In-and-out foods: some grub that is good to put in your body is also good on your body

Men's Fitness, Oct, 2003 by Linda Formichelli

Before you read this article, we request that you get your mind entirely out of the gutter. We're going to talk about rubbing honey, OJ and gelatin all over your body, but there's no sex involved. At least not directly. What you have here is a listing of foods and combinations of foods that are great for your insides as well as your exterior. They heal, they moisturize, they remove dead skin; and they shampoo away the grime almost as well as a lot of the more expensive treatments you can purchase. Best of all, these are all healthy foods that you have (or should have) on your shopping list or already in your pantry.

GELATIN

IN The good news: Gelatin, made from animal hooves, is full of protein, and when combined with fruity flavors as in sugar-free Jell-O, it's a low-cal treat. You can even put cut-up fruit in it, or mix it with nonfat yogurt for a healthy parfait Here's how gelatin can help you externally:

HAIR GEL

OUT It's just like your brand-name styling product, but you need a bit less than usual. "It's great for color-treated hair," says Robert Hallowell, a celebrity stylist who goes by the handle "the Kitchen Beautician" and is the creator of the Prawduct line of hair-care products. "When you color your hair, the hair cuticle stays open slightly, and the gelatin helps fill it up and give your hair a bit of weight." Bonus: This food-derived knockoff is a lot less expensive than store-bought hair gel.

Mix together:

1/2 packet unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup boiling water

Let the mixture come to room temperature. Store in the fridge. If you prefer, spritz in a bit of your cologne.

BAKING SODA AND MINT

IN "If your stomach is upset, it's giving off acidic secretions," says Tammy Baker, M.S., R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "The baking soda neutralizes that whole area." To use baking soda as an antacid, dissolve half a teaspoon in a glass of water. Take every two hours up to a maximum dosage of eight half-teaspoons per day.

To ease postprandial bloating and flatulence, try mint. Make tea by steeping one tablespoon of dried mint leaf (spearmint will work, but peppermint is better) in one cup of water and then straining it. Drink this concoction between meals, three or four times daily.

And when you mix mint and baking soda into a paste, as shown below, your teeth will thank you.

BRUSHA BRUSHA BRUSHA TOOTH POWDER

OUT If you really want to rough it, brush your teeth like your ancestors did--and save money to boot. "It's an old-time remedy from before toothpaste days," says Jim Long, author of Body Core Just for Men, which contains this and other recipes. Unlike most toothpastes, this homebrew isn't sweetened. Most of the bacteria in your mouth give off an acidic by-product that eats away at the teeth--baking soda combats this process by neutralizing acids.

Mix together:

1/2 cup baking soda

1/3 cup plain, uniodized salt

8 drops spearmint essential oil

AVOCADO AND HONEY

IN Eaten in moderation, guacamole is actually good for you, since avocado is chock-full of mono-unsaturated fat that aids health, says Kimball. Avocado also leads all fruits in levels of two compounds, beta-sitosterol and glutathione, which can help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer. But limit your intake to no more than one-eighth of an avocado (an entire one will stuff you with 400 calories and 40 grams of fat).

During endurance exercise, honey provides the same benefits as a carbo gel packet (think GU or PowerGel). "If you don't like using the commercial gels, just take a tablespoon of honey," says Kimball. Trail Foods even offers Sue Bee Honey Packs at 25 cents apiece for endurance athletes to guzzle on the run--or you can just swipe some from your friendly neighborhood diner.

Here's how to turn honey and avocado into a topical treatment:

THE HULK BODY SCRUB

OUT Avocado is full of moisturizing oils, and the honey moisturizes and nourishes while acting as a binder for all the other goop. "Honey is a highly concentrated thing," says Hallowell. "It's for the queen bee, you know." Shower as usual, then step away from the water and rub the scrub over your body--"everywhere that's not a personal tender part," Hallowell warns. Then remove it with a moist washcloth. For a longer-lasting scrub, replace the avocado with a quarter-cup of avocado oil or any light oil such as safflower.

Mix together:

1 mashed avocado

1 cup salt

1/4 cup honey

ORANGES

IN "Oranges are a really good source of vitamin C," says Baker. "You get your day's requirement from just three-quarters of a glass of orange juice." Vitamin C helps with wound healing and is an antioxidant, which means it helps delay aging and fight off illness. Of course, since it's a water-soluble vitamin, it moves through the body quickly, so drinking another glass of OJ later in the day is a good idea. But beyond your innards, here's what it can do for your outards:

SCREWDRIVER FACE TONER

OUT After washing, apply this makeshift toner all over the face with your hands, leave it on for a couple of minutes, then rinse. The alcohol will remove excess oils, the witch hazel will tighten skin and close the pores, and the juice will act as a healing astringent and exfoliant. "You might not want to use this right after you shave, because it may burn your skin," warns Long.