Diet and your hair

Your diet and your hair…

There has been buzzing about diets and hair in a lot of my natural hair online communities.  This sparked my own curiosity since it is the New Year, and of course there is always a new recycled resolution.  Mine has been not to embark on the latest diet, but to experience an overall lifestyle change.  This encompasses all areas such as better budgeting, better eating, better job etc…

I started my lifestly change by vowing to pack my lunch instead of buy my lunch when I am at work.  I figured this will not only get me to start eating healthier (since there are really no CHEAP healthy options around me!) but will also save me money.  Since going natural I can definitely without a doubt confess that I am obsessed about everything hair.  Therefore, it was only natural to see what food I could pack in lunch bag that will not only makes my insides healthy, but make my outside shine! 

How does your DIET affect your Hair?

There is more to healthy hair than loading products on—you have to watch what you put in your mouth as well.  Whatever you put into your body is displayed outward—Our skin and hair is the tattletale sign for when we have been neglecting our diet.  It is important to maintain a nutritious diet so that your body can develop healthy cells and tissues—exactly what hair is made out of!

Diet plays such a crucial role in your hair because your body requires the right amount of vitamins and minerals to create strong cells.  Remember, your hair is an extension of your inner workings. If you deprave your body or do not make smart healthy choices, your hair will suffer.  People who go on crash diets cutting out the very vitamins their body require, often report hair loss or brittle and broken hair.   

                                                     What should your diet contain?

First of all, every diet needs to have the right amount of proteins.  Proteins build cells and contain amino acids that are crucial to hair growth! These amino acids can be found in meats, fish, poultry, dairy; and eggs.  Vegetarians can utilize soy, nuts, grains and seeds.  Dieticians believe that at least 15% of your calories must come from food that is rich in protein.

Many of today’s low carb diets may lead you to reach your weight loss goal, but at what cost?  Who wants to be bald headed (said with much love) and skinny? Carbs are beneficial to the growth of body tissue and also provide the body with B vitamins (all B vitamin complexes aid hair growth).  Instead of cutting carbs completely out of your diet, opt for smart carbs.  Smart carbs could be using brown rice or couscous instead of the starchy white rice. 

Too much sugar can rob your hair of vitamin B as can refined carbs (examples of refined carbs:::sweeteners such as syrup and sugar, beverages such as beer, wine, soft drinks and non-organic100% natural juices; and canned veggies and fruits).  This also refers to sugar filled granola bars and other snacks. 

Opt for a Healthier Lunch…

The above picture is the simplest visual explanation of what your plate should be looking like.  The biggest portion should be fruits and veggies.  I suggest to start packing your lunch with this food item first, then your meat; and lastly your starches.  If you did not cook fresh veggies you can always substitute this with canned veggies.  I can easily eat an entire can of French style green beans with a serving of baked chicken (don't forget about Tuna as an option!)

My MONDAY-FRIDAY Menu

Breakfast- If you do not eat with in the first hour of waking up you will be on the cycle to gain weight.  I personally wake up STARVING.  I normally wakeup about 40 minutes earlier than I have to, turn on the news and prepare something in my juicer (normally a fruit blend), followed by a glass of water.  When I reach work I will normally have some oatmeal, farina, egg whites/toast (just one lol) and a side of fruit (banana, orange, apple).  This will normally hold me over until 12pm.  If I think I am hungry I normally will drink a glass of water first.  More than half the time you think you are hungry, you are really thirsty. 

Lunch- Whatever I had for dinner.  This normally includes a protein (baked pork chops, baked chicken) that is well seasoned (my island vibes lol) and a veggie.  If it includes a starch it will be healthy (couscous or whipped sweet potatoes as an example)

Snack- I LOVE to snack which makes the after lunch hours pretty difficult.  I always bring nuts or a side salad to work.  You can also have some low fat string cheese, yogurt, wheat thins, cheese crackers or other healthy options. 

Dinner- Looks prettymuch like lunch.  If I do not want to cook I would whip up some tuna or chicken salad.

***Be careful with the amount of salt that you put in your food--salt makes you bloat becuase it makes you retain water***

!!!!!::::WATER:::!!!!!!

