1. SPINACH - For skin that looks 38 per cent younger in just a few weeks, add dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and kale to your diet every day. These are packed with an antioxidant called lutein that new French research reveals boosts skin hydration and elasticity, fighting wrinkles. You need 10mg of lutein to get results.

2. BEANS BAKED - kidney or butter, all of these help your body produce a vital anti-ageing substance called hyaluronic acid. When we’re born our skin is pumped full of this and it makes it look plump and smooth. As you age, levels fall, but eating plenty of beans can help replace it. Aim for at least two tablespoons of beans each day - broad or butter beans make a great substitute for mashed potatoes if you mix them with a little Greek yoghurt.

3. GOJI BERRIES - SKIN-guru Dr Howard Murad swears by the anti-ageing power of these red berries, claiming they are the most “nutritionally dense food on the planet”. Fact is, they have nearly 500 times more vitamin C per ounce than oranges - and vitamin C helps you make the collagen that keeps skin firm. They also contain linoleic acid, an essential fat that plumps skin up, making it look and feel younger. They’re most commonly used in smoothies or sprinkled over cereal - but celebs including Naomi Watts like them in salads.

4. TURKEY - This white meat contains a vital skin-friendly protein called carnosine that slows down a process in the skin called cross-linking. When this happens, fibres grow into the collagen of the skin making it stiff and inelastic. This then stops it snapping back when you do things like smile, laugh or frown - and this is what causes smile lines or crows feet. If you want to reduce your risk of these, don’t save turkey for Christmas, eat it two to three times a week.

5. FLAXSEED OIL - OIL YOU can gulp down by the spoonful, mix it into smoothies or add it to balsamic vinegar and use it as a salad dressing, but whatever you choose, have a tablespoon each day. “Flaxseed is a major source of the healthy fat omega-3,” says Suzi Grant, author of Alternative Aging “Skin cells are surrounded by a fatty layer made from this and other fats so, the higher your omega-3 intake the stronger that layer is, and the plumper your skin cells are - which helps disguise lines and wrinkles.”

6. PRUNES - ONE of the biggest causes of skin ageing is attack by substances called free radicals, that break down healthy skin tissues. Nutrients called antioxidants help neutralize these free radicals before they can do any damage - and prunes are the fruit containing the absolute highest level of antioxidants. Blueberries are a close second. Eat five to six prunes, or a small punnet of blueberries, daily to get a great health boost.

7. BEETROOT - THIS is the top choice of independent nutritionist Carrie Ruxton: “It’s not only a great source of antioxidants, all purple foods contain pigments called anthocyanins that help support collagen production in the skin,” she says. The obvious way to use beetroot is to slice it up in salads, but you can now also buy beetroot juice in supermarkets.

8. OLIVES - AUSTRALIAN researchers recently discovered the more olive oil people had, the less wrinkled their skin looked. “The oleic acid found in olives and virgin olive oil can make the difference between a complexion that looks and feels like old shoe leather - and one that looks like a rose petal,” says dermatologist to the stars Nicholas Perricone. A healthy fat, oleic acid actually soaks through the membranes of skin cells plumping them up, which then makes fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable. To build more olive products into your day use olive oil for cooking, add olives to pasta sauce and salads - or nibble on them whole as a healthy snack.

9. CHOCOLATE - In studies in Germany, it was found that after drinking a cocoa-packed drink, blood flow to the skin was boosted (meaning it gets higher levels of nutrients and moisture). It also seemed to be more protected against UV damage - the number-one skin ager. Only dark chocolate contains enough antioxidants to have effects, though.

10. RED PEPPERS - SWEET potatoes, carrots and more - it’s not just chocolate that protects skin against sun damage. Research from Dr Ronald Watson at the University of Arizona has found that the antioxidants in red, yellow and orange foods build up under the skin creating extra UV protection. “The effect is so strong that eating six portions a day for about two months will build a natural barrier equivalent to a factor four sunscreen,” says Dr Watson.

