Feed Your Face: Dr. Jessica Wu Offers Skin Care Tips, Celeb Secrets

Read from Dr. Jessica Wu's "The Feed Your Face Philosophy."

ByABC News via logo
February 2, 2011, 2:16 PM

Feb. 2, 2011 — -- Dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu explains how her diet improves your skin by eliminating blemishes and reducing wrinkles.

In the book, Wu shares celebrity skin secrets and reveals how a well-stocked pantry can actually promote better eating habits.

Read an excerpt from "The Feed Your Face Philosophy" below or click here to check out her website.

Not long ago, during a routine checkup, one of my regular patientsmarveled at the fact that I basically wear fitted skirts andsky- high stilettos day in and day out. It's not that she's not intofashion— Maggie has a closet full of designer duds and a truckloadof Manolos and Jimmy Choos. She's even hired a stylist to help hernavigate the trendy boutiques of Beverly Hills— she just can't pull an outfittogether on her own. Her unor ga nized and overfl owing closet had becomeoverwhelming, so every day (and I do mean every day) she reaches for theexact same thing: jeans and a plain white tee. (Luckily, she lives in Malibu, aplace so casual that people wear jeans even to church.) Th e thing is, I totallyget Maggie's predicament, because the way she feels about her closet is theway I used to feel about my pantry.

I've never been much of a cook (much to my mother's disappointment),and 12- hour days at the office leave little time to prepare gourmet meals.Before, I'd do my grocery shopping at the end of a hectic workday, with agrowling stomach and dwindling patience. I'd rush in, grab what ever wason sale, and get out as quickly as possible. And when I was really busy (likeduring awards show season, when I'm on every actress's speed dial), the grocerieswould get shoved into the pantry according to the way they werebagged at the store— randomly.

Food got lost in the back of the cupboard. I always managed to forget what I'd bought. And I'd end up reaching formy favorite (and sometimes least healthy) snacks— my old standbys, thejeans and T-shirts of my pantry. What I've learned is that when I do takethe time to shop and can come home and put everything away properly, Iend up eating better. No desperate handfuls of potato chips to satisfy amidday craving, no cold cereal for dinner because there's just nothing elseto eat. (I also discovered that if you plan your meals ahead of time, you canmake the best use of what's already in the pantry and waste less food—which means more money left over for shoes or what ever you'd rather beshopping for!)

Th e Feed Your Face Diet is the culmination of everything we've talkedabout in the previous eight chapters— how to minimize fine lines andwrinkles, boost UV protection, fuel collagen production, heal acne, reduceinfl ammation, and soothe rashes— organized into a month-long meal planthat takes the fear and stress out of eating for healthier, more beautifulskin.

Starting on page 263 you'll find 28 days' worth of breakfast, lunch,dinner, and snack suggestions. Every meal is easy to prepare and has beendesigned to provide a balance of antioxidants (to fight free radicals), protein(to fuel collagen production), omega- 3s (to soothe inflammation),and lycopene (for UV protection). While the Feed Your Face Diet willbenefi t all skin types, I've gone ahead and made some necessary adjustmentsfor certain skin conditions in particular, such as reminding you toavoid dairy if you're pimple- prone, adding more soy if you're worriedabout fi ne lines and wrinkles, or avoiding gluten if you suff er from stubbornrashes.The meal plan, however, is merely a way to put the Feed Your Facephilosophy into practice— it's designed to take the guesswork out of decidingwhat to eat, not to tell you what you have to eat. (After all, you'lleventually graduate to preparing your own face-friendly meals.) If youdon't like, say, tofu, swap it out for another lean protein such as chicken.Likewise, if you don't care for broccoli, choose a different green veggieinstead. And if you love the chocolate smoothie (on page 269), feel free tomake it your new go- to breakfast. Don't be afraid to be fl exible. Just makesure that you replace any foods you don't like with other healthy proteins,whole grains, and vegetables. (So swap brown rice for quinoa or couscous,not white rice.) Otherwise you might not be getting enough calories, and you'll wind up rummaging through your pantry at two in the morning.Never a good idea.

