Years ago, we thought that chocolate and french fries could cause zits. Much too late, we found that it wasn't true. What is true: Consuming a healthy diet shows on the face. To feed your skin young, read on.

Quench your skin. The GreatWater and Skin/Skin Debate has raged since your own mother was a girl. But according to Dr. Franks, "Drink, drink, drink eight glasses a day, at least." Drink more during the winter, when the indoor air is dry. "Skin continually loses moisture to the air, so it draws on the reserve of water that's in the skin's deeper layers.

Back off the booze. Alcohol dilates blood vessels. In some women, consuming more than moderate amounts of alcohol will cause their vessels to continually dilate and constrict, stretching them like rubber bands until they have no more snap, says Dr. Franks. Eventually, vessels just stay dilated, she says, leading to spider veins and broken capillaries.

Alcohol also causes the skin to lose water, "and dehydrated skin is more sensitive to sun damage," says Dr. Franks.

Eat your skin vitamins. Consume a mother lode of fruits and vegetables rich in the antioxidant nutrients vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene, says Dr. Fusco. Antioxidants; help protect skin from the damaging effects of free radicals, unstable oxygen molecules that are generated after exposure to the sun.

Strawberries, papaya, kiwifruit, navel oranges, and sweet red peppers are especially rich sources of vitamin C. Vitamin E can be found in cooking oil, wheat germ, nuts, and seeds. Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, along with deep orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and pumpkin, are bursting with beta carotene.

Take extra C. Consider taking extra vitamin C, which the skin needs to build collagen, says Dr. Jaliman. She suggests 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day. You can choose a multivitamin that contains this amount or consume a separate vitamin C supplement.

Say no no to yo yo dieting. Avoid gaining and losing weight over and over. "It leads to wear and tear on collagen and elastin," says Dr. Jaliman. Steer clear of starvation diets, too. Very low calorie diets deprive your skin of the nutrients it needs to thrive, she says.