A healthy body is the ideal environment for healthy hair to thrive. A well balanced diet and good hydration is the secret of healthy hair. Hair loss can be due to a variety of reasons like hormonal imbalance, poor nutrition, illness or heredity, and most of these can be corrected with food. So, good hair starts with what you eat. Remember the old adage: You are what you eat.
Lack of adequate nutrients in your body will be reflected on your hair. Other symptoms may include proneness to allergies and autoimmune disorders, chronic fatigue, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, and even diabetes.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Hair Food
If your hair is THIN AND FALLING OUT:
Thinning hair or hair loss may be a sign of iron deficiency. Be sure to eat plenty of iron rich foods, such as lean red meat, eggs, legumes, wholegrain cereals, dried fruits and green, leafy vegetables.
Since hair is composed mostly of protein, your hair will most likely respond well to the addition of high protein foods such as meats, eggs, cheese, seeds and nuts. These protein-rich foods can help reinforce the hair follicles and prevent the hair from falling out.
Chicken and turkey have high-quality protein "Without adequate protein or with low-quality protein, one can experience weak brittle hair, Poultry also provides iron with a high degree of bioavailability, meaning your body can easily reap its benefits.
If your hair is DRY AND BRITTLE:
You may want to include more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, this high-quality protein source is also filled with vitamin B-12 and iron. Other good sources are tuna, sardines, mackeral, avocados, nuts, seeds, and olives.
Thinning hair or hair loss may be a sign of iron deficiency. Be sure to eat plenty of iron rich foods, such as lean red meat, eggs, legumes, wholegrain cereals, dried fruits and green, leafy vegetables.
Since hair is composed mostly of protein, your hair will most likely respond well to the addition of high protein foods such as meats, eggs, cheese, seeds and nuts. These protein-rich foods can help reinforce the hair follicles and prevent the hair from falling out.
Chicken and turkey have high-quality protein "Without adequate protein or with low-quality protein, one can experience weak brittle hair, Poultry also provides iron with a high degree of bioavailability, meaning your body can easily reap its benefits.
If your hair is DRY AND BRITTLE:
You may want to include more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, this high-quality protein source is also filled with vitamin B-12 and iron. Other good sources are tuna, sardines, mackeral, avocados, nuts, seeds, and olives.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Vitamins And Minerals For Your Hair
One of the main reasons for slow hair growth is the body's inability to provide the scalp with the nutrients required for proper hair growth. If the follicles receive necessary nutrients, new hair may grow at a faster rate. One of the most efficient ways of providing the follicles with the necessary nutrients is through the bloodstream. This can be achieved through taking various oral vitamin supplements. Some of the minerals necessary for healthy hair include calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium, silica, sulfur and zinc. We will take a look at each of these supplements and why they are important for beautiful healthy hair.
The difference between vitamins and minerals?
Vitamins and minerals are considered micronutrients which means our bodies need them in smaller amounts such as milligrams or micrograms per day. They help our bodies carry out necessary and important physiological processes.
Vitamins ("vita" = life and "amine" = containing nitrogen) are organic (containing carbon, which is an element found in all living things) compounds (containing atoms of one or more different elements). Vitamins are vulnerable to heat, light, and chemical agents, so cooking, food preparation, processing, and storage must be appropriate to preserve vitamins in food. All vitamins are essential or required by our bodies, whereas only some minerals are essential nutrients.
Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat soluble. Water soluble means water is required for absorption and excesses are excreted in urine.
Water soluble vitamins must be regularly consumed, and replenished within the body. Water soluble vitamins should be consumed or taken at divided times throughout the day. That is one reason it is best to eat a few small meals throughout the day than eat one or two giant meals. Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, and therefore they are quickly depleted.
The fat-soluble vitamins require fat for absorption and are stored in fat tissue.
