Natural beauty from head to toe: five health tips you'll love. (Healthy Lifestyles).

Most mainstream beauty products are quick fixes in a bottle. But the lasting effects they have on your looks--and health--may not be so beautiful. Consider these five steps to natural beauty--they'll give you a fresh start on looking good and feeling great.

1. Eat Well

Magazines, newspapers and television shows have bombarded you with information on the importance of eating fruits and vegetables every day. But to create a change in the way you look and feel, you need to go a few steps further.

One painless way to develop a healthier diet is to go organic. Food labeled "organic" is produced according to guidelines established by the Organic Food Production Act, passed in 1990 and administered by the United States Department of Agriculture. Switching to organic food reduces your potential exposure to pesticides and herbicides--since they are not used by organic farmers--and also contributes to a cleaner, more biodiverse environment. And certified organic foods have not been intentionally altered at the genetic level, a practice that may have deleterious effects for humans and the earth, although scientists continue to debate this. Regardless, a recent review of 41 studies by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore concluded that organically grown produce contain higher levels of most minerals and vitamins--especially magnesium, iron and vitamin C--than their conventional counterparts.

Whole foods are the perfect complement to eating organic because they retain built-in nutritional benefits. Whole foods have not been overly processed. For example, white flour--which begins as a wholesome grain but is then processed into the white fluffy powder you buy--offers little, if any, nutritional value. Whole grains, on the other hand, are good sources of minerals, vitamin E, the B vitamins and fiber. And watch out for those so-called healthy bars you snack on to satisfy your sweet tooth; sugar--whether it's cane juice, brown rice syrup or molasses--is still sugar. "Excessive amounts of sugar can overstimulate hormones and deplete certain vitamins and minerals," says Elson Haas, M.D., director of the Preventative Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, Calif.

It's equally important that you rid your diet of transfats--hydrogenated oils commonly found in margarine and commercially prepared baked goods. Read labels, and look for the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated"; they're everywhere. Studies have shown that transfats may contribute to heart disease. Opt instead for monounsaturated fats, such as olive or canola oil, which are thought to reduce blood levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol.

2. Pitch the Bad Stuff