8 foods to make you beautiful on the outside

Radiant skin, shiny hair, healthy nails and sparkling eyes: Isn’t that what every woman wants?

Although the skin-care market is brimming with products that promise all of these things, nothing makes you as beautiful on the outside as feeding your insides with a healthy diet.

“Your skin is the largest organ in the body,” says celebrity nutritionist Paula Simpson. “If you’re not nourishing your body with the right nutrients to sustain optimal health, it’s going to show on your skin, no matter what you use.”

An increasing number of studies have shown the underlying importance of “beauty foods,” super-nourishing fruits, vegetables, nuts, teas and other everyday foods that make a trip to the grocery story as vital as a day at a spa.

For example, a dull, patchy complexion can be a blinking neon sign that you’re not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in salmon. Dull hair and brittle nails? You may need to rev up your protein intake with beans or lean meats.

“These foods are going to give you the biggest punch,” says Simpson, a contributing editor for New Beauty magazine and Aesthetic Trends & Technologies. “It’s a lifestyle change, but over time you’re going to see those (skin) conditions improve.”

Most experts say eating a well-balanced diet is the best way to ensure healthy benefits, but here are some super foods Simpson says can help you put your best face – and hair, nails and body – forward.