The Perricone Diet was created by a dermatologist, Dr. Nicholas Perricone. Unlike other diet programs that aim to help a person lose weight, the primary goal of the Perricone Diet is to help a person have a longer and healthier life. Not only can the Perricone Diet help you have a longer and healthier life, but it offers quite a few benefits for good skin- ultimately making the skin smoother and looking younger.

Another principle of the Perricone Diet advocates the intake of vitamins and supplements rich in nutrients and a host of healthy types of foods specifically geared to combat aging. Dr. Perricone believes that a person can age gracefully without wrinkles and disease, hence, the introduction of the Perricone Diet.

The Inflammation Theory of Aging

The Inflammation Theory of Aging is the basis of the Perricone Diet. Dr. Perricone believes that the foods we eat can cause inflammations in many parts of our body, and this inflammation can adversely speed up the process of aging. There are obviously many bad choices that one can make when it comes to food, and these bad choices is what contributes to us looking old, as well as making us more susceptible to disease. The Perricone Diet aims to ultimately decrease or eliminate these inflammations in our bodies and give us a body that is not only healthy, but combats the aging process as well.

Common Inflammatory Foods to Avoid

Here is a short list of foods that are labeled "inflammatory". These foods should be avoided under the Perricone Diet:

1. Foods rich in carbohydrates, especially ones with very high glycemic indexes.
2. Foods rich in sugar.
3. Foods rich in sodium.
4. Foods rich in bad fat (LDL).

Following are a list of anti-inflammatory foods that you can safely eat daily to increase your health while combating inflammatory foods.

1. Carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index such as whole grain carbs.
2. Foods that are high in antioxidants such as fruits and vegetables (refrain from eating dried fruits).
3. Foods rich in protein, especially fish which contains Omega-3 fatty acids and is universally praised for being good for the body.
4. Low-fat foods.
5. Consume plenty of fluids each day, especially water (8- 8 ounce glasses of water each day for adults).

Perricone Diet Pros

The Perricone Diet can have a beneficial impact on an individual- if your goal is to live longer and also have healthier looking skin. Some of the purported benefits include:

1. The ability to get rid of inflammation in the body
2. Increased metabolism
3. Improved function of the heart
4. Increase in the functioning of the immune system
5. Healthier and younger looking skin
6. Loss of weight
7. Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
8. Reduce the risk of cancer