The health of your skin begins with good nutrition. New, living cells continually replace the dead cells on the skin’s surface and the growth of these cells is dependent on vitamins, minerals and hydration. It might sound obvious, but you should eat at least five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day. Remember to look for the ACE vitamins: A to help prevent ageing, C to promote clarity, and E to protect against the environment. Vitamins A and C are plentiful in fruit and vegetables. Vitamin A is found in carrots, spinach, watercress, broccoli, sweet potatoes and melons. Peppers, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit and leafy greens all contain vitamin C. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps to build and maintain healthy skin tissue; it is found in nuts, whole grains and leafy greens.

Also include wholegrain foods, nuts, dairy, fish and beans in your diet. These are all foods rich in zinc, which promotes healing and reduces inflammation. Biotin is another nutrient needed for healthy skin, hair and nails, and is found in peanut butter, whole grains, eggs and liver.

There are many advantages to taking vitamins in food rather than in pill form. When you eat, you do not get isolated nutrients. For instance, a bowl of leafy greens provides an abundance of vitamins B, K and E, as well as fibre and antioxidants. The fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains that provide fibre also deliver vitamins and minerals naturally. Your diet has a direct impact, not only on your overall health and how you feel, but also on how you look.

What to eat

Home-made muesli

If you can’t find a good muesli mix, just use rolled oats and add ½ tbsp each of pumpkin and sunflower seeds. If you don’t like any of these fruit, substitute with other dark fruit such as raisins and prunes

• Seared lamb with roast tomato cannellini beans

• Spiced carrot and tarragon soup

• Mixed-seed bread

Seared lamb with roast tomato cannellini beans

Serve with a bag of washed baby leaf spinach that you’ve wilted in a pan.

• Home-made muesli

• Sweet and sour noodles

• Mixed-seed bread

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You need to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, and snack only if you need to, but in sensible portions, please. Remember, no cheating — so that’s no booze, no chocs and no straying from the plan.

BREAKFAST

Home-made muesli

LUNCH

Spiced carrot and tarragon soup

Mixed-seed bread

SUPPER

Seared lamb with roast tomato cannellini beans

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