TOP 7 VEGAN FOODS FOR HEALTHIER, LONGER HAIR
Hi Guys! So, a blogger on CurlyNikki made a post about the top 7 foods for healthier, longer hair. Yes, it's true, you are what you eat. Your hair is not only a reflection of you, it's a part of you. Here's the top 7 vegan foods for healthier, longer hair:
1. Water
The number one, although it's not a food, is the same as their list. Drinking water keeps our body and our hair hydrated. This is the hardest thing for me personally, so I've been working on it. In fact, I've created water challenges to help myself as well as others that either forget to drink water or just don't like it. Check out my Facebook Events or Google Plus Events if you're interested in doing a water challenge with me. We can do a gallon water challenge or drinking the right amount of water for your weight. Telling someone to drink 8 cups a day is not sufficient because it might be too little or too much. You have to calculate the proper amount for your body. If you don't know the right amount for your weight, you can do a simple calculation:
Divide your weight in half to get the minimum amount of ounces of water to drink each day. Take the amount of ounces you are supposed to drink each day and divide it by 8 to get the amount of cups to drink in a day.
2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Iron, Vitamin D
Their answer is Salmon for healthy scalp. However, for those of us on a vegan-diet, I would recommend tofu, flaxseed oil, and mushrooms for this category. Tofu has a lower calorie count than salmon; in fact, it has 1/4 of the calories of salmon. A serving size of Tofu is 128 g, whereas a serving size of salmon is 178 g. Tofu has significantly less omega-3 fatty acids than salmon; however, it has way more omega-6 fatty acids than salmon. Tofu also has significantly more iron than salmon.
Flaxseed oil beats both salmon and tofu significantly in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 and -6 helps keep your hair strong. The omega-3 and -6 is in flaxseed oil is different than salmon; however, inside the body, it changes to the same as found in salmon. Try sprinkling ground flaxseed oil in your smoothie, drink mixes, oatmeal, etc. Also, there are no cholesterol in tofu or flaxseed oil, whereas salmon is high in cholesterol (112 mg per serving). Flaxseed oil has no sodium, tofu has 15 mg per serving of sodium, and salmon has 109 mg of sodium per serving. By the way, a serving size of salmon is 1/2 a fillet. Other sources of omega-3 includes nuts.
Green leafy vegetables, seaweeds, and wheatgrass are rich in iron... Oh, always try to eat iron-rich foods with foods that are high in vitamin C because C helps your body absorb the iron.
As far as vitamin D, besides natural sunlight or various fortified foods you can buy or certain fish or supplements, the vegan natural alternative food source for vitamin D are certain mushrooms like Portobellos and soy milk. Please also note this study on African Americans and vitamin D:
3. Biotin, Vitamin B, Protein
Their answer was Chicken and Eggs for all three; their main focus for vitamin B is B7 (Biotin) and B12 (Cobalamin or Panthenol) to help hair and nail growth since they are both composed of protein. Too little biotin can lead to hair loss. Once again, their food choices are high in cholesterol, sodium, and calories. Good vegan sources rich in biotin includes: wheatgrass, nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, etc), carrots, yeast and grains, walnuts, spinach, Swiss chard, whole wheat bread, soy beans, mushrooms, avocados, fruits and vegetables, etc. Since B7 is Biotin, let's move on to B12. Besides eating fortified foods or supplements, vegan sources for B12 includes soy products and nutritional yeast. Vegan foods sources for protein includes wheatgrass, soy, tofu, beans, lentils, and nuts. Seitan is really high in protein and it has a meat texture, as well.
4. Zinc, Vitamin C
Their answer is beef and Oysters. The benefit to zinc is that it helps prevents hair loss and dryness; it helps gives it that natural luster. The vitamin C helps the zinc absorb into your body. Once again, high cholesterol, sodium, and calories. Not to mention other health problems with eating red meat. Besides fortified foods, vegan sources for zinc includes wheatgrass, tofu, beans, nuts, seeds (sunflower, chia, etc), brocoli, and oatmeal. As far as vitamin C, I don't even know where to start because I get more than enough vitamin C within a day. Okay, if you eat lots of fruits and vegetables, you're good in this department. If you want me to break it down, here you go: wheatgrass, strawberries, acerola cherries, citrus fruits, papayas, kiwi, bell peppers, green leafy vegetables, etc, etc. You can even get vitamin C from certain herbs like cilantro, thyme, parsley, chives, basil, etc.
5. Biotin, Vitamin E, Zinc
Their answer is actually, eating nuts and I agree. Nuts are great sources for biotin, vitamin E, and zinc. I would also add foods like wheatgrass, wheat germ, leafy greens like spinach, etc. There are many benefits to vitamin E, which includes preventing hair thinning, stimulating hair growth, preventing premature graying, healthier scalp, etc.
6. Folic Acid, Iron, Biotin
Their answer is lentils and I agree. Folic acid is essential for hair growth and cell renewal. Lentils is a good source for folic acid, iron, and biotin. Although lentils include all these beneficial nutrients like fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins, they are still low in calories and contain virtually no fat. You may also want to add wheatgrass.
7. Vitamin A
Their answer is carrots and sweet potatoes. I have to say, without eating either carrots or sweet potatoes, my vitamin A intake is always on point just by eating my green leafy vegetables alone. A really good source is wheatgrass. Vitamin A prevents dangerous free radicals from damaging our hair. While it's protecting our hair from damage, it also helps your hair produce sebum (your natural hair oil) for healthy shiny hair.
Bonus: Silicon
I would also like to add silicon (silica) to the list. Silicon is NOT SILICONE. Silicon is used for hair loss; it improves hair and nail quality.
---------------------------
Questions/Comments
Comment below with your plant-base food recommendations to add to this list or if you have any questions about my recommendations.
No comments:
Post a Comment