Good Hair Day
If you dread split ends and dried-out hair after a day at the beach, or find that the sun isn't kind to your tresses, or discover that the partial weave doesn't look as good as in the magazines, there's a better alternative to hair extensions, minoxidil, and high-priced salons. You may be having a bad hair day because of the foods you eat.
Studies by hair loss prevention researchers at MMT Research Inc. found that bad hair days abound when we don't get enough vitamins or protein. Bad nutrition causes hair loss (androgenic alopecia). In the April 2003 issue of Better Nutrition, zinc, for example, inhibits high levels of DHT, a form of testosterone that is linked to hair loss. Other inhibitors are amino acids such as L-arginine, essential fatty acids such as omega-3 (found in fish), lecithin, B vitamins, lutein, sulfur, iron, and minerals that help your magnificent mane. You can find these hair helpers in:
- Beans
- Whole grains
- Eggs
- Salmon
- Raw nuts
- Flax and pumpkin seeds
- Berries
- Dark greens
Salmon and greens also provide calcium for your teeth, so you're helping your hair and teeth. Berries are high in cancer-preventing antioxidants, and dark greens also contain lutein, which halts blindness and cataracts. So when you eat all of the above, you'll have a great hair day and look like you just had a day at a luxury spa.
In 2004, Dr. Nicholas Perricone's bestselling book, THE PERRICONE PROMISE, outlined a diet for hair that differs from the 2003 recommendations. Perricone's hair diet may seem as much of a fairy tale as Rapunzel. (Remember, though, Rapunzel's mom wisely decided to eat greens during pregnancy!) Dr. Perricone's top ten hair superfoods are no secret to health enthusiasts:
- Acai berries that contain powerful antioxidants
- Allium foods-onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots with powerful bioflavonoids
- Barley rich in niacin, which helps hair growth
- Wheatgrass, spirulina, and algae that cleanse the hair of toxins and provide essential fatty acids to build hair protein
- Buckwheat (eat your pancakes), which Perricone says is richer in vitamins, flavonoids, and minerals than other grains (except barley)
- Beans and lentils, for the same reasons as the 2003 study
- Hot peppers, which contain capsaicin that stops the pain so you don't tear your hair out!
- Nuts and seeds, which contain essential proteins, phytochemicals and fatty acids to build healthy tresses sand reduce signs of aging
- Sprouts-they're great for a youthful body, including the body in your hair
- Yogurt and kefir, which are said to promote longevity and health in people who live in the Caucasus Mountains in Russia-remember Julie Christie's gorgeous hair in "Doctor Zhivago"?
While you can eat your way to healthy hair, many "hair formula" supplements crowd the market. In general, a multivitamin containing biotin, especially multivitamins for women, will strengthen your hair, skin and nails. Be sure to compare vitamin supplements, and make sure you don't get an excess of vitamin D, which can lead to cancer as well as too much calcium that your body can't process. Don't count on supplements to save your hair.
Also, don't expect to look like you've just stepped out of a hair commercial after changing your diet. You'll start to see healthier hair three months after you improve your regimen. You can jazz up your beauty routine with juicing, dehydrating, and sprouting. Better nutrition will help color-treated hair maintain its bounce, too. And drinking water is always a great idea. You're worth it!
- Beans
- Whole grains
- Eggs
- Salmon
- Raw nuts
- Flax and pumpkin seeds
- Berries
- Dark greens
Salmon and greens also provide calcium for your teeth, so you're helping your hair and teeth. Berries are high in cancer-preventing antioxidants, and dark greens also contain lutein, which halts blindness and cataracts. So when you eat all of the above, you'll have a great hair day and look like you just had a day at a luxury spa.