                                                         YOU CAN DO IT!

I CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT WATER IS!!! I have written a separate post on the importance of water (http://curlykinkyqt.blogspot.com/2011/12/hi-naturalistas-as-human-beings-we-are.html)

It is important that you drink at least 2 liters of water daily to keep your body hydrated.  During my online searches I can across an interesting tidbit.  You are supposed to drink half your body weight in ounces daily!  Therefore, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should be drinking a minimum of 100 ounces of water daily.  I have personally done this and Let me TELL YOU!!! My hair and skin have NEVER looked better! Once you cut those sodas and fatty, sugar filled juices out of your diet you will see such a difference!!

Make yourself a personal pledge (or with a buddy or online community) to eat and drink your way to longer, healthier hair!!

Hi Naturalistas!!!

As human beings, we are made up mostly of water. We need to drink water for health, and it is necessary for life. However, many do not drink enough water each day, resulting in bloating, weight gain and illness as the body tries to hold on to as much water as it can get. Some people dislike the taste of water and choose not to drink enough.
The human body is generally composed of approximately 60-80% water. When deprived of adequate water to sustain cell health and reproduction, the body becomes dehydrated, which directly impacts hair growth.
In my ongoing search for a miracle fast hair growing product I started by researching “natural hair growth” and I was bombarded by various hair vitamins and other grow hair fast remedies. As I continued to pour over countless articles, there was one main ingredient that kept coming up……WATER! When one is chasing long, beautiful tresses, they will often reach for hair vitamins but skimp on an important ingredient. A natural "miracle" that supports hair vitamin consumption is surprisingly water. You can be sucking down fistful of hair vitamins and related hair growth supplements, but if you are not downing enough H2O to meet your body's daily minimal levels, your cells that drive hair growth will not even reproduce and your hair will become parched. Lack of proper daily water supplies creates another problem with the membranes that cover all cells including skin cells, the cells that cover the scalp and impact the hair roots.

The amount of water that one should drink daily has always been the traditional 8 to 10 glasses per day. However, in my research I came across a surprising fact. The best way to avoid dehydration of your body, skin and hair is to drink lots of water, especially on hot, dry and windy days. Water is always the very best option as compared to other liquids such as juice, tea, coffee or soft drinks

“Experts agree that the amount of water one needs for health and ideal weight is half of one's weight in ounces of water each day. For example, a person weighing 160 pounds would need to drink 80 ounces of water daily. A 100-pound person needs only 50 ounces of water total for the day. You will learn ways to make it easy to drink the required amount of water each day to keep your body healthy, hydrated and at your ideal weight.”
(Read more: How to Drink Half Your Body's Weight in Ounces of Water Each Day | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2300792_drink-half-bodys-weight-ounces.html#ixzz1gM5aj79t)


Since reading this article about 2 months ago and drinking at least 100 ounces per day, I must say that my hair looks healthier and my face is SUPER CLEAR!!!! I have lost 9 pounds and I must say, I feel GREAT!!! Although, I do use the bathroom OFTEN, I would say that if you can drink that much GO FOR IT! When I first started drinking water it was VERY difficult to drink so much! However, I just kept thinking about the benefits it would bring to me.


The easiest way I drink that much water is to buy the biggest bottle of water Poland spring sells (50 ounces) and I drink two-three of those per day!





Easy ways to drink water:

1. Add lemon to your water. This will not only make it go down easier, but is also good for weight loss. Lemon is a natural diuretic and will allow you to lose your water weight easier.



2. Try and drink “warm” water. It is easier to get the water down than to drink a glass of ice water.



3. Carry your water in a reusable bottle, that way you can fill up at your job’s water cooler.

4. If you are a coffee or tea drinker, add an extra glass of water after drinking each cup of coffee or tea with caffeine. Water is lost when drinking caffeinated beverages, and this is a way to ensure you are still getting enough water.

5. Try and drink the most water when you are nearest a bathroom! You WILL be making frequent trips to flush all of those TOXINS out your body!!

DRINK UP LADIES AND HAVE A FABULOUS DAY :)