There are 9 different water-soluble vitamins: vitamin C and the eight B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, folate, biotin, and pantothenic acid); and, 4 different fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Minerals are categorized as major or macro-(calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, and sulfur), and trace or micro- (iron, iodine, zinc, chromium, selenium, fluoride, molybdenum, copper, and manganese) minerals, the former needed in quantities of 100mg/day or more, and the latter required in much smaller, or "trace," amounts. Other minerals, such as lead, are contaminant minerals and not nutrients because they can cause harm by disrupting normal bodily functions and processes.
Minerals are pure inorganic elements (containing atoms of the same element), meaning they are much simpler in chemical form than vitamins. Minerals, are more stable to food preparation than vitamins, but mineral loss can occur when they are bound to other substances in foods (such as oxalates found in spinach and tea, and phytates found in legumes and grains), making them unavailable for the body to utilize.
The difference between vitamins and minerals?
Vitamins and minerals are considered micronutrients which means our bodies need them in smaller amounts such as milligrams or micrograms per day. They help our bodies carry out necessary and important physiological processes.
Vitamins ("vita" = life and "amine" = containing nitrogen) are organic (containing carbon, which is an element found in all living things) compounds (containing atoms of one or more different elements). Vitamins are vulnerable to heat, light, and chemical agents, so cooking, food preparation, processing, and storage must be appropriate to preserve vitamins in food. All vitamins are essential or required by our bodies, whereas only some minerals are essential nutrients.
Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat soluble. Water soluble means water is required for absorption and excesses are excreted in urine.
Water soluble vitamins must be regularly consumed, and replenished within the body. Water soluble vitamins should be consumed or taken at divided times throughout the day. That is one reason it is best to eat a few small meals throughout the day than eat one or two giant meals. Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, and therefore they are quickly depleted.
The fat-soluble vitamins require fat for absorption and are stored in fat tissue.
There are 9 different water-soluble vitamins: vitamin C and the eight B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, folate, biotin, and pantothenic acid); and, 4 different fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Minerals are categorized as major or macro-(calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, and sulfur), and trace or micro- (iron, iodine, zinc, chromium, selenium, fluoride, molybdenum, copper, and manganese) minerals, the former needed in quantities of 100mg/day or more, and the latter required in much smaller, or "trace," amounts. Other minerals, such as lead, are contaminant minerals and not nutrients because they can cause harm by disrupting normal bodily functions and processes.
Minerals are pure inorganic elements (containing atoms of the same element), meaning they are much simpler in chemical form than vitamins. Minerals, are more stable to food preparation than vitamins, but mineral loss can occur when they are bound to other substances in foods (such as oxalates found in spinach and tea, and phytates found in legumes and grains), making them unavailable for the body to utilize.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
LOW STOMACH ACID AND HAIR LOSS
Because stomach acid is vital to the digestive process, and therefore the release of nutrients into the body, low stomach acid can lead to many health issues. Food that is not broken down moves from the stomach, into the small intestine and colon, and then exits the body unutilized.
After eating a meal, someone who has low stomach acid may experience a feeling of fullness beyond the normal sense of fullness one feels after a meal. They may also experience bloating, belching and burning. These symptoms are all a direct result of food not being able to be properly digested because of a lack of stomach acid. Constipation or diarrhea may also be a cause for concern, as well as stools that contain chunks of undigested food.
As a result of the nutritional deficiencies that can be caused by low stomach acid, one may experience hair loss and weak or cracked fingernails. This is in addition to the more obvious symptoms, such as weight loss and feeling lethargic.
After eating a meal, someone who has low stomach acid may experience a feeling of fullness beyond the normal sense of fullness one feels after a meal. They may also experience bloating, belching and burning. These symptoms are all a direct result of food not being able to be properly digested because of a lack of stomach acid. Constipation or diarrhea may also be a cause for concern, as well as stools that contain chunks of undigested food.
As a result of the nutritional deficiencies that can be caused by low stomach acid, one may experience hair loss and weak or cracked fingernails. This is in addition to the more obvious symptoms, such as weight loss and feeling lethargic.
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