We need all vitamins and minerals for good health, well being and energy. However, particular nutrient deficiencies are associated with reduced energy and chronic tiredness. These include iron, B12, folic acid and magnesium. We will explore each of these nutrients; how they contribute to tiredness; how to test their levels in the body; and symptoms of a deficiency.

Iron

Iron is an essential mineral needed for the manufacture of hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen and is needed for energy production. When iron levels are low, red blood cells can’t carry enough oxygen to the body’s tissues, causing fatigue. When hemoglobin levels are low, anemia occurs.

There are two types of iron: heme iron (from animal sources) and non-heme iron (from plant sources). The body absorbs heme iron much more easily than non-heme iron, which is why vegetarians are at greater risk of iron-deficiency anemia.

Symptoms of deficiency: fatigue (especially on exertion); pale lower eyelids, palms, nails, tongue; brittle nails; headaches; constipation; inflamed tongue.

Testing for deficiency: iron levels are tested easily with blood samples. Serum iron – tests iron levels in the blood. Ferritin levels – test how well iron is stored in the body, the best indicator of the body’s iron levels.

Caution: Excess iron absorption (called hemochromatosis) also causes chronic tiredness so it’s important to check your iron levels before using an iron supplement.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is needed for manufacture of red blood cells (along with folic acid). B12 helps the body’s use of iron and is also required for proper digestion, the absorption of foods, the synthesis of protein and the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. No wonder it’s important for good energy levels! It is often observed that taking B12 (especially via injections) reduces fatigue, even when a deficiency isn’t found.

B12 deficiencies are common due to declining B12 levels in food, increased use of antibiotics and digestive problems. This is because B12 is produced in the digestive tract as well as being absorbed from food. Those most at risk of a B12 deficiency are vegetarians and people with digestive disturbances.

Symptoms of deficiency: fatigue, weakness, dizziness, sore tongue, memory problems, confusion, irritability, depression, moodiness, paleness.

Testing for deficiency: B12 levels can be measured with a blood test

Folic Acid

Folic acid is a B vitamin (also called B9 or folate) needed for the manufacture of red blood cells. Deficiency can lead to a condition called megaloblastic anemia. Fatigue is associated with both a simple folic acid deficiency as well as megaloblastic anemia. Because folic acid is easily destroyed during cooking, it is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies.

Symptoms of deficiency: similar to those of B12, including fatigue, digestive disturbances, insomnia, memory problems, weakness, shortness of breath, recurrent miscarriages, mental confusion, paranoid delusions, sore tongue, anemia.

Testing for deficiency: folic acid levels can be measured with a blood test.

Caution: if folic acid is given to someone who is B12 deficient and B12 isn’t given at the same time, the symptoms of a B12 deficiency (especially neurological symptoms) can be masked. Only take folic acid if a B12 deficiency has been ruled out.

Magnesium

Magnesium is needed for the production of ATP, which is the main energy-producing molecule in the body. Therefore, when magnesium is deficient our cells are less able to produce energy and we can experience chronic tiredness. It has been found that nearly all people with chronic fatigue syndrome are magnesium deficient and for about 80 per cent of people given magnesium their energy improves. In fact, magnesium is the most common nutrient deficiency in all people. Most of us would benefit from supplementation even if magnesium levels are unable to be checked.

Symptoms of deficiency: fatigue, irritability, muscle spasms or cramps, rapid or irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, insomnia.

Testing for deficiency: magnesium is not generally tested by blood test. Hair analysis is the most readily available test. Hair mineral levels are a measure of the minerals bound into the hair shaft over a period of time and correlate most closely with tissue levels. The hair analysis test can be performed through specialist laboratories.

Caution: if magnesium supplements worsen your symptoms (especially cramping, twitching and muscle spasms), calcium is probably the deficiency, not magnesium.

Please note: The information in this article is not intended to take the place of a personal relationship with a qualified health practitioner nor is it intended as medical advice.

Alison Cassar is a naturopathic practitioner and nutritionist and runs a busy clinic in Sydney, Australia. Her particular interest is chronic tiredness as it’s a very common presenting symptom in clinic. Her website and e-book http://whydoifeeltired.com/ explores the many causes of tiredness as well as solutions and prevention.