September 2010
| Beauty and the feast |
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Scotsman 24 Apr 07 EMMA ROBERTSON ACCORDING to a new wave of 'beautritionists', it takes more than a miracle cream to prevent wrinkles. Many experts say the key to a great complexion starts in the kitchen, not the bathroom - and the food and drinks industry is catching on fast to the big business in vanity fare. Image-conscious consumers everywhere are buying jams, yoghurts and sweets enhanced with "anti-ageing" enzymes in their pursuit for perfect skin. However, tucking in to expensive foodie gimmicks isn't the only way to improve your looks from the inside out. Most of us recognise the health benefits of choosing the right foods and reducing the wrong ones. But did you know the same rule applies to help turn around the fate of your face? "You can't go wrong with a healthy balanced diet, washed down with plenty of fluids. This contributes towards good health which will be reflected in your skin," says Claire Williamson from the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF). "If you have a poor diet, you will notice the negative impact it has on your face, hair and nails." One Scottish restaurant has made a meal of the beauty foods revolution by devising a maverick menu to future-proof skin from the inside out. At Rufflets Country House Hotel in St Andrews, if you want to "remain young and radiant looking", leave it to the head chef and the restaurant's pioneering "wrinkle-free" lunch. The brainwave has proved to be a roaring success since it was launched a few months ago. The quirky concept is based on a variety of meals prepared with fresh ingredients said to have natural wrinkle-busting properties. The menu's bestseller is grilled organic salmon, asparagus, baby spinach and lemon cous cous. It's intended as a breath of fresh air for a nation that on average eats out three times a week, says the hotel's general manager, Stephen Owen. "Lots of restaurants already offer straight-edge healthy fare. I wanted to achieve a fresh spin on nutritious food to get diners excited," says Owen, the driving force behind this gourmet experiment. "Customers are more demanding than ever, so restaurants have to be imaginative with choices on the menu." Owen spent hours trawling the internet and trade magazines for a supplier of the elusive açaí berry (said to have ten times more antioxidants than the humble grape). He eventually discovered a supplier in Brazil and now imports the fruit as a freshly frozen pulp. The chefs use the berry as a sauce to accompany roast Gressingham duck, a lean meat, high in protein, iron and quality skin vitamins. The anti-ageing menu changes daily. While there are no hard and fast wrinkle-free rules, Owen aims to keep down saturated fats, sodium and foods with a high glycaemic index (GI), replacing them with nutritionally dense alternatives. It's truly efficient eating because it tastes good too, according to Kathleen Stebbing, 48, a Rufflets' diner from St Andrews. "I wouldn't order the food just because it's anti-ageing, but the dishes sound appetising in their own right. The fact that it may also be good for my skin is a bonus," she says. "My daughter Clare and I often eat out, and I love the idea that healthy food can go some way to preventing wrinkles. It also means I can have a chocolate pudding without feeling too guilty," she laughs. There's also a boom in the hi-tech beauty foods revolution around the world. Japan has cosmetic confectionery in the form of collagen-enhanced marshmallows. In France, chemists sell "anti-wrinkle" jam, while Americans can quench their thirst and, maybe, zap zits at the same time with Borba's Skin Balance water, which is marketed as "drinkable skincare". Meanwhile gourmet offsetting has caught the imagination of British consumers. Waitrose sells "anti-ageing" Belgian chocolate, for example. Apparently one bar of NewTree Chocolate Noir Young (£1.99) contains more antioxidants to help wage war on wrinkles than two glasses of red wine does. The catch? It has twice the calorific load of the liquid alternative. Japan has cosmetic confectionery in the form of collagen-enhanced marshmallows. "Beauty foods have the potential to be a huge moneyspinner for manufacturers," says Tamar Kasriel, a trend forecaster at the Henley Centre. "They trade on an economy of hope. People don't really know if these 'enhanced' products work, but if you're eating or drinking anyway and a product claims to have more than one benefit, then the attitude is, 'What have I got to lose?'" While it's unlikely our shopping baskets will be overflowing with such food gimmicks in the near future, a more enlightened approach to skin-boosting foods is not far off, says Kasriel. "Sometimes consumers resist buying food that has been 'tampered with' for extra functionality," she says. "But expect more manufacturers to highlight the simple beauty benefits found in their existing food and drinks. It makes sense, because beauty is big business in Britain." So which foods are essential weapons in our real anti-ageing arsenal? "Vitamins A and C, zinc, niacin and essential fatty acids are important for the structure and function of the skin," says Claire Williamson of the BNF. "The main emphasis is on getting enough of these in your diet. Examples of skin food include oily fish, red, orange, yellow and dark green vegetables, citrus fruits and berries, leans meats, nuts and pulses." Most Brits are still falling short of eating the recommended two portions of fish per week (one of which should be oily). However, a recent government survey shows we're now buying a record amount of fruit and vegetables, which is a step in the right direction for beauty's sake. In the new book by Hollywood derma deity Nicholas Perricone, Dr Perricone's 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health and Longevity (£15.99), he suggests that balancing blood sugar through what we eat is crucial to anti-ageing. He believes foods with a high GI (which raise insulin and blood-sugar levels sharply) or loaded with saturated fat will cause inflammation and accelerate ageing. Cakes, ice cream, potatoes, bread and beer are a slap in the face, he says. He suggests instead stocking up on fruit and vegetables for antioxidants, to counter the ageing effects of free radicals. Beans, lentils and oats are another smart choice, thanks to their slow-release energy and ability to stabilise blood sugar. It's estimated that we Brits spend a whopping £544 million a year on skincare. So, could the right skin foods lessen our reliance on the beauty counter? Not entirely, says Indy Rihal from the British Skin Foundation. "To look after your skin, it's not enough to rely on a well balanced diet," she says. "Sun damage is the main factor in skin ageing, so it is vital to at least apply a sunscreen when going outside."
BEAUTY GOES FOODIE
Mail order 0845 2255 600, www.ren skin care.com or at Space.NK (www.spacenk.com)
Mail order 01227 46407, www.myburtsbees.co.uk or at John Lewis stores.
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