And here's the best part of the Feed Your Face Diet (if I do say so myself):You don't actually have to cook anything if you don't feel like it or if you justdon't have the time. Believe me, I've had nights when the idea of preparingdinner made me break into a cold sweat. Th at's why the majority of thesemeals can be assembled from the hot and cold bars at quality grocery stores,like Whole Foods. And if you're picking up dinner, rather than fixing ityourself, the same principles apply: If your grocery store is out of brown riceor the salad looks wilted, choose a diff erent whole grain or vegetable. For thedays when even that's too much work, I've also included the Feed Your FaceRestaurant Guide, a listing of the healthiest meals from twenty of the country'smost popular restaurants. (Besides, you shouldn't have to sacrifi ce yoursocial life to maintain great skin.)

While you can continue to use the meal ideas in the Feed Your Face Dietlong after the initial 28 days, at some point you'll be ready to graduate tomaking your own meals. Th at's why I've given you loads of help stockingyour pantry, fridge, and spice rack. We'll go over the ingredients you need towhip up the meals in the Feed Your Face Meal Plan, but keep these essentialitems on hand and you'll be able to create your own face- friendly dishes, too.I've also listed some of my favorite snacks and food brands (where- to- buyinformation for these as well as all the products mentioned in Feed Your Faceis located in the Resource Guide) as well as tips from some of my celebritypatients (so you'll know what the stars really snack on when they're killingtime in their trailers).

For smooth, clear skin and a healthy, sexy body, here's what you shouldFeed Your Face.

Stocking Your Pantry

The pantry is where you'll fi nd the core ingredients of any healthy meal, butit's also the place where half- eaten boxes of stale cereal and mystery cannedgoods go to die. Start by cleaning yours out. Toss (or donate) all that processed,sugar- fi lled, nutrient- free junk (like Doritos, Oreos, and HamburgerHelper) and anything else that's been in there longer than you can remember.Th en stock your pantry with these face- friendly staples:

Cooked and Canned TomatoesTomatoes are packed with the antioxidant lycopene (for extra UV protection),and I keep every variety in my pantry. Sun- dried tomatoes are great inomelets or pasta, while jarred, low- sodium salsa gives baked chicken a kick.(Desert Gardens Five Chilies Salsa and Pace Pico de Gallo have less sodiumand sugar than many prepared salsas.) In fact, when I'm headed on vacation,the two most important things in my suitcase are a bathing suit and tomatopaste. Th ree tablespoons every day at lunch— mixed into marinara sauce oron top of a pizza, not smeared on your face— helps protect against sunburn,so I come home to L.A. with a golden glow rather than looking like a lobster.Aim to incorporate tomatoes in at least one meal a day (it's surprisingly easywhen you think about it), and you'll help protect your skin from sun spots,freckles, and premature wrinkling.

CELEBRITY SKIN SECRETS—

Marina Sirtis's Kokkinisto

OK, I'll admit it. I am a total Star Trek nerd. So when I fi rstmet Marina Sirtis (a.k.a. Deanna Troi), I kind of geeked out.

I've never been much of a cook (much to my mother's disappointment),and 12- hour days at the office leave little time to prepare gourmet meals.Before, I'd do my grocery shopping at the end of a hectic workday, with agrowling stomach and dwindling patience. I'd rush in, grab what ever wason sale, and get out as quickly as possible. And when I was really busy (likeduring awards show season, when I'm on every actress's speed dial), the grocerieswould get shoved into the pantry according to the way they werebagged at the store— randomly.

The Feed Your Face Philosophy

Food got lost in the back of the cupboard. I always managed to forget what I'd bought. And I'd end up reaching formy favorite (and sometimes least healthy) snacks— my old standbys, thejeans and T-shirts of my pantry. What I've learned is that when I do takethe time to shop and can come home and put everything away properly, Iend up eating better. No desperate handfuls of potato chips to satisfy amidday craving, no cold cereal for dinner because there's just nothing elseto eat. (I also discovered that if you plan your meals ahead of time, you canmake the best use of what's already in the pantry and waste less food—which means more money left over for shoes or what ever you'd rather beshopping for!)

Th e Feed Your Face Diet is the culmination of everything we've talkedabout in the previous eight chapters— how to minimize fine lines andwrinkles, boost UV protection, fuel collagen production, heal acne, reduceinfl ammation, and soothe rashes— organized into a month-long meal planthat takes the fear and stress out of eating for healthier, more beautifulskin.

