According to Ayurvedic principles, bitter foods, which are lacking in most diets, help tone skin and purify the body. Foods that taste bitter, like parsley, cranberries, spring greens and bitter melon, typically contain potent antioxidants and other phytochemicals like flavonoids and polyphenols which aid better skin and health.

1. Add bitter melon to your next curry or stir-fry.
2. Use spring greens as a natural wrap for burgers or wraps.
3. Add parsley to your green smoothies.

Try this Prawn Fried Rice recipe.

Sour Foods are another important group that, according to Ayurveda, can help cleanse the liver. Sour foods such as tomatoes, lemons, grapefruit, star fruit, tamarind and fermented cabbage often include important vitamins like A and C.

1. Squeeze lemon juice into water.
2. Add tamarind paste to soups.
3. Eat a cup or so of fermented cabbage with your dinner.

Try this Chicken With Lemon And Olives recipe.

In ancient Chinese medicine, mushrooms are regarded as tonics. They are one of the few food sources of vitamin D, which is important to keep bones and muscles beautifully strong. Certain varieties are believed to help improve skin and hair.

1. Slice raw mushrooms into salads.
2. Add freshly sliced or dried mushrooms to your soups.
3. Bake, steam, or saute mushrooms for a side dish.

Try this Pickled Mushrooms And Duck Noodles recipe.

Like brown rice, black rice offers various beauty benefits, such as fibre and minerals, including manganese and iron. Research has proven that a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health-promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than a spoonful of blueberries, but with even more fibre and vitamin E.

1. Add black rice to bean, lentil or veggie soups.
2. Stir-fry black rice with some coconut oil and veggies for a healthy “fried rice”.
3. Cook mixed grains rice by mixing black rice into brown and white.

Try Martin Yan’s Black Rice Pudding recipe.

These tiny powerhouse greens not only help you look more beautiful but also makes beautiful garnishing for simple dishes. They contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts; for example, red cabbage microgreens have 40 times more vitamin E and six times more vitamin C than mature red cabbage.

1. Toss microgreens into your salads.
2. Add them to wraps and burgers rather than regular lettuce.
3. Top soups and any entrees you serve with them.

Try this Minted Red Cabbage Salad recipe.

New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has studied aloe, including the plant’s extracted juice, for potential effects on dry skin, psoriasis and other skin issues, along with internal issues like constipation and diabetes. Aloe juice is quite different from topical gel versions, so make sure the label specifies use as a dietary supplement or juice.

1. Dilute it into water along with some freshly squeezed lemon and sip.
2. Add small amounts of it into smoothies.
3. Drizzle a little of it over salads.

Try adding to this Morning Cleanse recipe.

Packed with minerals such as calcium and magnesium, B vitamins, enzymes and all the essential amino acids, maca, a Peruvian root, can help balance hormones and stimulate and nourish your body to bring beautiful balance throughout your entire system.

1. Enjoy a delicious smoothie of maca blended with bananas and almond milk or coconut water.
2. Stir into your herbal teas.
3. Sprinkle over porridge oats.

Try adding to this Bircher Muesli recipe.

Believe it or not, weeds can help you look and feel more beautiful. Purslane, dandelion greens and fat-hen are allparticularly beauty-boosting weeds which are especially high in nutrients and antioxidants.

1. Add to smoothies.
2. Lightly steam or sauté.
3. Add to soups.

Try adding to this Fennel, Zhucchini And Scallop Soup recipe.

Methylsulfonylmethane, also known as MSM, has a lot of health- and beauty-enriching properties. It contains sulfur, which helps with the proper functioning of proteins in your body. It is also known to have anti-inflammatory an antioxidant effects and is said to aid circulation. Some of the richest natural sources of MSM include tomatoes, raspberries, apples, Swiss chard and alfalfa sprouts.

1. Snack on lots of fresh raspberries and apples.
2. Add chopped tomatoes to your soups or stews.
3. Blend Swiss chard into your smoothies.

Try this Raspberry Ripple Cake recipe.

Because white tea is less processed than black tea and contains less caffeine than green tea, while containing more antioxidants than both, it is a great choice for keeping your skin youthful and protecting your vitality.

1. Drink a cup of organic white tea to start your day.
2. Add sliced ginger, turmeric or lemon to a cup of white tea for after dinner.
3. Use it to infuse smoked meats with fragrance.

Try this Tea-Smoked Trout Salad recipe.