Why is that? Because it’s flattering of course, a tan is even youthful, at least until next year when the deep wrinkles show up.

I wish I hadn’t baked myself in my youth. The result is my dried out, deeply lined skin which is there forever regardless.

Why didn’t I listen to my mother? She begged me to wear a hat, she warned me that I would end up with “lizard skin” and she was right. My face shows clearly that I spent my life in the hot sun. Not a good look, believe me.

And if you’ve ever had a cell carcinoma removed from your skin you have a taste of what the sun can really do.

Nothing beats the tried-and-true basics of wearing sunscreen and wide-brimmed hats, keeping covered, and avoiding the sun during peak hours. Now a recent study suggests a possible 50 percent risk reduction link between a greens-rich diet and lower squamous cell carcinoma. Eating more leafy greens certainly couldn’t hurt.

More advice I ignored was eating lots of green leafy vegetables. Here’s a quick recipe from EatingWell.

Creamy Spinach Dip
1 small shallot, peeled
1 5-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed
1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
6 ounces baby spinach
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Pulse shallot and water chestnuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper and pulse until just combined. Add spinach and chives and pulse until incorporated.

They’re packed with the amino acid tyrosine, and are an excellent source of pro-vitamin A.

For Smokers
If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as mustard greens, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life.

While studying the relationship between vitamin A, lung inflammation, and emphysema, Richard Baybutt, associate professor of nutrition at Kansas State University, made a surprising discovery: a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency.

Baybutt’s earlier research had shown that laboratory animals fed a vitamin A-deficient diet developed emphysema.

His latest animal studies indicate that not only does the benzo(a)pyrene in cigarette smoke cause vitamin A deficiency, but that a diet rich in vitamin A can help counter this effect, thus greatly reducing emphysema.

Serving Suggestion

What you need

• 1 bunch mustard greens
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• zest from 2 lemons(you can freeze the juice to use later)
• 3 T olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

What you do

• Wash greens several times
• Slice crosswise into 1 inch wide ribbons, discarding stems
• Heat olive oil in large frying pan, add garlic and lemon zest and saute 1 minute
• Add greens and saute about 5 minutes
• Serve tossed with cheese

On my pantry shelf I found a can of crab meat and some cans of chicken soup. I almost always have these staples alongside of the cans of tomatoes, tuna and smoked mussels, the packets of rice, noodles and pre-made lasagna,.

Papaya and Crab Meat Supreme

What you need

• 6 1/2 ounce can crab meat, flaked
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 lime
• 2 ripe papayas, halved and peeled

What you do

• Mix crab meat and celery and put aside to chill
• Slice lime in half and add juice from one of the halves to the crab meat and celery
• Pile in papayas and garnish with wedges of lime, cut from the remaining 1/2 lime.

Chicken Soup with Green Papaya

What you need

• 2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons salad oil
• 1 small piece ginger root, crushed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 medium size cans of chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 large green papaya, sliced with rind and all seeds removed

What you do

• Season chicken with salt and pepper
• In a large saucepan or pot, heat oil and brown chicken
• Add ginger and onion; cook until onion is transparent
• Add broth and water
• Cover and simmer for 1 hour
• Peel papaya and cut into small pieces
• Add papaya to soup and cook 5 to 10 minutes or until papaya is tender

Bon appetit