Fall is officially here and it’s time to get glowing! Saying goodbye to summer also means saying goodbye to my naturally sun-kissed skin. I used to turn to sunless tanners and tan towels (better than tanning beds!) but recognizing that what we put on our skin is just as important as what we put in our bodies I now try to steer clear of products with chemicals and labels where I can’t even read the ingredients. There’s nothing wrong with leaning on some natural bronzers and my favorite natural illuminizer, but feeding your body (and skin) tons of alkaline foods like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, oranges, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and beets during the colder months will work wonders.

Many of these “skin foods” can also be applied directly to the skin and doing so provides an instant boost of radiance. The best part is you probably have these ingredients already stocked in your kitchen. I had some cooked pumpkin leftover from making these pumpkin muffins last week so I turned to skin-care expert (and my facialist) Poppy Stockwell to see what she recommended I whip up for my skin. She knew exactly the mask to make – healing, hydrating and naturally exfoliating – it’s the perfect formula for unmasking glowy skin. Poppy was kind enough to share a run-down of the key ingredients and why they are all so amazing:

PUMPKIN is rich in enzymes, beta-carotene, amino acids and antioxidants to fight the appearance of aging by creating cellular turnover and collagen production.

ORANGE is rich in vitamins (specifically C), antioxidants and polyphenols for protective benefits as well as increasing cellular turnover.

MANUKA HONEY is hydrating, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory.

COCONUT OIL is hydrating, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

If you follow me on Instagram, it’s no secret that I love sweetgreen! I’ve been going for years since they opened their first shop in Georgetown. Naturally, all of us from DC were beyond excited when they opened up in New York, and without a doubt, I always run into a DC friend when I’m at one of the NYC locations. It only seemed natural that I ask them to contribute the first recipe to my new series #RecipesRevealed, where I’ll be featuring recipes and dishes from my favorite restaurants in the city and beyond.

One of the reasons why I love sweetgreen so much is because of the value they put on incorporating local + organic seasonal produce. Their menu actually rotates 5 times a year in accordance to local growing seasons! It’s incredible, but I have to admit I go into a bit of mourning when it’s time to say goodbye to my favorite seasonal salad, like this one (it left the menu on Tuesday). I made sure to snag the recipe for us so we can make it at home whenever the craving strikes.  Plus, I top everything with miso-ginger dressing so I had to check-out their signature recipe! You’ll love this one.

In my small NYC kitchen, there are only so many appliances I can keep on my precious counter space. My blender has turned into my one stop shop for both smoothies and juices (I take the extra step of straining out the pulp for juices).  I like having the option to do either, especially on the days when I don’t feel like taking that extra step. So for this recipe, it’s up to you! It can either be enjoyed as a juice or a smoothie. I love it as a smoothie – it keeps it packed with fiber, which helps to balance out the natural sugars in the fruit. But admittedly, the pulp may be too much for some people, so if you’re not into pulp, simply strain out the juice. This recipe is a great liver detoxifier so sip up after a long night out, or when your liver and skin need a little extra love.

Greens and grain bowls are my go-to weeknight dinners. They are so simple, hearty, and maybe most importantly can be repurposed for lunch and stretched into a number of tasty meals. The roasted cauliflower in this recipe pairs perfectly with the nutty, garlicky grains (an idea I borrowed from 101 cookbooks). Heidi’s method adds so much flavor to the grains that I may never eat them any other way! You can really use any type of grain here. I love using mixed grains and I often pick up Whole Food’s Super Grains for this recipe (it’s a mix of white quinoa, red quinoa, millet, and buckwheat).

These little bon bons are the real deal. My friend (and roomie) is an avid dessert lover, and she keeps me in check with her skepticism when it comes to replacing butter, sugar, and cream with ingredients like dates, almond butter, and coconut oil. She was pleasantly surprised as she exclaimed they really tasted like salted caramel!  I spiked them with a two of my favorite mood-boosting pantry staples from Moon Juice – cordyceps and ashwaganda. Cordyceps is a mushroom that boosts the immune system and increases strength, stamina, energy, lung and brain function, while ashwaganda is a potent calming root, alleviating depression and improving sleep.  That might just be why we were so happy after we ate them.