How to Do Gwyneth Paltrow's "Clean Beauty" Diet for Amazing Skin

As anyone looking for a healthy glow knows, the wildly prolific (and true!) adage “great skin comes from within” isn’t just lip service. You’ve got to chew and swallow the healthy intention, too. And creating meals around skin-boosting ingredients are kind of Gwyneth Paltrow’s forte.

The wellness-loving entrepreneur’s progressive nutrition preferences star in her cookbooks, particularly It’s All Good—and in her latest publishing endeavor, GOOP Clean Beauty, where she and her editors share detoxing recipes for getting great skin (and tons of natural skin-care advice, too).

“I’m a believer that wellness and beauty start in the gut,” Paltrow tells us. “Because, in this modern world, we deal with a host of toxins we were never meant to metabolize, gut function can become compromised and can affect the way we look and feel.”

Photo: goop press/Grand Central Life & Style

Eating clean beauty foods gets to the root of the reason you’re buying moisturizers anyway: “A diet rich in nutrients and poor in processed foods is optimal for getting that lovely glow. Processed, fried and fast foods can create a host of free radicals which research shows can cause signs of aging.”

In these detox recipes, there’s no old school ideology here, no deprivation or suffering. (So stop it, if that’s where your head goes on January 1—or any day of the year!) It’s just about swapping out the foods that could interfere with what’s going on with your otherwise gorgeous face.

Here’s Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1-day menu for amazing skin—in five easy recipes.

Photo: Brigitte Sire

1. First thing in the morning: Canarino

It’s always a good idea to start your day with canarino while detoxing, as the alkalizing lemon helps balance pH in the body, and the vitamin C helps neutralize harmful free radicals in the skin. While a room temperature glass of lemon water works just fine, we’re particularly into this soothing, warm Italian tea. The goal is to remove the colored part of the peel of the whole lemon in one continuous piece, but don’t worry if your peeler skills aren’t that good—you’ll still get all the benefits. Serves 2.

Ingredients
1 unwaxed organic lemon
Boiling water

1. Wash the lemon and carefully peel it, trying to leave as much white pith as possible on the lemon.

2. Place the lemon peel in a small teapot and fill with boiling water.

3. Let sit for 5 minutes to steep before drinking.

Photo: Brigitte Sire

2. Breakfast: Acai bowl with bee pollen

This acai bowl is packed with antioxidants, which are essential for fighting skin-damaging free radicals. The seed mix adds a really nice crunch and is also a delicious snack on its own (but you can substitute with your favorite granola, too). Add a spoonful of almond butter on top for an extra protein boost after a workout. Serves 1.

Ingredients

For the toasted seed mix:
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon buckwheat groats
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon hemp seeds
½ teaspoon coconut oil
Generous pinch kosher salt
½ teaspoon honey

For the bowl:
1 (3.5-ounce) frozen acai pack
1 banana, cut in half
2 tablespoons coconut water
1 tablespoon coconut milk, optional
1 tablespoon coconut flakes
2 tablespoons blueberries
1 tablespoon bee pollen
Manuka honey, optional

1. To make the toasted seed mix, heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add all of the ingredients except the honey and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, until nicely toasted. Add the honey, turn off the heat, and stir to combine. Remove the mixture to a plate to cool and crisp up. Once cool, use your fingers to break it up into little pieces.

2. To assemble the bowl, break the acai pack into pieces and combine in a high-powered blender with half of the banana, the coconut water, and coconut milk (if using). Blend on high for 2 minutes, until smooth.

3. Thinly slice the other half of the banana. Transfer the acai mixture to a bowl and top with the sliced banana, 2 tablespoons of the toasted seed mix, the coconut flakes, blueberries, and bee pollen; drizzle over a little manuka honey if you like it sweet.

Photo: Brigitte Sire

3. Lunch: Hand rolls

Hand rolls are an awesome detox lunch or snack—they’re crunchy, satisfying, and actually fun to make. Plus they’re extremely versatile, as you can fill them with any raw or cooked vegetables you like. Just be sure your veggies are all roughly 2 inches long and 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide so they fit nicely in the hand roll. Serves 1-2.

Ingredients

2 nori sheets, cut in half to make 4 (7½ × 8-inch) rectangular pieces
1 cup cooked brown sushi rice
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Sesame seeds
Veggies of choice, such as thinly sliced avocado, julienned cucumber, grated carrot, lightly steamed asparagus, shaved radishes, julienned bell pepper, sprouts, shredded cabbage, etc.
2 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or lemon juice
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1. Place the 4 nori sheets on a flat surface and spoon ¼ cup of rice on the right side of each one. Wet your fingers with water, and spread the rice into an even square over the right half of each nori sheet. Sprinkle with the scallion and some sesame seeds, then arrange your vegetables of choice along the center of the square of rice.

2. Starting at a bottom right hand corner, carefully roll up the nori and rice toward the upper left hand corner, wetting the nori with water so it sticks as you roll. Repeat to make 4 rolls.

3. Combine the tamari, vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl and serve on the side for dipping.

Photo: Brigitte Sire

4. Snack: Detox truffles

These raw, three-ingredient truffles are the perfect bite to satisfy your detoxing sweet tooth. We recommend making a double batch and keeping them in the fridge so you’re always ready to combat those cookie cravings. Makes 24 small truffles.

Ingredients

12 pitted dates
¼ cup raw cacao powder
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus extra for rolling

1. Blend the dates, cacao, and coconut in a food processor until smooth.

2. Wet your hands with water and roll the mixture into 24 small balls (about 1 teaspoon each), then roll each one in additional shredded coconut to coat. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Photo: Brigitte Sire

5. Dinner: Grilled salmon and avocado salad, 2 ways

Salmon and avocado are two of the most omega-3-rich foods you can eat, and all that healthy fat not only tastes amazing, but does wonders for your skin and body. Here are two versions of grilled avocado and salmon salad, one with an Asian twist and one with a lovely charred citrus dressing. Each recipe serves 2.

Asian Salmon and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

¼ cup soy sauce (or tamari if on a detox)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the grill pan
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons mirin
2 small or 1 large clove garlic, finely grated
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1 firm yet ripe avocado, quartered
2 handfuls baby spinach, washed and dried

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, mirin, garlic, and ginger in a glass measuring cup or small bowl. Pour half of the dressing into a shallow bowl, add the salmon, and turn to coat. Marinate for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush it lightly with olive oil.

3. Add the salmon and avocado quarters to the pan and grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until the salmon is cooked to your liking and the avocado has nice grill marks.

4. Toss the spinach with the reserved dressing to taste and top with the grilled salmon and avocado.

Citrus-grilled Salmon and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium shallot, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 ripe yet firm avocado, quartered
1 Meyer lemon, cut in half
1 tangerine, cut in half
2 handfuls mixed greens (such as mizuna and arugula)

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

2. Brush each salmon fillet with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the sliced shallot with 1 teaspoon of the oil and a pinch of salt and set aside.

3. When the grill pan is hot, add the salmon and avocado quarters and cook for 3 minutes on the first side. Flip to the second side and add the sliced shallot and citrus halves (cut sides down) to the grill pan. Cook everything for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the salmon is cooked to your liking and the avocado and citrus have nice grill marks.

4. Squeeze the grilled citrus over the mixed greens and toss with the remaining tablespoons olive oil, the grilled shallots, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon and avocado over the greens and serve.