 Writer Joy Dillow DuPuis has great skin, and says we can have it, too, with just a few lifestyle tweaks. (One of which happens to taste great!) photo by joy Dillow DuPuis Joy’s Joyful Green Drink Juice all the ingredients and serve immediately. This elixir can also be prepared in a high-speed blender. Just blend until smooth, and serve. Serves 1 1 big handful of kale Nutrient-packed with vitamin K and A, a cup of raw kale provides 80 mg of vitamin C, almost the entire recommended intake for the day. Vitamin C helps make the collagen needed for skin strength. ½ of a cucumber Very hydrating, and it also contains silica, which is famous for its amazing skin-toning benefits. 1 handful of spinach The perfect skin-care food. It is very alkaline and helps keep your body’s ph balanced. It’s also full of protein. 3 stalks of parsley Rich in vitamin C and known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties which help prevent acne and disinfect pores. 2 green apples This adds sweetness that makes the juice more palatable. It’s also a great colon cleanser. ½ of a lemon Despite the sour taste, lemons are alkalizing and they make the green juice taste vibrant. A few mint leaves What is a green drink without mint?! It is cooling and a great anti-itch remedy. It is an excellent skin cleanser and an antiseptic. | by Joy Dillow DuPuis The old adage “beauty is only skin deep” alludes to the superficiality of physical beauty, but as many of us know, glowing skin starts from within. All the expensive creams purchased in search of that glow are not as important as what we put inside of our bodies, including not only the foods we eat, but the thoughts we think. Our inner dialogs—whether focused on pain, anger, grief or peace, joy and contentedness—eventually show on our faces. This isn’t to suggest trashing the creams (they are important, too!), but nourishing ourselves on the inside is where real beauty begins. Here are some ideas for kickstarting that inner glow. Choose Happiness. It was Father Alfred D. Souza who inspired me to stop waiting in my swirl of stasis for my life to begin. Reading his words, I felt like they were written just for me: “For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me see that there is no way to Happiness. Happiness is the way. “ Find Your Therapy. Whether it be music, yoga, bubble baths, or reading, discover what soothes, stimulates, and sustains you. My therapy is yoga. As a child it was gymnastics and then track and skiing. After a long hiatus from exercise I chose yoga. It has changed my life because it is movement with meditation, a combination that makes me feel like I was taking care of myself. Sleep More. A rested body is a rested face. Can’t sleep? Consider 5-HTP, a plant-based amino acid that can help “reset” the body as if it had slept. Drink Green Juice Daily. It’s the most nutrient dense drink you can put in your body for over all health, for which your skin will thank you. Try sipping it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (see Joy’s recipe, left). Make Healthier Food Choices. Don’t deprive yourself, but find quality substitutes for treats. I love sweets and have fallen in love with raw desserts. My recipe for Key Lime Pie could even be considered “skin-healthy” because it contains alkaline limes. Our bodies can get acidic from eating processed food and drinking soda and coffee, but a ph of 7.3-7.4 keeps diseases at bay because it is harder for them to flourish in an alkaline environment. |
| Joy Dillow DuPuis realized a long time ago that she was passionate about many things in life and could not choose just one. So food as medicine became the top mantra along with homeopathy, yoga, writing and being the person to a Leonberger, a mutt and three cats. She is the founder of Tempehgirls.com, but says her most important role is being mom to singer-songwriter Annika, and wife to Steven. She lives in California, and never plans to leave after a brief detour of five and a half Chicago winters. |  photo by Steven DuPuis |
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