Summertime: feel-good food ideas for long, hot days.(Innerbeauty: new strategies for vibrant living)

Summer beauty food isn't merely about eating "light," it's about eating well. And it's about more than simply taking off pounds: The real goals are stable energy and blood sugar, maximum nourishment, true satiety and pleasure. Here are some strategic upgrades for your favorite foods and beverages that will give your body a rejuvenating boost while adding exciting new flavors to your summer fare.

Low-Garb Tacos & Pasta

Using low-carb foods as tools to avoid blood sugar spikes is something to consider, whether you're on an extreme low-carb regimen or not.

Just in time for summer, the latest low-oath breads, tortillas and pastas have really improved. Rudi's Organic Bakery just came out with a low-carb herb bread with rosemary that's simply delicious. French Meadow Bakery offers naturally lower-carb breads thanks to their high fiber and high protein content. Look for the new organic low-carb tortillas and pastas, too.

Decadent Summer Salads

Make healthier chef and cobb salads by using darker, organic greens and free-range and organic meats, cheeses and dairy instead of conventional fixings and iceberg or romaine lettuce. Save yourself the work by picking up bags of prewashed mixed organic greens.

Make your mayonnaise-based egg, tuna, macaroni and potato salads healthier with omega-3 fatty acid-rich mayonnaise (see sidebar). Better yet, skip the potatoes and conventional macaroni, which may drain your energy, and make low-carb pasta or protein-based salads instead. Waldorf salads (basically apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise) are a eat source of stable energy. Other ideas: avocado salads, guacamole (served with low-carb chips) and tabbouleh (buy the mix, and use lots of detoxifying fresh parsley, red onions and tomatoes).