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.