1.

cup fat-free low-sodium beef broth Salt Ground black pepper

2.

to 3 large sweet potatoes (about 1 pounds), cubed and boiled (or softened in the microwave) .

cup 1% reduced-fat b.u.t.termilk or reduced-fat sour cream

2.

egg whites

2.

tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Cheddar or Swiss cheese

1.

tablespoon grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat a 6- to 8-cup ceramic or gla.s.s gratin dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the turkey, and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the turkey is browned, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

3. Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, thyme, and paprika. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the broth and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the turkey is cooked through and a light sauce forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes with the b.u.t.termilk or sour cream until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a large metal bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt on high speed until stiff but not lumpy, 4 to 6 minutes. They should cling firmly to the side of the bowl when tilted. With a spatula, gently fold the egg whites, one-third at a time, into the sweet-potato mixture, until all the egg whites are just incorporated and not deflated.

5. Spread the meat mixture into the prepared ca.s.serole dish, and top with the sweet-potato mixture. Sprinkle with the Cheddar or Swiss cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the potato topping is puffed and browned around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING.

403 calories, 41 g protein, 44 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 61 mg cholesterol, 368 mg sodium, 6 g fiber SOUTHWESTERN TURKEY MEAT LOAF.

My recipe has less than half the calories of traditional meat loaf. If you'd like to kick up the heat, add a few hits of hot sauce to the meat mixture or serve with super spicy salsa (like we do in my house). Thanks to the extra bonus of soluble fiber from added oatmeal and corn, your waistline and blood sugar BOTH benefit!

Makes 4 servings

1.

pound lean ground turkey

1.

cup instant oatmeal .

cup fat-free milk

2.

egg whites

1.

small red onion, minced .

small green bell pepper, minced .

cup fresh corn kernels or thawed frozen corn kernels

2.

cloves garlic, minced .

teaspoon sweet chili powder .

teaspoon ground c.u.min Salt Ground black pepper

5.

tablespoons jarred salsa, plus more for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat a 1-quart loaf pan with cooking spray or line with aluminum foil.

2. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, oatmeal, milk, egg whites, onion, green pepper, corn, garlic, chili powder, and c.u.min. Season with salt and pepper. Press the turkey mixture into the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil.

3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Remove foil and cover with the salsa. Bake, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the center is no longer pink. Serve immediately with additional salsa on the side.

PER SERVING.

254 calories, 34 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 46 mg cholesterol, 193 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

PART THREE.

LOOKING GREAT.

CHAPTER 4.

BEAUTIFUL SKIN.

Everybody wants beautiful, healthy skin-especially women, many of whom are concerned (dare I say obsessed?) with signs of aging. Though I doubt it's high on the list of things people name when they're asked what first attracted them to another person, we all want that luminous glow from within. I know because people approach me all the time with questions about skin health-not just in my office, but at c.o.c.ktail parties, on the street, during interviews, and even backstage during my television appearances.

Their interest is perfectly logical. Skin is, quite literally, the face we show to the world. It is our sh.e.l.l, the most exposed part of us. It is our first line of physiological defense as well as exquisitely sensitive to touch and temperature. It reflects our state of health, capable of turning yellow from liver toxins, red from a rush of blood, blue from a lack of oxygen, or grey from cell death.

But all this versatility and responsibility goes largely unappreciated. Most of us care mainly about the superficial beauty of skin. There's nothing wrong with that. Beautiful skin is healthy skin. If battling acne or wrinkles makes you want to eat healthier...if the search for clear, smooth skin leads you to exercise more...I can't see anything wrong with that! What's good for your skin is good for the rest of you too.

WHAT AFFECTS SKIN HEALTH?.

In the search for more beautiful skin, the two main concerns are acne and wrinkles. Acne happens when hair follicles (sometimes called pores) become blocked with natural oils. If the pore is open to the air, the clog will appear as a blackhead. But if oil is trapped below the surface of the skin, it provides a nice little breeding ground for bacteria, leading to pimples-skin eruptions that can look red and inflamed. Because hormones affect how much oil your skin produces, acne is more likely to flare up during times of hormonal upheaval, including adolescence, pregnancy, and premenstrual weeks, as well as times of stress.

Wrinkles are a fact of life. As we age, collagen and elastin, the substances that keep skin firm and elastic, gradually decrease. Fat pads in the face also thin out. Without this underlying structure, skin sags, creases form, and-ugh!-we have wrinkles.

How quickly your skin shows signs of aging is largely determined by genetics, but the process accelerates if your skin is somehow damaged. Skin damage occurs as a result of oxidation oxidation, a chemical process in which unstable molecules called free radicals free radicals steal electrons from healthy cells. On the skin, oxidative stress can appear as wrinkling, thickening, discoloration, and decreased elasticity. The most damaging oxidative factors are smoking and sun exposure, and the extent of the damage depends on how long and how much you smoke, how much time you spent in the sun, and how many severe sunburns you've had. steal electrons from healthy cells. On the skin, oxidative stress can appear as wrinkling, thickening, discoloration, and decreased elasticity. The most damaging oxidative factors are smoking and sun exposure, and the extent of the damage depends on how long and how much you smoke, how much time you spent in the sun, and how many severe sunburns you've had.

Cigarette smoke fills your body with free radicals. Every lungful sends free radicals coursing through your blood stream, where they can damage every organ in the body, including your skin. Smoking also impairs blood flow to the skin, starving the cells of nutrition and oxygen. It also damages the underlying collagen and elastin, and keeps your skin from its natural renewal process. These problems evolve slowly, so the damage to skin can take up to ten years to appear. Unfortunately, those effects are irreversible. To prevent skin damage from cigarette smoke, including wrinkles, don't smoke and don't spend extensive amounts of time in smoky rooms.

Sunlight, as pleasant as it is, is a form of radiation. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, to be more specific. UV radiation not only causes free radical damage, it can cause cells to mutate. With enough mutations, cells can turn cancerous. So excess sun exposure is a triple threat: sunburn in the short run, wrinkles in the long run, and the possibility of skin cancer to boot.

HOW FOOD AFFECTS SKIN.

Skin is built from the inside out. Day to day and year to year, skin draws its healthy glow from good nutrition. Even though acne and wrinkles have different causes, and occur at different times in our lives, nutrition can help minimize or prevent both these problems and enhance your skin's natural beauty.