There are myriad health products on the market today that throw around promises ofskin hydration, wrinkle prevention, sun protection, etc. Some of these lotionsand potions sell at a whopping ?10 per gram (and you thought the oil price wascrazy!) and yet the manufacturers can provide little proof that it actuallyprovides the plethora of skin maintenance benefits it claims to.

So, before you buy into the hype and spenda bundle of your hard-earned cash, why don't you head down to your local health shop and see what their health food section has on offer? Tohelp you on your way we have compiled a handy little shopping list. Thefollowing health foods all pack ahefty nutritional punch and are tasty to boot:

1.      Tomatoes: Great in salads, awesome in pasta sauces and simply delicious onits own with a sprinkling of salt, these ruddy beauties are a powerful weaponto have in your skin maintenance arsenal. The colourful pigments that are thesource of the tomato's distinctive colour are great for replenishing theantioxidants your skin needs to battle harmful free radicals that wreck havocwith your skin's internal structure and causes everything from unsightlywrinkles to dryness.

2.      Grapefruit: Vitamin C keeps supportive collages fibres supple and strong,which in turn keeps your skin from sagging. Since the body can only store asmall supply of vitamin C at any given time, it is up to you to make sure thatyou replenish it regularly. Citrus fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C,so make sure to include a source in your diet every day. Grapefruit is a goodchoice ? half a grapefruit delivers approximately 50 mgs of vitamin C, which isroundabout 80% of the daily recommended intake for an adult.

3.      Green tea: EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) is a potent antioxidant found intrue teas (i.e. green, black and white tea) and an all-around good guy when itcomes to battling the effects of skin aging. It counteracts the inflammatorychemicals associated with acne, aids in preventing skin cancer and socks a bigone to potential tumour cells. What more could you ask for?

4.      Broccoli: The bane of many a pubescent child's existence, these friendlylittle trees actually constitute a nutritional powerhouse. In terms of skinhealth, it contributes a much-needed supply of vitamin A that is associatedwith skin growth and cell turnover. When your body experiences a vitamin Adeficiency you can look forward to tough, dry skin ? a look that isn?tflattering at any age.

5.      Salmon: Cold water fish constitute a nutritional double whammy. It is agreat source of both protein and essential Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 is invaluablein the fight against inflammation, which is considered to be the big nasty whenit comes to all kinds of skin degeneration; while protein is required to repairdamaged skin cells and to produce the hormones that keeps you all healthy andglowing.

And there you have it ? five yummy health foods that should make a regularappearance on your health storeshopping list. Happy munching!