Ditch your make-up bag and tuck into this lot instead…
Forget pricey wrinkle creams and facials that cost the earth. Just stock your cupboards with all these foods and you’ll be auditioning for Miss World in no time…
Banish wrinkles
Eat sunflower seeds. They’re full of vitamin E, which reduce ageing free radicals in the environment. Either sprinkle them over your favourite cereal, snack on them in between meals or add them to stir fries.
Eat wholemeal foods. Researchers found that people who tucked into regular amounts of wholemeal foods were less wrinkly than those who didn’t.
Bad nails be gone
Eat a few portions of oily fish a week. This will keep your nails strong and help them grow more quickly. Top up your intake of tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardines.
Eat zinc-rich foods. White marks on your nails could be a sign that you’re lacking in zinc, so eat plenty of shellfish, red meat and pumpkin seeds.
Ditch dull skin
Eat salmon. Tuck into a grilled salmon steak two or three times a week. It’s packed full of skin-plumping Omega 3 and it restores volume to dull and sagging skin.
Eat apricots. If you’ve sunbathed in the past or just want to protect your skin from the effects of harmful UV rays, eat plenty of apricots. Dried or fresh, they’re jam-packed with lutein, a relative of betacarotene that helps safeguard skin from the ravages of the sun. Other good sources of lutein include black grapes, peas and kiwi fruits.
Brighten eyes
Eat spinach. Whether you’ve been staring at your computer all day or shielding your eyes from the sun, there are times when they start to look tired. Spinach is loaded with vitamin C, reduces inflammation and helps to reduce under-eye puffiness.
Eat carrots. They won’t help you see in the dark, but they’re packed full of beta-carotene which your body converts to anti-ageing vitamin A.
Whiten teeth
Chew gum that contains xylitol. This is a natural sugar which is great for your teeth, it can help boost your dental health and prevent gum disease, giving you cleaner and whiter looking teeth.
Eat cheese. Nibble on a slice of cheddar as its structure helps clean your teeth. It also contains antibacterial agents that ward off harmful substances.
Lose weight
Eat red meat. Researchers discovered that filling up on foods packed with zinc (like red meat) increases the amount of the hormone leptin in your body which increases the rate at which you burn calories and decreases your appetite. Make sure the meat is lean though.
Eat dairy. Nutritionists at the University of Tennessee in the US discovered that women who ate a portion of yoghurt a day lost weight faster than those who didn’t. And interestingly, they lost weight around their middle. Opt for low-fat versions though.
Get shiny hair
Eat avocados. They’re a great source of healthy monounsaturated fat and they’re also a great source of vitamin E which helps to maintain healthy skin and hair.
Eat soya. Studies show that soya, which is an excellent source of protein, will strengthen your hair. As hair is made up of the protein keratin, upping your intake of peas, beans, nuts and soya will give you long, glossy locks.
Cast out cellulite
Eat vegetables. Green vegetables such as green beans and celery act as a diuretic, meaning they make you wee more, therefore flushing out more toxins. Water is great for banishing cellulite too so make sure you guzzle at least two litres a day.
Eat dandelion leaves. Take a tip from the French and add a few torn-up dandelion leaves to your salad – they’ll speed up water release from your body. Or do a ‘Cindy Crawford’ – the supermodel rubs her used and ground coffee beans into her thighs every morning to banish the bumps.