Nutrition for Good Hair
As a Health and Nutrition Coach I speak to people all the time about the benefits of good nutrition. We talk about high energy, gorgeous glowing skin and weight control. But very seldom do we get into the topic of “good hair”. We all know that our health affects our hair, but as a nutrition goal? Well, it takes a pretty long time to see results. Hair grows about 6 inches a year.
Last week, I went to my hair stylist for a little trim and when she was finished blowing it dry I looked up from my iPhone. “You know”, my hair stylist said, “this is really healthy hair. It’s about two years worth of healthy hair.”
Two years worth? What had changed?And then it dawned on me– this was my “great nutrition hair”!
It’s been two years since I tweaked my already rather healthy diet, and got serious about adding in more greens and veggies. It’s been two years since I began making daily smoothies by juicing greens, vegetables, fruit and plant based protein. It’s been two years since I began eating more raw foods, and taking in more antioxidants! And here was the payoff looking back at me from a salon mirror in downtown Manhattan.
About a decade ago, I was convinced that my hair couldn’t grow past my shoulders. It was dry and dull and broke off easily. I really believed that my good hair days of my youth were behind me. Friends tried to tell me that it happens when you highlight your hair, or that it’s all part of the dreaded “aging” process. But the truth was that my hair had been a direct reflection of the turmoil my system was going through at the time.
After improving my diet, and my health, my hair gradually came back to a version of it’s younger self. And here it was in really good condition again. Two years worth of phytonutrients from greens and vegetables now formed into vitamin rich healthy locks. The Pantene people may not be knocking down my door anytime soon, but for me this is good. And I’m feeling really happy about it. We really are what we eat!
If you want healthier hair from the inside out, here’s my recommendation:
Eat a diet consisting of primarily whole foods, limiting the processed stuff. Eat lots of organic vegetables and fruits. Variety in your diet is the key to insure that you are getting a broad assortment of nutrients to feed your hair follicles, as well as the rest of your body. Here are some whole foods to add in to your diet:
• Whole Grains for Iron, Zinc and B vitamins
• Greens for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Protein and Silica
• Carrots and sweet potatoes for Vitamin A
• Nuts and beans for Zinc and Protein
