, you found watching the film version of Dahl’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” to be one of the most frightening experiences of your young life (for you young ones, I’m not talking about the shiny 2005 Johnny Depp extravaganza, but the 1971 psychedelic acid trip starring Gene Wilder in the titular role). If you haven’t seen it, run out to HMV and buy it now. Seriously. But prepare yourself for a few nightmares involving pigment-challenged midgets and garbage chutes.

There are so many terrifying moments in the film: The first glimpse of the spooky, dark factory, the boat trip from hell, and the chocolate rivers equipped with pipes that suck you into oblivion (and NOT in the good way) are just a few. Those scenes are nothing compared with when Violet Beauregarde, a world-champion gum chewer, decides to test a piece of Willy’s new candy before it’s ready for human consumption. The gum is designed to be a full 3-course dinner consisting of tomato soup, roast beef and blueberry pie. Unfortunately, the candy causes the poor girl to expand (and expand some more) into a giant human blueberry. Enter the creepy, orange, and ever-singing Oompa Loompas, who roll her away to be (gasp!!) “juiced!” – absolutely horrifying. But after studying nutrition for several years, I realized that, if poor Violet survived the questionable “juicing” procedure, she would almost certainly be blessed with terrific health and radiant, wrinkle-free skin for the rest of her life.

You see, blueberries top the list as a miracle super food. Besides increasing cognitive function and reasoning, blueberries have the ability to prevent cancer, increase muscle function and regeneration, and stop the aging process in its tracks! Why you may ask? Blueberries, along with the acai berry, have one of the highest known levels of antioxidants of any food. Higher than red wine and green tea combined. These antioxidants, called (ready for it?) anthocyanidins, neutralize free radical damage to the collagen found in your skin. As you age, your body not only loses collagen, but stops producing it, which leads to thinner skin and eventually wrinkles. With the help of just a handful of fresh blueberries every day, your body will inhibit enzymes from cleaving the existing collagen from your skin, while also continuing to form a new collagen cell matrix.

Blueberries are extremely easy to integrate into your diet! Add a handful of fresh ones to oatmeal or cereal for breakfast, or blend them up into a protein shake after a workout. Hungry after lunch? Mix them up with a handful of almonds and dried cranberries for a filling and tasty snack! But no need to over do it…a handful a day is enough. You don’t want to overdose and risk a bunch of orange dwarfs marching into your flat to give you a good “juicing.” Well, unless you’re into that sort of thing.