Healthy Hair, Healthy You

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wbcjnydjuwk-josh-dorazio-compressorHave you ever watched a shampoo commercial and thought, How is her hair so smooth and shiny? No one’s hair actually looks like that! You wouldn’t be alone in those thoughts, but if you thought lustrous commercial-worthy hair was only possible thanks to professional products and some not-so-secret video editing, think again. Getting soft, strong, and shiny hair that’s healthy from root to tip is easier than you think. The cold winter weather and direct heat from the hair dryer can be especially rough on hair, but they’re not the only culprits. A poor diet may be the biggest offender, so simply adopting a healthy diet of nutrient-rich foods can do wonders for your hair, turning your dry, dull strands into the luminous locks you envy on tv.

Try incorporating these six healthy foods into your diet and marvel at the transformation of your hair!

1. Chicken Unless you’re a vegetarian, you should definitely be incorporating a healthy serving of chicken into your diet to get the protein benefits it provides. But any old chicken won’t fly. Unfortunately, chicken nuggets and fried chicken are high in fat and lose a lot of their health benefits. Try tossing some grilled chicken into a salad or with some healthy grains, such as quinoa or brown rice, on the side. Chicken is a high-protein food that is rich in the vitamins folate, B6, and B12 that are crucial for maintaining healthy hair. These vitamins aid in the production of red blood cells that deliver oxygen throughout the body so a deficiency of these vitamins could result in stunted hair growth, and weak and brittle strands.

2. Chickpeas Hummus not only tastes great, but it’s great for you as well! Chickpeas, whether ground up into hummus or tossed into a salad, are a perfect healthy snack. Chickpeas are a great protein substitute for vegetarians because they’re high in folate and zinc, as well as keratins, hardened proteins that keep hair strong and durable.

3. Peanuts Salted peanuts may be high in sodium, but eaten in moderation, they are full of the vitamins biotin and folate, both great for healthy hair. Biotin, another B vitamin, contributes to hair growth and a healthy scalp.

4. Beans You know that joke about beans being good for your heart, despite causing flatulence? Well, they really are good for you, and not just your heart, but your entire body…so maybe you should have listened to your mom when she tried to get you to eat your beans! Legumes are high in folate and iron, which both contribute to healthy hair. Folate helps produce red blood cells, while iron helps blood cells transport oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body, together working to prevent hair loss and strengthen your strands.

5. Kale You probably don’t need me to tell you healthy kale is. It’s one of those green superfoods touted by nutritionists everywhere for its health benefits. You should listen up, though, because kale is rich in iron and beta carotene. Beta carotene is converted by the body into Vitamin A, which is needed for cell growth and replenishment. Without enough vitamin A, you’ll be left with a dry, itchy scalp. Vitamin A also produces sebum, a natural oil put out by hair follicles, keeping hair well-hydrated.

6. Strawberries See, this list is really not so painful, right? Strawberries are a sweet, delicious fruit and they also happen to contain a high level of Vitamin C, which helps the keep collagen (the fiber that maintains hair structure) healthy. A deficiency in this vital vitamin can cause dryness and split ends, making hair more prone to breakage. Eight strawberries is all it takes to reach the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C, so fill up on strawberries or each just a couple and wash them down with a swig of orange juice, and you should be good to go!

Who knew that healthy hair and a healthy body were so closely related? A simple diet combining high-protein foods such as fruits, veggies, nuts, and legumes can transform your hair from blah to wow in a matter of days, while keeping you healthy at the same time.

LOSE Weight with a Cheat Day

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Naturally, when we are surrounded by the ones we love we want to eat what they eat. No one wants to worry about their caloric intake or their excess carbohydrates when they are relaxing around a low-key tailgate or barbecue. I mean, just let me eat my bacon-wrapped cheeseburger, right? Who possibly diets as a lifestyle without ever cheating? I’ll tell you. No one; and that’s because cheat days don’t have to be bad for you. They can actually help you to LOSE weight. Really. Here’s how I do it following a day of excess:

Day 1: Take a protein shake day.

During this day I only consume healthy protein powders mixed with almond milk to cleanse my system and reinvigorate my muscle fibers. This actually, and naturally, “shrinks” my stomach so that in the succeeding days I am less hungry overall. My appetite decreases. For the record, I eat four shakes about three hours apart give or take.

Day 2: Eat protein and veggies.

Throughout the course of the day I eat about five very small meals, also three hours apart. The meals are composed of solely low fat, lean protein. Occasionally I’ll add some cottage cheese and eggs but I generally like to keep each of these meals pretty restrictive in terms of size. Although, I will include healthy fats like coconut oil and/or organic butter for a little flavor. There’s no reason food has to taste bad just because you’re dieting!

Day 3: Binge Day

This is the fun one. On the third day after a cheat day I’ll dive into some thicker carbs over the course of my five mini-meals. However, I will also make sure to include an additional half-cup of “high-energy” carbs through slow-absorbing mediums to take care those carbs that are not converted into body fat. Then, I’ll eat one, just one, splurge meal, and obliterate whatever I want. There’s no holds barred. I just make sure to not get overly full. Basically, it’s a mini meal that’s just a little smaller. I also ensure that this binge meal is not my last food of the day.

By following these rules, I not only get back on track to losing whatever extra weight I may have gained from my cheat day, but my metabolism is actually accelerated. This way I lose weight even faster than I was before my cheat day. Sometimes, our metabolisms begin to plateau in the way of speed when it becomes too used to the same diet. So when you switch it up a bit, it has to adapt and thus runs at optimum efficiency.

Anyway, I hope these tips and tricks help you to capitalize if you fall a little off-track. Good luck!

Why the Food Pyramid is Outdated

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Do you remember the food pyramid from you grade school days? You may be shocked to find out that it has remain nearly unchanged for decades despite the loads of nutritional discoveries unlocked by researchers over the years.

You may recall that grains (bread, pasta, rice) are situated at the base of this pyramid. For two decades, the United States Department of Agriculture itself recommended that upwards of half of your diet should be derived from from carbohydrates.

This is, by no means, good advice.  The American educational system as well as government sponsored organizations are not receptive to new information apparently. It takes years or even decades for them to amend their recommendations to reflect the information that is revealed and commonly accepted by the scientific community. This is quite travesty if you ask me.

USDAHowever, the USDA did introduce their “my plate” system that is, relative to the archaic food pyramid, quite great. In the My Plate system, United States of Department of Agriculture is recommending that vegetables and fruits account for about half of your diet and that grains make up a more reasonable 30%.

The USDA also is now recommending that protein make up of 20% up of your diet, a marked increase from their previous recommendations.

That said, there are a number of things that the USDA could have done better with regards to their “My Plate” system.

Firstly, the My Plate system does not feature healthy fats such as organic dairy products, nuts, and oils. These healthy fats serve as a vital component of a health diet and should be consumed much more than the old food pyramid recommends.

Secondly, grains should account for about a sixth or 15% of your diet. Research has shown that you should be try to eat grains for breakfast and after a workout.

Additionally, try to increase your protein take to about 35% from the recommended 20%. There are a number of benefits from consuming more protein such as decreasing body fat, increasing muscle, increasing the thermic effect of feeding, and more.