Tannis begins this book with a rationale for why what we eat relates to skin health, followed by some scientific information about the skin, which is mostly review for those of us who remember high school biology. In section two, she explains the causes of skin damage, including the sun and free radical damage. In section three, she explains a study that found that consuming vegetables, olive oil, fish, and beans resulted in healthier skin, whereas eating sugar, margarine, and milk products tended to make skin look older. This section also lists “wrinkle-fighting foods,” with an explanation of why a particular food is good for the skin. Section four, about foods that moisturize, is laid out in a similar fashion, as is section five, “Foods that Tighten, Smooth, and Fight Sag.” Chapters six through eight address complexion, inflammation, puffiness, acne, and psoriasis, and which foods hypothetically are good for these concerns. The last section contains recipes containing the foods discussed in the earlier chapters.

I found this book interesting, and learned a thing or two about the nutritional content of various foods. I learned some new things about what makes skin healthy, and why skin ages the way it does (and why it ages faster in some people). This will be helpful when researching skin health in the future. The book is certainly colorful and engaging, and, most importantly, contains a lot of information based on scientific studies. The recipes look good, but I am horrible at trying recipes from health books, so I haven’t tried them.

My main problem with the book is that a lot of it seems like filler. I have studied nutrition informally since 1993, and I read news and scientific studies related to health and fitness every day. Unfortunately, a lot of what is in this book is very basic information about various foods, whether or not the information directly relates to skin health. For example, in the section about carrots, Tannis provides a brief history of the vegetable, explains the relationship between Vitamin A and eyesight, and tells us that too much beta-carotene can turn the skin orange. She then speaks of the dangers of Vitamin A overdose, which is not really an issue with carrots, because they contain pro-vitamin A (Beta-Carotene), and since the body only converts what it needs to Vitamin A, it really isn’t toxic, but nonetheless, this fact gets mentioned. Interesting? Yes, but most of this does not relate directly to the skin, and can be found elsewhere. Another concern I have is that while a lot of the information is based on direct scientific studies, much is simply hypothetical. For example, just because a food is high in antioxidants and/or Omega-3 fat does not necessarily mean it is good for the skin. Finally, with hundreds of thousands of recipes available online, I am just not that interested in buying a book that is almost one-third recipes.

Overall, this book is very informative and easy-to-read, especially for those with very little knowledge of food and nutrition, but for those who are already knowledgeable in these subjects, a lot of the material is redundant and not directly related to skin health.
Rating: 4 / 5

I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to buy this book as a gift. Emphasis

is placed on the skin throughout and it is information you can trust,

but there are other issues brought into the light of healthy food, such as menopause, cancer and blood vessels. Whatever skin problems you think you have, this book will address them from simple acne to psoriasis, from moles to sun damage, from sagging skin to wrinkles (not a very large jump when you think of it).

The truth is that there are many other books on the market where you can find this same information, but none are presented with such a lovely “face.”

The back part of the book is filled with wonderful recipes. Some are a bit exotic such as the appealing “Brussels Sprouts with Mustard and Spicy Maple Pecans,” while others are more simple, like the

“Roasted Cauliflower and Peppers.” I, personally, would find it hard to put this book on the counter in my kitchen and try to cook from it. I wouldn’t want to stain the book, so I’d probably photocopy the recipes and use them that way.

This would also be a great book to discover in a smart doctor’s office.
Rating: 4 / 5