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John’s “common man” approach, which strikes a chord with many overweight Americans, was honed during his 10-year career in the weight loss industry. As Mr. Bad Food, he warns you of fast food, restaurant and supermarket landmines.

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Weekly Diet News Digest
by John McGran, Columnist

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In her hot new best-seller The Beauty Diet, Beauty nutritionist Lisa Drayer has prepared a shopping list of 10 basic foods that she says will not only make you look and feel better, but will also help you slim down too.

Before you go running for the comfort of your pantry and fridge, check this out -- the top 10 beauty foods include yummy picks like wild salmon, blueberries, tomatoes and dark chocolate... yes, chocolate!

Also on The Beauty Diet's short list of nutrient-rich foods that are as good for your hair, skin and teeth as they are for your diet: low-fat yogurt, oysters, kiwifruit, sweet potatoes, spinach and walnuts.

Now that's what I call superfoods you can really sink your teeth into!

Drayer's prescription for greater natural beauty and less-stressful weight loss is super simple: Eat at least one of these 10 foods with every meal or snack -- and stick to a total of 1,500 calories a day.

"You are at your most radiantly beautiful when you feel good. Looking good can help you feel good. But feeling good always makes you look good!" Drayer tells Diet.com.

"The Top 10 Beauty Foods are packed with the powerful nutrients and micronutrients your body needs to keep your cells refreshed and in good repair.

"These foods give your body the materials it needs to keep you healthy, radiant, vibrant and young -- so you have delicate, soft skin, thick, shiny hair, long, smooth fingernails, clear, bright eyes, and a brilliant, gleaming smile."

Drayer On The Top 10 Beauty Foods

1. Wild Salmon
I picked salmon for my Top 10 list because it is one of the best food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, those beneficial fats that enhance our health and appearance by fighting inflammation, keeping our cells supple, improving circulation, and helping our brains function optimally.

Salmon is a beauty food because its nutrients play a key role in keeping the skin's outer layer soft and smooth. The omega-3s in salmon reduce inflammation on the cellular level that can cause redness, wrinkles, and loss of firmness.

Salmon is a great food choice because it tastes delicious and has all these health and beauty benefits. Salmon is generally available and affordable, and it can be prepared in myriad different ways.

You may prefer salmon fillet or salmon steak, fresh salmon or canned. You may opt for your salmon raw in sushi, smoked on a bagel, broiled as a burger, baked in the oven, or thrown on the grill.

2. Low-Fat Yogurt
I've included low-fat yogurt in my Top 10 Beauty Foods because it is a terrific source of calcium, which is especially helpful if you want strong bones, beautiful nails, good posture, and a beautiful smile.

One cup of plain, low-fat yogurt supplies about 450 milligrams of calcium. That's more than the amount of calcium in a cup of fat-free milk, and it supplies close to half of your daily calcium needs. The beauty benefits of yogurt are not limited its calcium content, though. Eight ounces of yogurt has two grams of zinc, which is beneficial for your skin.

At about 150 calories per cup, plain low-fat yogurt is a slimming treat. Try to stay away from commercial brands of yogurt that have lots of fruit and sugar added. An eight-ounce fruit-flavored yogurt may contain 28 grams of sugar (equal to seven teaspoons)! Excess sugar contributes calories and can harm the natural suppleness of your skin.

3. Oysters
The expression "the world is your oyster" suggests that oysters have a world of benefits tucked inside their shell. These little gifts from the sea are on my Top 10 list because they are the best whole-food source of zinc.

People often think of oysters as an aphrodisiac, but the high zinc content of oysters is a great beauty benefit as this mineral is a major player in skin renewal and repair. It helps create collagen, which provides the structural support in skin.

Oysters can be cooked in a wide variety of ways, such as Oysters Primavera, Broiled Oysters Florentine with Mixed Greens, and Poached Oysters in Garlic, Herbs, and Broth with Mixed Greens and Whole Wheat Baguette. Of course, many people enjoy oysters best served raw on the half shell.

If you are pregnant, I do not recommend eating raw oysters or any other undercooked food.

4. Blueberries
With their bright flavor and unmistakable blue hue, blueberries seem to be trying to catch our attention. Today the humble blueberry is experiencing a new level of popularity, not because it has a significant amount of any one vitamin or mineral but because of its unusual antioxidant profile.

Researchers at a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) laboratory at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, rank blueberries number one in antioxidant activity when compared to 40 common fresh fruits and vegetables. Blueberries contain many plant compounds that combine to make this sweet fruit an antioxidant superstar.

I included blueberries in my Top 10 Beauty Foods because their antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory effects protect you from premature aging.

Blueberries keep us looking young, provide us with dietary fiber, and help protect us from cancer, eye problems, and age-related diseases. At eighty calories a cup, this slimming fruit has so many health benefits you'll want to be sure to add it to your diet.

5. Kiwifruit
Kiwifruit offers a rich nutritional reward in a small, delicious package. Inside of this small, brown, fuzzy fruit -- about the size and shape of a very large egg -- you'll find semi-translucent green flesh and small black seeds around a white center.

Kiwifruit has a unique sweet flavor something like a combination of strawberries, pineapples and bananas. I've included kiwifruit among the Top 10 Beauty Foods because it offers more than just a tropical touch for your fruit salad: it has an unusually abundant amount of vitamin C and other anti-aging antioxidants.

Kiwifruit offers beauty benefits from stimulating collagen synthesis (vital to lovely skin) to maintaining healthy bones and teeth to protecting against wrinkles and premature aging. Because kiwis are antioxidant all-stars, they can help neutralize free radicals, which otherwise can cause damage to cells that could lead to inflammation, cancer, and heart disease.

Kiwi is a slimming ...    Continue

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@ 10:19pm ET on November 2, 2008 DARK CHOCOLATE!
DARK CHOCOLATE!
DARK CHOCOLATE!
@ 9:01am ET on November 3, 2008 If I can exchange almonds for walnuts, I'm with ya Kassy!
@ 11:32pm ET on November 3, 2008 Can Honey be included in our beauty foods list
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