Ten Foods to Eat for Healthy Hair

My husband has been on a real dieting kick this year. His new years resolution was to get his BMI to the mid range for his height. That meant going from 110kg to 70kg. Thats 17 stone to 11 stone in old money. So far he's lost 26kg (4 stone) and is well on his way. Having to reorganise our meals and get him to eat healthily got me thinking about healthy eating on our hair journey.

As well as improving your routine and changing the products your use, one important thing that you can  do, to maintain healthy hair, is improve your diet and limit the intake of processed foods. Here are ten food that can help start you on your healthy hair journey. Note that this has to be in delicate balance, consuming too much of any one thing can cause more problems than help.




1. Oily Fish - like salmon, mackrel and sardines - contain omega - 3 - fatty acids, vitamin B-12 and iron. Omega-3-fatty acids are needed to support scalp health. A deficiency of which can result in dry scalp (and hair) giving it a dull look. 

2. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables - these are an excellent source of vitamin A and C which the body needs to produce sebum. Sebum is the oily substance secreted by your hair follicle and is the body's natural conditioner.



3. Beans - plentiful in protein to promote hair growth, ample iron, zinc and biotin. It is very rare but a biotin deficiency can result in brittle hair.


4. Nuts - Brazil nuts re one of natures best sources of selenium, an important mineral for the health of your scalp. Walnuts contain alpha-linoleic acid (omega-3-fatty acid) and a source of zinc.


5. Poultry - foods like chicken and turkey are a high source of good quality proteins. A diet rich in protein can stimulate hair growth because the essential component of hair is protein.


6. Eggs - one of the best sources of protein. They also contain biotin and vitamin B-12. Vitamin B complex is essential for promoting hair growth.

7. Wholegrains - contain iron, zinc and B vitamins. Iron deficiency is thought to be the cause of hair loss in most premenopausal women according to a recent French study.

8. Oysters - contain zinc. (Zinc can also be found in beef and lamb). Zinc strengthens your hair follicles and may help prevent certain types of hair loss.

9. Low Fat Dairy Products - great source of calcium which is another important mineral for hair growth. Whey and casium are also high quality protein sources. Try products like cottage cheese and yoghurt.

10. Carrots are a good source of vitamin A which promote healthy scalp and good vision.



After talking about all this food, very hungry off to get a lovely salmon sandwich with wholegrain bread.

Embrace Your Inner AfroDeity 
Leilu


Sources www.webmd.com and www.livestong.com
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Iron-deficiency-leads-to-hair-loss

3 comments

Lisa Page said...

I'm constantly eating 9 out of these 10 types of food to eat and it's proven, my hair is in tip top shape with its silky strands and only a few normal hair loss per day. Thanks for pointing this out, I didn't really know these types of food helped me on maintaining body for my hair.

AfroDeity said...

Hi Lisa, I am in total agreement, when my husband said he wanted to change his lifestyle I was so pleased. I have never had to diet before but I wanted to support him. We exercise more and eat more healthily and the effect on my hair and skin is noticeable.

Healthy body, Healthy Mind, Healthy hair!!

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