Starting on page 263 you'll find 28 days' worth of breakfast, lunch,dinner, and snack suggestions. Every meal is easy to prepare and has beendesigned to provide a balance of antioxidants (to fight free radicals), protein(to fuel collagen production), omega- 3s (to soothe inflammation),and lycopene (for UV protection). While the Feed Your Face Diet willbenefi t all skin types, I've gone ahead and made some necessary adjustmentsfor certain skin conditions in particular, such as reminding you toavoid dairy if you're pimple- prone, adding more soy if you're worriedabout fi ne lines and wrinkles, or avoiding gluten if you suff er from stubbornrashes.The meal plan, however, is merely a way to put the Feed Your Facephilosophy into practice— it's designed to take the guesswork out of decidingwhat to eat, not to tell you what you have to eat. (After all, you'lleventually graduate to preparing your own face-friendly meals.) If youdon't like, say, tofu, swap it out for another lean protein such as chicken.Likewise, if you don't care for broccoli, choose a different green veggieinstead. And if you love the chocolate smoothie (on page 269), feel free tomake it your new go- to breakfast. Don't be afraid to be fl exible. Just makesure that you replace any foods you don't like with other healthy proteins,whole grains, and vegetables. (So swap brown rice for quinoa or couscous,not white rice.) Otherwise you might not be getting enough calories, and you'll wind up rummaging through your pantry at two in the morning.Never a good idea.

The Feed Your Face Philosophy

And here's the best part of the Feed Your Face Diet (if I do say so myself):You don't actually have to cook anything if you don't feel like it or if you justdon't have the time. Believe me, I've had nights when the idea of preparingdinner made me break into a cold sweat. Th at's why the majority of thesemeals can be assembled from the hot and cold bars at quality grocery stores,like Whole Foods. And if you're picking up dinner, rather than fixing ityourself, the same principles apply: If your grocery store is out of brown riceor the salad looks wilted, choose a diff erent whole grain or vegetable. For thedays when even that's too much work, I've also included the Feed Your FaceRestaurant Guide, a listing of the healthiest meals from twenty of the country'smost popular restaurants. (Besides, you shouldn't have to sacrifi ce yoursocial life to maintain great skin.)

While you can continue to use the meal ideas in the Feed Your Face Dietlong after the initial 28 days, at some point you'll be ready to graduate tomaking your own meals. Th at's why I've given you loads of help stockingyour pantry, fridge, and spice rack. We'll go over the ingredients you need towhip up the meals in the Feed Your Face Meal Plan, but keep these essentialitems on hand and you'll be able to create your own face- friendly dishes, too.I've also listed some of my favorite snacks and food brands (where- to- buyinformation for these as well as all the products mentioned in Feed Your Faceis located in the Resource Guide) as well as tips from some of my celebritypatients (so you'll know what the stars really snack on when they're killingtime in their trailers).

For smooth, clear skin and a healthy, sexy body, here's what you shouldFeed Your Face.

The Feed Your Face Philosophy

Stocking Your Pantry

The pantry is where you'll fi nd the core ingredients of any healthy meal, butit's also the place where half- eaten boxes of stale cereal and mystery cannedgoods go to die. Start by cleaning yours out. Toss (or donate) all that processed,sugar- fi lled, nutrient- free junk (like Doritos, Oreos, and HamburgerHelper) and anything else that's been in there longer than you can remember.Th en stock your pantry with these face- friendly staples:

Cooked and Canned TomatoesTomatoes are packed with the antioxidant lycopene (for extra UV protection),and I keep every variety in my pantry. Sun- dried tomatoes are great inomelets or pasta, while jarred, low- sodium salsa gives baked chicken a kick.(Desert Gardens Five Chilies Salsa and Pace Pico de Gallo have less sodiumand sugar than many prepared salsas.) In fact, when I'm headed on vacation,the two most important things in my suitcase are a bathing suit and tomatopaste. Th ree tablespoons every day at lunch— mixed into marinara sauce oron top of a pizza, not smeared on your face— helps protect against sunburn,so I come home to L.A. with a golden glow rather than looking like a lobster.Aim to incorporate tomatoes in at least one meal a day (it's surprisingly easywhen you think about it), and you'll help protect your skin from sun spots,freckles, and premature wrinkling.

CELEBRITY SKIN SECRETS—

Marina Sirtis's Kokkinisto

OK, I'll admit it. I am a total Star Trek nerd. So when I fi rstmet Marina Sirtis (a.k.a. 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