In 2004, Dr. Nicholas Perricone's bestselling book, THE PERRICONE PROMISE, outlined a diet for hair that differs from the 2003 recommendations. Perricone's hair diet may seem as much of a fairy tale as Rapunzel. (Remember, though, Rapunzel's mom wisely decided to eat greens during pregnancy!) Dr. Perricone's top ten hair superfoods are no secret to health enthusiasts:
- Acai berries that contain powerful antioxidants
- Allium foods-onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots with powerful bioflavonoids
- Barley rich in niacin, which helps hair growth
- Wheatgrass, spirulina, and algae that cleanse the hair of toxins and provide essential fatty acids to build hair protein
- Buckwheat (eat your pancakes), which Perricone says is richer in vitamins, flavonoids, and minerals than other grains (except barley)
- Beans and lentils, for the same reasons as the 2003 study
- Hot peppers, which contain capsaicin that stops the pain so you don't tear your hair out!
- Nuts and seeds, which contain essential proteins, phytochemicals and fatty acids to build healthy tresses sand reduce signs of aging
- Sprouts-they're great for a youthful body, including the body in your hair
- Yogurt and kefir, which are said to promote longevity and health in people who live in the Caucasus Mountains in Russia-remember Julie Christie's gorgeous hair in "Doctor Zhivago"?
While you can eat your way to healthy hair, many "hair formula" supplements crowd the market. In general, a multivitamin containing biotin, especially multivitamins for women, will strengthen your hair, skin and nails. Be sure to compare vitamin supplements, and make sure you don't get an excess of vitamin D, which can lead to cancer as well as too much calcium that your body can't process. Don't count on supplements to save your hair.
Also, don't expect to look like you've just stepped out of a hair commercial after changing your diet. You'll start to see healthier hair three months after you improve your regimen. You can jazz up your beauty routine with juicing, dehydrating, and sprouting. Better nutrition will help color-treated hair maintain its bounce, too. And drinking water is always a great idea. You're worth it!
Berries, dark greens and wheatgrass are all excellent for your hair. One of the best ways to get all the nutrients from these foods (and in the case of wheatgrass, the only way!) is to juice them. But you can't juice these items in a regular centrifugal juicer. Soft fruits such as berries, leafy vegetables, and wheatgrass all require a special type of juicer to extract the juice. Below is a list of juicers that are specially designed to extract juice from these foods retain as much as possible of their valuable nutrients.
- Samson 6 in 1 Juicer GB-9001
- A low-speed, mill-type screw preserves as much flavor and nutritional value as possible. It can also extract juice from aloe and pine needles, something that no other juicer can do!
- Omega Juicer 8005
- A single gear, masticating juice extractor that turns at a slow 80 RPM to ensure that nothing is lost through heated elements in your juice. It also creates less foam than other types of juicers. Chrome finish.
- Omega Juicer 8003
- This model is nearly identical to the Omega 8005 except that it comes in a white finish. They both feature a patented two-stage system for greater juicing efficiency than older single-gear juicers.
- Green Star Juicer GS-3000
- A triturating twin-gear impeller press system has a powerful low RPM that generates virtually no heat to your juice and thoroughly crushes and presses fruits and vegetables instead of cutting and shredding them into small pieces.
- Green Power Gold Juicer GPE-1503
- A 110 RPM twin-gear system with unique infrared and magnetic technology that prolongs the freshness and storage time of your juice.
More Beauty and Nutrition Information
- 10 Foods to Eat for Younger Looking Skin
- Yep, you guessed it. One more key to younger-looking skin is healthy eating. Find out just what healthy foods are known for improving the look and texture of your skin.
- Beauty & Nutrition for Women
- Online resource for complete, unique and up to date beauty and nutrition information
- Nutrition for Beauty Course
- A correspondence course to learn everything about the link between nutrition and beauty, and earn a Certified Nutrition Consultant title.
- Hair and Skin tips from iVillage
- Tips for hair, makeup, skin and body, and more.
- Food & Nutrition Center at Mayo Clinic
- Understand the fundamentals of food and nutrition - the food pyramid, fiber, fat and cholesterol, calories, and the elements of a healthy diet.
- 7 Ways Wheatgrass Helps Your Body
- Wheatgrass can do amazing things for your body and health. That's why it's called "nature's great healer."
by LivingRight
LivingRight.com - small kitchen appliances for a healthy lifestyle. Lowest price guarantee & free shipping in the contiguous USA. Juic... (more)
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