HAIR CARE · DIET & HEALTHY HAIR

Eat your way to beautiful, healthy hair. Just like your body, your hair also needs a balanced diet to stay healthy.

Diet solution for dry and brittle hair:

If your hair is dry and breaks easily, it is probably a lack of essential fatty acids. By including plenty of good sources of essential fatty acids in your diet you can give your hair back its strength and lustre.

You can find these essential fatty acids in oily fish such as tuna, sardines, trout, salmon, herrings and mackeral. Also in seeds, nuts, olives and avocados. You should try to eat four servings of oily fish a week.

Sprinkling flaxseed oil and pumpkin seeds over your morning cereal is another great way to get these much needed essential fatty acids in your diet.

To keep your hair well hydrated, be sure to drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water ever day!

Another nutrient important for hair strength and growth is trace mineral silica. Silica is vital to the strength of hair, and can stop hair breakage, unfortunately many of the foods we eat in the western world lack this mineral. Through food processing and chemical soil treatments, trace minerals are rare in our diets.

When possible, always choose organic produce. Foods that a rich in silica are rice, oats, lettuce, parsnips, asparagus, onion, strawberry, cabbage, cucumber, leek, sunflower seeds, celery, rhubarb, cauliflower and green, leafy vegetables.

Diet solution for greasy and lanky hair:

A lack of vitamin B in ones diet can lead to oily, greasy hair. To fight off greasy hair, be sure to eat lots of whole grains, nuts, seeds, dairy products, eggs, wheatgrem, legumes and green, leafy vegetables. These are all great sources of B-complex vitamins.

Also steer clear of oily foods where possible.

Diet solution for hair starting to turn grey:

Although the link between premature greying and diet hasn't been established, evidence does suggest the amino acid tyrosine - which acts as a precursor to color producing pigments in the hair and skin - can help!

Diet solution for hair that is starting to thin and fall out:

Thinning hair or hair loss may be a sign of iron deficiency. Be sure to eat plenty of iron rich foods, such as red meat, eggs, legumes, wholegrain cereals, dried fruits and green, leafy vegetables.

Since hair is composed mostly of protein, your hair will most likely respond well to the addition of high protein foods such as meats, eggs, cheese, seeds and nuts. These protein-rich foods can help reinforce the hair follicles and prevents the hair from falling out.

There is some evidence suggesting soya protein helps stimulate growth, so switch to soy milk and include some tofu, miso and soy beans in your diet.

Vitamin E is found in green, leafy vegetables, nuts and grains and can also help hair loss. Hair loss can also be a sign of thyroid dysfunction. To stimulate the thyroid gland, eat foods rich in iodine such as seafood and kelp.

Also including iron and B vitamins in your diet will help. Stick to a diet rich in antioxidants - fruit, vegetables and tea - to help slow the ageing process in general.

Foods, Vitamins and supplements to help hair growth

Hair is mostly protein, so nutritionists advise those wanting healthy hair to eat well balanced diets that include healthy proteins, along with foods high in vitamin B, C, E, A and K.

Your hair will most likely respond well to the addition of high protein foods such as meats, eggs, cheese, seeds and nuts. Fish has good protein as well as essential fatty acids and natural oils.

Vitamin B - Green vegetables, beans, sunflower seeds, nuts and peas.

Vitamin C - Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, melons and berries.

Vitamin E - Avocados, rice bran, nuts, dark green vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

Vitamin A - Carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, broccoli, cantaloupe and apricots.

Vitamin K - Seafood, dairy, figs, asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, brussel sprouts, cabbage, dark green leafy vegetables, oatmeal, soybeans, wheat, yoghurt, egg yolks and liver.