Nutrition & Beauty
We spend hundreds of dollars and hours of our time for the beauty products we put on our face or hair. We read a bunch of blogs and watch YouTube videos, but do we spend enough time to think about the nutrition we put in our bodies to make sure our hair and skin stay healthy? It seems like, these days, whatever the question is, the answer is eating healthier.
We used to be told that, food wouldn’t cause pimples or that what we ate wouldn’t change how fast our hair grew or how healthy it was. Well, all of these ”facts” have been debunked over the last decade and we now have more information on how we can have and maintain healthier skin and hair by eating certain foods that are rich in specific vitamins and minerals.
The foods that are good for your skin tend to also be good for your hair and even nails.
The reason for this is:
These foods are good for your health overall.
Much like your skin, your hair also loses volume, elasticity and shine with age and some of these foods are strong antioxidants.
The foods below promote collagen production. Collagen keeps your skin look young and hair full.
Your skin the biggest organ you have and it is under constant contact with things like clothes, hands, objects and dirt. We have to keep an eye on it from an early age. It is so easy to irritate and damage.
On top of all of that, we put makeup on our faces almost every day and let’s confess, sometimes we are too lazy to even take it off before we go to bed. Whether it is spots popping up on every corner of your face or the crow’s feet you’ve started to notice at an unfairly early age, it is safe to say that our faces go through a lot throughout the day.
However, our skin is not alone when it comes to being vulnerable to damage. Our hair has to live with us removing its natural oils every other day with shampoos and conditioners, exposing it to the cruel, dry heat from hair dryers and styling tools and putting it through the chemical processes like perming and coloring.
We are not about to tell you to walk around naked, never go under the sun, or not to bathe or wash your hair. We just want you to know there are things you could add to your daily skin and hair care routines to make sure they can come out of all of that and still be as healthy as ever.
I dedicated some time into researching the foods that are rich in the vitamins and minerals our skin and hair need the most. So, if you have thin hair and don’t want it to be thinner or thick, glamorous hair and want to keep it that way, by simply incorporating the foods below in your weekly diet, you can get a step closer to your #hairandskingoals.
So, without further ado, here is what to eat to get and maintain healthy skin and hair:
SKIN
Avocados: Imagine eating guacamole to get better skin. Well, it is possible. Avocados are good fats. They hydrate your skin and get rid of the fine wrinkles as well as provide extra protection from sun damage under UV lights. Eating avocados sounds like an easy and delicious anti-aging secret to keep. Especially since not many secrets include tortilla chips.
Seeds and Almonds: We’ve heard about putting Vitamin E oil on your face for UV protection and overall skin health but sunflower seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds etc. will also benefit your skin in the same way thanks to the Vitamin E you will get from them.
Whole grain foods: Yes, regular pasta, white rice and white bread are all really tasty. However, eating whole grain versions of them will keep your blood sugar stable and minimize the possibility of getting a sugar rush. When we get a glucose rush, the sugar creates tiny little molecules that block your pores, leaving you with dull, lifeless looking skin. To avoid this, keep your rice, pasta and bread brown (and no, not by using Nutella).
Dark Chocolate: Oh, what is this? More good news? Yes. Dark chocolate has great amounts of calories antioxidants. It helps improve your skin elasticity and of course gives you a big smile because yum! Try dark chocolate with orange pieces in them, a personal favorite and a boost of Vitamin C. Just make sure not to overindulge, especially if there is a lot of sugar in the brand you chose, and you will be enjoying your dark
chocolate with clearer, younger looking skin.
Protein: Eggs, meat, tofu or however else you like your protein, the key to glowy skin is protein. Protein keeps your skin strong, minimizes the pores and gives your face a little, extra color.
HAIR
Spinach: Iron is heavily present in spinach and other dark leafy greens. Our hair is second-fastest growing tissue on our bodies, after bone marrow, and needs a lot of iron to grow. Iron rich foods such spinach and kale will help your natural hair growth to be healthier and stronger.
Oranges: Or tangerines or grapefruit or lemons! Citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C which your hair needs for iron absorption, collagen production and protection from the harmful UV lights. It really is nice to know that these delicious fruits to also offer so much help for our health and beauty.
Carrots: If you want your hair to grow faster and you are doing everything you can to make it happen, we have another item to add to your shopping list. Carrots! Filled with lots of vitamin A, a vitamin known to help hair growth, carrots are a great source of nutrition for your hair.
Walnuts and Pumpkin Seeds: Using walnuts and walnut oil to grow your hair has been a thing in Asian cultures for centuries. Walnuts are great because of the fatty acidic content to help grow your hair faster, stronger and shinier. Eating walnuts or using walnut oil on your scalp will greatly benefit the health of your scalp and hair follicles. Pumpkin seeds are also full of zinc to help grow your hair faster.
What to Avoid?
If you are going on a clear skin or healthy hair diet or just incorporating these foods into your daily eating habits to make sure your skin and hair are both as healthy as possible, there are some foods you might want to avoid.
Sugar: Like we mentioned above, too much sugar causes dull looking skin and blocked pores. Avoid sugar or decrease your sugar intake if you notice little white or red bumps on your skin and feel like your old dewiness is just not there anymore. Sugar also hinders the absorption of protein, leaving your hair thin and weak.
Milk: One of the biggest causes of acne and premature wrinkling is dairy. Especially milk. There are things called androgens in milk that gather fat and cause acne on your skin as well as causing inflammation for people suffering eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions. Switch to Almond milk for better skin and health care (and taste but that’s debatable).
Spicy Foods: Another major cause of inflammation of the skin or sensitivity and redness is, spicy foods. Spicy foods alert your nervous system for something possibly going wrong and trigger redness.
Alcohol: Zinc is necessary for healthy hair growth. Alcohol hinders your zinc levels and dehydrates your skin and hair. Dry hair is easily broken just like dry skin. Decreasing your alcohol intake won’t just make you look younger 10 years from now but also help make sure you’re not thinning!
Diet changes can be scary! Cutting down on alcohol and sugar for your hair and skin may sound like a drastic change, but the results will be well worth it.
Most of the foods above are delicious and rich in fibers that help you digest and process food better. Remember, antioxidants help you get rid of that excess water weight that we all get. Who knows, maybe you’ll start doing some yoga or even a juice cleanse.
So drop that chocolate milk and pick up some dark chocolate and fruit juice to get that glowing skin and shiny hair.
