During these sweltering summer months your hair can take a brutal beating from the sun; top that off with routine blow drying, straightening, and curling and you've got yourself a recipe for one head full of damaged hair. We've all heard the age old topical tips for maintaining a healthy main (flax seed oil anyone??) but did you know that you can begin to bolster your crowning glory by eating vitamin and mineral rich foods? Foods that are high in vitamins and minerals such as beans or salmon can help put you on the right track for long, shiny and healthy hair (which is the style of the fall right now...for all of my trendy readers) and keep you there for life!
Generally, hair grows about six inches a year. However, the growth rates vary from person to person and heredity plays a vital role in your hair's look and growth rate. Hot oil treatments, deep conditioning treatments, and regular trims help with hair growth but feeding your hair from the inside out is the best way to maintain your hair's health. Here are nine super foods that will help you achieve and maintain your healthiest tresses throughout the seasons.
Salmon contains the omega-3 fatty acid that make for a healthy scalp. Omega-3's contain rich amounts of B12 and iron which have great impact on hair nourishment and growth. If you suffer from a dry or itchy scalp, chances are that you could be deficient in your essential fatty acids. Dull hair could be another tell-tale sign that you should include more healthy fats in your diet.
Beans:
Beans are rich source of fiber and soluble fiber. 9 to 13 grams of fiber can be found in one cup of cooked beans, talk about an easy way to get your protein; not to mention they taste delicious! The rich source of protein that beans provide help support your hair's growth and most definitely have a positive impact on your hair's strength. They also include biotin, iron, folate, zinc. FYI: Deficiency of biotin or protein may lead to brittle hair.
Whole grains:
Iron, vitamins B, zinc are the property of whole grains which play important role in your quest for long and healthy hair. Whole-grain products including whole-wheat bread and fortified whole-grain breakfast cereal gives healthy does of B vitamins, iron and zinc. From the ingredients list, you can indentify products of whole grains.
Nuts:
Feed your stomach with walnuts (very filling) as it contains omega-3 fatty acid along with alpha-linolenic acid which assists to increase the length of hair. Essential mineral, Selenium, helps give you a healthy scalp (a mineral also found in Brazil nuts). Other nuts like almonds, pecans, pistachios and cashews are good source of zinc that makes your hair smooth.
Low-Fat Dairy:
Calcium is another significant mineral for hair growth; low-fat dairy products including yogurt and skim milk are rich source of it. Personally I hate milk so I prefer to take a vitamin D supplement, but they also have high-quality protein sources such as whey and casein. Cottage cheese is also a great way to get your daily calcium.
Seeds:
Oils derived from seeds are great method to make your hair long and healthy. Morning snacks can be prepared by putting flaxseed oil in oatmeal and even your salad. You can also take sesame and pumpkin seeds as a mid day snacks ( my fav!)
Carrots:
The condition of your scalp plays an essential role in the health of your hair and carrots are rich source of vitamin A which supports healthy scalp as well as vision. Carrots can be consumed in many different ways; raw, steamed, cooked, blended, etc. They aren't my favorite veggie, but when you blend them in a smoothie carrots add the perfect amount of sweetness. Carrots are also rich with minerals, dietary fiber and antioxidants (and who doesn't need those?).
Vegetables:
Dark green vegetables like broccoli, swiss chard and spinach includes vitamins A, C, calcium and iron. These vitamins make up the oily substance secreted by the hair follicles known as sebum. Sebum works as a natural hair conditioner. Legumes such as kidney beans and lentils also contain many of the same nutrients.
Eggs:
Eggs are high in vitamin B12, biotin and protein. However, it's levels depend on the way they are cooked. Use little oil or butter to cook it (I prefer to use coconut oil) to keep your eggs as healthy as possible. The nutrients found in eggs help bolster and maintain the strength of your hair as well as shine. People have also been known to crack open an egg and use it topically as a conditioning mask.
No comments:
Post a Comment