8 Steps to Radiant Skin (1) Your Sleeping Beauty Skin – You need to get good quality sleep in order to not only reduce any bags you have under your eyes for example – but to help your skin recover and regenerate properly on a nightly basis. Optimum 7-9 hours. (2) Your Skin Needs the RIGHT Nutrients – especially good fats and oils, zinc and other anti-oxidants. You can take it supplementally or get it from your food. Foods high in zinc are oysters, shellfish and brewer’s yeast. Foods high in good fats – avocado, fish, nuts and seeds. Vitamin C and Flavenoids – citrus, tomatoes, many fruits and vegetables have this nutrient in them. (3) Radiant Diet = Radiant Skin – Balance diet with quality proteins, good fats and fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts and seeds. Fruits and Vegetables are filled with essential nutrients to help keep you skin healthy and beautiful. (4) Good Fats & Oils for the Skin – I can’t overemphasize how vital taking sufficient amounts of a high quality fish oil is to help create healthy skin. Make sure it comes from a reputable supplier. Some companies actually put rancid oils in their products to disguise the rancidity and will often deodorize them so you can’t detect any lack in quality. Make sure you don’t buy cheap brands. Any supplement or food product containing oil needs to be of a very high quality otherwise it’s potentially very toxic to your body. (5) Skin Stress Effect – Counteract this with taking a good antioxidant formula which will include vitamins C, E, selenium, and COQ10. Antioxidants give your body the protection and your cells the oxygen they need to not only function, but to age well. They help to increase energy on a cellular level, improving your body’s ability to handle stress. Vitamins C, E and Alpha Lipoic Acid are all very important nutrients that help our cells stay healthy despite the daily potential of damaging free radicals, which oxidize (age) our cells and tissues. (6) Keeping Skin Hydrated – During the hot summer months, it can be easy to forget that increased water intake is essential. Drinking pure, clean water versus teas, coffee, sodas and juices is important not only to hydrate the skin and reduce heat in the body, but also to lubricate your tissues as well. Drink at least eight glasses of water daily (64 ounces). When it’s hotter outside and you are perspiring more, I recommend drinking even more (80 – 90 oz) but don’t drink your daily amount all at once – sip throughout the day. (7) Get the Toxins Out – A proper detoxification program helps your body function better and your skin look more beautiful – think of it as an oil change or tune up. (8) Foods For Your Skin – Choose blueberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, boysenberries – these are powerhouses filled vitamin C. Berries, by their very nature, have skins that protect the vulnerable fruit inside from damage, sun radiation and infection, which gives them incredible antioxidant protection.