You are what you eat: you’ve heard it over and over again; so many times that it almost loses meaning. However, this old adage is an important one for anyone who is hoping to look and feel better. Your lifestyle directly impacts how you look and how healthy you are, and nothing is more important to lifestyle than your diet. And, no part of your body reflects poor diet more than our hair and skin. Dull, brittle hair, and hair loss can often be side effects of a poor diet.
Changing your diet may prevent or delay a costly hair transplant, and will certainly get you looking and feeling better about yourself and your hair.
Are You Getting Enough Protein?
One of the reasons your hair may seem dull or luster-less is because you aren’t consuming the right amount of protein in your daily food intake, says the BBC’s Good Food page. If your hair breaks easily, try increasing protein-rich foods in your diet. Protein-rich foods include red meat, of course, but also dairy products and eggs. Getting enough protein in the diet to satisfy your hair can be a particular problem for people who are vegan or who prefer to eat vegetarian meals. Nuts, seeds and soy products all provide healthy amounts of protein, as do whole grains such as oats and legumes such as chickpeas and lentils.
Are You Getting Enough Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is the go-to remedy for staying free from colds in the winter—but it also plays an important role in keeping your hair healthy. That’s because vitamin C helps your body absorb iron in your diet, and having a healthy iron level in your blood helps feed your hair follicles, which in turn reduces the potential for hair loss. Orange juice and other citrus fruits are good sources of vitamin C, and you can also get high levels of this nutrient from berries and tropical fruits such as papaya and guava.
Are You Getting Enough Fat?
Many of us try to cut back on fat in our diets, in order to eat more healthily and to lose weight. However, certain fats contribute to your hair’s well-being, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids. That doesn’t mean that steady meal choices of hamburgers is going to give you a head of hair worth bragging about though—it’s the fats in foods like walnuts, salmon and avocado that will make our hair shine and grow.
Also, be aware that sudden weight loss can cause hair loss. If you have recently been dieting or exercising with a goal of losing weight, you may experience unusual changes in your hair that will go away or level out once your body gets used to your new regimen.
Are You Getting Enough Biotin?
Biotin is another important nutrient for your hair—and for your overall health. Biotin is a vitamin in the B family that our bodies make naturally. Adding more biotin-rich foods to your diet, and using products that contain biotin on your hair, often gives good results when you’re trying to improve your hair’s look, feel and health. Peanuts and eggs are good sources of biotin, as are almonds, cauliflower and some berries, such as raspberries.
Take care of your diet, and you’ll also be taking care of your hair!
