Eating is crucial to what goes on inside the body. It also has a lot to do with appearance and vitality, too. Skin is bombarded daily with the stressors of pollution, the natural aging process and environment, in particular the sun, cold, humidity and wind. The rate of skin cell damage begins to exceed the rate of repair after about 27 years of age. Poor nutrition accelerates this damage. The good news is that the right nutrition can help.

Lately I’ve been thinking about Island hearts. With the opportunity to write this, my first Gazette article and the launch of what I hope will become a regular column about nutrition, I’d like to focus on our community of hearts.

What can we as individuals do nutritionally to protect and strengthen them? There are dozens of foods known to help fight heart disease, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke. What follows are a few of my favorites, with some tips on how to include them in your diet.